arnieg Posted November 11, 2008 Report Share Posted November 11, 2008 San Bernadino (the only reason for Wednesday nights) and in the UK California (Wokingham), Norwich and Southampton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy Bird Posted November 11, 2008 Report Share Posted November 11, 2008 west ham,looked a huge stadium.nearly went to crewe once while on holiday in north wales,father changed his mind at the last minute. often wonder about tracks that only lasted a few years,romford,doncaster,sunderland,plymouth(pennycross late sixties) and barrow(park road) looked to have fine views of the surrounding countryside.on the mentioned north wales holiday also went past ellesmere port track but it was the year before it opened.i would say the worst track ive been is crayford. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tigerblade Posted November 11, 2008 Report Share Posted November 11, 2008 (edited) I'm afraid Halifax was another one i missed out on . I loved that place, even though facilities were a bit, er, spartan There's quite a few I wish I had gone to: (in no particular order) White City Wimbledon ("old" track, so to speak, I've been to Plough Lane during their recent times) Hackney Scunthorpe Quibell Park, wasn't that on the inside of a cycle racing track? Bristol (Eastville) Hull (The Boulevard) Claremont, Perth WA If we are talking about tracks before your speedway time, then Crewe, Newport Somerton Park, Doncaster spring to mind. Edited November 11, 2008 by Tigerblade Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulco Posted November 11, 2008 Report Share Posted November 11, 2008 Since many of thes replies are not only about tracks but about specific riders on those tracks, I'd like to add another. Jack Young at Meadowbank must have been something else. When Ian Hoskins paid a visit to Glasgow this season past , he was waxing lyrical , while being interviewed on the centre-green , about the immediate post-war Ashfield and in particular Ken Le Breton . I'd heard so much about him from my father and i would have loved to have seen him ride . Actually i recently saw a couple of photographs from Ashfield in that era , and you couldn't have shoe-horned any more people onto the terraces - it was packed . Oh how times change . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parsloes 1928 nearly Posted November 12, 2008 Report Share Posted November 12, 2008 i would say the worst track ive been is crayford. Er, can't let THIS pass by without a severe dose of: :mad: :mad: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOBBATH Posted November 12, 2008 Author Report Share Posted November 12, 2008 I am fascinated by folks' response to this thread-I probably should have added in my case-as well as Norwich-Old Meadowbank. I was in Edinburgh a few years ago and specifically went by where it used to be-seems to be an athletics track now. A plan of mine is to go back to UK some time and visit the tracks that were around in the mid sixties that are still around , but that I didn't get to-I think the only ones that meet this criteria are Brough Park,Saddlebow Road and Monmore Green but am worried I would be disappointed. Perhaps I should leave it on the basis that"its better to journey in hope than to arrive"!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SHALEWAY69 Posted November 12, 2008 Report Share Posted November 12, 2008 WORST TRACK???? I have seen some fantastic racing at Crayford, once the visitors got the hang of the place. to see Thommo in full flight, or tom owen was worth the admission alone Tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
star ghost Posted November 14, 2008 Report Share Posted November 14, 2008 WORST TRACK???? I have seen some fantastic racing at Crayford, once the visitors got the hang of the place. to see Thommo in full flight, or tom owen was worth the admission alone Tony One year we found the british final at Coventry was cancelled. A hasty discussion with the bus driver saw a load of us turn to Crayford for the night. Tom Owen was brilliant as usual. He won the trophy that night and I think that was his third year in a row he had won that individual meeting. When we got back to Norwich we were all happy that we had seen some speedway, even if some had never visited Crayford before. As for myself this was the only time I ever went to Crayford, but it was a different experience after all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mervjankefanclub Posted November 15, 2008 Report Share Posted November 15, 2008 Old Meadowbank. I was in Edinburgh a few years ago and specifically went by where it used to be-seems to be an athletics track now. The same athletics track that was built for the 1970 Commonwealth games Bobbath. This was the reason the Monarchs were ousted from Old Meadowbank at the end of the 67 season, to allow the building of a new athletics stadium. It was also used by Scottish Football League club Meadowbank Thistle during the 70s and 80s and another games in 86. Its actually another track I would liked to have witnessed speedway at, as it had the reputation of being one of the best in the country, but at least there is something still there, go a few miles up the road to where Powderhall used to stand and all you will see is flats and offices a sad sight indeed, especially when you see the token gesture of a road named Powderhall Road. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slickmick Posted November 15, 2008 Report Share Posted November 15, 2008 I went to Custom House, drove though the gates. Unfortunately they were towards the end constructing a housing estate, My brother and me delivering a three piece suite, in beige velvet, across unmade roads and pavements on a rainy evening trying to keep out of the puddles and muddy places. So thats one I would have loved to have seen speedway. But being a southern boy I always wanted to get to northern tracks. I managed to get to the Shay(okay the facillities were basic, but that banked track was something to behold). But I really really wish I had seen a meeting at Hyde Road. and witness the whole Belle vue thing, fairground etc:. There are still some I am determined to get to at some time in the future if they don't disappear first. Sheffield, Peterborough, Wolverhampton,Edinburgh and Glasgow to name but a few. Thinking about it I would really like to see a Elite or Premier league meeting at Wimbledon or Hackney. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadow Posted November 15, 2008 Report Share Posted November 15, 2008 I can't really add any tracks that I haven't been to, but there are a few tracks that I went to as a 'nipper' that no longer exist and of which I have vague but good memories of. It would be great to go back in time and re-visit them - most notably: - Leicester - Cradley Heath - Halifax - Hackney I also remember walking round a long-track somewhere in the Uk when I was on holiday at the end of the 70's. I'm not sure if it ever got used, but I remember thinking it looked very impressive compared to a 'normal' speedway track and I would have loved to have seen some racing on it. I wish I could remember where it was. I know we had holidays at Lowestoft, Eastbourne and Looe around that time. Does anyone know of a long track that might have existed then? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Downseyboy Posted November 15, 2008 Report Share Posted November 15, 2008 Living where I do, to visit any track would be a pleasure - the one chance i had in 2008 was rained off! Seriously, the track I wished I'd visited and didn't since seeing my first meeting (1980) was Leicester, supposedly an excellent racetrack but sadly the same reacnight as Crayford so never got there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killer Cat from Mars Posted November 15, 2008 Report Share Posted November 15, 2008 On a slightly different theme, I would love to have seen the birth of our sport in the years 1927 to 1930, and travelled around the country watching meetings at Droylsden, Audenshaw, Bolton, Salford, Manchester White City, and all the London circuits plus Fullerton Park in Leeds, amongst others. Unfortunately, I wasn't even born then, and can you imagine the logisitics of travelling around the country in that period with no motorways etc!! Plus I'd pick up a badge at each track, and have a collection worth a fortune now!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parsloes 1928 nearly Posted November 15, 2008 Report Share Posted November 15, 2008 One year we found the british final at Coventry was cancelled. A hasty discussion with the bus driver saw a load of us turn to Crayford for the night. Tom Owen was brilliant as usual. He won the trophy that night and I think that was his third year in a row he had won that individual meeting. When we got back to Norwich we were all happy that we had seen some speedway, even if some had never visited Crayford before. As for myself this was the only time I ever went to Crayford, but it was a different experience after all. Some diversion...: from Coventry to Crayford..!!! Tom Owen actually won the Kentish Times Trophy FIVE times in a row: 100% of the occasions this individual event was staged..!!! But I have to say I don't really understand some of the rather barbed comments about Crayford in this thread. There's almost an implication (eg. "it was a different experience".. etc.) that the place was some kind of a wasteland in Hicksville or something..! It wasn't...: it was an excellent stadium. Indeed IF it was still staging Speedway today (in a world where the likes of Arena Essex, Somerset, Plymouth, Buxton & Iwade stage League Speedway) it would be regarded, I'm sure, as one of BEST actual stadiums in the UK..!! Fully enclosed with glass fronted grandstands on both straights, it wasn't known as "the mini Plough Lane" for nothing..! Only problem was...: how much it used to bloody rain on a Tuesday!! In the middle of my time as a Crayford fan I went to University...: to Leicester, another - as has been pointed out.. - Tuesday night track...: and do you know wot..?? It rained every Tuesday in Leicester too..!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norbold Posted November 15, 2008 Report Share Posted November 15, 2008 It rained every Tuesday in Leicester too..!!!! We had that problem at West Ham too....another Tuesday track! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WembleyLion Posted November 15, 2008 Report Share Posted November 15, 2008 Linlithgow for me - the only UK track that has staged league racing in the last 30 years that I missed out on visiting. The previous miss was Coatbridge. Also Landshut in Germany as I have been there (29 years ago) and it was postponed. Still a chance of getting back there though! Being either London/South East based since I started watching Speedway I'm sorry to have missed out on West Ham, Rayleigh, Romford and Reading Tilehurst. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Blanchard Posted November 15, 2008 Report Share Posted November 15, 2008 Went to Crayford a few times. It was only a few stops from New Cross Gate on the train (or was it just New Cross?) and the station Crayford, was just across a footbridge from the track. My brother also lived in Crayford at the time. Forget the race night sadly now though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy Bird Posted November 15, 2008 Report Share Posted November 15, 2008 Some diversion...: from Coventry to Crayford..!!! Tom Owen actually won the Kentish Times Trophy FIVE times in a row: 100% of the occasions this individual event was staged..!!! But I have to say I don't really understand some of the rather barbed comments about Crayford in this thread. There's almost an implication (eg. "it was a different experience".. etc.) that the place was some kind of a wasteland in Hicksville or something..! It wasn't...: it was an excellent stadium. Indeed IF it was still staging Speedway today (in a world where the likes of Arena Essex, Somerset, Plymouth, Buxton & Iwade stage League Speedway) it would be regarded, I'm sure, as one of BEST actual stadiums in the UK..!! Fully enclosed with glass fronted grandstands on both straights, it wasn't known as "the mini Plough Lane" for nothing..! Only problem was...: how much it used to bloody rain on a Tuesday!! In the middle of my time as a Crayford fan I went to University...: to Leicester, another - as has been pointed out.. - Tuesday night track...: and do you know wot..?? It rained every Tuesday in Leicester too..!!!! my comment is based on one visit in 1978 to watch weymouth with a patched up team with three juniors including kevin smith,before barry thomas who was a fine site on any track,this team had laurie etheridge,alan sage,alan johns and tony featherstone not the most exciting riders and etheridge and sage . knew their home track like the back of their hand.just wasn,t a good meeting.the stadium was a mini wimbledon and the bar was superb,in fact the coach driver had to drag myself and my two mates out of the bar.unusually this meeting was on a saturday night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
falkirkbandit Posted November 15, 2008 Report Share Posted November 15, 2008 Linlithgow Yeah i wish it was still going too, i was still living up in Inverness at the time it was operating, a real shame as its not far from Falkirk at all, just a few miles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mervjankefanclub Posted November 15, 2008 Report Share Posted November 15, 2008 Yeah i wish it was still going too, i was still living up in Inverness at the time it was operating, a real shame as its not far from Falkirk at all, just a few miles. Too right, since Linlithgow closed the number of Scottish youngsters coming through or taking up the sport up here has dropped alarmingly When the place was still going there was always a good number of youngsters coming out in the second halves at Glagow and Edinburgh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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