Grachan Posted June 15, 2021 Report Share Posted June 15, 2021 8 minutes ago, falcace said: You could still get really close to the fence in the 1990s at Exeter. Not the biggest star, but David Steen was exciting to watch around the County Ground. If you picked the right spot coming out of the fourth bend, he would drift and straighten up right at the last second before whistling past inches from you. I made a couple of trips to Exeter in the 1970s. Leaning over the fence on the home straight as Ivan Mauger came straight towards me is probably the best thing I ever experienced at Speedway. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve roberts Posted June 15, 2021 Report Share Posted June 15, 2021 2 hours ago, falcace said: You could still get really close to the fence in the 1990s at Exeter. Not the biggest star, but David Steen was exciting to watch around the County Ground. If you picked the right spot coming out of the fourth bend, he would drift and straighten up right at the last second before whistling past inches from you. Recall David Steen as a "Cheetah" in 1995 hanging off the fence! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grachan Posted June 15, 2021 Report Share Posted June 15, 2021 Dave Steen was an electrician by trade. Every time there was an electrical problem at Reading (which seemed to happen quite often) he used to have to go up to the box and fix it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iris123 Posted June 15, 2021 Report Share Posted June 15, 2021 (edited) 5 hours ago, Grachan said: I made a couple of trips to Exeter in the 1970s. Leaning over the fence on the home straight as Ivan Mauger came straight towards me is probably the best thing I ever experienced at Speedway. Same here. Made two trips up from our holidays in Cornwall. Coventry with Booey was one meeting and the Dons in the other. Fantastic place. But one of my memories was buying what must have been the worst programme board I ever saw. Hard bit of plastic just the size of a folded programme with no way of holding the programme. So you needed a metal clip or something ....... Edited June 15, 2021 by iris123 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chunky Posted June 15, 2021 Report Share Posted June 15, 2021 1 hour ago, iris123 said: Same here. Made two trips up from our holidays in Cornwall. Coventry with Booey was one meeting and the Dons in the other. Fantastic place. But one of my memories was buying what must have been the worst programme board I ever saw. Hard bit of plastic just the size of a folded programme with no way of holding the programme. So you needed a metal clip or something ....... I got one from there in the 80's, and it was like most of the others; a vinyl covered board that folded in two. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iris123 Posted June 15, 2021 Report Share Posted June 15, 2021 32 minutes ago, chunky said: I got one from there in the 80's, and it was like most of the others; a vinyl covered board that folded in two. Obviously improved over the years Tbh I am not even sure now, why I bought it. I usually got a team photo or badge as a souvenir in those days. Maybe there wasn't much in the shop or not in my pocket money price range. Or did they have two shops like Wimbledon and Hackney and I went to the wrong one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chunky Posted June 15, 2021 Report Share Posted June 15, 2021 1 hour ago, iris123 said: Obviously improved over the years Tbh I am not even sure now, why I bought it. I usually got a team photo or badge as a souvenir in those days. Maybe there wasn't much in the shop or not in my pocket money price range. Or did they have two shops like Wimbledon and Hackney and I went to the wrong one I just got one from each track I visited in the 80's. Looking at it now, I'm not sure why as they were all basically the same thing; certainly nothing unique about any of them, other than the colours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iris123 Posted June 15, 2021 Report Share Posted June 15, 2021 7 minutes ago, chunky said: I just got one from each track I visited in the 80's. Looking at it now, I'm not sure why as they were all basically the same thing; certainly nothing unique about any of them, other than the colours. Sticking to memorabilia for the moment. The other one that springs to mind is my trip to Boston. Remember getting a photo of Carl Glover and it was an unusual square format that I never saw at any other track Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve roberts Posted June 16, 2021 Report Share Posted June 16, 2021 12 hours ago, chunky said: I just got one from each track I visited in the 80's. Looking at it now, I'm not sure why as they were all basically the same thing; certainly nothing unique about any of them, other than the colours. I still have my White City programme board from 1977 however I later designed and painted my own boards and even sold a few! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chunky Posted June 16, 2021 Report Share Posted June 16, 2021 2 hours ago, steve roberts said: I still have my White City programme board from 1977 however I later designed and painted my own boards and even sold a few! I actually designed and painted one myself. It was hinged with a perspex cover so I could still watch racing without having to look away to avoid getting a faceful of shale! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andout Posted June 16, 2021 Report Share Posted June 16, 2021 As most have said, probably going to Speedway five or even six times a week and it wasn't expensive. Our usual was New Cross (just the early '60's), West Ham Hackney, Wimbledon, Wherever West Ham was racing on the Week-end plus Romford, Crayford, Canterbury, Eastbourne, Rye House all within easy reach. Not to mention where Internationals were, that was big time back then. Best memory for me was the GB v USSR @ Wembley in 1964. World Finals @ Wembley....ahh yes quite the event. Watching my childhood hero in the early '60s, Peter Craven. I could go on forever!!!!! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
customhouseregular Posted June 16, 2021 Report Share Posted June 16, 2021 38 minutes ago, andout said: As most have said, probably going to Speedway five or even six times a week and it wasn't expensive. Our usual was New Cross (just the early '60's), West Ham Hackney, Wimbledon, Wherever West Ham was racing on the Week-end plus Romford, Crayford, Canterbury, Eastbourne, Rye House all within easy reach. Not to mention where Internationals were, that was big time back then. Best memory for me was the GB v USSR @ Wembley in 1964. World Finals @ Wembley....ahh yes quite the event. Watching my childhood hero in the early '60s, Peter Craven. I could go on forever!!!!! I appreciate not all of these teams were running at the same time, but if you lived here London between 1960 and 1979 you could, at various times, watch league speedway at Harringay, New Cross, Hackney, West Ham, Wimbledon, Wembley and White Cit. I never got to Harringay or New Cross but saw league speedway at the others, plus all the major individual meetings and test matches from 1965. How sad we are were we are now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatface Posted June 16, 2021 Report Share Posted June 16, 2021 22 hours ago, Grachan said: Dave Steen was an electrician by trade. Every time there was an electrical problem at Reading (which seemed to happen quite often) he used to have to go up to the box and fix it. Bright spark then? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
customhouseregular Posted June 16, 2021 Report Share Posted June 16, 2021 31 minutes ago, customhouseregular said: I appreciate not all of these teams were running at the same time, but if you lived here London between 1960 and 1979 you could, at various times, watch league speedway at Harringay, New Cross, Hackney, West Ham, Wimbledon, Wembley and White Cit. I never got to Harringay or New Cross but saw league speedway at the others, plus all the major individual meetings and test matches from 1965. How sad we are were we are now. should say not running. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
customhouseregular Posted June 16, 2021 Report Share Posted June 16, 2021 Just now, customhouseregular said: should say not running. this predictive text confuses me. I’m sure you know what I am trying to say. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Split Posted June 16, 2021 Report Share Posted June 16, 2021 On 6/14/2021 at 11:15 AM, norbold said: In the early 70s we had Wimbledon, West Ham, Hackney, Wembley, Crayford and Romford with Rye House and Rayleigh in close proximity. Twice a week (West Ham & Hackney) was regular for me. Three times was not unusual. Four on several occasions as well. And now there is not one speedway track operating in the whole of London - very sad! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andout Posted June 16, 2021 Report Share Posted June 16, 2021 8 hours ago, customhouseregular said: this predictive text confuses me. I’m sure you know what I am trying to say. HaHa....yes it does it to me too.....Understand fully! I think the thing was we had so many tracks to go to within easy reach......and most of all it was really cheap...In the late '60s also did most away trips with West Ham including Coatbridge.....plus of course I was one of the few fans who saw those two infamous meetings in Holland in 1970......Great days! (and not so great days) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
customhouseregular Posted June 16, 2021 Report Share Posted June 16, 2021 4 minutes ago, andout said: HaHa....yes it does it to me too.....Understand fully! I think the thing was we had so many tracks to go to within easy reach......and most of all it was really cheap...In the late '60s also did most away trips with West Ham including Coatbridge.....plus of course I was one of the few fans who saw those two infamous meetings in Holland in 1970......Great days! (and not so great days) Were you on the trips to Glasgow and Edinburgh in1967 with Lacey’s Coaches Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andout Posted June 17, 2021 Report Share Posted June 17, 2021 (edited) 2 hours ago, customhouseregular said: Were you on the trips to Glasgow and Edinburgh in1967 with Lacey’s Coaches Pretty sure I was on the Glasgow one! Wouldn't remember if it were Lacey's Coaches though. Edited June 17, 2021 by andout Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tigerowl Posted June 17, 2021 Report Share Posted June 17, 2021 This thread makes me feel so sad. I feel honoured to have watched the sport in the 1970s and 1980s but it's so depressing to feel that those glory days are well and truly over and it's never coming back. At least I've got all my speedway magazines right back to the 1930s and can read about it at my leisure, but it was a massive part of my childhood and teenage years and I sort of feel a sense of bereavement about speedway as it is today. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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