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Thurrock Hammers ??


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10 hours ago, E I Addio said:

I can’t remember what night Lakeside raced under Ronnie Russell who was losing money anyway.

By that stage Rye House had closed or lost their licence so Lakeside tried to finish the season by racing at Lakeside when they could get Fridays and the other weeks they were going to race at Rye House on Saturdays.

My memory is perhaps failing, but didn't Arena-Essex originally race on Saturdays? It was Friday at 'ackney, and Sunday at Rye House, right? 

Visited the kart track next to the old Rye House speedway before Christmas, and apart from piles of soil and rubble dumped all over the track, the stadium didn't look too bad.

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2 minutes ago, Humphrey Appleby said:

My memory is perhaps failing, but didn't Arena-Essex originally race on Saturdays? It was Friday at 'ackney, and Sunday at Rye House, right? 

Visited the kart track next to the old Rye House speedway before Christmas, and apart from piles of soil and rubble dumped all over the track, the stadium didn't look too bad.

Thought it was Tuesday or Wednesday ? Shuttle bus from local Railway Station :unsure:

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1 minute ago, Humphrey Appleby said:

I seemed to remember Saturday was the race night back in the NL days.

You might be right

I remember i went to the early years. At least i think so. And i was working in Covent Garden at the time and rode out on my bike. But possibly the first meeting i took the bike on the train and rode from the local station. So it was in the week after work

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32 minutes ago, Humphrey Appleby said:

My memory is perhaps failing, but didn't Arena-Essex originally race on Saturdays? It was Friday at 'ackney, and Sunday at Rye House, right? 

Visited the kart track next to the old Rye House speedway before Christmas, and apart from piles of soil and rubble dumped all over the track, the stadium didn't look too bad.

Yes, Len Sliver coined the famous ‘ackney slogan “ Make it a date Friday at Eight”. Rye House was Sunday afternoons at one point but I cant remember Arena-Essex mainly because I was becoming an armchair fan by the 90’s and Arena Essex as it was never did anything to attract me. It was only when Stuart Douglas took over and brought a breath of fresh air to the place I became regular again. At that time most racing was on Friday but they switched to the odd Wednesday day when AJ had a GP at the weekend . Part of the reason they had to let AJ go was because they were losing money on Wednesdays. I think a lot of fans were ex Hackney and had geared their lives to “Friday at Eight “ so they might have found it difficult to change the habit. Whatever the reason the crowds seem to have been getting on for double on Fridays at that time.

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Well i know it was in the week. I remember the horrible bike ride there and back home after work. Of all places, i was happy when i made it to Elephant and Castle roundabout. After that it was easy cycling back home. I somehow felt comfortable being in South London :D

Apparently the first meeting was on a Thursday !! Had Wimbledon moved race day by then ? All seems so long ago

Edited by iris123
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1 hour ago, Humphrey Appleby said:

My memory is perhaps failing, but didn't Arena-Essex originally race on Saturdays? It was Friday at 'ackney, and Sunday at Rye House, right? 

Visited the kart track next to the old Rye House speedway before Christmas, and apart from piles of soil and rubble dumped all over the track, the stadium didn't look too bad.

I thought it was Thursdays? :unsure:

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55 minutes ago, iris123 said:

Well i know it was in the week. I remember the horrible bike ride there and back home after work. Of all places, i was happy when i made it to Elephant and Castle roundabout. After that it was easy cycling back home. I somehow felt comfortable being in South London :D

Apparently the first meeting was on a Thursday !! Had Wimbledon moved race day by then ? All seems so long ago

That's some cycle ride!

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1 hour ago, steve roberts said:

That's some cycle ride!

Well I used to on occasion ride down to Eastbourne and back on a Sunday. I remember being almost East Grinstead before Eddie Toogood passed me. But he stayed behind a good bit after I left I guess 

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They might have started on Thursdays? I get involved watching speedway from 88 onwards and then Arena was Saturday at 7pm

I think once Hackney folded in 91 it opened up Friday nights, when Arena went top flight in 92 that was when the switch happened? 
When London Lions opened in 1996 they (London) raced on a Thursday night and Arena Essex raced Friday nights.

After that it’s always been a mixture of Wednesdays, Fridays or Saturdays, but mostly Fridays (top flight) and Saturdays.

But always recall Stuart Douglas saying that “racing on a Wednesday night was akin to throwing a suit case of money off the QE2 bridge” every week.

Friday the M25 was always busy but that’s why Arena adopted an 8pm start time to allow more time for fans to make the journey.

I don’t know or want to argue about how many fans came from over the bridge but out of my group of 10 plus people, only one had to  travel from South of the river.

 

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2 hours ago, iris123 said:

Well I used to on occasion ride down to Eastbourne and back on a Sunday. I remember being almost East Grinstead before Eddie Toogood passed me. But he stayed behind a good bit after I left I guess 

Blimey...I doff my hat to you!

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18 minutes ago, steve roberts said:

Blimey...I doff my hat to you!

I was a keen cyclist. But more importantly, I was a keen speedway fan.

Nowadays even if I was still as fit, I doubt I would have the enthusiasm to ride that far to watch a meeting. Not just to do with speedway, but I also feel less comfortable with all the traffic now

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5 hours ago, steve roberts said:

I'm sure the meeting I went to was on a Thursday...can't remember who it was against now however? Sure it was a 4TT?

Hi Steve, I have dug out a programme, dated Thursday 27th September, 1984, their first season. Interleague Four Team Tournement, Essex Radio Hammers, Cradley Heath, Hackney 83 and Oxford. Perhaps the one you went to? Also, Thursday 11th October, 1984, Autumn Triangle, Hammers, Hackney and Rye House. 

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9 minutes ago, Ray Stadia said:

Hi Steve, I have dug out a programme, dated Thursday 27th September, 1984, their first season. Interleague Four Team Tournement, Essex Radio Hammers, Cradley Heath, Hackney 83 and Oxford. Perhaps the one you went to? Also, Thursday 11th October, 1984, Autumn Triangle, Hammers, Hackney and Rye House. 

Many thanks for that...wasn't the 3TT I know for sure. I recall Oxford riding there in a 4TT but don't remember being there? My mind's all of a dither now...perhaps it wasn't a 4TT afteral as Canterbury rings a bell. Martin Goodwin was in the second half (I think?)

Edited by steve roberts
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3 minutes ago, steve roberts said:

Many thanks for that...wasn't the 3TT I know for sure. I recall Oxford riding there in a 4TT but don't remember being there? My mind's all of a dither now...perhaps it wasn't a 4TT afteral as Canterbury rings a bell. Martin Goodwin was in the second half (I think?)

The 4TT I mentioned, Martin was in the Hammers team.

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17 minutes ago, Ray Stadia said:

The 4TT I mentioned, Martin was in the Hammers team.

The more I think of it it was Canrebury who were the visitors. Can you check your programme fixture list if it's not too much trouble? How I regret selling all my programmes now!

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