Robert Jay Rodgers - a true Speedway Supporter

My knowledge of the Wembley Lions is limited.

The photos were left to me many years ago by an uncle who supported the Lions during their campaign between 1946-1956.

I was not born until 1953, and became a speedway mad kid after first seeing West Ham when they returned to racing in 1964.

The smell of racing dope, and the noise, plus the high speed action under those stadium lights were like a magic show, which got this 11 year old into a world that he will never forget.

I think my interest in Wembley also came from the fact that Tommy Price was our manager then, and he had been the skipper of the Lions. As they were no longer racing and therefore not a challenge to my beloved Hammers, I always though of them as my second team (In fact when they returned to racing in 1970, they were like a second team, half their riders were ex-hammers!)

Although the Hammers are long gone (1971), they have a place in my heart.

A lot of fun, but also sadness, I was at West Ham when Dave Wills was killed in 1965.

I was walking down the Whitechaple road in East London in July 1970, when a paper boy waved a newspaper at me, the headlines, `Local Speed Aces Killed…`, that was Lokeren.

Our Heads and the Hammers flag hang low that Tuesday night

I now only follow the sport through the press as my nearest track is Arena-Essex and work and family commitments mean I cannot get there.

I manage now and again to be a bit of help to the Speedway Plus Site, plus the West Ham Speedway site, and try and keep alive the memories on the Newham Council (who I work for) Local History Site.

It can only be in the world of Speedway that a manager of the English Team, will talk to just an ordinary supporter. I sent up some information and no less a man the Reg Fearman, replied, thanking me (could you see a Football manager doing the same)? I think this is why the older world of speedway was described as a Family Sport, because you felt that you are a part of one large (if somewhat distant)! Family.

I am also a member of a Local History website for Newham, and our group moderator lives not far from Colin Clark. He has been in contact with him after his daughter asks for any information on his racing career. Again, not my time at West Ham, but we have found a few bits.

I will go through the photo album, and scan as many as possible. I will try and do a bit of research on Wembley and each photo, and then send you as much as I think will be of interest.

When they were left to me by Uncle Stan, I was interested just because they were old speedway photo's, little did I (or I would imaging many), realise that in years to come a thing called the World Wide Web, would arrive, and we would sit at home with a small television, a typewriter and a little flat box with lights, and be able to tell the world about our interest and send them pictures to back our words up.

In this, despite the lost of Speedway in our Capital City, we can keep alive the memories of the Hammers, Lions, Dons, Racers and Rangers, and we must not forget the poor old Hawks from Hackney and many others!

Thanks for showing interest, I will hopefully start on this today as the forecast for Dagenham is Wet and Windy, and there can be no better excuse on a Sunday for finding an old armchair and wallow in nostalgia!

Thanks,
            Robert.
Up the Hammers!

Thanks to you Robert, I am sure your words, photos and research will stir many a memory and hopeful other may decide to share the memories with us too.