Guest Posted February 23, 2009 Report Share Posted February 23, 2009 Should the late 1950s training track at Chiswick be added as a former London speedway? Go to http://londonspeedways.proboards.com/index.cgi I'd certainly be interested in hearing more about the Chiswick Track, especially as my father was captain of the homeless Chiswick "Nomads" circa 1957. I remember him telling me that the Promoter was the ex-Aldershot boss Ted Payne (father of Steve, who himself rode in the 80's for Milton Keynes). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speedyguy Posted February 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2009 (edited) I'd certainly be interested in hearing more about the Chiswick Track, especially as my father was captain of the homeless Chiswick "Nomads" circa 1957. I remember him telling me that the Promoter was the ex-Aldershot boss Ted Payne (father of Steve, who himself rode in the 80's for Milton Keynes). There is a mention about Roy Pickering on the site. http://londonspeedways.proboards.com/index.cgi Edited February 23, 2009 by speedyguy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speedyguy Posted February 27, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 27, 2009 (edited) Latest topic on http://londonspeedways.proboards.com/index.cgi is should the Norwegian rider Leif 'Basse' Hveem be regarded as one of West Ham's all-time great riders? Edited February 27, 2009 by speedyguy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speedyguy Posted March 8, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 8, 2009 Now included on http://londonspeedways.proboards.com/index.cgi are the London team squads for 1929, 1932 and 1946. Various members are compiling lists, hopefully, for a complete listing through to 2008. Sadly, it will take time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norbold Posted March 8, 2009 Report Share Posted March 8, 2009 Well, Crayford (disregarding its alleged '30s incarnation - as a grass speedway track I believe.. ), as a League track was ALWAYS in a London Borough (LB Bexley...) as opposed to an UDC of Kent... High Beech and Hoddesdon are not and never have been in London Boroughs.. Barnet & Staines are now..: but not sure if there were when Speedway was there; and fairly certain the same would've applied to Elstree and certainly Greenford... And Thurrock (where Arena Essex is...) has also never been in a London Borough So, yes, actually Crayford is far more of a London track than any of those other ones...!!! Barnet and Staines were not in London when there was speedway there. Clapton (Lea Bridge) was never in London when it was operating as a speedway either. West Ham and Wembley were not in London until their respective revivals in 1964 and 1970. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speedyguy Posted March 8, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 8, 2009 (edited) Barnet and Staines were not in London when there was speedway there. Clapton (Lea Bridge) was never in London when it was operating as a speedway either. West Ham and Wembley were not in London until their respective revivals in 1964 and 1970. I will have to check with my copy of 'Speedway in London' to verify all this new data. It has also raised concerns as to whether Crystal Palace (Penge and Anerley UDC) and Wimbledon were also bona-fide London tracks. More importantly, it also gives doubt as to the validity of both the London Riders Championship and London Cup in the sport's early days. If the culling of clubs advocated for the London Speedways was to be followed, I can only see these as genuine London tracks - Catford, Harringay, Hackney, New Cross and Stamford Bridge...and the Chiswick training circuit. http://londonspeedways.proboards.com/index.cgi Edited March 8, 2009 by speedyguy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parsloes 1928 nearly Posted March 8, 2009 Report Share Posted March 8, 2009 It has also raised concerns as to whether Crystal Palace (Penge and Anerley UDC) and Wimbledon were also bona-fide London tracks. More importantly, it also gives doubt as to the validity of both the London Riders Championship and London Cup in the sport's early days. If the culling of clubs advocated for the London Speedways was to be followed, I can only see these as genuine London tracks - Catford, Harringay, Hackney, New Cross and Stamford Bridge...and the Chiswick training circuit. Surely NOT Chiswick!!??? Wimbledon was always a London post-code was it not..? As I'd have said was Clapton (Lea Bridge)..?? And you've forgotten White City, s-g.. No doubt, surely, that Shepherds Bush is 'London'..!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norbold Posted March 9, 2009 Report Share Posted March 9, 2009 (edited) Having a London postcode didn't mean places were in London. The Clapton track was in Leyton in the beautiful county of Essex. Edited March 9, 2009 by norbold Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speedyguy Posted March 9, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 9, 2009 Having a London postcode didn't mean places were in London. The Clapton track was in Leyton in the beautiful county of Essex. How did they decide eligibility for the London Cup and London Riders Championship in the 'good old days' then? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norbold Posted March 9, 2009 Report Share Posted March 9, 2009 (edited) I don't suppose they had any hard and fast rules. Clapton, West Ham and Wembley were all near enough I suppose. Incidentally, West Ham, Clapton and High Beech used to take part in the Essex Cup as well. Edited March 9, 2009 by norbold Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speedyguy Posted March 9, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 9, 2009 I don't suppose they had any hard and fast rules. Clapton, West Ham and Wembley were all near enough I suppose. Incidentally, West Ham, Clapton and High Beech used to take part in the Essex Cup as well. Then I suppose the same criteria - if somebody decides that it's near enough it's okay for both the London Speedway site and books like 'Speedway in London'? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norbold Posted March 9, 2009 Report Share Posted March 9, 2009 Sounds good to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beckford Boy Posted March 9, 2009 Report Share Posted March 9, 2009 I believe that the track at Barnet was in Mays Lane ,the same road that Barnet FC's Underhill ground is in today.Do any of you learned gentlemen know the exact locations of the tracks at Staines, Elstree, Chiswick and Greenford,all of which have been mentioned on here recently.Curiosity is my only reason for asking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norbold Posted March 9, 2009 Report Share Posted March 9, 2009 Barnet's track was, indeed in Mays Lane. Staines was at the Greyhound Stadium in Wraysbury Road; Elstree's track was in a field somewhere near Elstree , not sure exactly where; Chiswick Nomads were an "away" team without a track of their own, though I believe they used a former cycle speedway track on Mortlake Road for "get-togethers"; Greenford operated on the site of an old trotting track in Birbeck Avenue, Perivale Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beckford Boy Posted March 9, 2009 Report Share Posted March 9, 2009 Thanks for the info'.I'm amazed at the site of the Greenford track,I know it well as one of my son's plays football there regularly.I can only assume that the houses that surround it now were not there then although there probably weren't many Nimbys around in those days.There is also a small enclosed non-league football ground adjacent to the main A40 on what must have been the site. As for Elstree, as you are unsure of the location I wonder if it could have been at the junction of what is now the A41 and A5183 opposite the old L.T. Aldenham bus overhaul works ( remember Summer Holiday, Cliff and his mates) ,about 40 years ago there was a flapping track there which consisted of a straight 200 yards or so dog race track.On the other hand it could have been contained in the Elstree Aerodrome site as I seem to remember reading in a V.S.M.article about Roger Frogley being connected with the flying club there. Any other theories anyone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DK Rides Again Posted March 10, 2009 Report Share Posted March 10, 2009 I will have to check with my copy of 'Speedway in London' to verify all this new data. It has also raised concerns as to whether Crystal Palace (Penge and Anerley UDC) and Wimbledon were also bona-fide London tracks. More importantly, it also gives doubt as to the validity of both the London Riders Championship and London Cup in the sport's early days. If the culling of clubs advocated for the London Speedways was to be followed, I can only see these as genuine London tracks - Catford, Harringay, Hackney, New Cross and Stamford Bridge...and the Chiswick training circuit. http://londonspeedways.proboards.com/index.cgi Don't know about Wimbledon but, strictly speaking, Crystal Palace was in Kent. Crystal Palace park is in the Borough of Bromley, which became a London Borough in 1965, prior to that it was part of the Garden Of England. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cityrebel Posted March 10, 2009 Report Share Posted March 10, 2009 as a collector of most things to do with london speedway this is the method i use. i only collect tracks that operated within the present greater london boundary. if they extend this area to include high beech, rye house and arena essex i might have to think again!. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norbold Posted March 10, 2009 Report Share Posted March 10, 2009 I think your definition of a "London" track is a fair one, cityrebel, and one I would certainly go along with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speedyguy Posted March 10, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 10, 2009 as a collector of most things to do with london speedway this is the method i use. i only collect tracks that operated within the present greater london boundary. if they extend this area to include high beech, rye house and arena essex i might have to think again!. Are Rye House, High Beech and Arena Esses/Lakeside the tracks that cause most concern for inclusion on --- http://londonspeedways.proboards.com/index.cgi High Beech is served - virtually - by London buses and the tube network. I have in younger years walked to and from the venue after riding out on the underground to Loughton. Rye House - virtually above north London and the land of the Spurs football club - on the same railway line from Liverpool Street. Arena Essex - well served to the Lakeside shopping centre from London (green line buses??). It would need a good reason not to include them as London Speedways IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cityrebel Posted March 10, 2009 Report Share Posted March 10, 2009 Are Rye House, High Beech and Arena Esses/Lakeside the tracks that cause most concern for inclusion on --- http://londonspeedways.proboards.com/index.cgi High Beech is served - virtually - by London buses and the tube network. I have in younger years walked to and from the venue after riding out on the underground to Loughton. Rye House - virtually above north London and the land of the Spurs football club - on the same railway line from Liverpool Street. Arena Essex - well served to the Lakeside shopping centre from London (green line buses??). It would need a good reason not to include them as London Speedways IMO. as with all forms of collecting you have to draw the line somewhere. the greater london boundary is as good a line as any. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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