Custom House Years

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Posted  Josephine Taylor  23/08/09

 I am the eldest daughter of Tommy Croombs, the great white line rider, who was Captain of West Ham Speedway at the outbreak of war. He rode for England in Australia in 1937.
On June 6th l939 at the age of 7, I presented a bouquet to the late Duchess of Kent on the occasion of her visit to Custom House. This was the one and only time royalty officially visited a speedway stadium Johnny Hoskings son also presented a bouquet to another official visitor.

 

Stan Stevens, Malcolm Simmons, George Barcley, Norman Hunter, Tede Ede

 

L/R Back Row Ted Ede, Terry Stone, George Barcley, Stan Stevens, Archie   Windmill, ? , Dingle Brown, ? , ? ,

L/R Front Row ?, ?, Wally Green, Reg Fearman, Alf Hagon, ? , ?,

 Can anyone fill in the blanks?

 

 

 

Posted Richard Croombs 28/06/08

Hello, I'm the grandson of "Tommy Croombs" just wanted to say what a great website and so many pics and stories. If I had a tardis I would be off to Custom House now! I recently made a long trip towhere the track used to be, and took many photos of the road names dedicated to the greatest riders including "Tommy" I then had a chat to the guy that was running the cycle speedway at the bottom of the road, he rememberd my granddad....Spooky. A fitting tribute to where the staduim used to be I thought. Although I am and always will be a Poole pirates fan I also have very strong roots towards West Ham (appy ammers!) if they ever did return to top flight speedway It would be a very tricky situation!!!All the best speak soon I hope. Rich

Posted by Ken James 20/05/08

Can anyone remember that night at custom house when REG TROTT held off a top rider? to score max points to win the match,sometime in the sixties i belive.

Posted by Tracy Oliver 07/05/08

I am trying to find out if you have ever heard of Malcolm "Skid" Brown?? he used to ride years ago over at West Ham speedway.

Your help would be appreciated.

Posted by Ron Baker 23/04/08

I first went to West Ham speedway the night Tommy Croombs retired. He was the last of the ouarter drop handle riders . I can remember Aub Lawson,Cliff Watson ,Malcom Craven Eric Chitty, Howdy Byford, Phil Bishop etc, I watched racing until the track finally closed. I also went to all the London venues.I have many fond memories at Custom House. I still try to keep up with speedway but do not now attend any tracks.

Posted by Peter Harman 07/03/08

Im researching my family history and i have discovered that my gradfathers brother (William (Bill) Harman) rode for West Ham. Can you give me any more information so i can progress this element of our history?

Many thanks

 

Posted by Jean Edney(nee Clark) 20/06/07

I was a supporter of West Ham during the 1950's and was a great fan of Jack Young I still have my autograph book with his and other riders names. My uncle rode for West Ham in the 30's Stan Clark, I have an old photo of him with Bluey Wilkinson in their speedway gear, my two younger uncles were also with West Ham for a short period in the early 50,s Pat Clark & Colin Clark. Their father (my Grandfather) ran the Black Lion Pub in Plaistow. It was a great era and I remember getting all dressed up in my Sweater with Jack Young written across the front, and my red and blue rattle( which I still have ) and getting on the train to Wembley for the World Championships to support Jack. Wonderful days.

Posted by Rob Osborne 18/05/07

Greetings Just like yourself my hero was Harrfeldt, i first saw him at Wimbledon when he came on for his first race and he was my hero from that first race, i was only about 9or 10 and i told my dad that he was going to be the best rider at wimbledon which came true. My dad loved Ove Fundin but visiting other tracks was not a problem, we often went on a Tuesday night to see west ham and harrfeldt was unbeatable on that track. We also went to Exeter, Bell Vue Wembley, New Cross, Hackney so i got to see the Hammers a few times away from home.

When Harrfeldt through injury retired for me speedway was over, a bit like when brooking retired from west ham i never went to see them for a number of years. Anyway one thing i have tried so hard to obtain is just some film of Sverre Harrfeldt in action especially some footage from when he came 2nd in the World Final but alas i have never come across any one who may have filmetc. Do you have any footage i think i would pay the earth to obtain just a few seconds. I have tried without success to even try and ask Sverre himself but realy dont have a clue where he lives. If you could help i would be most pleased please excuse the grammar and take care.

Posted by Keith Lawrence 01/03/07

I have great memories of going to West Ham as a young boy and particularly remember the fireworks at the last meeting of the season, and the guys who walked around the stands with a board with all the photos and rosettes. I probably went from 1962 to the end at Custom House, travelling in a little Austin A40 with my dad, mum, sister and sometimes my uncle too.

I vaguly remember a guy who had one race in a second half, who I think was called Kastibo (or something like that anyway). He couldn't keep his front wheel down and gave us great entertainment for the 70 secs or so he was on the track.

The website is fantastic - I found it looking for information on what the riders did after they retired, with particular interest in many people's favoutite, Sverre Harrfeldt. I realise how much work has been put into the site, but is there any chance of a 'where are they now' sort of feature to inform us old coggers who still have a great affection for all the old riders? Keep up the good work!

 

 

I would like to thank the author Norman Jacobs for sharing these recent pictures of the Dinner.

 

Norman sitting with our old mate Reg Trott still looking fighting fit.                                

Reg of course is the good-looking one on the right!                                                                                             

                                 

 

      

       Reg in the 60's

                                                                                                                      

Stan Stevens with Norman paying homage! (Stan is a big hero of Normans.)                  

In the background Ole Nygren!

 

 

 

                    

Stan in the 60's 

 

From Bill Dixon 24/10/05

I am hoping you can help me!

I am looking to find out if you have anything on my grandad, his name is Joseph Dixon and he is said to have riden for West Ham sometime around the 40s,50s or 60s?

If you have any information on this or pictures I would be very greatful.

Many thanks

Bill Dixon

If you can help Bill please leave a message on the contact page Here

 

From Dave Rowlands 22/11/06

Nice to see a mention of my grandfather, Tom Morgan (Broadsider) here. I was wondering if anyony there might have any pictures of him, as there are virtually none in the family now.

Thanks,

Dave R

If you can help Bill please leave a message on the contact pageHere

Posted By Robert Rogers

In memory of David John Wills (1940-1965).

David was an Australian who sacrificed everything for a dream.

His dream was to wear the famous racing colours of the West Ham Speedway team.

His Guide & Tutor was a fellow Australian, Jack Young, ex World Speedway Champion and ex captain of the World Famous Hammers.

Forty years ago this week, he gave the Greatest Sacrifice, his LIFE!

Dave was killed while racing against the Hammers greatest rivals, Hackney, at the Custom House Stadium.

Dave was interned at the City of London Cemetery, the date, 14th July.

Five years later to the day, the Hammers flag flew low again, this time in memory of the team members killed in a road crash in Belgium, as the they returned from an international match in Holland.

Three other riders gave their lives on the West Ham track between 1928-1971,
· Ernie Roccio (USA & Wimbeldon),
· Harry Eyre (England, local novice)
· Teo Teodorowicz (Poland & Swindon)

To use the words from the West Ham Programme on the 29th June 1965,

"Speedway can be a Wicked & Cruel, it's a Mans game, and they knew that, they excepted that, how were they to know that the dice was loaded against them"

I was at West Ham that night, I was twelve years old, I saw Dave go down on to the track.
Dave was killed ten foot from were I was standing.
I, along with many old fans will never forget Dave.

God Bless you Speedway Hammers.

A copy of this has been Placed on Newham Councils Local History Site.

I also note, from a unrelated Speedway site, that the ex-hammer Don Smith died last year at the age of 66. The information came from his old school site.

Below Dave 3rd from the right lining up with the successful hammers side in 1965

 

Sadly missed !

 

Steve Rushbrook and the Heartthrob 2004 (updated 05/07/05)

The picture with Sverre was taken at the Viking Stadium, Hamar, at last year's Norwegian Grand Prix.

Sverre and his wife, Anne-Marie, stayed with us, at my parents' house, for part of the 1970 season, and so at that time we knew him quite well. He stayed in touch, and when my wife and I travelled to Norway for the GP I phoned him (and found myself at first talking to Olle Nygren!) to see if we could meet up. Which we did.

It was great to see him, he looked very well and was his usual unassuming self.

My father, Denis Rushbrook, occasionally stood in as team manager for Dave Lanning in the late '60s, but his main involvement was as Supporters' Club Secretary (or was it Chairman?). As kids, my sister, brother (the WH mascot, Trevor) and I loved the involvement with the riders, all of whom were good to us.

There were a couple of parties at our house for the riders and their wives/girlfriends, which we kids watched from a distance, often with amusement and sometimes with amazement.

Favourite memories include the coach trips to away matches - Big Dick, Kelvin, Fred, Pat and Sue, Denise and

Christine, Len...there were many others, of course, and I know if someone mentions them I'll remember them because they were memorable times. Trevor, to whom I have just been talking, reminded me of the night a coach tyre blew on the M1 on the way back from, maybe, Leicester, the driver managing to guide us to safety at the side of the motorway where we spent the next couple of hours.

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 Ray Cresp VSRA (Australia) 2003 Photo Brian Derby

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Ian Trayler 3/4/05

 

My job has recently been based not far from where the old Custom House stadium stood and I took the opportunity to wander down there. Unfortunately there is nothing to show where the stadium once stood except for the roads named after many of the riders. It is though possible to imagine the vastness of Custom House working around the boundaries of the roads that abounded the stadium and the parameters of the existing housing estate.

I only went to Custom House twice as a very young lad with mum & dad who were regulars until we moved to Leigh -on -Sea. Their hero was Aub Lawson but as I said I only went twice but have only a few snapshot memories. The first meeting was the Lokeren Memorial and I just remember the distance of the terracing to the spectator edge it seemed a very long way. The only other memories are Ivan Mauger and the whitish fence like parameters of the other side of the stadium.

The second meeting was a double header against Coatbridge & Kings Lynn. We sat up in the main stand behind glass. I remember a Collins for the Tigers and Howard Cole for the Stars. My mum liked Olly Nygren because they called him 'Olly by Golly' and Tony Clarke was the Hammers star.

That's it I'm afraid but talking to a younger Hammers fan recently he would have killed for just those few memories. Something about the Hammers on the race jacket that still sends a shiver down my spine!!