Speedway at the Stadium - Harringay vs. West Ham, 1949

Comment by Roy aka Smiffy on April 4, 2009 at 15:08

Great picture, Hugh.
Friends and I often went down to see the 'Racers' at the Speedway as it was known - that is whenever our megere pocket money permitted!
After the racing we's go into the paddock, look at the bikes watch for our heroes and get autographs.

The great Harringay team hero was Ray Duggan, sadly killed in Australia in 1950.
His brother Vic also rode for the Racers and only died two years ago.

There was a chant,


Two Four Six Eight
Who do we appreciate
R - A - C - E - R - S
Racers!

The abiding smell of the fuel, oil and chips wrapped in newspaper still lives with me.

Those were the days!

Roy
(Smiffy)

Comment by brian granville on Friday

Ah yes.  I came a little later in 1951.  My favourite and I suspect many others too was Split Waterman.  As you know he got the wrong side of the law and, I think, went to prison for smuggling.  The other riders in the Harringay team were Jeff Howe and Graham Warren.

My brother and our friends used to play cycle speedway in the parking lot, always pursued by the janitor there who went by the name of Baldy.  My brother got the nickname of Dusty because he was always falling off his bike and got dirty by the cinders.

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