Independent Leyton Orient Forum

Some years ago I recognised a number of Orient fans at Speedway meetings and judging by his username AckneyAwk may have been one of them.
In it's heyday there were 10 tracks operating in London; now there are none. There are still a number of tracks running in the U.K. but the sport lacks the philanthropists that are attracted to football and would seem to be in terminal decline. The good news is that the sport is flourishing in Sweden, Denmark and particularly Poland.
Next Saturday the penultimate round of the World Grand Prix series takes place in the Principality Stadium, Cardiff. The event will be televised on BT Sport starting at 5 p.m.
Many of us will be on our way back from Colchester so hit the record button.
A word of warning, Cardiff being a temporary track it is necessary to pack the shale well to prevent excessive rutting. In consequence the first few heats tend to be rather processional but stay with it. As the meeting progresses alternative racing lines develop and it is usually a good watch.
It may also provide a little light relief from Orient, especially if we lose at Colchester.

I used to go Hackney Speedway on Friday night in the late 70's, early 80's. Think they finished runners-up to Reading one year(1979?). Used to get good crowds back then as well. My favourite was Bo Petersen, Len Silver was the promoter if memory serves me right. Make it a date, Friday at eight!! Happy days!!

Went over Arena Essex(recently sold for housing) for a couple of seasons about ten years ago, also went to Cardiff a couple of years ago. It is good live, never watched it on tv.

Speedway seemed to be on the up a few years ago, to the extent that Sky would show live races. Might be coincidence but seems to have gone the other way since BT bought the rights.

Was even announced the other week that the track at Stoke is to close as been sold to developers.

Shame as it can be great fun and more dangerous than people imagine.

banqo wrote: ↑Thu Sep 19, 2019 5:28 pm I used to go Hackney Speedway on Friday night in the late 70's, early 80's. Think they finished runners-up to Reading one year(1979?). Used to get good crowds back then as well. My favourite was Bo Petersen, Len Silver was the promoter if memory serves me right. Make it a date, Friday at eight!! Happy days!!

Me too my favourite was Bengt Jansson , later Mark Loram , Hackney won their league easily with him going on to be world champion , I enjoy watching the grand prix meetings and my favourite rider now is the Russian Emil Syfutinov 🏍🏍

i was a romford bomber,+hackney hawks

banqo wrote: ↑Thu Sep 19, 2019 5:28 pm I used to go Hackney Speedway on Friday night in the late 70's, early 80's. Think they finished runners-up to Reading one year(1979?). Used to get good crowds back then as well. My favourite was Bo Petersen, Len Silver was the promoter if memory serves me right. Make it a date, Friday at eight!! Happy days!!

Likewise - Zenon Plech , Finn Thomson , Barry Thomas, Keith White Sean willmott - now of course the site of the London Stadium...

WGC O wrote: ↑Thu Sep 19, 2019 7:05 pm

banqo wrote: ↑Thu Sep 19, 2019 5:28 pm I used to go Hackney Speedway on Friday night in the late 70's, early 80's. Think they finished runners-up to Reading one year(1979?). Used to get good crowds back then as well. My favourite was Bo Petersen, Len Silver was the promoter if memory serves me right. Make it a date, Friday at eight!! Happy days!!

Likewise - Zenon Plech , Finn Thomson , Barry Thomas, Keith White Sean willmott - now of course the site of the London Stadium...

Maybe part of the stadium complex , but the actual stadium is the other side of carpenters road about 400 yards away .

I saw speedway a few times as a teenager over Hackney because a mate was really into it. My dad, not really a big sports spectator, also took me over Custom House to see West Ham before it closed (as well as a few more dog tracks). That place was huge. and dilapidated.

I did go to Eastbourne speedway a few years ago, but if I’m honest it didn’t appeal much and I never returned.

Used to love the speedway , didnt go as often as
i would of liked , Best rider i ever saw was Ivan Mauger
But the twice i saw him he didnt win a race .
Once for Exeter & once for Hull .


Still got most consistant rider award though.
Think he was 2nd in every race he rode in.

When did wembley stop Speedway ?

banqo wrote: ↑Thu Sep 19, 2019 5:28 pm I used to go Hackney Speedway on Friday night in the late 70's, early 80's. Think they finished runners-up to Reading one year(1979?). Used to get good crowds back then as well. My favourite was Bo Petersen, Len Silver was the promoter if memory serves me right. Make it a date, Friday at eight!! Happy days!!

My dad was a massive Hackney fan, followed them all over the country.
Think they had a minutes silence before a meeting for him after he died, as he was fairly well known over there.
He used to take me and my sister and we had goldfishes named Barry and Zenon after the legend Thomas and Plech!

Spot on Forty-Niner. I was a speedway nut and if i had to be honest a top competitive speedway match between two teams is the most exciting sport i have seen. That includes football and the O's...Sorry! To take to speedway you need someone to guide you with points scored, rider skills and abilities, tactics and rules and regulations. Sounds a lot but really quite simple and once you gain that knowledge then you have years of excitement ahead. I followed Hackney hawks home and away. Speedway is a dangerous sport no brakes and tragically i have seen riders killed doing something they loved. All brave men! The sport is struggling but if you do have BT sport give it a watch, stick with it and i guarantee you will be excited.

I was at Waterden Road the night Vic Harding was killed in 1979(I think). Still watch on BT sport, as you say a very dangerous sport.

The death of Vic Harding was terrible and Steve Weatherley who was involved in the incident has been paralysed ever since. Also American Danny Pyeatt was killed on the fourth bend. When you get a exciting race your heart beats faster because of the skills and danger involved. Been following Rye House Rockets last fifteen years until there closure. Lottery win and i would step forward to bring them back.

AckneyAwks wrote: ↑Fri Sep 20, 2019 9:05 pm The death of Vic Harding was terrible and Steve Weatherley who was involved in the incident has been paralysed ever since. Also American Danny Pyeatt was killed on the fourth bend. When you get a exciting race your heart beats faster because of the skills and danger involved. Been following Rye House Rockets last fifteen years until there closure. Lottery win and i would step forward to bring them back.

I was there on both of those nights too. Vic died that night and Weatherley survived as a paraplegic but went on to be a successful rally driver. The second was Denny (not Danny) Pyeatt who was riding for Reading Racers, he hit the lamp and pretty much died instantly. All terribly sad.

My mum used to follow the Walthamstow Wolves all over the place when she was young, some years back I found book on speedway in the uni library and bought it back for her as it had a fantastic picture of the Wolves captain George Newton in full flight. She’d not seen anything ok the Wolves in some 40 years so that pretty much made her day

Hi All

Used to go on a Friday night to Hackney now the nearest team to me is Kings Lynn which I understand are a bit good.

Bo Petersen a top rider from Denmark who rode for Hackney used to have digs in Colchester road, Leyton. Dont know if he supported the O's though. Thanks for the spelling correction Stowaway (Denny not Danny) .