The last part of the series on West Ham Speedway is on the 1971 season, the last ever full season raced at Custom House Stadium.

At the start of the 1971 season, things looked gloomy, and they got even worse.  In six seasons we had dropped from League Champions to Wooden Spoon (last!).We were still reeling from the loss of Riders and Manager at Lokeren, and the fans felt that we had been let down by `the Powers that be` in the shape of the Speedway Control Board, although they always denied this.                              

The rumours were, as normal, that there were plans to demolish the Stadium and build a Housing Estate on it, but this time these proved to be true.                          There were also rumours that the Speedway Management was losing money, again this turned out to be partly true. After the season was over, the Speedway press announced that the management had made just over £700 for a seven month Season, not much to offer shareholders, especially for all the work involved running a Speedway Club, even the track staff had worked for nothing.   This had effects on the fans, and as less and less came each week, not helped by the fact the team kept losing, the money went down till it got to a point where the management clearly hinted to the fans that we might not even complete the season. It was said at the time to make a speedway team pay you need about 4000 fans paying their money each week; West Ham was nowhere near that. In its heyday, West Ham had at one meeting over 85,000 fans, (the stadium was originally designed to hold 100,000) although I admit this was for a test Match between England and Australia in 1933.   Another nickname for the West Ham fans was the `Forty Thou`, referring to the fact that there was an average gate of 40,000 for meetings in the late 1940’s.

Our near rivals Hackney were doing well. In 1971 they won the KO Cup, the London Cup (for the first time ever) and finished a very good 7th in the league. They were lead by old Hammers favourite, Sweden’s Bengt Jannson, and had been nicknamed the `Magnificent Seven`, making the Hammers seem even worse. In fact they beat us in all six matches we rode against them, both Home & Away.

 Although the majority of the East End Speedway fans had always followed both teams (although we would never admit it!), the Hammers were the main choice of many, but now it had swung the other way, if fans could only afford to go to one match a week, the choice was starting to become Hackney.                             Despite all the rumours, on the 30th March, West Ham opened for the 1971 season. The rather odd looking West Ham team were, Olle Nygren, Alan Belham, Christer Lofqvist, Mick Handley Reg Luckhurst, Alan Sage.  Sverre was on the programme as Captain and reserve, but did not show, and the rumour machine went into overtime. The Fans felt that the West Ham management may have dumped Sverre. Tony Clarke had gone to Wembley, as he lived in North London more or less on the doorstep of the Empire Stadium. We had also lost Garry Hay who in a serious racing accident in Australia had ended up in a Wheelchair.   Antonin Kasper had decided not to return.  The first meeting was a Metropolitan Gold Cup match, which we had won last year. Against Hackney, we lost 35-43, not a good start.   In the League, West Ham started the season at the bottom, and stopped there!  By the end of the season we had lost all eighteen away matches, in four of them we had scored less than 30 points. We only won nine home matches, with one draw, and most of these were at the end part of the season, after the fans had almost given up and so seemingly had the management.   Our first match had been away at Swindon were we lost 31-47; our highest scorer was Olle with 9 from 5 rides.   Our second away match was at Kings Lynn in a new Challenge Trophy, the Norfolk/London Trophy. We won 39-38; the odd score was due to a fall and an Engine failure in one race. Christer got 10 and Olle got 9.   Our second Home match was the 2nd leg of the Norfolk/London Trophy, which ended up as a draw, so technically we won the trophy, but I do not think any body ever saw it!  Olle got 11, our only rider in Double figures.   John `Tiger `Louis from 2nd Division Ipswich joined us tonight. We hope to make him a permanent rider, doubling up with Ipswich.  Away at Reading we lost by just two points, Olle & Christer got 11 each and Reg got 10.   Home to Leicester, we lose by four points, again Olle and Christer got 11, and Reg got 8.   Away to Wimbledon and a familiar result, we just lose 37-41 and again we rely on Olle and Christer, with 10 each, a 7 from Reg, but no back up from the second strings.   20th April, Reg wins the World Championship qualifying round at West Ham with a 15 pt maximum. Mick Hanley is 3rd with 11.   We lost John Louis as his promoter wanted him back, so that was a very short career for John as a Hammer, I do not think he even got his photo taken in a Hammers race jacket!   Stan Stevens was back in the team as we take on Wimbledon in the Metropolitan Gold Cup, we drew 39-39, with Reg being the only rider in Double figures.   All sorts of names were in the second half junior events as we searched for second strings and reserves. Many came, Many went & Many were forgotten.  Romford were still going well, but work commitments meant I was unable to go to any matches other than at West Ham, and some times that was a struggle.   There were still loads of rumours about the non-arrival of Sverre, not helped by the fact Wembley were now claiming he had joined them. Because of the pressure by the fans (who still felt it was the West Ham Management that had done the dirty deed on him), in the Reading programme Gordon Parkins, West Ham Manager, made a statement. It would seem Sverre had asked for an extra payment as well as his Expenses, Start and Points Money. Gordon wrote: ‘The West Ham management were not prepared to pay any extra money to Sverre, especially with the monetary restraints already on the club. It felt it had already made an extra effort in light of Sverre problems in the previous year”   This was the first hint that West Ham was in even more trouble that the fans realised.  After 6 years at West Ham, Sverre and the Hammers parted company, the last of the all-conquering 1965 squad had gone.  He did go on to ride for Wembley where the old Harrfeldt and Leonard partnership was renewed, although after 6 years it no longer had the same devastating effect.   We narrowly beat Reading 40-38, with Christer and Mick getting 10 pts each.   We had managed to draw Halifax in the K/O cup again. They were fast becoming our bogy team, and this year was no exception as they dumped us out of the cup 49-29. Again no Hammers were in Double figures.   Monday 10th May, with Hackney riding on a Monday instead of their normal` Friday at Eight` spot, they beat us 45-33 in the Metropolitan Gold Cup. We now seem to be back to a two-man team, Olle and Christer, with Christer getting 12 from 5 rides, and Olle getting 11 from 5 rides.   Back to league action vs Glasgow, we win 40-38, another close shave. Olle got 15 from 6 rides, and in the programme notes, my dad wrote, “Stan (Stevens) fought all the way and his spirit won the match”, Stan got 6 from 3 rides.   The big match of the season was due on the 1st June with the England vs Poland Test Match, but that was cancelled because the Polish Authorities said the team had to return home early, although no reason was given. 13th May saw us away at Oxford where Ken Mckinlay was now riding. The Cheaters won 45-33 and Ken scored 9. Our top scorer was Olle with 14 from 6 rides, the only rider in double figures.  Our next home match was the British Semi-final of the World Championship. Ronnie Moore won with 15 pts, Barry Briggs was 3rd with 12. These Kiwis’s sure love the West Ham track.   Reg Luckhurst had fractured his shoulder Grass Track Racing in Kent. He had already missed both the Oxford match and the British Semi Final, and he was going to be Out of Action for a few weeks. (Reg was also known as `Lord` Luckhurst of Kent)   Match 9, we lose again to Hackney, this time in the British League, by 32-46. 14 from 5 for Olle, 13 from 5 by Christer, but again, no back up.   We are firmly placed at the bottom of the league, a second wooden spoon in a row seems on the cards, and it is only June.   To replace the Polish Test match, West Ham held the Hammarama Trophy. It was raced on the same formula as the World Championship. The line up was a mixture of Hammers, Hawks, Dons and Lions, plus a few ex-Hammers, Malcolm Simmons and John Louis and `the man who got away`, Terry Betts. West Ham over the years had tried so many times to get `Bettsy` in the team so he was almost an `Honorary` Hammer. Malcolm Simmons won the event with14 points.  In the programme notes it said the reason that the Polish Match was cancelled was because the Polish bikes would have been battered from the racing and would not have been able to take on the big, fast, West Ham track, but how did they know they would be battered, as the series had not even started when the West Ham match was cancelled?   5th June, back to team action and we lose badly, 23-55 at Belle Vue. No Olle, No Reg, Christer is the only Hammer to reach double figures, and in fact got 50% of the West Ham total score.   Back home on the 8th against Coventry. We decide to copy Kings Lynn and let our top junior’s race for the No 6 & 7 positions for that night. Dave Piddock was out with an injury, so it should have been a three-man race, but then Mike Gardener crashed in a previous meeting and was `out of action`, so in the end it was not required.   We go down 36-42, Reg got 11 from 5 and Christer got 10. It rained all evening and by the end of the match the times were 9 seconds outside the Track record.   We had now lost 11 of the 16 matches raced, draw in 2 and won 3, 2 of which were only just. There was a low moan going around the stadium, I think it was the ghost of 65!   Match 12 and it is getting monotonous, another lost match and this time against Newport 38-40. Christer got 12 from 5. Reg is back.   We seem to be having trouble with our guests; they either don’t turn up or score so badly they might as well not. There were a few exceptions, but when we tried to re-book these, either their management or the Speedway Control Board put a block on them. It would seem it was no longer considered an honour to wear the Crossed Hammers race jacket.   Away at Wembley we lose 29-49, again the only double figures was by Christer.   Match 13 and this is getting boring; we lose again, this time to Sheffield. A new rider arrives for the Team, Denmark’s Proban (known as Benny) Rosenkilde. Although he did not set the track alight, he was no worse that some of our experienced guests. We are now not much more than a one-man team, Christer Lofqvist, got 13 from 5, and our second highest scorer was Olle with 7!   Monday 28th June, away at Reading, Malcolm Simmons is back riding for the Hammers, but only as a guest for the now injured Christer! Olle gets 12 from 5 and Malcolm gets 10 as we lose 36-43.   Match 14, and finally a win. We beat Wimbledon, due to the fact we get a guest who can score, Bob Kilby got a 12 pt maximum. He was replacing Christer. Olle, by now the captain scored 10 pts.  In the second half we witnessed the `Howdys Training School`  Five lads were considered by Howdy Byford, our Team Manager, as having good prospects as riders, so it was decided to let them race against each other on the big West Ham track. They were B.Osbourne, D. Flatford, L.Guilfoyel, M.Western and W.Barnes.   Match 15, July 16th, British League against Wembley, Sverre Harrfeldt scored 6, Dave Jessup scored 9, Tony Clarke scored 5, and Brian Leonard scored 2. Opps, sorry, that was the Wembley team! If you add 11 from Gote Nordin, 10 from their Captain Bert Harkins and Brian Collins with 3, it saw the Lions win 32-46.   13th July, Southern Riders Championship qualifying round, Christer is back in full flight scoring a 15 pt maximum. Ex-Hammer Bengt Jansson was joint second with Reg on 13 pts, and Olle 4th with 11.   It proves the Hammers can ride the track well, shame they cannot seem to do the same all the time in team racing.  Away to Newport on the 16th, we lose 30-48, the only double figures was again from Christer with 11.   We had now lost 19 out of 26 matches, including four where we did not even reach 30 points.   Home to Poole and a rare win, but only just by 2 points. Christer and Alan Belham got 10 each.   Mick Hanley’s injury is still keeping him out of the team; Stan has been loaned out to Romford.   Another Howdy Training School in the second half, another group of Lads, most never heard of again.   24th July, away to Coventry and it is another slaughter 27-51. Top scorer was Christer with 9 points.   3rd August, a home with against Kings Lynn, 41-37, Christer got the only double figures with 11. Mick is now in action again.   Another Howdy Training School, another bunch, never heard of again, but at least they can claim they rode Speedway at West Ham, something to tell their grandchildren! (Are any of these Lad still in Newham and reading this?).   7th August, away at Halifax. We lose 36-42, but Olle gets 13 from 5 riders and Benny gets 12 from 5.   August 10th, third win in a row as we beat Wolverhampton 43-35, although no Hammers got double figures; it was solid scoring with Christer getting 9, Olle, Reg and Benny with 8 points each.   14th August, away at Kings Lynn, we lose 36-42. Christer gets a 15-pt maximum; we are certainly relying on him.  August 17th, match 21; we win again, although only just, as we beat Exeter 40-38, Christer the only Hammer in double points with 11.   Match 22 Belle Vue, and back to losing again.  This time it was 34-44, with Reg getting the top score of 9 from 5 rides. Ivan Mauger, the World Champion scored a faultless 15pt maximum.   We have done a swap with Cradley Heath, they have got Mick Hanley who lives in the Midlands, and we have got in his place, Barry Duke. Barry won his first two heats and came last in his second two, and was nicknamed `The beard` .   There was confusion in the Southern Riders Championship Final at Wimbledon. Christer was due to ride and was one of the favourites for the title, but was racing in Sweden the previous night. He flew in for the match, but when he arrived another rider had replaced him. Seems the agreement was he would ring and confirm from Sweden that he would be able to get to the match. This he did, but Len Silver who was organising the event was not given the message. Len assumed Christer would not be coming and contact the other rider to take his place. In the following enquiry it seemed his assistant took the message, but failed to pass it on to Len, so Len as organiser took the blame. And as you might guess, all the Hammers fans though it was a conspiracy!  It is now London Cup time, ( the photo shows programmes featuring West Ham at the other London tracks) the first match was against Wimbledon and we beat the Dons 45-33, with very solid scoring nobody got more then 9 or less that 5.   Into September, we are at home to Halifax on the 7th and another win 42-36. Olle got a 12-point maximum and Christer gets 10.   14th September, another win, this time against Cradley Heath, who were with-out old Hammer Mick Hanley who had now managed to break his leg. We win 46-32. Christer gets a 12-point maximum.   In Gordon Parkins programme notes, he said “Regarding Speedway at Custom House in 1972, I can only say that there is NO information on the quoted demise of West Ham Stadium, but I can confirm that the West Ham licence is being renewed with the Speedway Control Board for 1972”   21st September, we lose narrowly against Swindon 37-41. Olle had engine failure while in the lead in his last heat, giving Swindon a 1-5 against us, and then Christer does the same thing in his last heat, giving Swindon a 2-4 against us. Christer is our top scorer with 9 points.   28th September and something strange happened, we slaughter Oxford 52-26. They were without Ken McKinlay who had as normal flew back early to Australia, their guest scored 0, so it did not only happen to the Hammers. Olle and Reg got 11each, nobody got less than 5.    The last league match was against Reading on the 5th October. We drew 39-39, Olle got 11 and Christer got 10.   The last match of the season, which turned out was to be the last one the Hammers would ever ride at Home, we went down 36-42 to Hackney in the London Cup.   Christer got a 12-point maximum and was named `Hammer of the Year`.  Hackney went on to win the London Cup that year for the first time ever and whitewashed both Wimbledon and us.   Because the London Cup was on a league basis, and Wembley could not ride any home matches as their season had finished early, they did not take part. In fact like West Ham, they were never to ride again, what a sad end to two of Speedways greatest teams.   At the end of the season, the programme notes for this last match on the 12th October by Gordon Parkins stated;   “If there is a stadium here next year (1972,) the Hammers will be racing”.   I do not think many fans believed him.   The omens were all there, we lost at Home to Hackney (again!) in the London Cup match, and in what turned out to be the last Division One race, the aptly named Farewell Final, Christer Lofqvist was the only rider to finish the race. The race was a very strange end to the season, Alan Sage failed to start, and Barry Thomas was excluded for breaking the tapes. The race was re-run and then Laurie Etheridge got excluded for the same thing, so the race was given to Christer who went down in the History books as the last ever Division One rider to win a race at West Ham Stadium.   There should have been one more Speedway meeting in London this season, the London Fours at Hackney. Based on the World Cup, it should have seen Hackney, Wembley, West ham & Wimbledon in action; it never took place, I think the rain won.   In December it was announced that West Hams First Division Racing Licence had been sold to Second Division Ipswich and they would be taking our place in the league next year.

 West Ham Speedway had finally died, 1928-1971.