RobMcCaffery Posted January 8, 2008 Report Share Posted January 8, 2008 (edited) Rob, I seem to recall that they also looked at the possibility of opening at the greyhound stadium in Prittlewell. Rawreth however did appear to be the best bet at that time. I agree, although a speedway fan nothing has since matched a saturday night at the weir with a local derby against Romford in the Essex Gold Cup. Friday Night at Hackney and the odd trip to Crayford. Oh happy days. I also seem to recall that the riders all met up at the blinking owl cafe after the meetings. Looking at the last programmes i have they showed both the speedway and stock car meetings. Bank holidays use to be great. Speedway on the bank holiday monday morning and stock cars at 3.00pm in the afternoon. As a kid i use to hide after the speedway so as not having to pay to get into the stock cars. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Yes there was a noise test at Southend Stadium in Prittlewell, but the council listened to the usual voices of doom of hell's angels running anok. I remember one pathetic claim was that "we'll end up with gardens full of discarded programmes". Maybe they were confusing speedway fans with those of the local football club who'd used the stadium until the mid-fifties? Either way it was no-go, ironically for a stadium that was reputedly built pre-war for speedway without ever staging a public race. As you can imagine its site is now marked by a "Greyhound Retail Park". You mention the thrill of a battle with Romford at the Weir. In fact that was my first-ever speedway match, Rayleigh-Romford, albeit in the league, not the Essex Gold Cup. I only ever saw one of the latter, the meeting that closed the '71 Weir season and which produced a huge 56-22 win for the Rockets. Of course I was too young to know that this was a huge turn-around in the local pecking-order or that the Bombers were heading for oblivion with us tragically following suit so soon after. Still, at that first match Len Silver had a rant over the pa about Wally Mawdsley and Romford's use of Bob Coles so I guess I got a crash-course in speedway politics right from the first night. London and surrounding areas have lost so very much speedway over those years, almost certainly far too much. Rob McCaffery Edited January 8, 2008 by rmc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyMac Posted January 9, 2008 Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 (edited) Rayleigh will be the subject ol our regular 3-page Defunct Tracks feature in issue 24 of Backtrack - on sale Feb 9. Meanwhile, pse enjoy these nostalgic pics of former Rockets... Perhaps someone can help identify the 'unknown' riders on the second page? http://www.retro-speedway.com/extras/autog...ders%2FRayleigh Edited January 9, 2008 by tmc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobMcCaffery Posted January 9, 2008 Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 (edited) Rayleigh will be the subject ol our regular 3-page Defunct Tracks feature in issue 24 of Backtrack - on sale Feb 9. Meanwhile, pse enjoy these nostalgic pics of former Rockets... Perhaps someone can help identify the 'unknown' riders on the second page? http://www.retro-speedway.com/extras/autog...ders%2FRayleigh <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Delighted to hear about Backtrack covering Rayleigh ex-ed. Put me down for a freebie The rider in the black leathers looks like Nigel Rackett - see his portrait shot. The second is tricky, bearing in mind several of the Rockets had blue & yellow team leathers long before many had moved away from plain black. It's most likely to be pre 72 because we had numbers on the front of the jackets that year - and the name Rayleigh was added in 793. Rob McCaffery. Edited January 9, 2008 by rmc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyMac Posted January 9, 2008 Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 The rider in the black leathers looks like Nigel Rackett - see his portrait shot. The second is tricky, bearing in mind several of the Rockets had blue & yellow team leathers long before many had moved away from plain black. It's most likely to be pre 72 because we had numbers on the front of the jackets that year - and the name Rayleigh was added in 73. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Rob, General consensus on the second pic (71-1) is that it's Bob Young, which I've gone with now on the basis that the style is very similar to the other one from the 1971 season (71-2). I did originally have the man in the black leathers (70-1) down as Rackett but now I'm not convinced. Could he be Roger Wright? That action shot was definitely taken at Reading in the 1970 season, so can anyone shed any further light on his identity? Freebie? Much as I'd like to do it for old time's sake and your toil for the Mail, three pages on your beloved Rockets has to be worth 16 quid of anybody's subscription money! There you go... http://www.retro-speedway.com/page.php?11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobMcCaffery Posted January 9, 2008 Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 (edited) Rob, General consensus on the second pic (71-1) is that it's Bob Young, which I've gone with now on the basis that the style is very similar to the other one from the 1971 season (71-2). I did originally have the man in the black leathers (70-1) down as Rackett but now I'm not convinced. Could he be Roger Wright? That action shot was definitely taken at Reading in the 1970 season, so can anyone shed any further light on his identity? Freebie? Much as I'd like to do it for old time's sake and your toil for the Mail, three pages on your beloved Rockets has to be worth 16 quid of anybody's subscription money! There you go... http://www.retro-speedway.com/page.php?11 <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I go with the Bob Young verdict but I'm sticking with Rackett the Rocket although I never did get to see Roger Wright in his Rockets' days. I do remember Roger turning up at Rye House in 1974 with, I think Teesside, taking a look at the track and complimenting it as a great training circuit before asking where the real race track was. As for the freebie, well I'm glad to see nothing changes I've spent half of the evening going through the Retro speedway photo-site and it's had a surprising and sobering effect - so many lost people and so many lost places. Those 1972/3 colour shots of the Rockets could have been taken yesterday. Just for a while I was back with a sport I loved and wondering why it just isn't the same now. Living in the past, or remembering better, not perfect, but better days? It did seem to be much more about fun whereas today seems to be about a gritty fight to survive, and any fun a rare or contrived bonus. Rob. Edited January 9, 2008 by rmc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyMac Posted January 9, 2008 Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 (edited) OK, now you're all warming to the theme, how about helping me with some pointers for our feature... Which individual visiting riders were regarded, by home fans, as the 'enemy' at The Weir? And I don't just mean the whole Romford team. Which visiting rider would have hated Rayleigh the most (serious injury, etc)? Who were the home riders who struggled most to make their mark at The Weir? Who was the biggest Rockets hero in the Div 2 (1968-73) era? - Maloney? Saunders? Young? Peter Claridge?! Greatest achievement by the Rockets there, in terms of team performance/result? Cheers! Edited January 10, 2008 by tmc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevH Posted January 10, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2008 Which individual visiting riders were regarded, by home fans, as the 'enemy' at The Weir? And I don't just mean the whole Romford team. Barney Kennett Who was the biggest Rockets hero in the Div 2 (1968-73) era? - Maloney? Saunders? Young? Peter Claridge?! Tiger Beech Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spinkox Posted January 10, 2008 Report Share Posted January 10, 2008 I'm sticking with Rackett the Rocket <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Does look incredibly like him - but not possible - He rode a Jap in Rotrax frame in 1970 and pic 70 - 1 is a Jawa frame. And he joined Rayleigh in 1970 after the away match at Reading . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobMcCaffery Posted January 10, 2008 Report Share Posted January 10, 2008 Does look incredibly like him - but not possible - He rode a Jap in Rotrax frame in 1970 and pic 70 - 1 is a Jawa frame. And he joined Rayleigh in 1970 after the away match at Reading . . . <{POST_SNAPBACK}> With a technical eye like that I certainly would not be foolish enough to challenge so I retreat on Rackett ;-) Anyway, it was good to think of that old team again and with the Retro Speedway pictures brilliantly reviving old memories it's been a thought-provoking week. In response to Tony's questions I would suggest that Ipswich and Eastbourne were probably as 'beloved' of Rockets fans as the Bombers with John Louis, Tony Davey, Malcolm Ballard and Gordon Kennett not exactly big portrait-sellers at The Weir ;-) Of course with John Berry and Dave Lanning to spar with there was plenty of scope for the home programme writers like Paul Deal of the Southend Evening Echo to whip up some lovely if ultimately harmless rivalry. One that brings back memories was suggesting writing to "Looking at my riders through rose-tinted spectacles" c/o Ipswich Speedway, Foxhall Heath, or "I hear the Witches won't visit us on a Sunday - I wonder what they look like in their choirboys outfits". A few years later the Berry-Silver battle had obviously transferred to Ipswich-Hackney and the following gem in a profile of the visiting Hawks. "We start with Finn Thomsen who lives in Tiptree where they preserve raspberries". I don't think you dare wind up supporters today given the rather ugly views shown by so many in the contemporary sections of this forum. They were good days at Rayleigh and I'm glad I had that brief time with them. Rob. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cityrebel Posted January 15, 2008 Report Share Posted January 15, 2008 Hi Bob, It was called the Weir Stadium and it stood near to the Arterial Road, the A127. The reason it was called the Weir Stadium, is because there is an underground weir nearby. In fact, there used to be a roundabout, on the A127, known as the weir roundabout, which you had to go round, to get into the stadium. The roundabout is now an underpass. Yes, I had noticed the plaque had gone, it went a few years back. The Friends of Speedway arranged it to be placed there. However, it wasn't only Sainsbury's that developed on the area, a number of other outlets did also. Really, the track should have relocated, within the area. Happy days! <{POST_SNAPBACK}> well you learn something every day. i remember going to a couple of bank holiday morning meetings at rayleigh in the 70's. i asked my dad who is a keen angler where the weir was and he told me he had no idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laser558 Posted January 23, 2008 Report Share Posted January 23, 2008 OK, now you're all warming to the theme, how about helping me with some pointers for our feature... Which individual visiting riders were regarded, by home fans, as the 'enemy' at The Weir? And I don't just mean the whole Romford team. Any of the Kennett brothers, most of the Ipswich team as well as Arthur Price from Boston and the top guy at Sunderland (his name I cannot remember) Which visiting rider would have hated Rayleigh the most (serious injury, etc)? Arthur Price after being beaten on the line by Ivan Miller the reserve Who were the home riders who struggled most to make their mark at The Weir? John Alexander Who was the biggest Rockets hero in the Div 2 (1968-73) era? - Maloney? Saunders? Young? Peter Claridge?! Peter Moore, Terry Stone, Dingle Brown and Tevor Barnwell Greatest achievement by the Rockets there, in terms of team performance/result? Beating Canterbury home and away with Tiger Beech having at particularly good meeting at Canterbury. This was always agood wind up. For pure entertainment though you would have to a long way to beat the Eastbourne matches with Dave Lanning up to his usual antics and accusing Rayleigh riders of using fuel additives. Winning the Essex Gold cup against the old enemy was always good paticularly when Brian Foote was in the thick of things Cheers! <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dantodan Posted April 7, 2008 Report Share Posted April 7, 2008 We now have many many photos on the Rayleigh page of www.defunctspeedway.co.uk courtesy of ex rocket Terry Stone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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