Lakeside Hammers
| Lakeside Hammers | |||||||||
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| Club information | |||||||||
| Track address | Arena Essex Raceway A1306 Arterial Road Purfleet | ||||||||
| Country | England | ||||||||
| Founded | 1984 | ||||||||
| Closed | 2018[1] | ||||||||
| Club facts | |||||||||
| Colours | Blue red and white | ||||||||
| Track size | 252 metres (276 yd) | ||||||||
| Track record time | 56.8 seconds | ||||||||
| Track record date | 30 May 2008 | ||||||||
| Track record holder | Andreas Jonsson | ||||||||
| Major team honours | |||||||||
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TheLakeside Hammers(formerly theArena-Essex Hammers) were aspeedwayteam who raced in the British league system from 1984 to 2018, most recently racing in theSGB Championshipin 2018. The team were nicknamed the Hammers after theWest Ham Hammers,a speedway team that closed twelve years earlier.[2]The team's home track, theArena Essex Raceway,closed shortly before the end of the 2018 season.[3]
History
[edit]Origins and 1980s
[edit]
TheArena Essex Racewaywas built in 1978 to stage banger racing.[4]
Speedway returned to Essex in 1983 following the founding of the Arena-Essex Hammers by promoterWally Mawdsleyandstock carpromoter Chick Woodroffe.[5]Former West Ham promoter Mawdsley touted the new club as the successors to or the reincarnation of the old West Ham Speedway, which had closed in the early 1970s – the team took the Hammers nickname, the race colours of white crossed hammers on red and blue halves, and the racenight programmes also carried photos of past West Ham riders from the 1930s through to the early 1970s. There was even a direct link to West Ham speedway within the first Arena-Essex team itself – Alan Sage had ridden for West Ham in 1970 and 1971.[6]
The inaugural1984 seasonended with 14th-place finish[7]but the following two seasons saw an improvement to 6th and 4th respectively.[8]the team's leading rider in the 1980s wasMartin Goodwin.[9]
1990s
[edit]
The speedway track was unusual because it did not have a safety fence as the stock car circuit acted as a run-off area. It was not until 1991 that a safety fence was installed.
It was also in 1991 that major changes were undertaken, Terry Russell and Ivan Henry purchased the club from Chick Woodroffe[10]and they built a new team. Martin Goodwin left the club and six new signings came in. Three Danes (Bo Petersen,Brian KargerandJan Pedersen) were joined byAlan Mogridge,Andy GalvinandPaul Hurry.The team were dominant, winning 21 of their 22 league matches, winning theKnockout Cup[11]and claiming the fours championship held at theEast of England Arenaon 21 July.[12]
Following the successful 1991 season the team were promoted to the first division (one of the rare seasons that speedway operated a promotion/relegation system) and remained in the top flight until the end of the 1995 season. The leading rider was AustralianLeigh Adams.
A club promotion change resulted in the Hammers dropping to theConference Leaguefor 1996 before moving into thePremier Leaguefrom 1997.[13]
2000s
[edit]
Little of note happened during the early part of the 2000s before the team entered theElite Leaguein 2004 and signed former world championMark Loram.The following season in 2005, two more former world champions were signed inTony RickardssonandGary Havelockand Rickardsson went on to win his sixth world title as a Hammer's rider.
In January 2007, the new promoter Stuart Douglas renamed the team the 'Lakeside' Hammers.[14][15]In 2008, the club had a successful year, finishing joint top of the Elite League table, but due to race points, were in second place. The Hammers lost three of their top four riders with serious injuries towards the end of the season, but still reached theCraven ShieldandElite League play-offfinals.[16]
In 2009, the club won their first piece of silverware since 1991 and their most significant because it was the first trophy won in the highest division. They defeated theCoventry Bees108–77 on aggregate in the KO Cup Final, withAdam Shieldsscoring 31 points over two legs.
2010s
[edit]Lee Richardsonled the team into the new decade, with the Hammers making the play-offs on several occasions. The team continued to compete in the top division until they dropped two divisions to race in theNational Leaguefor 2017.
In 2018, the team opted to move up into theSGB Championship,which would be their last season.[17]In September 2018, speedway racing ceased at the track and the Hammers moved to theRye HouseHoddesdonraceway to complete their fixtures.[18][19]
Season summary
[edit]Notable riders
[edit]
Riders previous seasons
[edit]Extended content
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2018 team 2017 team Also rode: 2016 team
2015 team
2014 team
2013 team
Also rode: 2012 team The team finished in 4th place out of 10, qualifying for the play-offs, making it the 4th time in 5 years.
Also rode:
2011 team The team finished 4th from 10, making the playoffs; however, they were eliminated by Eastbourne in the semi-finals.
Also rode:
2010 team The 2010 team finished in 5th place from 9 teams, narrowly missing out on the playoffs.
Also rode:
2009 team Lakeside finished 3rd out of 9, qualifying for the playoffs, but lost to Wolverhampton in the playoff semi-finals. The team became K.O Cup Champions by defeating Coventry.
Also rode:
(DU) Riders doubling-up between Premier and Elite League 2008 team The team finished joint top on points with Poole, but lost the playoff final to an aggregate score of 108 – 75 to the Pirates. They also reached the Final of the Craven Shield, losing to Coventry.
Also Rode:
2007 team The revamped Lakeside Hammers finished 5th from 10 teams (after the closure of Oxford).
Also Rode
2006 team Arena Essex finished 11th out of 11, placing them bottom of the Elite League for a second consecutive season.
Also Rode
2005 team The 2005 side finished bottom of the Elite League.
Also Rode
2004 team Although the team finished 8th from 10 in their first season in the Elite League, they were 14 points above 9th place.
Also Rode
2003 team The team finished 7th out of 18 teams. It would be their last at Premier League level.
Also Rode
1998 team The team finished 11th out of 13 teams.
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References
[edit]- ^"DOUGLAS TO STEP ASIDE – British Speedway Official Website".speedwaygb.co.uk.Retrieved23 December2019.
- ^Bamford, R & Jarvis J.(2001).Homes of British Speedway.ISBN0-7524-2210-3
- ^"Arena-Essex Lakeside Speedway".Defunct Speedway.Retrieved2 September2021.
- ^"The Hammers".Lakeside Hammers. Archived fromthe originalon 20 February 2007.Retrieved27 October2007.
- ^"New Speed track for Essex".Harlow Star.13 October 1983.Retrieved16 May2024– via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^"Alan Sage".WWOS backup.Retrieved16 May2024.
- ^"1984 season"(PDF).Speedway Researcher.Retrieved16 May2024.
- ^"British League Tables – British League Era (1965-1990)".Official British Speedway website.Retrieved2 September2021.
- ^"Baldwin jets in as Tigers take the points".Cambridge Daily News.11 June 1984.Retrieved16 May2024– via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^"Speedway continues".Brentwood Gazette.8 February 1991.Retrieved16 May2024– via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^"1988 to 1993".Cyber Morotcycles.Retrieved16 May2024.
- ^"Speedway".Western Daily Press.22 July 1991.Retrieved13 May2023– via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^"British League Tables – Modern Era (1991-Present)".Official British Speedway website.Retrieved2 September2021.[dead link]
- ^"Changing Fortunes".BBC. 30 October 2007.Archivedfrom the original on 10 November 2012.Retrieved10 December2007.
- ^"New owner for Arena Essex".BBC. 4 December 2006.Retrieved10 December2007.
- ^"Year by Year".Speedway Researcher.Retrieved2 September2021.
- ^Ranson, Jacob."Lakeside Hammers join the Championship".
- ^"RACEWAY FAREWELL – British Speedway Official Website".speedwaygb.co.uk.
- ^"EMOTIONAL NIGHT AT ARENA – British Speedway Official Website".speedwaygb.co.uk.
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