Paul

Be out of touch since Wednesday, firstly best wishes to Adam Lowe on a speedy recovery. I thought it was a cracking meeting. I have to say it puts many Sky Elite League matches to shame that I’ve seen on the box. Okay Olympic Stadium debate, where is it compared to Hackney Stadium. Both the programme notes and Len Silver both got it slightly wrong. The old 1st and 2nd bend at The Wick are now under the massive Media Centre. So how to get to the Olympic Stadium from the old Hackney Stadium? Turn right out of the old stadium, down Waterden Road turn left into Carpenters Road and there it is, on your right hand side, the new massive Olympic Stadium. The railway on the left runs from Hackney Wick to Stratford and used to run parallel with Carpenters Road when it was there. If you remember going down Carpenters Road towards Stratford, you went underneath a railway bridge, that’s the main Liverpool Street to Twipswich line. So the new stadium uses these railway lines as its borders. You get a excellent view of the new stadium from Stratford Station.

Updates from tonight meeting will hopefully be on twitter @hackneyspeedway depending on if I learn in time to twit! If not hopefully my daugher who claims I am a twit anyway will be able to help me out!

I’d expect Thommo to do a few practice laps tonight! Yes he’s been practising at both Iwade and Rye House. No he’s not after a team place, but having recently bought a bike he won the under 21 British Final way back in the early seventies Thommo has certainly got the bug back again. If any ex rider wants a match race, I recon Thommo’s up for it! Just to make everyone feel their age by the way, Thommo's 60 this year

Six days and counting! That’s how long before the tapes rise and the Hackney Hawks return back to the track. When the Hawks return back to track racing, pencil in Hackney legend Barry Thomas making an appearance and maybe he’ll have a ride around the track! He’s been practising so read into that what you may!

Oppps, it's now corrected

“This is Hackney Speedway!” When the late, great Ted Sear used to announced at The Wick, those where the first words he used to open proceedings at the start of the Hawks season, on a Friday night, at eight o’clock of course. The count down is on for the Hawks return. Just over two weeks and counting. Lets hope Craig Saul will use those exact words “ this is Hackney Speedway 2011” when Hackney’s opening fixture, which takes place on Saturday April 9th at Rye House when the reformed Hackney Hawks take on the USA Dream Team. To hear the Magnificent Seven over the PA system, [last played at Rye House in 2006 for the Vic Harding Memorial] will no doubt send shivers down mine and many other former Hackney fans spine. Expect to see a flock [is that what you call several Hawks?] of former Hawks favourites at the Rye track for Hackney’s opening meeting. There will no doubt be one or two surprises on the night and to see the Hawks body colours back on track, well, how fantastic will that be! As for the meeting, well let’s hope for a Hawks win, but them there Americans will probably have other ideas!

cityrebel, my dear man, they where as you said called the London Lions, so in my view you should change your record, at once ! On a serious note, most Hackney fans are pleased they where not called Hackney in 1996. The track was poor compared to what we had,traxcitment didn't really happen in my view. The only excitement for me was Lenny the Lion, pure class

Oh dear, I seem to have upset TMW with the words Mickey Mouse. I have run Hackney meetings with the help and cooperation of the Sittingbourne Speedway Club [iwade] in 2003 and also ran a four team tournament with the help and cooperation of all at Weymouth Speedway in 2004. Without doubt virtually all the riders who rode at for the Hawks at Iwade where indeed riders who either where not quite ready for the then Conference League or, like many just wanted to ride. Weymouth was a step up, this included Conference League riders such as Lee Smart and Ben Powell. Hackney haven’t raced in a league since 1991, when they folded half way through the season. Of course it has been fantastic to see riders wearing a Hawks race jacket on the odd occasion, but it’s just not the same as seeing a Hawks team racing in a league, which I’ve not seen as I said since 1991. There is no dispute that riders have to learn, some want to ride when ever they can, but to have a one off second half challenge or even a full meeting isn’t the same as the cut and thrust of a league match. As a paying spectator, many will not attend pointless challenge matches mid season or some even early season. I could have said pointless challenge matches which in my view is a Mickey Mouse match. I hope TMW you can see where I am coming from? RMC thanks for you kind words and I also hope you can see where I’m trying to come from. And finally, I find it a little out of order that like many discussions on this forum certain people want to change the whole theme of the thread. Quite rightly people will want to respond to part of the hijacked thread . This thread is Hackney 2011 so lets keep it Hackney 2011! If we are extremely lucky we may even have a Hackney Hawks 2012 thread later this year, how great would that be! Up the Hawks!

Of course I am delighted the Hackney Hawks are back racing, not just the odd occasional micky mouse challenge but back in a league to race. Of course you will never please all of the people all of the time. Yes Hackney did loose supporters when they became the Kestrels. I was just pleased to see speedway at the old Waterden Road track continue. Potentially it could have finished in 1983, so at least Hackney was able to race for a few more years until that awful 1991 season. I have for many years tries to keep the Hackney Speedway flag flying, I never imagined in my wildest dreams they would once again be gracing tracks up and down the country. It has been posted on speedway forum before, but I am attempting to get a memorial plaque or something similar as close to the old track as possible, to remember the young men who lost there lives at Waterden Road. Of course I refer to Dusty Haigh, Alan Clegg, Vic Harding, Denny Pyeatt and Paul Muchene. If you are on facebook, there’s a group set up called ‘Remembring our Fallen Speedway Hero’s’ With the Hawks back on track it couldn’t have come at a better time to getting this memorial in place. It has well over 1500 people who have joined the group and would ask you also to join if your not a member. Speedway has a massive following on facebook from all over the world, [including former Hawks favourite Zenon Plech and Dave Morton to name but a few] many different riders from the past and the current crop of our speedway stars , plus of course many thousands of fans. Yes I’m very pleased to see Hackney back!

Well…….what an evening. The main speaker a certain Norman Jacobs gave an excellent history lesson on New Cross speedway, with loads of pictures displayed via a proxcima whilst giving his talk. I do have to say it was very much an older audience, I recon me and Mr Jacobs where probably the youngest there ! I did here several committee members say on my way out that it was extremely well attended, to which I think it was. There must have been about 50 people there, all listening with great interest at what the guest speaker had to say. It was nice also to see Terry Stone their, although no bikes on display he did bring some speedway memorabilia for the people to look at and giving the speedway museum a plug. One of the reasons I went was because I didn’t know a great deal about New Cross speedway, such as Briggo riding for them for a while and when Crystal Palace closed they moved lock stock and barrel in to New Cross. All in all an excellent evening Thanks must go to Mr Jacobs for travelling from his home in Clactonville in Essex and one question please Mr Jacobs. There was a picture of Wally Mawdsley you showed, who was that with him in the picture

Roland Duke had several second halfs at Romford to

Hackney 56 Andy Galvin 9+1 Chris Louis 10+2 Alan Mogridge 7+1 Paul Whittaker 8+1 Mark Loram 11 Paul Bosley 4 Garry Rolls 7+2 Middlesbrough 40 Mark Fiora 12 Peter McNamara 1 Martin Dixon 7+1 Daz Sumner 15+1 Ashley Norton 3+1 Andy Buck 0 Andy Sumner 2 A meeting in which Hackney had engine problems right from heat one with Mr Galvin and the world champion to be Mark Loram seizing his engine in his 1st race. Happy days at Hackney...........................

Result 1st Nicki Pederson 2nd Freddie Lingren 3rd Andreas Jonsson

Going to make the trip today to Poole, sorry Bournemouth. I know the weather's been grim the last couple of days, any news on todays meeting being on or off?

Paul Bonner was the main man at KM Video's,certainly I got that impression. As posted send Rob McCafrey a message, he was and still is a excellant commentator,far better than Tony Millard!

Wenham @ Saunders ? Count me in for the DVD. Yes great day well done to the organisers.

Yep me to! First taste of speedway was at Brooklands, that very first race and have been hooked ever since! The sun has come out today, just like it did every Thursday at the Brooklands Road Stadium. I will be leaving soon to see my former hero's. In actual fact the guys that rode for Romford are still my hero's! They had very few rain-offs, certainly none in their first season and with Maurice Morley being there, it will just be like the old times!

3rd May 1935. Hackney v New Cross, 1st Meeting at the Wick, Happy Birthday Hackney Speedway, I miss you

Well, someone remembers Katie Mason BIG TIME ! Update on Kate now, well firstly she is now known as Kate Mcauley. Kate moved from the South Coast of England to the North East of England, just out side of Newcastle, to be precise a few years ago and still loves her speedway and motor cross. Kate rode at Kings Lynn a couple of years ago in a training day and caught the eye of Kings Lynn promoter Buster Chapman. Buster wanted to sign this brilliant speedway rider but Kate had to refuse due to work commitments! On a serious note although not riding competitively Kate still has the desire to race, has her bike in the garage and I guess once that racing bug is in your system it’s very hard to get out! Kate is on facebook.com and has pictures of her riding speedway and motor cross, also a piece on Kate is on www.hackneyreunion.com

Well, tis 4 hours since the call was made, still no madame! Shazzy where are you!

Agree, should be a great weekend. although getting a 6.25 flight tomorrow morning is a bit of a downer, having to get up at 3am is even a bigger downer, hardly seemes worthwhile going to bed! The Prague meeting used to be so good, all the top riders, but over the last 4-5 years it's been the lower order riders and not the GP stars and I guess this year will be no different. Overall though should be a great weekend and even the weather forecast isn't to bad either, just wrap up well will be the order of the day and take some wet gear just in case!

Trying to do a bit of research on Walthamstow Speedway and came across a story on George Flower. A few details are available on the web address below but does anyone [Mr Norbold] have any more info on him. Thanks in advance Paul http://www.walthamstownow.co.uk/project_shopmobility.htm

I thank everyone for there replies. I have now come across another Abridge programme dated approximately a month after the now world famous –Mr Parsnip, Bryn Williams mate has replied so it has to be world famous- Abridge Speedway debate. Same cover, same officials, same venue etc and it refers the meeting held at Skinners Farm as Grass Track! Err, I am confused. Would some local speedway promoter complained about Abridge calling it’s self a speedway venue possibly? What I can’t get my head around why Abridge calls it self speedway one meeting and another month down the line it refers to a grass track meeting! Had I had not started to fully catalogue my programmes none of this would have come to light and none of us would be any the wiser, apologies.

Homes of British Speedway list over 300 tracks. Maybe, just may be, you may really should buy one. Really is a top top book. A must for any collector of speedway stuff!

Meeting dated 29th August 1948 Indeed the format is of an individual grass track meeting inside the programme. Abridge Speedway again is mentioned again above the officials for the Meeting. Riders include grass track stars such as M. Banks, assume to be Monty, Alf Hagon Would like to know how they where allowed be known as Abridge Speedway though. Answers please on a post card to Hackney Stadium, oh how I wish!