New Cross Stadium, Hornshay Street, Old Kent Road, was opened in the early 1900s as an athletic stadium but was mainly used for greyhound racing and speedway. Closed in 1969 before being demolished in 1975. The picture below, shows the two grounds in 1962 - Den on the left, New Cross Stadium on the right.
HORNSHAY STREET
Re: HORNSHAY STREET
Liked the speedway best,lost to much money on the dogs
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Re: HORNSHAY STREET
Hi Kiwi,
Unfortunately, I wasn’t around during the hay days of New Cross Stadium, but I do remember being taken to see the stock car / banger racing by my dad, grandad and uncle.
I was about 4 so it would have been around 1968?
My strongest memories are of the noise and the smell!
I was petrified on one occasion when a car burst into flames close to where we were standing and ended up having to be taken home.
I’m not sure if it was the result of a bad dream, but was there a clown running around the track during the race?
Me and my friends played in and around the old abandoned stadium in the early seventies... happy times!
Unfortunately, I wasn’t around during the hay days of New Cross Stadium, but I do remember being taken to see the stock car / banger racing by my dad, grandad and uncle.
I was about 4 so it would have been around 1968?
My strongest memories are of the noise and the smell!
I was petrified on one occasion when a car burst into flames close to where we were standing and ended up having to be taken home.
I’m not sure if it was the result of a bad dream, but was there a clown running around the track during the race?
Me and my friends played in and around the old abandoned stadium in the early seventies... happy times!
Looking Through The Knothole In Granny’s Wooden Leg!
Re: HORNSHAY STREET
Hi Brian, just a couple of pictures to go with those memories.
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You have to be a certain age to get the reference to the "Wheeltappers and Shunters Club", a fictional place in a 1970s TV series.
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Re: HORNSHAY STREET
I was a Speedway fan in my teens when I lived in the UK. My team was Wimbledon but I used to travel to New Cross from time to time. They had a very colourful character that rode for them, Split Waterman. He once came second in the world championship and had some adventures in WW2. He also spent time in jail for gun smuggling to revolutionaries, quite a life !!! Split is pictured below
The 1948 movie Once A Jolly Swagman was filmed at New Cross stadium and featured Dirk Bogard. It can be seen on YouTube.
The 1948 movie Once A Jolly Swagman was filmed at New Cross stadium and featured Dirk Bogard. It can be seen on YouTube.
Last edited by Sean.Byrne on Tue Dec 17, 2019 5:16 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: HORNSHAY STREET
The first pic is from the thirties at New Cross. The rider is George Newton and he is wearing the stylized cross which was the emblem of the New Cross team. Over the years riders adapted from the trailing leg style shown here to more of a leg forward shown in the second pic which shows Split Waterman probably around 1962. He is leading multiple world champion Ove Fundin of the Norwich team. The bikes have always only had one gear and no brakes (go figure). The engines are 500cc max and run on pure ethanol giving the bike a 0-60 in 3 seconds.
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New Cross Speedway 1938. Starting the meeting off everyone had two pushers in those days, the bikes were so heavy.
Great atmosphere captured in this picture, brings back some great memories.
Great atmosphere captured in this picture, brings back some great memories.
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