Parsloes 1928 nearly

Welcome back speedyguy: hope all is well with you.. A terribly tragic tale recounted here but one thing puzzles me..: what is the "double tragedy"..??!! :unsure:

It is indeed a very sad day for British Speedway to hear of Cyril’s passing. Cyril was in fact a South Londoner and the first Speedway meeting he attended was the first-ever Speedway ‘Test’ between England and Australia at Wimbledon in 1930. His uncle was at Lord’s watching the Cricket ‘version’ and when the details of the Speedway meeting was announced he rushed back to take his 8 year old nephew along. I’m sure that CJH must’ve been one of the last survivors from that historic night. I was privileged to know Cyril well over the past six years. He contacted me when his first-love, Wimbledon Speedway re-opened in 2002 and he regularly contributed articles for our award-winning programme over the next four years. We also worked together on ‘The Speedway History Magazine’. The recollections he had and his superb still extremely sharp writing style (even by then into his 80s!) were a real joy to read. I was delighted when Cyril made it up to Plough Lane one final time in May 2003 for the 75th. anniversary meeting. Cyril was one of the greatest Speedway journalists of all time and I was so pleased to be sent and told some many stories. He was also a delightful man, loved by so many. He was also an eternal enthusiast and that evening at Plough Lane he was still starry-eyed at seeing the legends of the past (who all knew him, of course) and the riders of the present day. One of the riders (I'm fairly certain it was Gerry King...) went up and thanked Cyril for sending him a card when he had been in hospital after a crash. CJH admitted to me this had occurred in the late '50s/early '60s but they’d not meet up since. Imagine remembering that back after so many years and Cyril was genuinely touched that the rider had remembered this. Testament I think to the way he was admired and respected across the sport. You’ll be hugely missed CJH, but always remembered..

It's not that I remember exactly what was said (by Mr. Russell at the final Crayford meeting of the 1983 season..), it's what he DIDN'T say. And what he didn't say was that he knew for certain that this was the last ever Speedway meeting at London Rd. I just don't understand why this info. wasn't shared with us... And despite Bryn assuring us the info. was safe in the hands of him & the supporters club, I'm afraid that doesn't make me feel any better (like you don't about Canterbury, shazzy..) about it..!!

Actually, sadly I never did get to go to The Weir but I did see Rayleigh ride the once, at Kingsmead; and think it's worthy of mention (not referred to in the article) as it was surely the last proper appearance of the Rayleigh Rockets on track. It was the Golden Jubilee meeting commemorating the 50th. anniversary of the first Speedway meeting in Australia in 1923 - and, of course, Canterbury had the right to stage this as the legendary John S. Hoskins who organised that first meeting in '23 was the promoter at Kingsmead..! The main event was a 4TT involving the home side, Birmingham, an 'Ipswich Juniors' quartet and the Rockets. Appearing for Rayleigh that evening (3rd. November: two weeks after their final ever home meeting) were: Brian Foote (scored 5); Bob Young (7), Tiger Beech (1) and Trevor Barnwell (4). Rayleigh came last with 14 points: Ipswich winning a last heat decider to pip Birmingham for the win. The article refers to the last Rayleigh away match as one at the start of 1974 - a challenge match up at Boston. But as that date was AFTER the closure of the Stadium (after the very last dog racing meeting there), really one can't actually count that match surely..: indeed, surely calling the Rockets, Rayleigh at that stage was incorrect..: though perhaps it was before the final 't's had been crossed and 'i's dotted for the move to Rye House..? So, I'd say the final ever Rayleigh match was that one in November at Canterbury..??

That's what i thought and was surprised to hear that he was seen walking at Christmas...?? He lost a leg didn't he..: would be terrific news if he's up and about and walking with an artificial leg. Does anyone know more details..??

David Osborn's Wimbledon CL career more or less meets the criteria you were looking for exactly. David rode in heat one of the Dons’ first ever match in the Conference (and first match for over 10 years) up at Peterborough in March 2002. He crashed on bend one of lap one and withdrew injured. He did reappear for another away match, this time up at Buxton, three months later but lasted only one lap again. That was two matches, two starts, no finishes, and - self-evidently - no points.. David had 20 or so appearances for a range of clubs including Mildenhall & Rye House before his ill-fated (and final)campaign on 2002, though.... Another David who was pointless for a team I followed was Dave Howard who rode in both of the Crayford Kestrels' first two NNL matches (against Crewe away and Boston at home) in 1975. He failed to score and was never heard of or seen again. I always thought it odd that team photos taken at that time said it was Dave Howard when the rider pictured was clearly the man who succeeded Howard as reserve, Bill Archer. My theory was they were the same person but I'm sure that was wrong..??!!! :blink:

Yes, Rob, that was the day the car parking also went t*ts up and Mr. Ribbons had to circumnavigate the track, shouting out the registration numbers in his - thankfully, for this task..! -booming voice!!! The next meeting, when I'd taken over from you as Announcer, I was handed another long list of offending parked cars and I read them out, then to find that one I'd announced was my own car!!!!!

You're perhaps thinking of Ron Howes..:who also rode at one time , like Ron How, for Wimbledon but in Howes' case it was pre-war. Ron (Howes not his multi-World Finalist name-sake) had a mainly lower division career after the war, with Rayleigh. He was around Crayford too as machine examiner or similar; and sadly he did pass away the other year.. Not an Aussie though..: a South Londoner thru'& thru' I believe..!!

Alright, alright..: enuff!!! I can see the 'establishment' were told..: just us ordinary punters who didn't know then..!!! Being an 'insider' myself these days, I do feel perhaps we fail to recognise even in these days of much improved communication (for whether promoters like it or not - and it's NOT in many cases! - there is the Internet now!!) that not everyone who attends Speedway are privy to a level of knowledge about all the various machinations around the sport. I think that maybe the fact that the percentage as a total of people 'in the know' is higher than, say, in Football does sometimes have a detrimental affect on ordinary fans who want to pay their money come along and have some level of certainty that there may be a meeting next week/month/season as advertised!!!!

Yes, but FACT..: Mr. Russell chose NOT to tell us Crayford fans that we were about to lose our track..!!! Forgive me, but aren't one of your current clubs Oxford currently fighting their closure. We were denied that opportunity at Crayford...

It's an issue of honesty (or communication, at least..) and the lack of it, which distinguishes each example.. I was at, what turned out to be the last ever meeting at Crayford and I still have the programme. in his speech on the centre green mic that night and in his programme notes, Terry Russell talks about being back at Crayford in 1984. he makes no reference to the fact, which was I now know, well advanced at that stage, of the redevelopment of the stadium and his proposed team relocation to Hackney. My gripe has always been and remains, why didn't he allow us Crayford fans to at least know that when we walked out of that Stadium that night that it was going to be for the last time... The 1996 example was more serious. Throughout that year - the first of the GP system and the British GP then the last on the calendar and so potentially a decisive world title meeting- it was said that Arena was to stage this prestigious event. Why the "primitive" old place ( ) even staged a FIM meeting earlier in the year in preparation... But all this time,seems Mr.Russell was planning to unveil his deal to hold the event at the impressively revamped 'London Stadium' (sic). Surely,it wasn't right to string people along like that was it..??!!

Er, not really coz my posting was: QUOTE (Parsloes 1928 nearly @ Jan 24 2008, 08:26 PM) I suppose it was also true in 1996 that Arena Essex came and stole away your track was it..??!! blink.gif unsure.gif * Your reply goes: No they took our race night that stopped us re-opening in the City actually icon_smile_wink.gif oh and for the record it was a bit before 1996 icon_smile_tongue.gif ------------------------------------------------------------------------ So, you see this thread was/is about Hackney.. I was referring to Hackney (as a comparator with the Crayford example) when talking of the events of 1996: the OTHER time Mr. Russell 'closed' down a track (Arena, though they survived by going into the Conference..) to take over at Waterden Rd. It was YOU who misunderstood this and started, spuriously, to think that somehow the thread referred to Canterbury!! And tell me, how on earth did Arena Essex running in Thurrock on whatever night have a bearing on a track reopening in Canterbury..?? A lot more than 30 miles between those two locations..??!!

I'm still totally confused by your posts, shazzy!! When you say "we" above are you meaning Hackney or Canterbury..?? I can't see how Arena's race night could have any effect on a replacement track opening in Canterbury..??!!!

And, with all due respect to Chris Pusey who was a great club loyalist and a steady GB international, he was never, in my memory of those times, really a contender at World or British championship indiv. level, was he..??

I think you're right. When - as if often the wont on the BSF - there's a list compiled of best riders never to be World Champ, Joey never appears on it: but he should do, because make no mistake about it, he was a superb racer; and only injuries stopped him becoming a world beater...

Got a sense of deja vu over this, coz it also sounded very much like the Newcastle team of 1976!! Joe was NLRC winner that year too (the year shazzy's uncle made the rostrum!! ); and with Tom also in his prime, the Diamonds swept to the NNL title losing on this occasion just THREE times! I mention this not so that it's apparent, by remembering further back, that I am indeed older than you, BP(!!): but perhaps mainly, coz one of the paltry 3 times the all-conquering Byker boys lost was - wait for it!! - at Crayford: by the legendary score of 40-38! Like you, I too had a soft spot for the Owen bros led Newcastle sides of this era.. I'm sure someone will point out in due course that in 1988 a side won the NL outdoing even the Diamonds' impressive record by losing but twice all term.. 'Twas of course that team beginning with 'H'!! To that eventual posting, let me get this point in first: the 1988 Kestrels contained no fewer than FIVE of the 1983 Crayford version..!!!

Like a few others who've contributed on here, Tony, I didn't actually see my first Speedway race 'til after the 'shut-off point' of 1970 for this distinction (though only missed it by a couple of years! ) but I have a nomination... George Barclay came to Speedway relatively late but can STILL be seen riding in that graceful style of his regularly at practice/training sessions at Sittingbourne.. What started for George as a day out giving it a try at a Rye House training day in the mid-1960s led to him riding in the top division for his beloved West Ham Hammers at the peerless Custom House. Then there those extraordinarily long distance trips to Sunderland, where George not only rode in the team but did all the pre-meeting and post-meeting track works! And long after retiring from the track (after any rider’s natural pinnacle being a Crayford Kestrel!! ), George remains an inspiration: his huge presiding force (along with partner Linda) forcing the Speedway world to dig into its pockets to make the Speedway Museum a reality. George & I share a surname and live on adjacent streets in East London but aren't related. He jokingly refers to me as his son (sometimes even his grandson..! ) when we're together and he's introducing me to someone..! That’s a laugh as, though he IS old enough to be my father, 'Gentleman' George looks so great, even though now in his seventies, he can easily get away with being a slightly older and far better looking brother!!! And I'm proud to call him a friend..: when we look back at the history of Speedway, there are few if any, more articulate, more gentlemanly servants of this great sport of ours than George Barclay. He'll do as my pre-1970s (and ling after too...) all-time hero!!!

Only the third ever Speedway meeting I attended, was Barrow at Kingsmead in July 1973 losing by just one point (39-38) to the Crusaders with both Joey (as he was then known) and Tom Owen in the Bombers side... One of the greatest individual performances I ever saw at second division level was by Joe, two years later in '75, when the Diamonds narrowly won a NNL match at Arlington. Joe remains my third favourite rider of all-time (behind Peter Collins and Buzz Burrows) with whom he shares the ability to entertain and provide excitement way beyond the norm in our sport.. Tom was also a legend to us at Crayford: winning the individual title, the Kentish Times Trophy a barely believable FIVE times in a row: '75 to '79 inclusive!!!

What are you on about..??!! It WAS 1996, when Terry Russell repeated his trick of 1984 and moved his team into Hackney: abandoning Arena Essex in the process. I've no idea what you're talking about..!!

It's not been spoilt, Rob..: and it's me who should be apologising!! Not least for us inflicting that geezer Bryn on you all those years back!! I'm just sore coz no-one supplied the name of that stripper pub up the road from the track!!

Well I think Steve had every right to be angry knowing as he does the huge amount of money, time and effort (emotional & physical) Russ has put into his track. I know myself from talking to Russell exactly the sort of cr*p he's had to put up with and that the fact of the last minute change of heart by what passes to planning officials out there was a devastating blow. Really glad to hear he's still battling on Good luck mate.. Derek

Well, all I can say is I'm glad the internet wasn't around 25 years ago when Crayford was closed down without the promoter so much as even telling its supporters what he was planning..: as the comments made on here by some Hackney supporters are extremely insensitive... At the end of the day, you had 8 more years at Hackney (then another in '96..) than we had at Crayford, yet somehow it's Hackney being depicted as some kind of victims of a 'sting'!! I suppose it was also true in 1996 that Arena Essex came and stole away your track was it..??!!

No, sorry, shazzy but you are TOTALLY wrong!!!! Crayford CLOSED down; they knocked the stadium down; it will never come back! Most Crayford fans were lost to the sport. And you're not telling me that Hackney fans didn't regard the Hackney team which brought the NL and other trophies back to Hackney in 1988 as a Hackney team?! Using your Crayford argument are you going to say it was alright when Romford closed down coz the same team carried on (after a few weeks at Custom House) in Barrow..!!!

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Er, chunky made this exact point in his opening post on this thread..!!! Did you not read it..??!!