cityrebel Posted May 27, 2012 Report Share Posted May 27, 2012 Was there for 1965 British Final-first one where Prov League riders competed(first year of BL)-it was rained off-went back the following week. Great meeting-closest Charlie Monk ever came to a World Final qualification-he wuz robbed ref!!Were any other forumlanders at that meeting?? i'm far too young to have gone to that!, i went to my first ever speedway meeting at wimbledon in september 1968. i never got to west ham until 1970. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOBBATH Posted May 28, 2012 Report Share Posted May 28, 2012 Cityrebel you are making me feel old!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genesis Posted May 29, 2012 Report Share Posted May 29, 2012 Custom House was a very big track about 440 yards. Compare this to tonight's GP venue at Ullevi. ,the Hammers track was about 30 yards longer. They had a crowd of 57,000 for the restart of Speedway after WW2. for a challenge match against Wembley. in April 1946. There has also been reports that there were crowds there of 80,000.for some speedway matches. Besides Speedway ,Greyhound racing was also staged here. There was also the Thames Association football club which played in the Third Division South in 1930. It was not a success with one match only attracting 469 people. Must have looked quite empty in a stadium that could hold 120,000. After three seasons the football team resigned from the league and was dissolved I can remember visiting the wife's Great Aunts in their later years in the late 1990's (they had moved from West Ham to Forest Gate by then) and they told me that on many an ocassion they stood in 70000 crowds at Custom House. They absolutely loved going to speedway from the 1930's onwards and had story after story to tell. Stupid me never bothered to make a record of anything they told me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 30, 2018 Report Share Posted December 30, 2018 (edited) Does anyone remember the 1956 season when Split Waterman was a popular West Ham rider? And before that a colourful locally based junior - I think he lived in Plaistow - Johnny 'Cisco Kid' Fry who also drove with some success in stock car races at Custom House. Edited December 30, 2018 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 30, 2018 Report Share Posted December 30, 2018 On 5/26/2012 at 10:19 AM, mickthemuppet said: Custom House was a very big track about 440 yards. Compare this to tonight's GP venue at Ullevi. ,the Hammers track was about 30 yards longer. They had a crowd of 57,000 for the restart of Speedway after WW2. for a challenge match against Wembley. in April 1946. There has also been reports that there were crowds there of 80,000.for some speedway matches. Besides Speedway ,Greyhound racing was also staged here. There was also the Thames Association football club which played in the Third Division South in 1930. It was not a success with one match only attracting 469 people. Must have looked quite empty in a stadium that could hold 120,000. After three seasons the football team resigned from the league and was dissolved Stock car racing was also featured for many seasons in the 1950s at West Ham. And on a track that size and shape they turned in some exciting and seectacular racing. One driver I remember was former speedway rider Ted Pankhurst. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 31, 2018 Report Share Posted December 31, 2018 There are some interesting Speedway Museum Online references to West Ham on this Link: http://www.national-speedway-museum.co.uk/west ham - pictures and articles .html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 1, 2019 Report Share Posted January 1, 2019 Robert Rogers writes on the history of West Ham: http://www.national-speedway-museum.co.uk/west ham by robert rogers.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 1, 2019 Report Share Posted January 1, 2019 Speedwayplus article on West Ham: http://www.speedwayplus.com/WestHamPics2.shtml Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 1, 2019 Report Share Posted January 1, 2019 The Custom House Years website: https://www.freewebs.com/customhousekid/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 2, 2019 Report Share Posted January 2, 2019 West Ham on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Ham_Hammers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 2, 2019 Report Share Posted January 2, 2019 (edited) 2 hours ago, gustix said: West Ham on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Ham_Hammers Hover on Jimmy Gibb in the list of Top 20 rider names. You may have a surprise in regard to him! Edited January 2, 2019 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 13, 2019 Report Share Posted January 13, 2019 Defunct Speedway Tracks: http://www.defunctspeedway.co.uk/West Ham.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
customhouseregular Posted January 13, 2019 Report Share Posted January 13, 2019 I can still picture myself sitting in the stand above the start/finish line 50 years ago. Happy days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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