Vincent Vega Posted December 30, 2007 Report Share Posted December 30, 2007 Will always remember Galvini diving under Darrell Brandford and Mike Spink to win Hackney the meeting in a last heat decider in 1988. Did you give him instructions before that last heat Bryn Also remember a local fan by the start line with black hair and glasses who was always shouting at the ref or having a go at the home riders!!! Upon numerous visits there enjoyed watching Hellsen, Fry and Gary O'Hare racing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadders Posted December 30, 2007 Report Share Posted December 30, 2007 (edited) Only went there once, in 1988...Rockets scored 60+ on a very wet Wednesday evening. Only remember Woods, Lyndon, Chalcraft and Brice for us and Gary O'hare and Keith White for Invaders. Edited December 30, 2007 by Shadders Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemini Posted December 30, 2007 Report Share Posted December 30, 2007 Well most tracks seem to have an escaped village idiot (in the nicest possible sense.) The sort of fan you hope will not come and stand next to you and there was certainly one at Long Eaton. Young chap about 19/20 who used to get very wound up. Fortunately he didn't seem to stand in one place for very long so he soon moved on somewhere else, if you did have the misfortune to have him yelling in your ears. My biggest memories of Long Eaton - perhaps it's just the bad things that stick in my mind unfortunately - was the lovely Summer evening when Ove Fundin and his wife were in attendance and the track had been over-watered so we never did see any speedway. I drove back to Leicester with the sun shining brightly & was somewhat disgruntled to say the least. Another time was the 65-0 drubbing of ....I think Middlesbrough....when they refused to ride so the Long Eaton riders just went round for 5-0's in every race. Anyone remember why Middlesbrough wouldn't ride as I forget? Of course there were numerous other very enjoyable matches with some brilliant racing. I miss my trips to Long Eaton and it's such a shame they've closed down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Posted December 30, 2007 Report Share Posted December 30, 2007 (edited) Drinking beer out of those wobbly plastic pint glasses. David Walsh scoring 20 points for Glasgow there in 1994. Weird crossword-style racecards in the programme. Not a great stadium but a decent racers track. A sad loss for British speedway. Graham. Edited December 30, 2007 by Graham Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Letchy Posted December 31, 2007 Report Share Posted December 31, 2007 Drinking beer out of those wobbly plastic pint glasses. David Walsh scoring 20 points for Glasgow there in 1994. Weird crossword-style racecards in the programme. Not a great stadium but a decent racers track. A sad loss for British speedway. Graham. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Letchy Posted December 31, 2007 Report Share Posted December 31, 2007 Drinking beer out of those wobbly plastic pint glasses. David Walsh scoring 20 points for Glasgow there in 1994. Weird crossword-style racecards in the programme. Not a great stadium but a decent racers track. A sad loss for British speedway. Graham. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Best shaped speedway track I ever raced on. Just loved it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arnieg Posted December 31, 2007 Report Share Posted December 31, 2007 Too many to list in full, but how about: the night Scunny were beaten and Invaders won the league Gerald Short, Martin Dixon and Paul Fry's many passes. The Armstrong v Eldridge CLRC run-off Thierry Hillaire - what a lunatic Ronnie Correy's return from injury in 1995 Watching speedway from the centre green (I sponsored a heat in some meeting - possibly the CLRC) Standing on the terraces every week just behind a Division One rider and being amazed that he always had a pint in his hand (maybe it was the same pint all the time!) Standing in the car park after the Oxford Suite meeting at which Tony Mole announced it was all over, touching the stadium gates and realising 'never again will I pass this way' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trap 1 Posted December 31, 2007 Report Share Posted December 31, 2007 Best shaped speedway track I ever raced on. Just loved it! <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Totally agree letchy, only raced there 3 or 4 times myself but enjoyed it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fireblade Posted December 31, 2007 Report Share Posted December 31, 2007 Will always remember Galvini diving under Darrell Brandford and Mike Spink to win Hackney the meeting in a last heat decider in 1988. Did you give him instructions before that last heat Bryn Also remember a local fan by the start line with black hair and glasses who was always shouting at the ref or having a go at the home riders!!! Upon numerous visits there enjoyed watching Hellsen, Fry and Gary O'Hare racing. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I remember the lad with the glasses. He used to hang over the fence and count down the laps for the riders. Not very bright, but did come out with the odd big word or two. He always used to wear a brown coat. Micman will remember him too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOBBATH Posted December 31, 2007 Report Share Posted December 31, 2007 I recall my first visit to Long Eaton in July 1965-a British League match v. Newport.The Wasps had not at that point won an away meeting-but this time stood a good chance as Long Eaton were without Ray Cresp.I hitch-hiked up from Cardiff and was rewarded with the Wasps winning 32-46.Ray Harris(RIP) was the Wasps reserve and was usually not so good away from Somerton Park but came thru with 7 pts. from 3 rides, including a great win over the Archers skipper Ken Adams(RIP). These two guys were veterans even then and I remember chatting to an old time fan who thought it was great to see these two former Stoke team-mates race in the same heat again. The scorers in that meeting were for Newport: Biggs 11,Erskine 9, Vandenberg 8,Golden 8,Harris 7,Penniket 2, Hughes 1. For LE: Adams 10, Kid Bodie(Howard Cole) 9,Storer 6, Hitch 3, Sharp 2, Ray Wilson 1,Malskaitis 1. I'd forgotten Clive Hitch rode for the Archers. I still have the programme. I lived in Nottingham 66-68 and would visit Station Road in 66 and 67 all the time(and then Leicester in 68). I remember the pub right at the back of the stadium and also the fish and chip shop which was just outside the 3rd/4th bend entrance. I used to catch a Barton's bus back to Nottingham. Hope these comments and rider listings bring memories back to others. Another piece of trivia-at that meeting I met another Newport fan who had hitch-hiked there-we were both lacking a ride back and decided to hitch down to Poole- to see a WC British semi-final the following night. I recall sleeping rough in an empty house after being kicked out of Poole railway station when they closed up for the night. This fan was named Ian Terrar who briefly rode as Wasps reserve a few years later-anyone know what happened to Ian?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Railway End Posted January 1, 2008 Report Share Posted January 1, 2008 Another piece of trivia-at that meeting I met another Newport fan who had hitch-hiked there-we were both lacking a ride back and decided to hitch down to Poole- to see a WC British semi-final the following night. I recall sleeping rough in an empty house after being kicked out of Poole railway station when they closed up for the night. This fan was named Ian Terrar who briefly rode as Wasps reserve a few years later-anyone know what happened to Ian?? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Hi Bob, Ian Terrar is still about working in London. He was a good friend of Cyril Frances. Happy New Year Bob. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOBBATH Posted January 2, 2008 Report Share Posted January 2, 2008 Thanx Railway End-are you an old Somerton Park attenddee -if you ever see Ian give him my regards and remind him of the trip. Happy New Year to you too!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Hamilton Posted January 4, 2008 Report Share Posted January 4, 2008 I recall my first visit to Long Eaton in July 1965-a British League match v. Newport.The Wasps had not at that point won an away meeting-but this time stood a good chance as Long Eaton were without Ray Cresp.I hitch-hiked up from Cardiff and was rewarded with the Wasps winning 32-46.Ray Harris(RIP) was the Wasps reserve and was usually not so good away from Somerton Park but came thru with 7 pts. from 3 rides, including a great win over the Archers skipper Ken Adams(RIP). These two guys were veterans even then and I remember chatting to an old time fan who thought it was great to see these two former Stoke team-mates race in the same heat again. The scorers in that meeting were for Newport: Biggs 11,Erskine 9, Vandenberg 8,Golden 8,Harris 7,Penniket 2, Hughes 1. For LE: Adams 10, Kid Bodie(Howard Cole) 9,Storer 6, Hitch 3, Sharp 2, Ray Wilson 1,Malskaitis 1. I'd forgotten Clive Hitch rode for the Archers. I still have the programme. I lived in Nottingham 66-68 and would visit Station Road in 66 and 67 all the time(and then Leicester in 68). I remember the pub right at the back of the stadium and also the fish and chip shop which was just outside the 3rd/4th bend entrance. I used to catch a Barton's bus back to Nottingham. Hope these comments and rider listings bring memories back to others. Another piece of trivia-at that meeting I met another Newport fan who had hitch-hiked there-we were both lacking a ride back and decided to hitch down to Poole- to see a WC British semi-final the following night. I recall sleeping rough in an empty house after being kicked out of Poole railway station when they closed up for the night. This fan was named Ian Terrar who briefly rode as Wasps reserve a few years later-anyone know what happened to Ian?? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Bobbath, I apologise for digressing from the Station Rd memories, but somthing you touched on regarding hitch-hiking to matches. In the 1960's I met a guy from London (Mottingham) at a Thursday night meeting at Oxford and he told me that he had cycled from London to the meeting and cycled to most matches in the then National/British League. I did it once from Oxford to Swindon on a Saturday but nothing to match this Guy. His name was Tony Morris and I wonder if anyone evr came across him in thos days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOBBATH Posted January 4, 2008 Report Share Posted January 4, 2008 Brian I think it was easier in the sixties to hitch hike-I once went all the way up to Aberdeen from Cardiff in two days-I used to hitch from Nottingham to Sheffield and Halifax to see the Tigers and Dukes-also I recall seeing the British Final at Wimbledon in 1966 and then hitching back to Nottingham.Easier days perhaps but I wonder what I would have done if Ian Brady and Myra Hindley had picked me up or that weird guy from Gloucester who killed all those people with his wife-can't recall his name but they lived on Cromwell Rd Gloucester. Scary possibilities but I lived to tell the tale and am still a walking and a talking!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dantodan Posted January 20, 2008 Report Share Posted January 20, 2008 Hey Long Eaton fans, if you have photos, programmes badges etc and can remember any interesting stories from your cities speedway history get in touch and we can create a Long Eaton / Nottingham page on the defunct tracks website email me jskinner@btinternet.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grachan Posted January 21, 2008 Report Share Posted January 21, 2008 I lived in Nottingham 66-68 and would visit Station Road in 66 and 67 all the time <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Bobbath, were you there the night in 1967 when Long Eaton beat Swindon? Ray Wilson took the track record in heat one on his way to beating Barry Briggs and then took the Silver Sash from the World Champ in the second half. I wasn't there, by the way. I was reading about it recently. Speedway Star and News called his first race win over Briggo "the race of the season" at the time. That same year, a young Aussie called John Boulger was signed and scored a maximum in his very first match. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOBBATH Posted January 21, 2008 Report Share Posted January 21, 2008 Grachan-yup still have the prog-looking at it now LE won 41-37-Wilson got a max, Michanek got 8, as did Jim Lightfoot-must have been his last season. Wilson and Michanek both beat Briggs fair and square.It was may 2 1967,I'd forgotten the Archers had so many famous riders at one time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grachan Posted January 22, 2008 Report Share Posted January 22, 2008 It was one of Briggo's worst matches of the season. He ended up with seven points, what with those two defeats plus an ef in his final ride. Bob Kilby was the star for Swindon - beating Michanek from the back in his final race and then going on to beat Wilson in the second half final. It was, indeed, an impressive array of names in the Long Eaton side that year. It was Michanek's first year in Britain and he was one of two sensational new Swedes to come in to the league, the other being Hasse Holmqvist at Wolves. I think Michanek reached the World Final that year too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOBBATH Posted January 22, 2008 Report Share Posted January 22, 2008 That's right Michanek reached his first World Final in 67 finishing with 9 pts.(0-2-2-3-2) joint sixth with Eric Boocock-.Poor old LE finished 17 out of 19 in BL in 67 even with all those great riders. Where did you used to watch from Grachan I was always at the start/finish line. I'd forgotten by the way that John Poyser was riding with the Archers that year-Norman Storer was ever present I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grachan Posted January 22, 2008 Report Share Posted January 22, 2008 I never actually went to Long Eaton. It's just that I bought the 1967 Speedway Stars off ebay and have been reading about Swindon's matches that season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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