WELCOME TO 1968: EXCLUSIVE HAWKEYE AT LARGE COLUMN

Read exclusive never seen before columns from Hawkeye about the 1968 season. Friday 14th June 1968

Hawkeye says we're

TOP DOGS

Hello folks,
All those half-baked nitwits (they know who they are) that wrote off The Hawks before a wheel had been turned for the 1968 season have now got egg on their face. As I write these notes The Magnificent Seven are perched at the top of the league, having won all 10 home British League matches, plus a win at King's Lynn and draws at Leicester and Poole. In fairness to those who dismissed us as second rate no-hopers, our form to-date this season has probably surprised a number of Hawks' fans, although public relations officer Peter Douglas (he really does rate himself) says our success has come as no surprise to him. Everybody's on a high and the parsimonious Snowy Beattie seems to have had some sort of electric shock treatment. He told me last week: "I feel on top of the world, so much so that I have turned my back on the Kingsland Road market and in future, will purchase the raffle prizes from John Lewis."
I said: "Blimey, you're going to Oxford Street to get the weekly fiddle prizes. That's well over the top by your standards."
He replied: "No, not that John Lewis. The JL I'm talking about is a mate down the pub. However, he’s assured me that any supporter winning some saucepans won’t have to worry about the handles falling off; electrical goods won’t catch fire; and all bedding prizes will be bug free.”
The league table shows that the Custom House is Falling Down lot and Coventry are breathing down our neck, so there is no room for complacency.
I did say in my notes at the beginning of the season that West Ham and Coventry were likely to be our fiercest rivals, so I shall give myself a pat on the back just like Douglas does.
Skipper Colin Pratt and Bengt Jansson continue to come up with big scores at every meeting and are doing all that we expect of them. However, the rest of the team are all pulling their weight and have often come up trumps.
Examples of that include Les McGillivray’s 8 paid 11 against Glasgow, in a match that saw Malcolm Brown get 6 from two rides. In the narrow home win against King’s Lynn, Les scored 7 paid 8 and Malcolm 7.
 Des Lukehurst scored 8 against Swindon and 9 when The Fickles were at The Wick; Jack Biggs got 6 paid 9 against The Fickles; Des got 10 paid 11 against both Oxford and Leicester; Malcolm banged in 6 paid 8 from three rides against The Hammers; Les got 7 paid 9 against Coatbridge; and Malcolm 9 against Cradley Heath;
I must make special mention also of young Garry Everett, who is still finding his feet. He is not at all overawed by the opposition and is scoring nicely in virtually every meeting at Waterden Road.
We mustn’t forget the part that team manager Dave Erskine is playing in our success. He took over the reins at the beginning of the season without previous experience.
We knew if he punched his weight (and he does have considerable weight to punch) he would get the riders on his side because, when they see his size 16 boots coming towards them, they’ll listen to what he’s got to say.
I’ve had a sneak preview of Douglas’ notes in tonight’s programme in which he tells supporters that he and Len Silver are mounting a protest against the BBC’s decision not to give speedway results in its bulletins because the Corporation thinks speedway is a minor sport.
I entirely agree with the duo’s action and urge all speedway fans to back it. Mind you, I couldn’t help laughing when I read that Douglas will be sending the findings to one Hugh Carlton-Green (I bet he’s all blow wave and corduroy) who is the director general at the BBC.
Crikey, he’ll soon be writing to the Pope and the Archbishop of Canterbury asking for their support. Still, backing from men of the cloth could swing it Douglas’ way.
So folks, what’s the bill of fare tonight? The Sheffield Tigers are our visitors and in cheerful (cough, cough) Charlie Monk and Arnold Haley they’ve got two big hitters. I forecast a home win, but I don’t think it will be by a cricket score.
I’ve told the missus to spend double what she normally does on raffle tickets because the Hawkeye household could do with a new TV, cooker or fridge freezer.
So, look out for Robi Robins (CDM) and his team of raffle ticket sellers, enjoy the meeting and do have a safe journey home.

Hawkeye     

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HACKNEY SPEEDWAY
(from Royal Appointment to Golden Balls?)
Many former Hackney Speedway devotees are aware that His Royal Highness Prince Rainier of Monaco was a visitor at The Wick on Friday April 11, 1969 when The Hawks defeated West Ham in the Metropolitan Gold Cup.
The Prince was in the UK with Princess Grace on a state visit and when asked if there was anything away from the Royal formalities that he would like to do, he shocked his hosts by asking if Hackney Speedway was still going.
It transpires that he had seen speedway at Waterden Road before World War II when he was in London as a student. His visit was incognito but Len Silver was able to inform fans of the Prince's visit in the following week's programme.
However, we now have an announcement to make on a past 'celebrity' occurrence that we don't believe many Hackney fans, or speedway supporters in general, will be aware of.
In tonight's programme (April 26) in Snowy Beattie's column he informs us that the winner of the second prize in last Friday's Riders Equipment Fund draw was a D. Beckham of Norman Road in Leytonstone.
On a number of previous occasions a Mrs D. Beckham had been successful in the 'weekly fiddle' and on a couple other occasions a winning ticket was handed in by a Ted Beckham, who also lived in Norman Road.
We feel absolutely certain that the aforementioned Ted Beckham is the father of soccer star David Beckham, but his mother's first name is Sandra, so it seems that Mrs D. Beckham must fit in elsewhere in the family tree. The Beckham family eventually moved from Leytonstone to Chingford.
Golden Balls David was not born until 1975 so it remains unclear whether England's most capped outfield player was ever taken to see speedway at Waterden Road.

Hawkeye

Read exclusive never seen before columns from Hawkeye about the 1968 season. Friday 5th April 1968

HAWKEYE AT LARGE
Hello folks
We've certainly had an impressive start to the season with thumping home wins against Wolverhampton and Glasgow.
I must say I agree with Len when he got on his high horse about 'horses for courses' guest riders. The point he was making was proven by the fact that guest rider Malcolm Simmons was a joint top scorer for Wolverhampton and Olle Nygren was out on his own as top dog for Glasgow.
I suppose that, if we are going to have guest riders, we must expect the team's using the facility to go for 'track specialists' if they are available. I think we would do the same.
However, Simmons is back at The Wick tonight with his proper team, Kings Lynn, so after stretching his legs here on opening night he is bound to be the biggest thorn in our side this evening.
I think tonight's meeting will be our biggest test to-date because with Simmo and Terry Betts the Stars have two Waterden Road track experts. Don't forget that David Crane also knows his way around our race strip.
I was not at all surprised to see that Ron Lines broke the record for the shortest announcing career in speedway. Blimey, he was so useless I was surprised he lasted the whole meeting.
Mind you, the fact that Lines departed (was he pushed or did he fall?) so swiftly led the way for staff controller Derek Jarvis to take over the microphone and I am certain he will do a great job. However, he'll have to watch his p's and q's because his bolshie missus is Radio Goldhawk and she won't stand any nonsense.
Our new public relations guru Peter Douglas is beginning to pick up the threads of speedway. He is really a football man, so much so that he asked me last week if the referee could stop a race if he thought one of the riders was offside.
I was delighted to see that most of the mafia were re-elected to serve on the supporters' club committee (see Snowy's column). What it all means is that Robi Robins CDM will continue trying to sell Riders' Equipment Fund draw tickets at 6d each or three for 2/-. Somebody explain the ramifications to him.
Now for the big one. Yes folks, we've got the Custom House shower heading our way next week. Norman Hunter and Ken McKinlay are The Hammers’ big hitters and there will be the sight of Sarah and her Underfelt doing her usual fence scraping.
The boys will need to be on top form for that one and don't forget, the more you cheer from the terraces the better our lads like it.
I challenge you to make so much noise that Len's hair stands on end (yes, he's still got some) and make that posh PR man Douglas come out with a few oh my words; jolly hockey stick; absolutely splendid; most magnificent kind of crap.

Hawkeye

Read exclusive never seen before columns from Hawkeye about the 1968 season starting on the 22nd March

HAWKEYE AT LARGE

Hello folks,
I imagine that most of you -- like me -- have attempted to hibernate during the cold winter months, but are now ready to remove a layer of clothing as spring is in the air and the new speedway season is under way.
Mind you, I have to admit that I have braved the elements most weeks and met up with Snowy Beattie and his illustrious (cough, cough) committee members for darts, table tennis, pass the parcel and so on.
I also joined a number of enthusiasts and turned up at the stadium with wellington boots and a shovel to help Uncle Len get the track all ship-shape and Bristol fashion in readiness for the new season. If the track record is broken tonight I shall take part of the credit.
So, what's in store for the Hackney Hawks in 1968? We're going to find out mighty quickly because this evening, we go straight into British League action against Wolverhampton and the next two home meetings are also BL encounters -- against Glasgow and King's Lynn respectively.

 I know most of you will be taking a quick look at the fixture list on the back of tonight's programme to find out when The Custom House is Falling Down lot and The Fickles will be visiting Waterden Road.

Last year we surprised most of the pundits by finishing fifth in the BL table, dropping only one league point at home during the whole of the campaign. It certainly surprised the highfalutin aristocrats at the Speedway Star, who are all Wimbledon supporters.

So, can we improve on our 1967 performances? Colin Pratt will again lead The Hawks and together with Bengt (Banger) Jansson we have a pair of gladiators who can hold their own – and beat – any riders in the British League.
The team is virtually unchanged and the Atom Bomb Les McGilivray and Jackie Biggs will be effective back-up for Colin and Banger.Des Lukehurst could be an astute signing and there is no reason whatsoever why Garry Everett and Malcolm Brown can't significantly increase their averages.
Maurice Morley departed after one season as team manager and in his place we welcome Hackney fan and an authority on speedway, Dave Erskine, who -- excuse the pun -- should add considerable weight to the role.
We also welcome a new public relations man in Peter Douglas, who I am told on reliable authority knows absolutely nothing about speedway, but don't worry, I'll ask Robi Robins (CDM) to get him up to speed. Blimey, on reflection I’m not sure that will work, because it’s a case of he who knows nothing teaching him who doesn’t know anything.
We've also got a celebrity announcer, pop singer Ron Lines, who is taking over from Ted Sear. Don't get excited, because I've never heard of him and I doubt you have. He also knows nothing about speedway (another fine mess you've got me into Stanley).
Which teams – apart from us – will be at the top end of the table? Coventry have Nigel Boocock who will, without doubt, be one of the season’s big hitters. The rest of the side look a solid bunch, but can they back up Booey?
The Fickles have a very strong top two in Olle Nygren and Trevor Hedge. They’ll be looking for solid back-up from Reg Luckhurst and Garry Middleton.
The Hammers should pose a major threat because in Sverre Harrfeldt, Norman Hunter and Ken McKinlay they have arguably the strongest heat leader trio in the British League.
Swindon are another side with three big hitters in Barry Briggs, Mike Broadbanks and Bob Kilby.
All the favoured sides seem set to have tip-top home records, so the BL title is very likely to go to the team that can pick up some vital away points.
So folks, oil your tonsils and give The Hawks some valuable backing from the terraces. If there are sufficient numbers among you who can shout louder than Phyllis (Bloomers) Fowler we should frighten the lives out of all the visitors to The Wick.
Incidentally, all our riders will be wearing special face masks that are designed to keep out the smell from the Oxo factory. The opposing riders will be traumatised by it.

Make it a date – Friday at Eight.

Hawkeye