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Post by Administrator on Jan 24, 2009 11:57:57 GMT
Opened May 28 1928. Closed 1991. Reopened 2002. Closed 2005. Address: Wimbledon Stadium, Plough Lane, London, SW17.
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Post by Administrator on Jan 25, 2009 19:55:20 GMT
This article, the first of two parts, was published in the South London Press on Friday June 7, 1991 to coincide with the closure of Wimbledon Speedway.
WIMBLEDON SPEEDWAY: PART ONE:
The headlines read:
Small crowds and huge losses mean that for Wimbledon Speedway it is the...
END OF THE ROAR By JOHN HYAM
Wimbledon Stadium staged its final speedway meeting this week - after a colourful history which stretches back 63 years. In today’s South London Press John Hyam - who went to his first speedway meeting in 1946 - looks back at the magical moments which helped make Wimbledon one of speedway’s top clubs. The final part of his special feature will be in Tuesday’s paper.
THE lights dimmed on a south London sporting tradition this week when Wimbledon staged its last speedway race. After 63 years - interupted on by World War Two between 1939 and 1945 - the tapes have risen for the last time at Plough Lane. Wimbledon’s was the sport’s oldest surviving speedway stadium - although fittingly perhaps last Wednesday’s visitors Belle Vue are speedway’s oldest club. Both can trace their origins back to 1928, when the sport which started in Australia, spread to this country. But although Belle Vue started a few months before Wimbledon, they moved to a new stadium in Manchester a couple of years ago. During the 1980s Wimbledon’s future was threatened on a handful of occaisons, but the sport survived. This time though there is no knight in shining armour poised to bring a speedway salvation at Plough Lane. At the end of the month, the club will start racing on either Fridays or Sundays at Eastbourne - a track owned by 1960s Dons’ rider Bobby Dugard. The Dugards have had links with Wimbledon since 1946, when Bobby’s father Charlie had a brief spell in Dons’ colours. Ironically, Charlie’s Wimbledon career ended when he crashed with West Ham rider George Bason. The accident left both men with broken legs and happened only after they had been involved in an exchange transfer deal. For a couple of days before being sent home, they were in adjoining beds at nearby St George’s Hospital. In the late 1970s, Bobby’s younger brother Eric had a brief spell in Wimbledon colours - on loan from Eastbourne, which had been bought freehold by Charlie in 1947. Bobby has given Dons a special low rent to contiunue operations at the Sussex track and they will be known as ‘Wimbledon at Eastbourne’ until the end of the season. The long term future of the club depends on how things work out during the next few months. Wimbledon’s current troubles are a long way from the many years of speedway that has thrilled, delighted and amazed followers of the sport. Some will say the rot at Plough Lane set in when spectacular young Swede Tommy Janson was killed while competing in his homeland in a mid-1970s World Championship qualifying round. Tommy was a real personality who drew the fans, and after his death much of the magic and attendances went out of meetings at Plough Lane. There are others who will see speedway’s decline on the decision to switch from the high standard British League, with its colourful international stars, to the more domesticated National League in the mid-1980s. On the other hand, had the club not lowered its standards then, there may not have been a further six seasons of racing at Plough Lane. Tommy Jansson’s death though was, in my opinion, the beginning of the end for speedway at Wimbledon - even if it took some 15 more seasons for the end to finally arrive. Tommy is not the only Wimbledon rider to have been killed on the track. Back in 1937 Reg Vigor, who had been on loan to Wimbledon’s nursery track at Bristol, died in a horrific smash. And in 1952, Italian-American Ernie Roccio, a great crowd pleaser was killed at West Ham. Wimbledon have had links with American speedway riders since the mid-1930s, when Miny Waln and Byrd McKinney briefly raced for them in 1937. Then came the legendary Wilbur Lamoreaux, one of the sport’s all-time greats. He was later joined by New Yorker Benny Kaufmann - who could race as fast as he could talk! Also another familiar figure around Plough Lane in the late 1930s was the dapper little Texan with the Spanish-sounding name Manuel Trujillo, who is still regarded as one of speedway’s most spectacular ever riders. And, unlike his fellow North Americans who pioneered the now conventinal foot-forward style, Trujillo leg-trailed more spectacularly than anyone else. When speedway restarted in 1946 after the war, riders were pooled and Wimbledon were allocated Oliver Hart, whose legtrailing broadsiding skill was enough to lift one’s heart into the mouth. Lloyd Goffe was another of the great, spectacular legtrailers who carved a niche in Wimbledon colours in the post-war seasons, before moving on for spells with Harringay and St Austell. In 1947, Hart moved on to Bradford in a three-way transfer that took Australian Bill Longley back to his pre-war club New Cross and their star Les Wotton to Wimbledon.
TO BE CONTINUED.
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Post by Administrator on Jan 25, 2009 19:57:04 GMT
Originally published in the South London Press, on Tuesday June 11, 1991:
WIMBLEDON FEATURE: By JOHN HYAM
PART TWO: The headlines read:
END OF THE ROAR
John Hyam takes a final look back at the personalities who have graced the Dons' track
IN its 63 years at Wimbledon Stadium, speedway produced many colourful personalities - some were big stars, others just honest-to-goodness pesronalities. One such personality was post-war Dons’ rider Phil ‘Tiger’ Hart, who was born in nearby Balham and went on to become a millionaire. In 1926, aged 16, he emigrated to Australia, saw speedway and took up the sport. He was with the first wave of Australians to arrive in Britain in 1928, and when England versus Australia tests started in the 1930s, Hart was selected for Australia - until somebody pointed out that he was an Englishman. His spell at Plough Lane was brief, and he spent most of the pre-war years racing for tracks in the Midlands. In 1948, Wimbledon paid Birmingham £1,000 for his transfer, but tragically in his first arce back at Plough Lane, Hart crashed, broke his leg and retired from the sport. Vic Duggan was an Australian who many claim was his country’s greatest ever rider, although he never won the World Championship. While his greatest triumphs were at another departed London track, Harringay in the mid-1940s, he started his British career with Wimbledon in the immediate pre-war seasons. Ivan Mauger was another of the sport’s greats who started at Wimbledon as a 16-year-old in 1956. It was only six years later when Mauger returned to ride for Newcastle that he started showing the form which was to make him one of speedway’s great world champions. Ronnie Moore was another New Zealander who won the world championship. He came to England in 1950 with his father Les, also a rider. Les failed to impress in trials at Plough Lane, but Ronnie became the club’s first world champions and one of Wimbledon’s best-loved stars. While Les failed to get a Wimbledon place, he did form a unique team partnership with Ronnie at Shelbourne, on the outskirts of Dublin, which was Dons nursery track in the 1950s. It was from there that Wimbledon found an outstanding Irish star in Dominic Perry - who quickly became known as Don Perry. Shelbourne was also the training ground for another young New Zealander, Barry Briggs in the 1950s. Like Moore and Mauger, he also became one of speedway’s great world champions. Another New Zealander who made a terrific impact on the sport in this period was Geoff Mardon - fittingly described as an ‘uncrowned world champion.’ In pre-war years - from 1929 to 1939 - in what was then the National League, Wimbledon made little impact on main events and only won the title once. But in the 1950s and 1960s came their greatest run with seven championships over an eight season period. Wimbledon’s move to Eastbourne in early 1991 has a parallel to 1948, when their own track temporarily based a ‘foreign team.’ It was the year of the Olympic Games, and for six weeks Wembley raced their home matches at Plough Lane. In the heady post-war years, London derbies sustained speedway and Dons, who raced on Mondays, had regular away matches at West Ham (Tuesday), New Cross (Wednesday), Wembley (Thursday) and Harringay (Friday). The only ‘out of town’ matches were on Saturday, either at Belle Vue (Manchester) or Bradford. Americans have always been popular at Wimbledon. In later pre-war years it was Wilbur Lamoreaux and Benny Kaufmann. In post-war seasons there was Ernie Roccio, Brad Oxley, Gene Woods and Bobby Ott. And pre-war came Canadians Goldie Restall and Crocky Rawding, while their fellow countryman the formidable Jimmy Gibb was a Don in 1949 and 1951. Mind you, there have also been great English riders of world standard at Wimbledon. Post-war favourite Norman Parker for instance who in 1939 had been at Harringay with his brother Jack. The latter was the big post-war star at Belle Vue and his tussles with Norman in the early post-war match race championship races were epic, no-quarter given events. Stylish Midlander Alex Statham, another pre-war Haringay star, the Buckinghamshire farmer and publican Ron How who won his laurels in the 1950s, coupled with Dave Jessup, Bobby Andrews, Cyril Brine, Split Waterman and Dave Jessup are others accepted as top stars.
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Post by mrsgustix on Jan 27, 2009 0:11:34 GMT
I have been bothering to sort out riders who have had Wimbledon-Norwich links over the seasons. I came up with these: Keith Harvey, Geoff Pymar, Wal Morton, Reg Trott, Bert Spencer, Trevor Hedge, Bob Warner. Were there any others I wonder?
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Post by tungate on Jan 27, 2009 18:22:44 GMT
Well then ...... Olle by Golly NYGREN had earlier been a Don but ended in 63 / 64 with the greatest ever team the Norwich Stars. Bob Warner rode as a reserve replacement for Happy Hungarian Sandor Levai just once in 1964 so would be classed "a guest" and not an appearance in "official" terms I imagine. I was not aware Keith Harvey was a Don, please tell me when.
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Post by Administrator on Jan 27, 2009 18:30:22 GMT
Re: Keith Harvey::If I have the sequence right, and I am going from memory (always dangerous!), after Stamford Bridge closed in 1932, the following season Harvey was at Wimbledon, before riding for West Ham (or it may have been the other way round).
After that he moved on to Birmingham, Crystal Palace and Norwich in the pre-war seasons.
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Post by mrsgustix on Jan 27, 2009 21:16:45 GMT
Does anyone remember this historic night in 2003 at Plough Lane?
From: sportsbusiness international website::
Wimbledon stadium will host London’s first international speedway meeting since Hackney Stadium hosted a round of the World Championship back in 1996. On Wednesday, July 9, England’s under-21 riders line up against their Swedish counterparts at Wimbledon Stadium, in the deciding leg of a three match Test series, in the GMB Under 21 Test. The first two legs of the series are to be held at Reading on Monday 7 July, and at Wolverhampton on Tuesday 8 July. The series will also be shown live on UK pay-TV network Sky Sports. Chris van Straaten, chairman of the BSPA stated: "I am delighted that big time speedway is back in the capital city. At the BSPA we are full of praise for the consortium who have brought speedway to Wimbledon, and therefore to the capital. This is a real feather in their cap, particularly as the meeting has also been chosen for a live broadcast by SkySports."
Posted : Thu, 03/07/2003 - 07:54
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Post by tungate on Jan 28, 2009 10:34:47 GMT
Thanks for your info re Keith Harvey riding for Wimbledon. Another rider with Wimbledon & Norwich connections was Charlie Dugard who was in the first match team for Max Grosskreutz in May 1937 v Liverpool and rode that season in a number of matches for us. He also rode for Wimbledon in the post=war restart of speedway
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Post by dons67 on Jan 30, 2009 14:15:30 GMT
Tony Childs??
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Post by tungate on Jan 30, 2009 15:34:44 GMT
Yes Tony Childs had the link with Norwich, though only a second halfer really at the Firs. He lived in the South of Norwich for some while and made his name with Crayford.
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Post by mrsgustix on Jan 30, 2009 21:17:57 GMT
I remember Tony Childs riding for Crayford but not him being involved with Wimbledon. When was this please?
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Post by tungate on Jan 31, 2009 1:29:49 GMT
In the early British League days I think Tony Childs was occupying the No7 spot in the Dons line=up
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Post by dons67 on Feb 4, 2009 22:38:46 GMT
Tony Childs - Wimbledon 1966 40 matches - 115 rides - 74 points 19 b/points Ave 3.24
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Post by mrsgustix on Feb 10, 2009 11:13:55 GMT
Here's a 'forgotten' American rider who had a pre-war spell with Wimbledon. He didn't do as well in the UK at Plough Lane as did his fellow countryman Wilbur Lamoreaux. I found this on another site, cut and pasted it into my records and cannot remember where I got it from. I am certain it was from a USA site.
Byrd McKinney had a brief spell with Wimbledon in 1937. I believe he also raced in the UK in 1936 as a member of Putt Mossman’s teams. In Britain, McKinney does not rate alongside his more famous fellow countrymen, but it seems he built a good reputation in the USA. Here is some information passed on my an American contact: “McKinney was third at the very first USA National Championship in 1934 for what they then called night speedway. For some reason what we call speedway today was spun off by itself or at least was identified as a special form of dirt track racing. This was probably due to what was happening in the rest of the world.
“Class "C" (or flat-track) didn't exist in the early days and only spotty in the run up to WW2. After the war it took over and Class "A" which once was everything, sidecars included, all but died.
“In 1934, the USA Nats were held at the Los Angeles Coliseum and McKinney came third behind winner Cordy Milne and Lammy Lamoreaux. He was third again the next year at Fresno State College Speedway. Cordy Milne won it and brother Jack tied with Miny Waln for second, McKinney tied with Pete Coleman for third. I don't have any run-off info so presume these were the final results.
“McKinney also won the 100 mile Ascot race in 1934. Speedway bikes ran longer races with bigger tanks, mounted the usual way like a regular bike, on top of the diamond.” When speedway revived after WW2 in California, McKinney came back for several seasons and was again a leading rider in California.
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Post by Administrator on Feb 16, 2009 21:20:16 GMT
This article with a 2008 photo of the Wimbledon team (taken by Julie Martin) appeared in the 'South London Press' on Friday February 13 2009: The riders in the historic photo were - Lee Strudwick, Matt Wright, Terry Day,Jay Herne, Martin Elliott, Aaron Baseby, team manager Nick Taylor and seated Buzz Burrows.
THIS could be the last team photo of a Wimbledon side. It was taken at Reading last September in their final meeting of the season, writes John Hyam. Since speedway ceased at Wimbledon Stadium in October 2005, the side has been kept together for away matches by the Wimbledon Speedway Supporters Club. But they have dropped plans to continue with the side for the 2009 season. Supporters’ club chairman Nick Taylor said: “Towards the end of last season we put out a plea to find a sponsor to help finance the costs in running the side. Unfortunately nothing was forthcoming, and with the current economic climate as it is and the prospect of having to pay out in excess of £1,000 per meeting, we have taken the decision not to run this season.” Taylor however gave a small glimmer of hope for the future. He said: “At the end of this year, we will review the situation and if it is viable we will look to run again in 2010. I can only apologise to all the loyal supporters who have helped out over the past two years, but we cannot keep going back to them begging for more money, especially during these difficult times.” Although there will be no track action, it is proposed to keep the supporters club in exisetence and hold social events. Speedway started at Wimbledon in May 1928 and apart from the World War Two years (1939-45) continued until June 1991. It revived as a third-tier track in the Conference League in 2002 until its closure four years later. As a major club, Wimbledon provided the sport with many stars including world champions, the New Zealand aces Ronnie Moore and Barry Briggs.
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