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Roads Named After Speedway Riders ?


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Reading borough council have recently asked for nominations for future road names-someone suggested Curtis(geoff)

Pyeatt(Denny) Michanek (Anders) and Jonsson(Per).

It set me wondering if there are any roads named after Speedway riders in the UK, Is there Fundin avenue in Norwich?

Mauger close in Manchester ? Briggs Lane in Swindon etc etc

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Think there are a few in West Ham.

 

There is Iris, in Custom House area. The stadium ground now has flats, if my memory serves me right. Saw the signs once and I am sure there was Eric Chitty Road/Street and maybe Bluey Wilkinson Road/Street. Nice touch, but also a kick in the goolies!

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the roads at west ham are named after johnnie hoskins, bluey wilkinson, jack young, tommy croombs, aub lawson and arthur atkinson. i don't think i've left any out, but it's been a few years since i've been over there. i always feel a bit sad when i visit one of my old stamping grounds.

Edited by cityrebel
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Hate the idea. Builders and planners come in, kill the sport in the area, then have the audacity to call the roads after the clubs riders... Talk about rubbing salt into wounds.

 

Go to Cradley Heath, there are a few new roads there named on a speedway theme.

Edited by Deano
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I can't imagine anyone travelling out to New Zealand for the GP missing out on making an appointment to visit Felton Road and have a glass or three of the fine wine produced there can you? :wink:

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There is a bellend road in london named after ? Well i will leave you to guess who

I'm sure there MUST be a road named after you in Widnes, Dean!

 

There is Iris, in Custom House area. The stadium ground now has flats, if my memory serves me right. Saw the signs once and I am sure there was Eric Chitty Road/Street and maybe Bluey Wilkinson Road/Street. Nice touch, but also a kick in the goolies!

 

Not flats - they're houses and indeed the Custom House street names reflect the greats of West Ham Stadium of old..

I must admit when I see things like Stadium Road when the stadium in question is long gone it does wind me up...

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Hate the idea. Builders and planners come in, kill the sport in the area, then have the audacity to call the roads after the clubs riders... Talk about rubbing salt into wounds.

 

Go to Cradley Heath, there are a few new roads there named on a speedway theme.

 

It was proposed for the Dudley Wood site (Gundersen and Penhall were mentioned if memory serves) but the fans were, as you suggest, furious. There was a 30,000 name petition at the time to save the stadium (and this was before the modern era Internet and social websites - so just old fashioned names collected on a piece of paper) so in the face of such opposition they dropped the idea. The blood-sucking leaches did go with Stadium Drive and Racemeadow Crescent though, which are no better really. As you say - a kick in the teeth rather than a genuine nod to speedway.

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west ham stadium died with a whimper. there was none of the fury shown surrounding the bid to save dudley wood. the lokeren disaster of 1970 finally knocked the stuffing out of the club, along with three seasons of being poorly treated by the dreaded 'rider control'. this led to the hammers being rooted to the bottom of the league for their last three top flight seasons. by the time romford move into custom house in 1972 the grand old arena was a hollow shell. the decision to name some of the roads after former west ham heroes helps to keep their memories alive, even if it was well before my time of visiting custom house as a spectator.

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west ham stadium died with a whimper. there was none of the fury shown surrounding the bid to save dudley wood. the lokeren disaster of 1970 finally knocked the stuffing out of the club, along with three seasons of being poorly treated by the dreaded 'rider control'. this led to the hammers being rooted to the bottom of the league for their last three top flight seasons. by the time romford move into custom house in 1972 the grand old arena was a hollow shell. the decision to name some of the roads after former west ham heroes helps to keep their memories alive, even if it was well before my time of visiting custom house as a spectator.

 

I spent the early years of my life living in a house within 100 yards of the stadium. I agree with what you say about the Lokoren disaster and rider control but I think the real problem was that the stands were life -expired and a fire hazard by the early 1970's and would have cost too much money to replace even though the stadium was getting revenue from dog racing and stock cars as well as speedway. There had already been a fire in that resulted in the demolition of the stands on the back straight and that was the beginning of the end for a stadium that was built to 1920's standards. It was a great stadium and track though. Brandon reminds me of it a bit. It is a great pity though that none of the streets were named after the West Ham riders of later years. It would have been great to see Harrfeldt Close, McKinlay Avenue or Loftqvist Lane !

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