2005 Hackney Reunion Match Report

Hackney Speedway Reunion Friday at eight souvenir programmes are now for sale at £3.40 each, including post and packing. Contributors include Hawkeye, Tony Barnard, Len Silver, Snowy Beatie, Chris Fenn, Birdbrain, Mike Letch, Tommy Sweetman, Gareth Rogers, Steve Haire, The son of Birdbrain plus load of pictures; some published for the first time. Interviews with Bobby McNeil and Finn Thomsen a real collector’s item. Please send cheque/postal order payable to 'Hackneyreunion' and send to me at:-
37 Moreton Close
Upper Clapton
London
E5 9EP

The event exceed both Paul Tadman and Chris Fenn’s wildest expectations. The evening commenced with a private ceremony at 6.30pm in the Memorial Garden at Paradise Wildlife Park. Edna Harding [Vics mum] unveiled a plaque in memory of Vic. Also present at the ceremony where Beverley Wright [Vic’s sister] and her husband Rob, Pete Sampson, Vics team mates from the 79 team Bobby McNeil, Zenon Plech, Bo Petersen, Keith White, Finn Thomsen and Barry Thomas.
At eight o’clock our meeting announcer Gareth Rogers opened the evening, then the music I think we had all been waiting for, The Magnificent Seven. Gareth then handed over to Len Silver to toss the lucky fifty-pence piece between Barry Thomas (Hackney) and Dag Lovaas (Reading, Newcastle or Oxford take your pick). Barry won the toss and chose the gate nearest the bar. Highlights in the evening included Malcolm Brown’s cabaret act, a video from 1972. Len teaching Blue Peter presenters John Noakes and Peter Purvis how to ride a speedway bike. Video footage of the great Hackney announcer the late Ted Sear interviewing the grand old man of speedway the late great Johnnie Hoskins.
Somehow we managed to persuade Uncle Len to come out of retirement. Not on a bike though. He gave us a song accompanied by his Ukulele. Not sure it will be a hit in the pop charts though. I think the last time Len played his Ukulele in public was with either Malcolm Brown or Howdy Byford on the centre green at Hackney in the mid sixties.
The Sampson’s Silver Snowball Final saw for me the highlight of the night when Len was presented with a very special award. Len can actually wear the tee shirt that says
‘be there, seen that, done it’.
He’s been rider, promoter and of course team manager including a stint as England Team Manager. We had the top seven of the top ten riders who made the most appearances for Hackney in attendance. They all signed a Hackney bodycolour. This was quickly put into a frame and engraved on the frame is:-
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT TO SPEEDWAY AWARDED TO LEN SILVER 22nd JULY 2005
Len was truly moved when this presentation was made, by Backtrack editor Tony McDonald. Len intends for this to be on permanent display in the Long Bar at Rye House.

The weekly fiddle indeed lived up to its name. Noticed Tony Hurren, Pam Hedge, Keith White [collected by Sharon Hubbard] and Denise Etheridge picking up a prize. The star prize was a Hackney race jacket and a great friend to PWP and speedway, the wife of the late ‘Johnny the Welder’ won that. He’s also is in the memorial garden at PWP. And how’s this for a coincidence. Kathy Pope won a day out at Paradise Wildlife Park on ticket 443 at the reunion. Nothing strange about that. But then at Rye House the following night Kathy won a special raffle organised by George Barclay to raise funds for the proposed Speedway Museum at PWP.
The winner of this draw received a helmet signed by so many riders both past and present. They included all the riders at the reunion, the riders who rode at Rye House on Saturday plus current World Champion Jason Crump to name but a few. Well Kathy won that on ticket number, 442! What are the odds on that I wonder?

There where so many people who made the event possible. Pete Sampson and his team for all the work they put into the evening. Brian Longman for the fantastic posters that seem to disappear at the end of the evening, wonder where they went? There may be some in Harlow, contact Linda Sparkall for details. Gareth Rogers [who had a terrible throat all night] assisted by Bryn Willaims. Terry Stone for his speedway pits. Tony Hurren for all his help. Steve Haire for all his help in designing and printing of the programme, plus all the contributors in it. Dave Russell the tee shirt man. Kathy Pope who’s help yet again was invaluable. George and Linda Barclay, what great ambassadors they are for our sport.The raffle ticket sellers, who where they? Our cabaret acts Malcolm Brown, Len Silver and Jonathan Burrows who played music on the terrace before the start. Of course all the riders for coming, whom without them there would have been no reunion. To come from Europe [and round the M25 how bad was that?] and beyond was truly amazing.
We do hope to make a donation to the proposed speedway museum at PWP from any monies raised from the reunion. Chris and I have to now do the final accounts for the night.
Finally the paying public, in this case you the Hackney faithful. No business runs without the good old paying public. You where all fantastic and I do hope you had an enjoyable time. It was fantastic to meet so many old faces once again. Will there be another one? How can we top it? It would not be the same second time around, things never are. Let’s just remember the 22nd July 2005 ‘Hackney Speedway Reunion Friday at Eight!’