Who remembers Ernie Hancock?

[Guest]

Basically I remember Ernie Hancock as a keen supporter of New Cross through from circa 1946 to its demise in the 1960s.
When I first started attending New Cross in the late 1940s I recall Ernie and his mum used to position at the riders stadium entrance. They both wore scarves, carried rattles and wore the club badge and its yearly update bars. In cause of time I found out that they were surnamed Hancock.
In subsequent years up to the 1953 New Cross closure I know nothing of him, but he appeared again on the New Cross scene briefly in 1954 when stock cars arrived in the UK on Good Friday. He was then active working on the centre green track staff.
I then have recollections that he became involved around the early 1960s with the Rye House track staff for a few seasons.
He next came to note when he was the organiser for a ‘teletext’ results system that appeared on a daily basis. But my memories of that are hazy.
Speedway wise he also published a speedway magazine for a few editions circa 1963.
It must be 10 years or so since he passed away. At the time he lived in a flat/house in Sydenham, south London. From what I recall there was a tragedy speedway-wise when this happened. Apparently the landlord cleared all his speedway collection along with other personal items into a skip and it was all carted away. I have a vague idea that Terry Stone heard what was happening and tried to arrive in time to save Ernie’s collection but was too late to do so.

[norbold]

He was also secretary of the New Cross Supporters' Club in 1960 and 1961.

 

[iris123]

Photo of Ernie Hancock when he was Rye House team manager

http://www.speedwayplus.com/RyeSnaps.shtml

[cityrebel]

I remember seeing him at Rye House meetings in the early to mid 1970's.

[HertsRacer]

3 hours ago, gustix said:

Basically I remember Ernie Hancock as a keen supporter of New Cross through from circa 1946 to its demise in the 1960s.
When I first started attending New Cross in the late 1940s I recall Ernie and his mum used to position at the riders stadium entrance. They both wore scarves, carried rattles and wore the club badge and its yearly update bars. In cause of time I found out that they were surnamed Hancock.
In subsequent years up to the 1953 New Cross closure I know nothing of him, but he appeared again on the New Cross scene briefly in 1954 when stock cars arrived in the UK on Good Friday. He was then active working on the centre green track staff.
I then have recollections that he became involved around the early 1960s with the Rye House track staff for a few seasons.
He next came to note when he was the organiser for a ‘teletext’ results system that appeared on a daily basis. But my memories of that are hazy.
Speedway wise he also published a speedway magazine for a few editions circa 1963.
It must be 10 years or so since he passed away. At the time he lived in a flat/house in Sydenham, south London. From what I recall there was a tragedy speedway-wise when this happened. Apparently the landlord cleared all his speedway collection along with other personal items into a skip and it was all carted away. I have a vague idea that Terry Stone heard what was happening and tried to arrive in time to save Ernie’s collection but was too late to do so.

Remember him being involved with Rye House. Think there was an individual trophy named after him which was raced for. I remember him being smallish in statue, with black hair and black framed glasses. I may be wrong, but I think he died a lot longer than ten years ago.

[norbold]

44 minutes ago, HertsRacer said:

I may be wrong, but I think he died a lot longer than ten years ago.

I think he died in about 2006.

[cityrebel]

The story of his vast collection going straight into the skip is the stuff of legends. Probably one of the biggest losses of speedway memorabilia in recent times. These days with the internet, it's not hard to find out what something is worth, a real tragedy for us collectors.

 

[norbold]

Terry Stone did actually manage to save a few trophies, but was too late for all the paper ephemera.

[Guest]

I have received an FB message re the loss of Ernie Hancock's speedway memorabilia and other items. It reads:

Terry-Jean McFarlane-Stone == Yes John all went to the TIP. It was I think 13 Skips.

:::: I have obviously queried the number of skips said to have been used, although presumably it was not all speedway memorabilia.

Edited October 5, 2019 by Guest

[Guest]

It appears there were 13 skips needed in the clearance of Ernie Hancock's house! However seemingly NOT all speedway related. Here's an update reply:

Terry-Jean MacFarlane-Stone No John not all speedway. Lots of things.

[britmet]

Ernie Hancock also started and ran something called the International Speedway Supporters Club, ( - ?, wording tbc) circa 1963-4. It possibly ran trips abroad.
Known of to badge collectors because it had its own badge, - white race-jacket shape, with a Union Jack within - , so any collector had to join and get one. They also issued year bars for the badge. Mine's long since gone, but someone may still have one to show.

[Guest]

Can anyone refresh my memory in regard to the daily speedway results service Ernie Hancock was involved with please?

[andout]

11 hours ago, britmet said:

Ernie Hancock also started and ran something called the International Speedway Supporters Club, ( - ?, wording tbc) circa 1963-4. It possibly ran trips abroad.
Known of to badge collectors because it had its own badge, - white race-jacket shape, with a Union Jack within - , so any collector had to join and get one. They also issued year bars for the badge. Mine's long since gone, but someone may still have one to show.

Actually I think it was the Speedway Touring Club......I went on several trips with them...1965 to Kempten and 1966 Ullevi were two.

I knew Ernie personally and actually his Mother........I have heard that all the paper stuff he had, programmes etc were full of mildew and worthless and the way Ernie used to store the stuff I can quite believe it. Still a big loss though!

[Guest]

The magazine which Ernie Hancock was involved with as publisher was the Speedway Graphic in 1963.

[BL65]

11 hours ago, gustix said:

Can anyone refresh my memory in regard to the daily speedway results service Ernie Hancock was involved with please?

For a period of time (sometime around the late 1980s to early 1990s) I used to call the speedway results service from my mobile phone on the long journeys back from Exeter, Poole, Reading, Ipswich, KIng's Lynn, Newcastle, Bradford, Arena Essex, Mildenhall and other far-flung places, usually from about 11.00 p.m., to listen to the scores from the day's meetings.  The service at that time was presented by Ernie.  He always used to include the phrase "this is Ernie Hancock reporting".  The service was called Clubcall for most of its existence.

[Split]

I certainly remember Ernie Hancock from when he ran the New Cross Supporters Club in 1960-61. I recall seeing him in a vibrant orange and black (New Cross team colours) pullover which was probably knitted by his mum who was often seen at his side at meetings.  I think he liked calling himself Ernest C. Hancock when his name appeared in print and used various other noms de plumes (such as ‘The Grader’) in that 1963 publication which I purchased but no longer have in my possession.

A mate and I were attending a meeting at Crayford during a rail strike back in the late 60’s. We spotted Ernie and his mother in the car park and asked if he was driving back to South East London. When we told him we were ex-New Cross supporters he was happy to give us a lift.

 Nice bloke!  

[norbold]

Ernest compiled a booklet called, "The World Championship Story 1929-1961", which was published in April 1962. It gave details of all the Star Riders' Championship finals and the British and Speedway Riders' Championship as well as the World Championship. It also contains some detail on the Provincial Riders' Championship, 1936 and1960-61. There is autobiographical information on most of the leading riders and many photographs. It was my "bible" of the World Championship until Maurice Jones's book came out in 1979.

[BOBBATH]

Maurice Jones' book is my bible too. Re Ernie Hancock -got the impression Ernie may never have gotten married(sensible bloke) and may have lived with his mom all his life-assume he had a lot of mates in the speedway fraternity and that speedway might have been his life. If so good for him-lots of worse ways to live. RIP Ernie.

[andout]

18 hours ago, BOBBATH said:

Maurice Jones' book is my bible too. Re Ernie Hancock -got the impression Ernie may never have gotten married(sensible bloke) and may have lived with his mom all his life-assume he had a lot of mates in the speedway fraternity and that speedway might have been his life. If so good for him-lots of worse ways to live. RIP Ernie.

You are correct Bob...Ernie never got married and lived with his Mother until she died. But he sure loved his Speedway.

[Guest]

Did Ernie Hancock ever have a partial promotional interest at Rye House in the mid-1960s besides his team manager role?

Edited October 14, 2019 by Guest