Guest Steve Dixon Posted June 5, 2005 Report Share Posted June 5, 2005 Care to enlighten us? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehone Posted June 5, 2005 Report Share Posted June 5, 2005 first time was a 'behind closed doors' practise session for the New Zealand riders a week before the Overseas Final i think in 1984. Wimbledon had raced there the night before too so it was two birds with one stone that weekend. second time was an Ivan Mauger training academy i think in 1985. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liontamer Posted June 5, 2005 Report Share Posted June 5, 2005 Used to love my visits to Hyde Road, fantastic place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
one of clubs Posted June 5, 2005 Report Share Posted June 5, 2005 It will be a very long time if at all the likes of Hyde road will be repeated.The place had an atmosphere i have not experienced since it closed.A magnificent meeting thesedays was just a mediocre one then,no track anywhere even comes close.Trust house were extremely short sighted when they sold it,with a little more investment it could have become the Alton towers of the north.There were racing lines everywhere,not just inside or outside as there are now.Todays speedway does not even come close. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Team Man Posted June 5, 2005 Report Share Posted June 5, 2005 i am taller <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Only just Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Topcat Posted June 5, 2005 Report Share Posted June 5, 2005 It will be a very long time if at all the likes of Hyde road will be repeated.The place had an atmosphere i have not experienced since it closed.A magnificent meeting thesedays was just a mediocre one then,no track anywhere even comes close.Trust house were extremely short sighted when they sold it,with a little more investment it could have become the Alton towers of the north.There were racing lines everywhere,not just inside or outside as there are now.Todays speedway does not even come close. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Very well put, sad day when money talked and Hyde Road was gone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Addy Posted June 5, 2005 Report Share Posted June 5, 2005 Used to love my visits to Hyde Road, fantastic place. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Come again - the current track is but a shale stone's throw away ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liontamer Posted June 6, 2005 Report Share Posted June 6, 2005 Come again - the current track is but a shale stone's throw away ... <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I've been to Kirky Lane a few times Addy, but it will never cpmpare to Hyde Road. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tigerblade Posted June 6, 2005 Report Share Posted June 6, 2005 Hyde Road was a proper speedway track - unline some of the trick tracks we have these days. Not half, that's one thing that saddens me about speedway today, the lack of large fast tracks. People talk about Sheffield as though it's an alien type of track as it is large and fast, and when I started watching speedway, it was the smallest and slowest paced of the 4 northern circuits (Hyde Road, the Shay and the Boulevard), I'm afraid there are too many slick polo mints about now for my liking. I went many times to Hyde Road, first was a WTC qualifier in 1978, think the last time would have been the 1987 Overseas Final. A horrendous photo exists of an 11 year old me with Ila Teromaa (remember him?) which was taken at Hyde Road, at Belle Vue's Golden Jubilee meeting which was about a month after the aforementioned WTC meeting. If I ever get around to it, I will have to put it onto Webshots! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyM Posted June 6, 2005 Report Share Posted June 6, 2005 Hyde Road was also the fairest track, with plenty of riding lines and always plenty of opportunities for passing and team riding. Fans raised on the current tracks would be amazed at the sort of racing we used to enjoy there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onceadon Posted June 7, 2005 Report Share Posted June 7, 2005 Andy, liontamer, one of clubs, - you're all spot on. I first went to Hyde Road in 1984 to the BLRC when Chris Morton won a run off with Hans Nielsen after Erik Gundersen was put out for pushing the tapes. I can still remember Dick Barrie winding the crowd up so that all the neutrals backed Morton - and the incredible firework display afterwards. When I moved to the north I became a regular at Hyde Road during 1986/7 --- Morton, Thorp, McKinna etc. Superb atmosphere and a great race track. I must admit TB that Sheffield is a superb race track. I can remember going there in the late 80's and seeing some terrific meetings. The problem for me is that now the surface is so biased in favour of the home team away riders simply can't race it and that's why although its the closest track to my home I never go there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TigerTom Posted June 8, 2005 Report Share Posted June 8, 2005 I remember going to a practice at Belle Vue in 1970 just after I bought my first speedway bike. The olnly qualification you needed was to have enough money to pay and be abler to line up your bike in rows of 4!! It was winter and very sunny (first time I saw the sun in Manchester I believe!) Part of the stadium was in shadow and covered with some snow the sunny part was mud! Off I went went with the other three. my most humble rememberance was having to bring on the throttle again to get to the bend! It seemed huge. I enjoyed many race days but non as a rider as I was adept at one thing only. Being able to fall off at the drop of a hat (actualy there was never a hat!) Looking back in my memory it looked so big in my minds eye! Have to say though my favorite was Halifax. There most Saturdaysme and a lot of others showed up with the bike in the trunk and off we went after the meeting! Now 35 years later and living in Canada I still own a speedway bike (no not a jap but a tried and true Weslake) and I can still drop it at the drop of the non existant hat! I have many memories of the old palce at Hyde Road and like many others it has sucommed to the almighty dollar! (or in your case thew almighty pound!) surely they can build houses and Azda's somewhere else! We have a nice little speedway track here at paris Ontario and now we have houses built adjacent to the track. Every house owner was advised in their home owners agreement that a fairground existed but once these morons move in they want the speedway out!...Why because of the noise they were told about before they bough the house. Now we are safe for a while but heaven help us if we tried to relocate or change the size of the track because then we would need to go to council for approval! Reminds me of the idiots who buy near an airport and then want restrictions on the airport so they can increase the hous values! Enough of the rant. Keep supporting your home track because you never know when you may loose it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onceadon Posted June 8, 2005 Report Share Posted June 8, 2005 Keep supporting your home track because you never know when you may loose it! <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Best quote I have heard in ages. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spin king Posted June 8, 2005 Report Share Posted June 8, 2005 Have to agree with everything said about Hyde Road, the place was rather special, also have to say if the likes of that The Shay at Halifax and the Boulevard were still around we would not get people complaining about Sheffield, there are too many liyyle tiddler tracks these days. Can you imagine the present World Champion blasting his way around Hyde Road, in a recent interview, JASON Crump says he misses riding is the Sheffield track and that there is too many little tracks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Main Man Posted June 8, 2005 Report Share Posted June 8, 2005 Brilliant atmosphere at Hyde Road. I really enjoyed announcing there --doing an Aces war-cry was awesome with everyone stamping their feet and making so much noise!! The racing was absolutely breath taking --watching the likes of Mort, PC, Chris Pusey, Wilky, Paul Tyrer etc hurtling round there. Like Cradley -happy, happy memories!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Posted June 9, 2005 Report Share Posted June 9, 2005 It would certainly seem that there are more small tracks around now than there used to be. Personally, I find that you get used to watching racing on any kind of track and come to accept what you see most often as the norm. The odd thing however is that you might think that smaller tracks would make for less serious injuries because of lower speeds, but the last couple of seasons seem to have provided some real nasties. Is it because the riders tend to be closer together in the tighter confines? A final question. WHY have tracks become smaller? I'm sure there must be an obvious reason, but I can't think what it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WiganWarrior Posted June 9, 2005 Report Share Posted June 9, 2005 It would certainly seem that there are more small tracks around now than there used to be. Personally, I find that you get used to watching racing on any kind of track and come to accept what you see most often as the norm. The odd thing however is that you might think that smaller tracks would make for less serious injuries because of lower speeds, but the last couple of seasons seem to have provided some real nasties. Is it because the riders tend to be closer together in the tighter confines? A final question. WHY have tracks become smaller? I'm sure there must be an obvious reason, but I can't think what it is. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grachan Posted June 9, 2005 Report Share Posted June 9, 2005 I'd like to know why tracks have become smaller too. I've always preferred big tracks too. Swindon is now seen as a big fast track whereas it was relatively typical when I started going. The irony is, of course, that as tracks have become smaller, so bikes have become faster. Maybe that would explain the accidents. I only went to Hyde Road a couple of times, both for World Championship events. One was an Overseas Final (I think) won by Phil Collins and the other was when Kenny Carter rode with a broken leg. It was a truly great place for Speedway, though I'm not sure how it would look today if it was still open as I'm sure the wooden stands would have had to come down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WiganWarrior Posted June 9, 2005 Report Share Posted June 9, 2005 I was lucky enough to be taken to Hyde Road most Saturday's when I was a kid. The track was terrific and the team consisted of greats like Ivan Mauger and Soren Sjosten. Also went to many winter Saturday morning practice sessions as my mums youngest brother rode for a while. My father and uncle (who had both raced when younger) went along to advise him. Dent Oliver ran the training school. I also prefer bigger tracks but must say that I went to Poole when we were on holiday in the mid-70's and thought that was terrific also, especially Jimmy McMillan almost bouncing off the fence at every turn! Sky cover speedway well these days and I enjoy racing at Poole and some other tracks on TV but wouldn't cross the street to watch at some of the slick gaters tracks. But they had those in the old days as well! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sotonian Posted June 9, 2005 Report Share Posted June 9, 2005 A final question. WHY have tracks become smaller? I'm sure there must be an obvious reason, but I can't think what it is. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Many older tracks were built within greyhound stadia or around football/rugby pitches. Those factors dictated track length. New, especially standalone tracks, are smaller due to price and availability of land (and maybe to minimise track maintenance too?). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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