Rye House Rockets

Last updated

Rye House Rockets
Rye House Rockets speedway logo.png
Club information
Track address Rye House Stadium
Rye Road
Hoddesdon
Hertfordshire
EN11 0EH
CountryEngland
Founded1934
Closed2018 [1]
Club facts
ColoursBlack, Chrome and Orange
Track size262 metres (287 yd)
Track record time54.7 seconds
Track record date1 August 2015
Track record holder Robert Lambert
Major team honours
National/Premier League champions (tier 2) 1980, 2005, 2007
National League KO Cup winners (tier 2) 1979
Premier Trophy winners (tier 2) 2005
Southern Area League Champions (tier 3)1955, 1956
Southern Area League Cup Winners (tier 3)1956

The Rye House Rockets were a speedway team based at Rye House Stadium, Hoddesdon, England. They competed in various British speedway leagues from 1954 to 2018. [2]

Contents

History

Origins & 1930s

Rye House began life in 1934, hosting open meetings on a circuit that had been converted from a former running track. [3] Under the charge of the Harringay Light Car and Motor Cycle Club, the track soon became known as a training school for riders. [4] [5] The first Rye House team competed in several challenge matches throughout 1936. [6]

Whilst at Hackney in September 1937, Dicky Case purchased the lease of the sixty acre estate of Rye House and continued the training school at Rye House Stadium, operating under the name of the Hackney Motor Club. [7] The school operated until 1938, when a Rye House team staged Sunday Dirt-track League matches. In 1939, various challenge matches were held. [8] [9] [10]

1940s

Rye House stadium continued to operate speedway from 1940 to 1943, despite the disruption caused by World War II. After the end of the war the track was re-opened by Arthur Elvin (the Wembley Stadium Managing Director) and was once again used as a training school, this time for the Wembly Lions riders. [11] The site remained under the lease ownership of Dicky Case until he returned to his native Australia. It was the foremost venue for aspiring speedway riders throughout the decade. [12]

1950s

Mike Broadbank Mike Broadbank.jpg
Mike Broadbank

The team competed in a league for the first time since 1938, when they joined the 1954 Southern Area League (the third tier of British speedway). Riding as the Rye House Roosters they finished third in a six team league. [13] The team then won two league titles; the 1955 Southern Area League and the 1956 Southern Area League. [14] The team was led by Mike Broadbank, who also won the Riders' Championship at Rye House on 25 September. [15] [16]

1960s

In 1960, Jack Carter agreed a lease with stadium owner L. H. Lawrence and the speedway track was rebuilt by Mike Broadbank, along with his father Alfred. [17] Broadbank ran the speedway team known as the Red Devils who raced in challenge matches from 1960 until 1966. No public meetings were held in 1967 or 1968, although the training school continued ; but public speedway resumed in 1969, with a combination of individual meetings and team challenge matches, and continued until 1973.

1970s

The Rockets in 1976 Rye House team 1976.jpg
The Rockets in 1976

In 1974, Rayleigh Rockets closed down but the promotion, riders and nickname moved to Rye House. It was the first season of league speedway at Rye House since the 1959 Southern Area League. [18] After struggling for two seasons they progressed to 5th place in 1976 before competing for the title from 1977 to 1979 and winning the 1979 Knockout Cup. [19]

1980s

The consistency and stability of the team paid dividends in 1980, when the Rockets won the 1980 National League. [20] [21] Bobby Garrad, Karl Fiala and Kelvin Mullarkey all averaged over nine for the season. [22]

The success could not be repeated for the rest of the decade as the team experienced mediocrity.

1990s

After finishing 8th during the 1993 British League Division Two season the promoters Roger Shute and Peter Redfern left the club leaving Ronnie Russell in sole charge. Russell failed to secure the necessary funding to continue and the Rockets were disbanded. [23]

In 1999, the team returned to league action in the Conference League (the 3rd division) but they soon moved up to division 2 in 2002 and formed a junior side called the Raiders' to compete in the Conference League. [24] The Raiders won the Conference League Four-Team Championship in 2003. [25]

After three years of competing in the Premier League from 2002 to 2004, the Rockets re-signed Edward Kennett and together with Stuart Robson, Chris Neath, Brent Werner, they helped secure the Premier League title. Two years later, Robson and Neath were still part of the Rockets team that won another league title. The 2007 team included new signing Tai Woffinden.

In 2008, the junior team were renamed the Cobras.

2010s

The Rockets line up for the 2017 season Rye House Speedway Team Photo 2017.jpg
The Rockets line up for the 2017 season

The Rockets continued to compete in the Premier League from 2010 to 2016 before entering the highest tier of British speedway for the first time in their history for the 2017 season. The team competed in the SGB Premiership and featured riders such as Chris Harris and Scott Nicholls. [26] Mid-way through the 2018 season the Rockets results were annulled by the Speedway Control Bureau, due to the teams withdrawal due to financial issues. [27]

In September 2018, the Lakeside Hammers, a speedway team in the SGB Championship, moved to the Rye House Stadium, following the closure of the Arena Essex Raceway. [28]

2020s

In December 2020, the Rye House stadium was demolished. [29]

Riders

Rider of the year

Notable riders

Season summary

Extended content
Year and leaguePositionNotes
1938 Sunday Dirt-Track League 4th
1954 Southern Area League 3rdrode as Rye House Roosters
1955 Southern Area League 1st Champions
1956 Southern Area League 1st Champions & cup winners
1957 Southern Area League 3rd
1959 Southern Area League 4th
1974 British League Division Two season 16th
1975 New National League season 14th
1976 National League season 5th
1977 National League season 2nd
1978 National League season 3rd
1979 National League season 2nd Knockout Cup winners
1980 National League season 1st Champions
1981 National League season 16th
1982 National League season 6th
1983 National League season 11th
1984 National League season 8th
1985 National League season 13th
1986 National League season 11th
1987 National League season 16th
1988 National League season 14th
1989 National League season 14th
1990 National League season 15th
1991 British League Division Two season 9th
1992 British League Division Two season 5th
1993 British League Division Two season 8th
1999 Speedway Conference League 4th
2000 Speedway Conference League 6th
2001 Speedway Conference League 4th
2002 Premier League speedway season 13th
2002 Speedway Conference League 4thRaiders (junior side)
2003 Premier League speedway season 14th
2003 Speedway Conference League 2ndRaiders (junior side)
2004 Premier League speedway season 6th
2004 Speedway Conference League 2ndRaiders (junior side)
2005 Premier League speedway season 1st Champions
2005 Speedway Conference League 6thRaiders (junior side)
2006 Premier League speedway season 4th
2006 Speedway Conference League 3rdRaiders (junior side)
2007 Premier League speedway season 3rd Champions (play off winners)
2007 Speedway Conference League 6thRaiders (junior side)
2008 Premier League speedway season 4th
2008 Speedway Conference League 7thCobras (junior side)
2009 Premier League speedway season 9th
2009 National League speedway season 10thCobras (junior side)
2010 Premier League speedway season 5th
2010 National League speedway season 4thCobras (junior side)
2011 Premier League speedway season 8th
2012 Premier League speedway season 11th
2013 Premier League speedway season 9th
2014 Premier League speedway season 13th
2015 Premier League speedway season 12th
2016 Premier League speedway season 9th
SGB Premiership 2017 5th
SGB Premiership 2018 N/Arecord annulled

Related Research Articles

The Canterbury Crusaders were a motorcycle speedway team who operated from the Kingsmead Stadium, Kingsmead Road, Canterbury from 1968 to 1987. For all of their 20-year existence, the Crusaders operated at the second level of British league speedway, in British League Division Two and the National League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Len Silver</span> British speedway rider and promoter (1932–2024)

Leonard George Silver was an English motorcycle speedway rider and promoter. He has also served as the Team Manager for the England and Great Britain national speedway team during two separate spells in 1976 and 1981.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scunthorpe Scorpions</span> British motorcycle speedway team

The Scunthorpe Scorpions are a motorcycle speedway team in the British SGB Championship. They have raced at various times since 1971, at three different venues.

The Stoke Potters previously the Hanley Potters were a British speedway team. As Hanley Potters they raced at the Sun Street Stadium from 1929 to 1963 and as Stoke, the team raced at Loomer Road Stadium in Newcastle-under-Lyme from 1973 to 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tai Woffinden</span> British speedway rider (born 1990)

Tai Woffinden is a British speedway rider. He is a three-time World Champion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colin Pratt</span> English speedway rider (1938–2021)

Colin George Pratt was a British motorcycle speedway rider and later promoter of the Coventry Bees who compete in the British Elite League. He earned 14 international caps for the England national speedway team and 7 caps for the Great Britain team. He was later the manager of the Great Britain national team from 1979 to 1980 and from 1986 to 1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edward Kennett</span>

Edward David Kennett is a motorcycle speedway rider. He was the British Under-21 Champion in 2005 and has appeared in two Speedway Grand Prix as a wild card. He has recently retired from the sport due to injury.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Neath</span> British motorcycle speedway rider

Christopher Maurice Neath is a former motorcycle speedway rider from England. He earned one international cap for the Great Britain national speedway team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marvyn Cox</span> British motorcycle speedway rider

Marvyn Cox is a former motorcycle speedway rider. Cox was twice a winner of the German Individual Championship in 1993 and 1995, when he raced under a German licence. At retirement, he had earned 25 international caps for the England national speedway team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kelvin Mullarkey</span> British speedway rider

Kelvin John Mullarkey was a motorcycle speedway rider from England.

Jens Rasmussen is a former speedway rider from Denmark. He earned 17 caps for the Denmark national speedway team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Freddie Williams (speedway rider)</span> Welsh motorcycle speedway rider

Frederick Owen Williams was a motorcycle speedway rider from Wales who was World Champion on two occasions. He was the winner of the Speedway World Championship in 1950 and 1953 and runner-up in 1952. With no Welsh team to represent, he earned 28 international caps for the England national speedway team.

The 1974 British League Division Two season was the second tier of motorcycle speedway in Great Britain. It was the final season of British League Division Two before it was renamed as the New National League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dicky Case</span> Australian speedway rider

Roy George Arthur Case was an Australian international speedway rider who finished sixth in the 1936 Speedway World Championship, the first ever final.

The 1977 National League was contested as the second division of Speedway in the United Kingdom.

The 1979 National League was contested as the second division/tier of Speedway in the United Kingdom.

The 1980 National League was contested as the second division of Speedway in the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karl Fiala</span> British speedway rider

Karol Roman Fiala better known as Karl Fiala, is a former motorcycle speedway rider from England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hugh Saunders (speedway rider)</span>

Hugh Saunders is a former speedway rider from Guernsey, who competed in the National League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hackney Speedway</span> Defunct motorcycle speedway team in London

Hackney Speedway opened in 1935 at Hackney Wick Stadium, Waterden Road, London, and operated until 1996. The team raced under various names, known as Hackney Wick Wolves, Hackney Hawks, Hackney Kestrels and London Lions.

References

  1. "Statement:Rye House Speedway". speedwaygb.co. Retrieved 6 July 2018.
  2. Bamford, Robert (1 March 2007). Tempus Speedway Yearbook 2007. NPI Media Group. ISBN   0-7524-4250-3.
  3. "1934 season". Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
  4. "Ginger Lees to ride again" . The People. 12 April 1936. Retrieved 24 May 2024 via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. "Plan for training young speedway riders" . Daily Mirror. 16 April 1936. Retrieved 24 May 2024 via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. "1936 season" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
  7. Jacobs, N. (2003) Speedway in the South-East, Tempus Publishing Ltd. ISBN   0-7524-2725-3
  8. Jacobs, Norman (2007). 70 Years of Rye House Speedway. Stroud: Tempus Publishing ISBN   978-0-7524-4162-7
  9. "Cinder Star Plans" . Daily Mirror. 14 September 1937. Retrieved 23 January 2022 via British Newspaper Archive.
  10. Jacobs, N. (2003) Speedway in the South-East, Tempus Publishing Ltd. ISBN   0-7524-2725-3
  11. "Finding new talent" . Daily Mirror. 7 June 1945. Retrieved 24 May 2024 via British Newspaper Archive.
  12. "Crazy but it's fun" . Daily Mirror. 15 December 1949. Retrieved 24 May 2024 via British Newspaper Archive.
  13. "BRITISH LEAGUE TABLES - POST-WAR ERA (1946-1964)". Official British Speedway website. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
  14. Rogers, Martin (1978). The Illustrated History of Speedway. Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd. p. 129. ISBN   0-904584-45-3.
  15. "Trophy ends the Speedway season" . Eastbourne Gazette. 5 October 1955. Retrieved 10 June 2023 via British Newspaper Archive.
  16. "Southern Area League Riders Championship". Edinburgh Speedway. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  17. "Red Devils enter a new era" . Hertford Mercury and Reformer. 26 August 1960. Retrieved 24 May 2024 via British Newspaper Archive.
  18. "Lightning ban lifted just in time" . South Eastern Gazette. 26 March 1974. Retrieved 24 May 2024 via British Newspaper Archive.
  19. "Year by Year". Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  20. "British League Tables - British League Era (1965-1990)". Official British Speedway website. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  21. "1976 to 1981". Cyber Morotcycles. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
  22. "Rider averages 1929 to 2009" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
  23. "Rocket's Monday deadline" . Harlow Star. 13 January 1994. Retrieved 24 May 2024 via British Newspaper Archive.
  24. Jacobs, Norman (2007). 70 Years of Rye House Speedway. ISBN   978-0-7524-4162-7
  25. Oakes, P (2006). Speedway Star Almanac. Pinegen Ltd. ISBN   0-9552376-1-0.
  26. "2017 Rye House Rockets". Rye House speedway. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
  27. "STATEMENT: RYE HOUSE SPEEDWAY - British Speedway Official Website". www.speedwaygb.co.uk. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
  28. "LAKESIDE CLUB STATEMENT - British Speedway Official Website". www.speedwaygb.co.uk. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
  29. "Speedway fans devastated by 'huge loss' as iconic Hoddesdon Rye House track is ripped up". Hertforshire Mercury. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  30. "Tyson Nelson named Rye House Rockets rider of year", Harlow Star, 6 October 2013. Retrieved 20 November 2014
  31. "Kennett and Garrity set to stay at Rye House Rockets next season Archived 29 November 2014 at the Wayback Machine ", Hertfordshire Mercury , 10 November 2014. Retrieved 20 November 2014
  32. "Rye House Speedway Official Website: MASTERS AND BRANFORD WIN ACES!". ryehouserockets.co. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  33. "KENNETT SKIPPERS ROCKETS". Speedway World Championships. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  34. "Rye House Speedway Official Website: SCOTT IS MR ROCKET!". ryehouserockets.co. Retrieved 11 January 2018.