Never could take to Wimbledon (and not because I was a Hackney supporter). It always appeared ultra-slick; a processional borefest more often than not - with ridiculous different start and finish lines. Although I'd go there a number of Thursday nights each season, I can hardly ever remember any memorable meetings. Phil Crump used to ride it really well for a visitor though.
The starting gate was the original 10yd handicap gate and remained there to give a longer run to the first turn. The finish line remained at the original scratch starting gate position because it was directly in line with the referee's seat in the referee's box. The track prior to 1969 was one of, if not the best in the country but like many other tracks it was ruined by the introduction of stock cars. Nobody could or in fact never did complain about the track preparation but there was a problem where if you rode out wide you were riding on the concreted base of the stock car track and no matter what you did you either had a deeply rutted area or a completely slick area which was not good. Outside of the stock car season they tended to make that area deeper and you got much better racing. When I first went to Wimbledon in 1955 the track was bigger, faster and deeper all round; the starting gate was then on the opposite side of the track as well. What killed the Dons was the rent, in the return years the rent was higher than almost every EL track and people are not going to pay EL prices to watch NL racing. Of course it did not help that they put in a track that was not up to standard having made it so short by having the entire track inside the stock car track. To top it off they had removed the original lighting and put light post up every few feet that made viewing horrible. Having said all that I am sure many speedway fans wish that there was any speedway track in London today.
Rip tiger louie
What a great rider Tiger was...
Bravo Eddy .
John rode a clever line, never gave the other riders any opportunity to pass him at all....
exelent
Never could take to Wimbledon (and not because I was a Hackney supporter). It always appeared ultra-slick; a processional borefest more often than not - with ridiculous different start and finish lines. Although I'd go there a number of Thursday nights each season, I can hardly ever remember any memorable meetings. Phil Crump used to ride it really well for a visitor though.
The starting gate was the original 10yd handicap gate and remained there to give a longer run to the first turn. The finish line remained at the original scratch starting gate position because it was directly in line with the referee's seat in the referee's box. The track prior to 1969 was one of, if not the best in the country but like many other tracks it was ruined by the introduction of stock cars. Nobody could or in fact never did complain about the track preparation but there was a problem where if you rode out wide you were riding on the concreted base of the stock car track and no matter what you did you either had a deeply rutted area or a completely slick area which was not good. Outside of the stock car season they tended to make that area deeper and you got much better racing. When I first went to Wimbledon in 1955 the track was bigger, faster and deeper all round; the starting gate was then on the opposite side of the track as well. What killed the Dons was the rent, in the return years the rent was higher than almost every EL track and people are not going to pay EL prices to watch NL racing. Of course it did not help that they put in a track that was not up to standard having made it so short by having the entire track inside the stock car track. To top it off they had removed the original lighting and put light post up every few feet that made viewing horrible. Having said all that I am sure many speedway fans wish that there was any speedway track in London today.
Great race.