Hackney Speedway
Hackney Wick Greyhound Stadium, Waterden Road, London E15 2EQ  Speedway operated between 1935-1996.
In 2011, Hackney were revived as a National League team in a joint Lakeside Hammers-Rye House promotion with home matches at both venues.
Hackney Badges  Hackney 1930s  Norman Jacobs Photos  Graeme Smith  Jim Blanchard's Photos  Phil Small's Photographs
Courtesy of Steve Cummins
Hackney Car Sticker
Courtesy of Tom Roe
Hackney Badges
1930	1930
1930 (2003 remake)	1964	1966
1966	1967
	1969
		1969
	1970
1970		1971
1971		1973
	1973	1973
1973	1973	1973
1974	1974	1975
1975		1975
		1976
1976	1977	1977
1977
1977	1978	1978
1978		1979
1979	1979	1980
	Most of the images in this "badges section," were sent by Wattie Dunlop
1980
1981	1981
1982 silver	1982 gold	1982
1983	1983	1984
1984 silver	1984 gold	1985
1985	1985	1986
1986	1987	1987
1987 Silver	1987 Gold	1987
	1988	1988
1988	1988 Silver	1988 Gold
1988	1989	1989
1989	1989	1989
1990 gold		1990
1990		1990 gold
1990		1990 silver
1990		1990 silver
1990		1990
1991
1991 Gold
1991 Gold and Silver
1995	1996
2000
Year Unknown 1	Year Unknown 2	Year Unknown 3
Year Unknown 4	Year Unknown 5	Year Unknown 6
Badges above are from Wattie Dunlop
Badges from Russell Earl
Hackney Wick Track During Construction In The 1930s
Supplied by Norman Jacobs
1930's Action
All I know about the above picture is the rider's names and approximate year. Possibly 1935 (The year Hackney opened) one rider is Tom Farndon, probably in the lead.  The other rider's name is Wilks.  So can you help with the track, riders, teams and year?  John
Bryan Tungate says: Hi John, This looks like Tom Farndon leading George Wilks at Hackney Wick.
On 22 July 1935 they met in heat 6 of a League Match and Tom suffered engine failure in that race. This is shown on Speedway Researcher 1935 results. I cannot find them in another meeting together during that season. This was not long before the crash which cost Tom his life.
John says: Thank you Bryan. You have come to my rescue again, the cheque is in the post!
Hackney 1936
Courtesy of Graham Gleave
Norman Jacob's Photographs
Hackney v Cradley Heath 1963 or 1964?
John says 2nd bend action from Hackney Wick back in 1963. The Home team are wearing the diagonal stripe, not the more familiar Hawk icon.  Cradley Heath CH were easy to recognise.  Such a shame that both teams are defunct.  I know this is Hackney v Cradley in 1963 and Colin McKee is one of the riders.  Can you help please John
Steve Remington says:  don't know who the Oxford riders were  ( John says: Nah incorrect Steve, It's CH at Hackney) and I think the Cradley riders are Eric Hockaday and Ken Wakefield at the back
Chris Roper says: The Hawks are Les McGillivary and Colin Mckee
Colin Jewes says: The 2 CH riders are Alan Totney and John Belcher, (who always wore a green shirt.) (from a Cradley supporter of the 1960s,)
Alan Garner says: Agree with identification of the Hackney riders McGillivray and Mckee. However as McGillivray was not a Hackney rider in 63 (he sat out the early part of 63 season and signed for Rayleigh about May and stayed till season end) he rode for Hackney from 64 until  he retired. I am of the opinion this is photo was taken in 64 (20th May or 29th July)
Colin Jewes says: John Belcher didn't ride for Cradley in '64 (nor anywhere ?), only at the very  end of '62 and throughout '63.  Record books don't show McGillivray and McKee together at Hackney, so I doubt L.McG: I can recognise McKee, so its 1963, but who is outside on the left?
Nigel Bird says: Hackney v Cradley 1963?. I think Colin Jews has got it right, 1963 Totney and Belcher (I was a Cradley fan) Mckee on right, don't recognise the rider on the left as McGillivray, Handlebars, style etc. Possibly Trevor Hedge who did partner Mckee for a while.
Alan Best says: Unknown Hackney rider is Jimmy Heard
1964 Team
Hackney Speedway has had only one base: Hackney Greyhound Stadium, Waterden Road, London. They operated from there 1935-1996.
Ladies Race at Hackney
Courtesy of George Tolman & Kirstin Sibley
Hi John, I recently came across an article about Beryl Swain racing Mary Mansfield for Queen of the Cinders on 11 September 1964 at Hackney Speedway (please see attached - above article). I thought it might be of interest for your Lady Riders page. The copy of the article is thanks to George Tolman (Beryl's brother). Unfortunately I don't have the specific publication or its date.   Beryl was the first woman to ride solo in the Isle of Man TT in 1962, but was banned from international racing by the FIM later that year. I would be really interested to hear if she pursued speedway, apart from this race! I'm doing an exhibition on Beryl in June this year for the E17 Art Trail in Walthamstow, where Beryl was born. Best wishes Kirstin
Hackney v Cradley Heath
26th June 1963
Courtesy of Wattie Dunlop
Promoter Mike Parker opened Hackney in 1963.  Mike is better known as Newcastle's promoter who brought Ivan Mauger back to the UK.
Courtesy of Wattie Dunlop
1964 Riders
Courtesy of Wattie Dunlop
Hackney v Glasgow
8th October 1965
Courtesy of Wattie Dunlop
Courtesy of Wattie Dunlop
Bengt Jansson
1967
Courtesy of Wattie Dunlop
Bengt Jansson
1968
Courtesy of Wattie Dunlop
Les McGillivray
Colin Pratt
When you think of Hackney, Colin Pratt comes to mind.  Was he the greatest ever hackney rider?  He was certainly one of the best British riders of his era
Wal Morton & Colin McKee
Jack Biggs & Newcastle's Ole Olsen
Courtesy Ted Hearn
Tommy Sweetman
Courtesy Ted Hearn
Garry Middleton
Courtesy Ted Hearn
Garry indulging in a spot of leg trailing
David Crane
Courtesy of Nick Short
John says: Photo came to me with caption D Crane.  What does the D stand for? and what team jacket is he wearing.  I assume it wasn't solid white as per this photo? John
Nick Short says: The D in D crane is I believe David, I haven't got a clue why Body colour is white unless he was riding mainly second half’s (remember them) at the time.
Lee Dunton says: D Crane is David Crane ex Boston & Kings Lynn, relative of Cyril Crane think it must be late 70's early 80's. I think he also had outing's for Oxford but not 100% sure on that.
Col Greenwell says: I found this in the book Owlerton Legends by Matthew Jackson & Paul Rickett.  I would think this could be the guy in your photograph.
John says:  As this photo was looking like a picture of a Coventry rider at the time (late 1960s) and as we know Coventry is not Defunct I was about to delete it all from the Hackney page then along came the email shown below from Cov Security
Cov Security says: Think you will find photo taken at Hackney in 1963 when David had rides for the Hawks aged 16
Graeme Smith
Courtesy of Dave Jones
Courtesy of Graeme Smith
4 Of Hackney's Best
Garry Middleton 1969 – 1971, Zenon Plech  1976 -1981, Finn Thomsen 1978-1983, Dave Morton 1973-78
Hackney 1970
Courtesy of Graham Gleave
Hackney WCQR
1970
Courtesy of Wattie Dunlop
Courtesy of Wattie Dunlop
Courtesy of Wattie Dunlop
Courtesy of Wattie Dunlop
Courtesy of Wattie Dunlop
Courtesy of Wattie Dunlop
Courtesy of Wattie Dunlop
Courtesy of Wattie Dunlop
1972 Geoff Maloney
Jim Blanchard's Photographs
Jim Blanchard has answered my requests for Hackney pictures.  The 3 photos shown below are of Jim at a Len Silver / Gary Middleton training school held at Waterden Road in 1972
Jim's Photos also show the stadium in a good light
1980 Programme
1990 Programme Board
Courtesy of Andrew Gallon
Andrew Gallon says: Hackney (1990) - picked up on my sole visit to Waterden Road
Memories
Hi, I found your website page devoted to Hackney Speedway Stadium and was fascinated by it.
I myself worked there in the mid 80s - early 90s with my family (mostly covering the greyhound track with sheets in preparation for the Friday night meetings).  My dad ran the training school on Saturdays, and I spent most of my childhood there.  I was there the night Vic Harding lost his life in '79, I saw it happen.
The site was later used to host car-boot sales, by which time the magic of the place had long gone. Just wanted to say thanks for posting some wonderful photos, which brings back the memory very vividly. There was one picture in particular that completely sums up my Hackney experiences in amongst that lot. Looking from the second bend over towards the starting line from the steps where the kiosk used to be.  That is where I used to watch the meetings from and behind there was the toilets that STANK. Regards Dave
Hackney 1988 Phil Small's Photos
Courtesy of Phil Small
4 pictures of Hackney Stadium taken by Phil in 1988
Hackney 1990
Courtesy of Wattie Dunlop
John Coombs says: Hi John, Hope all is well with you, I see that the Defunct Speedway site goes from strength to strength, well done on this. Not sure if you would be interested but the following link http://hereeast.com/  shows details of what will become of the Olympic Media Centre - the venue which was built on the site of the former Hackney Stadium. This is a stone throw from the Velodrome and the Copper Box and about 5-10 minutes from the Olympic Stadium.  The redevelopment work has started this month, and if this holds any interest I will try to get over and get some pictures when I am passing.
The site is looking for more pics, programmes etc from the Hawks history email John
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