London teams from 1946 to the present

[robinbrichardson]

London teams through the ages

Acton Acorns	Hackney Wick Hawks
Acton Eagles	Hackney Wick Wolves	Thameside Tigers
Acton Archers	Harringay Junior Aces	The Penguins
Acton Stars	Harringay Junior Racers	Tottenham Aces
Albany Aces	Harringay Tigers	Tottenham Boomerangs
Albion Hawks	Hendon Aces	Tottenham Broadsiders
Albion Romans	Hendon All Stars	Tottenham Joeys
Archway Stars	Hendon Cobras	Tottenham kangarooos
Arsenal Aces	Hendon Pirates	Tottenham Racers
	Hendon Stars	Tottenham Wallabies
Battersea Badgers	Highbury Aces	Troy Woodpeckers
Battersea Bulldogs	Honor Oak Aces	Tulse Hill Rockets
Battersea Eagles
Battersea Racers	Islington Tigers	Vernon Aces
Battersea Rockets		Verney Lions
Battersea Wildcats	Janson Wolves	Verney Racers
Beckton Aces
Beckton Crusaders	Kensington Black Panthers	Walthamstow Cardinals
Beckton Greyhounds	Kensington Diamonds	Walthamstow Giants
Beckton Monarchs	Kensington Wasps	Walthamstow Hawks
Beckton Panthers		Walthamstow Lions
Beckton rockets	Lambeth Eagles	Walthamstow Monarchs
Beckton Speedsters	Latimer Lions	Walthasmtow Wolves
Beckton Stars	Leyton Aces	Wandsworth Aces
Beckton Tigers	Leyton Condors	Wanstead Ghosts
Bermondsey Greyhpounds	Leyton Diamonds	Wanstead Lion Cubs
Blackheath Aces	Leyton Vampires	Wanstead Lions
Blackheath Silver Fleet	Litford Lions	Wanstead Saints
Black Lion Cubs	Little Ilford Stars	Wanstead Wallabies
Black Lion Monarchs	London Aces	Wanstead Wolves
Brockley Boomerangs	London Gunners	WarwicK Lions
Bow Flyers	London Pirates	Warwick Stars
Bow Monarchs	Lordship Water Rats	West End Wanderers
	Lynton Lynx	Western Hammers
Caledonian Lions		Western Racers
Caledonian Tigers	Manford Falcons	Western Stars
Cardinal Monarchs	Manor Park Pirates	West Ham Eagles
Chelsea Tigers	Manor Park Stars	West Ham Hammers
Chingford Broadsiders	Mill Hill Red Devils	West Ham Penguins
Chingford Dragons	Mortlake Monarchs	West Ham Tigers
Chingford Falcons	Mottingham Cyclones	West Ham Wizards
Chingford Wolves		West Kensington Archers
Chiswick Comets	New Cross Hammers	Weston Broadsiders
Clapham Panthers	New Cross Rangers	Weston Stars
Clapton Racers	New Cross Stars	Whipps Cross Comets
Colliers Wood Wolves	Newham Hammers	Whipps Cross Meteors
Cricklewood Cobras	Newham Rebels	White City Black Panthers
	Newham Stars	White City Racers
Denmark Hill Devils	Norwood Lions	White Hart Wolves
	Norwood Monarchs	Willesden Comets
Ealing Eagles	Nunhead Dragons	Willesden Hunters
East End Eagles		Wimbledon Rangers
East Ham All Stars	Old Ford Tigers	Wimbledon Stars
East Ham greyhounds		Wimbledon Wildcats
East Ham Lions	Paddington Tigers	Wimbledon Wolves
East ham Stars	Peckham Stars	Woolwich Aces
East Ham Wolves	Plaistow Buckaneers	Woolwich Badgers
East London	Plaistow Cubs	Woolwich Pirates
Edinburgh Tigers (Walthamstow)	Plaistow Pirates	Woolwich Racers
Edmonton All Stars	Plaistow Racers	Woolwich Riverhawks
Edmonton devils	Plashet Racers	Woolwich (ROF) Vampires
Edmonton Eagles	Plumstead Panthers
Edmonton Eagles	Poplar Penguins
Edmonton Monarchs	Portway Panthers
Edmonton Panthers	Portway Penguins
Edmonton Saints	Portway Wallabies
Edmonton Wolves	Putney Panthers
Ferndale Stars	Regent Rockets
Forest Gate Tigers	Ruskin Flyers
Forest Gate Wolves
Finchley Eagles	Shaftesbury Broadsiders
Finchley Flying Aces	Shaftesbury Stars
Finchley Sabres	Silvertown Stars
	Southgate Marauders
Galleon Aces	Southern Nomads
Green Lane Penguins	South London Hunters
Greenwich Cobras	South London Rangers
Gurney Rangers	Stepney Dolphins
	Stepney Pirates
Hackney Cheetahs	Stockwell Aces
Hackney Comets	Stratford Hawks
Hackney Cubs	Stratford Hammers
Hackney Hawks	Stratford Shadows
Hackney Hunters	Streatham Wolves
Hackney Stars	Sydenham Stars

[youtubefiend]

Just seen the great list of London clubs. Two are from my backyard - Brockley Boomerangs and Sydenham Stars. Where did they race their home matches.

[robinbrichardson]

John Hyam tells me that the Brockley Boomerangs rode home matches at Blackheath on the track built by the LCC. This was previously used by Blackheath Aces.

No Information about Sydenham Stars though.

[christreg]

I might be interpreting, London, loosely but there were a number of teams in the Wembley area that should be listed. They were part of leagues that included, among others, Acton Acorns and Cricklewood Cobras.
The additions that spring to mind are listed here. I'll probably think of more as soon as I hit the send button.

Kenton Hawks, Kingsbury Lions, Kingsbury Stars, Kingsbury Tigers, South Harrow Greyhounds, Stonebridge Rockets, Sudbury Court Flyers, Wembley Panthers, Wembley Penguins, Wembley Wildcats.

All of these teams were active and organised to a reasonable degree by 1940s standards. As was general with the sport in the early days, National Service and loss of tracks made survival difficult causing relocation,merging and disappearance to be quite common.

[robinbrichardson]

Teams have been entered here if they had a London postcode. I know that there was a Wembley League, which included Acton Acorns. Some of the other teams which you mentioned rode in the North West Middlesex League and I will post some tables for this soon.

[christreg]

I agree that London postcodes are an obvious demarkation point which is why I began my post as I did. However the Wembley League, as did others in the outer suburbs, mixed teams from London proper with those in county areas.
As it stands, I assume that the Kingsbury (NW9) and Stonebridge (NW10) teams qualify for the London list.
I want to make it clear that I do not intend any criticism of robinbrichardson and commend him on his memory, detective work and the results he has published. His posts have certainly stirred my thoughts. So I say, Thanks mate.

[oldskidkid]

Where and when did Greenwich Cobras compete?

[oldskidkid]

Sept 9, 2010 8:08:11 GMT oldskidkid said:

Where and when did Greenwich Cobras compete?

I think Greenwich Cobras were briefly in the mid-1950s and a team created by Vic Duffy when he was battling to keep the sport alive around the south London area. One of the riders was probably Paul Galea from Wooliwch who featured as a team-mate of Duffy's in several other teams at this time. John Brown was also a regular starter for various teams operated at different times by Duffy.

[Administrator]

This is the transcript of a letter I received dated February 28 2004 re Welling Wings. It came from David Syndercombe, of Kidbrooke Lane, London, SE9. He wrote:

Reference your notice placed in 'The Mercury' dated the 25.02.04 regarding cycle speedway in the 1950s era. I myself lived in Welling between 1935-1963 before movimg to Eltham as you can see from the above address.
Now back to your notice. During the 1950s etc cycle speedway was quite the rage, and as as far as the Welling Wings was concerned I had an uncle who ran them who was assisted by father who at this time wa in the British Red Cross, so he attended to any accidents that occured. So as you can seee the interest of this sport was quite an interest.
All of the bikes, helmets and breastplates was designed by my uncle who was also a signwriter by trade.
The starting gate which was originally a piece of elsatic strung across the let and was let go, was replaced by one which would shoot up like the proper starting gate at the motorcycle speedway proper.
The Welling Wings track was situated at the end of a road named Berwick road and running in line with Wickham lane. This was of course a spare piece of ground left slightly derelict by the second world war.
It makes it a little strange not knowing your name as none was given in your notice but I hope this will shed some light on the matter. Please do not hesitate to contact me if there is anything else I can do to help you with.
Yours faithfully,
David Syndercombe.

[oldskidkid]

www.cyclespeedwayhistory.org.uk/2454.shtml
www.cyclespeedwayhistory.org.uk/835.shtml
These are two unlisted London cycle speedway clubs. Arbour Atoms and the Barking Park-based Longbridge Leopards. Why?

[gustix]

Mar 16, 2012 22:42:23 GMT oldskidkid said:

www.cyclespeedwayhistory.org.uk/2454.shtml
www.cyclespeedwayhistory.org.uk/835.shtml
These are two unlisted London cycle speedway clubs. Arbour Atoms and the Barking Park-based Longbridge Leopards. Why?

Didn't speedway rider Terry Stone ride for Longbridge Leopards at one time before going into the motor-powered version of speedway racing?

[fredthered]

In response to the previous post by the Administrator, following a letter that he received from David Syndercombe, As one of the founder-members of the Welling Wings I can confirm that Mr Ronald Syndercombe was the first manager of the Wings. However, he was replaced by Mr Bob West, the father of our captain Barry West, ŷafter about a year.

With respect to David, I have no recollection of the Wings being based at the junction of Upper Wickham Lane and Berwick Road in Welling, although there was a track there. The Wings' first track was in the south-west corner of Danson Park, on land that was used for an anti-aircraft gun battery during World War Two, and where Bexley Grammar School now stands. We then built a new track on waste land behind the "Green Man" public house in Wickham Street, Welling. Finally, we constructed our third track close to Bexleyheath railway station, off Pickford Lane, where the "William Camden" public house and the car park to its rear now stand.

Finally, I do query the use of London postal districts as the definition of London cycle speedway tracks. In the Kent League, inaugurated in 1949 I think, there were nine teams. Of these, three (Eltham Royals, Mottingham Aces/Cyclones, ROF Vampires) were located in London postal districts. Two teams (Meopham Monarchs, Whitstable Wasps) were based well outside the London area. The remaining teams were not in London postal districts, but were and still are part of the Greater London connurbation, as recognised when the present 32 London Boroughs were established in 1965. Thus, Blackfen Hammers and Welling Wings were in the area now designated as the London Borough of Bexley, whilst Orpington(Cray Valley) Eagles and Cray Tigers were in what is now called the London Borough of Bromley. I have a feeling that this one will run and run!

[Administrator]

Is any member able to further comment to the interesting and detailed previous reply?
Are the 'Jimmy Kilsby inspired' South West London (Streatham and Mitchum area) included in the main list of teams?

[Administrator]

Oct 12, 2013 19:18:48 GMT gustix said:

Mar 16, 2012 22:42:23 GMT oldskidkid said:

www.cyclespeedwayhistory.org.uk/2454.shtml
www.cyclespeedwayhistory.org.uk/835.shtml
These are two unlisted London cycle speedway clubs. Arbour Atoms and the Barking Park-based Longbridge Leopards. Why?

Didn't speedway rider Terry Stone ride for Longbridge Leopards at one time before going into the motor-powered version of speedway racing?

It's amazing that after so long these queries have never been answered!

[toadys4]

Here is a useful link in regard to cycle speedway clubs, riders, tracks - both London area and nationwide:
www.cyclespeedwayhistory.org.uk