Best Race Jackets 1964-65.

[BOBBATH]

Firstly before I get into the subject , I just realised I am referring to things 55 years ago. That would be like me meeting an old geezer at Speedway in 1965 nattering on about events in 1910 FFS-how come time has gone by so quickly!! There was a thread about race jackets of the 70's etc. I  hate the modern jackets with sponsors names and busy  writing etc. and want to mention the simpler jackets of the mid sixties.

 I am old enough to recall Hackney in blue and red quarters with a gold sash from right to left (or was it the other way)-the checker board -which I thought too busy came later. I liked the simple designs -the green and white CH for Cradley (great)- the unadorned skull and crossbones of Poole(also great)- the black and amber quarters of Newport and the red and white quarters of the Bears.  The great Black and White Diamond of Newcastle etc etc. My candidate for the best race jacket though was the Sheffield Tigers of 1965- see the front cover of Speedway Star 18 June 1965 with Jack Kitchen  talking to Dick Fisher of Belle Vue- Jack is wearing the jacket I am referring to. Are any other forumlanders  recalling this time -many other jackets of course West Ham, Belle Vue, Wimbledon etc.-all distinctive and  continued for many years!! BTW for Tigers fans -always thought Sheffield had a strong team and enjoyed their visits to Long Eaton and Newport. I must be a traditionalist-I even got pissed off even Long Eaton changed the colour of their Archer from green to red.

[steve roberts]

For obvious reason I always liked the "Cheetahs" jacket from that era...simple but effective.

[Robbie B]

The Long Eaton (1965-67) the one with the Archer, and the Wolverhampton Wolves with blood dripping down its mouth are both also excellent designs.

The Sheffield 1965-66 race jacket is certainly striking. And I also agree with steve roberts the Oxford Cheetah design is probably my favourite Oxford design.

Edited May 14, 2020 by Robbie B

[Wessex Wanderer]

The one I really liked was the Belle Vue one. Three colours but very distinctive and still clear if seen from one end of a big track to the other. Race jackets then were a huge part of the identity of a team. I don’t like to be a moaner but today’s jackets/race suits are an indistinct mish mash of colour, words and small logos which mean absolutely *£@* all. I think it has been forgotten that they were primarily for the benefit of the customers like a lot else from the days when the sport as a whole recognised that the customers were the main reason everyone else was there. 
 

whatever is written on today’s jackets they can never match the simple spectacle of seeing (say) two from Belle Vue and two from Wimbledon battling it out on the track under the lights on an evening in the 60s. 

[The White Knight]

I still think the 1964 Sunderland 'Saints' Jacket was one of the best.

But then I would - wouldn't I? 

Edited May 14, 2020 by The White Knight

[BOBBATH]

10 hours ago, Wessex Wanderer said:

The one I really liked was the Belle Vue one. Three colours but very distinctive and still clear if seen from one end of a big track to the other. Race jackets then were a huge part of the identity of a team. I don’t like to be a moaner but today’s jackets/race suits are an indistinct mish mash of colour, words and small logos which mean absolutely *£@* all. I think it has been forgotten that they were primarily for the benefit of the customers like a lot else from the days when the sport as a whole recognised that the customers were the main reason everyone else was there. 
 

whatever is written on today’s jackets they can never match the simple spectacle of seeing (say) two from Belle Vue and two from Wimbledon battling it out on the track under the lights on an evening in the 60s. 

You are so right mate re the mish mash of modern race jackets

[BOBBATH]

11 hours ago, steve roberts said:

For obvious reason I always liked the "Cheetahs" jacket from that era...simple but effective.

Hi Steve-is that the one with just the Cheetah's head showing in the middle of the blue background. Didn't 'Oxford have a simple design of blue and gold quarters before that e.g. in 1963, maybe with a gold diagonal stripe-sort of like the 1964 Hackney uniform?

[Chadster]

Certainly agree that the classic Aces body colour was excellent. Clear design, striking colours; perfect. I liked the West Ham colour. Red and Blue go well together and the crossed hammers were a clear indication of the area the team represented. I could never understand why in later years they felt the need  to add 'West Ham London' to the jacket; completely superfluous. I quite liked the Hackney chequered flag race jacket; very distinctive, though the hawk itself seemed a little feeble and got a bit lost against the chequered background.

[Midland Red]

Fighting Bee in Black & Gold

[salty]

Have to agree about the red and blue of the West Ham body colour. Put it as my first choice on the similar thread about the 70's. My second ever meeting was a end of season clash at Dudley Wood with the Hammers. A drizzly October night and the lights reflected brilliantly off the red and blue along with the black leathers.

I suppose the West Ham, London lettering was somewhat superfluous, but it was what I knew from the start and I liked it. In recent years the football club have used the same words on their badge.

[steve roberts]

1 hour ago, BOBBATH said:

Hi Steve-is that the one with just the Cheetah's head showing in the middle of the blue background. Didn't 'Oxford have a simple design of blue and gold quarters before that e.g. in 1963, maybe with a gold diagonal stripe-sort of like the 1964 Hackney uniform?

Yes that was the one...prior to that I believe that it was a yellow sash on a blue background? Not sure about the blue and gold quarters however.

[Split]

On the subject of race jackets can anybody tell me why Vietnam decided to adopt the Wimbledon colours for their national flag?

Was Ho Chi Minh a Dons fan?

Edited May 14, 2020 by Split

[BOBBATH]

6 hours ago, salty said:

Have to agree about the red and blue of the West Ham body colour. Put it as my first choice on the similar thread about the 70's. My second ever meeting was a end of season clash at Dudley Wood with the Hammers. A drizzly October night and the lights reflected brilliantly off the red and blue along with the black leathers.

I suppose the West Ham, London lettering was somewhat superfluous, but it was what I knew from the start and I liked it. In recent years the football club have used the same words on their badge.

I agree 100% -why put the lettering on it. A memory I got from your post salty-was the mention of a drizzly October night with the lights on-I had a few meetings like that. One was the second leg of the Prov. League Knockout Cup at CH v. Newport which the Wasps won on aggregate by 2 pts.in the last heat. Johnny Edwards came thru for CH. Were you there-the CH fans were super friendly and we all had a beer at a pub just up the road-would you remember what that pub was called?? CH was a wonderful place to visit (1965 was before the pork sarnies though!!)

[BOBBATH]

5 hours ago, Split said:

On the subject of race jackets can anybody tell me why Vietnam decided to adopt the Wimbledon colours for their national flag?

Was Ho Chi Minh a Dons fan?

Very funny Split-following that logic was the Belle Vue colour scheme  adopted from the Nazis-red, white and black-don't think so though!!  Cheers mate

[salty]

6 hours ago, BOBBATH said:

I agree 100% -why put the lettering on it. A memory I got from your post salty-was the mention of a drizzly October night with the lights on-I had a few meetings like that. One was the second leg of the Prov. League Knockout Cup at CH v. Newport which the Wasps won on aggregate by 2 pts.in the last heat. Johnny Edwards came thru for CH. Were you there-the CH fans were super friendly and we all had a beer at a pub just up the road-would you remember what that pub was called?? CH was a wonderful place to visit (1965 was before the pork sarnies though!!)

The pub just outside the stadium was called The Victoria. Sadly I'm too young for 1965, my first meeting coming up to my 7th Birthday was September 1968, though it was against the Wasps. Chris Julian was my instant hero, sadly he left Cradley at the end of the season to go to....Newport.

 

 

[chunky]

15 hours ago, Split said:

On the subject of race jackets can anybody tell me why Vietnam decided to adopt the Wimbledon colours for their national flag?

Was Ho Chi Minh a Dons fan?

Didn't Ho Chi Miny Waln ride for the Dons in the 30's? 

[BOBBATH]

No, he rode for New Cross!!

[andout]

3 hours ago, BOBBATH said:

No, he rode for New Cross!!

Chunky is right, think he had a short career at Wimbledon in 1937

[BOBBATH]

I defer to the experts- if chunky and andout agree clearly it must be a historical fact!! (Hi Roger if you play golf (I don't)-you must be happy the golf courses in Ontario are opening this weekend!!)

[andout]

18 hours ago, BOBBATH said:

I defer to the experts- if chunky and andout agree clearly it must be a historical fact!! (Hi Roger if you play golf (I don't)-you must be happy the golf courses in Ontario are opening this weekend!!)

I don't play Golf......gave it up as a bad joke!!!!