Hackney Hawks
Encyclopedia
Hackney Hawks speedway opened in 1963 at Hackney Wick Stadium
, Waterden Road, London
and operated until 1983.
who was the club's promoter for the next twenty seasons.
The riders and track staff marched onto the track to the sound of the theme tune of the film The Magnificent Seven
and that tune inspires more memories for Hackney Hawks fans than anything else. The Hawks were closely linked with sister track the Rayleigh Rockets
and latterly the Rye House Rockets
.
The track produced superb racing and was always entertaining. In 1971 Hackney won their only major honour when the they beat Cradley Heath Heathens
to win the Knockout Cup
.
The Hackney Hawks name was revived in 2011 in the National League as a joint promotion between the promotions at Lakeside and Rye House with the Hawks home matches being divided between the two parent tracks
, was killed whilst racing for the team. A Vic Harding Memorial Trophy meeting was held in his memory every season after his death, and was in fact the final meeting that Len Silver
ran at Waterden Road in 1983.
moved their Kestrels team into the stadium and became known as the Hackney Kestrels
.
) (Now promoter at Coventry Bees
)
Hackney Wick Stadium
Hackney Wick Stadium, Waterden Road, in the London Borough of Hackney, was opened in 1932 and was mainly used for greyhound racing and speedway.In 1994, a £12M stand and restaurant was built and the stadium was renamed the London Stadium, Hackney...
, Waterden Road, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and operated until 1983.
Early days
Originally opened by Mike Parker, the promotion was then sold to Len SilverLen Silver
Len Silver is a former speedway rider and is currently promoter of the Rye House Rockets.-Racing career:Silver stopped racing in 1957 but returned to the Ipswich Witches in 1960 after a layoff due to injury...
who was the club's promoter for the next twenty seasons.
The riders and track staff marched onto the track to the sound of the theme tune of the film The Magnificent Seven
The Magnificent Seven
The Magnificent Seven is an American Western film directed by John Sturges, and released in 1960. It is a fictional tale of a group of seven American gunmen who are hired to protect a small agricultural village in Mexico from a group of marauding Mexican bandits...
and that tune inspires more memories for Hackney Hawks fans than anything else. The Hawks were closely linked with sister track the Rayleigh Rockets
Rayleigh Rockets
The Rayleigh Rockets were a Speedway team which operated from 1949 until their closure in 1973 from the Rayleigh Weir Stadium in Rayleigh, Essex . The Rockets closed in 1958 but re-opened again in 1960 and entered the Provincial League and then the Metropolitan League in 1964...
and latterly the Rye House Rockets
Rye House Rockets
The Rye House Rockets are a Speedway team based at Rye House Stadium, Hoddesdon, England. They currently compete in the British Premier League.The club is promoted by Len Silver who previously ran the Hackney Hawks promotion at Hackney Wick Stadium....
.
The track produced superb racing and was always entertaining. In 1971 Hackney won their only major honour when the they beat Cradley Heath Heathens
Cradley Heath Heathens
Cradley Heath Heathens are a defunct motorcycle speedway team from Dudley, England.-History:Cradley Heath speedway team was formed in 1947 and first raced at Dudley Wood Stadium on 21 June 1947 after a number of away appearances prior to the opening of the newly built stadium...
to win the Knockout Cup
Elite League Knockout Cup
The Elite League Knockout Cup is a speedway cup competition in the United Kingdom governed by the Speedway Control Board in conjunction with the British Speedway Promoters' Association . The teams from the top division of league racing, the Elite League, take part...
.
The Hackney Hawks name was revived in 2011 in the National League as a joint promotion between the promotions at Lakeside and Rye House with the Hawks home matches being divided between the two parent tracks
Vic Harding
Sadly in June 1979, another popular Hawk, Vic HardingVic Harding
Vic Harding was a motorcycle speedway rider.-Career:Harding began at the Rye House training school in 1970 run by Len Silver and spent several seasons trying to break into a league team....
, was killed whilst racing for the team. A Vic Harding Memorial Trophy meeting was held in his memory every season after his death, and was in fact the final meeting that Len Silver
Len Silver
Len Silver is a former speedway rider and is currently promoter of the Rye House Rockets.-Racing career:Silver stopped racing in 1957 but returned to the Ipswich Witches in 1960 after a layoff due to injury...
ran at Waterden Road in 1983.
Closure
In 1984 the promotion was sold and the promotion from CrayfordCrayford Kestrels
The Crayford Kestrels were a Speedway team which operated from 1968 until their closure in 1983 when they transferred the promotion to Hackney....
moved their Kestrels team into the stadium and became known as the Hackney Kestrels
Hackney Kestrels
The Hackney Kestrels were a Speedway team which operated from 1984 until their closure in 1990 when the Crayford Kestrels transferred the promotion to Hackney.In 1988 the Kestrels won the League Championship, winning twenty-six of their thirty league matches...
.
Notable Hackney Riders
(Now promoter at Rye House RocketsRye House Rockets
The Rye House Rockets are a Speedway team based at Rye House Stadium, Hoddesdon, England. They currently compete in the British Premier League.The club is promoted by Len Silver who previously ran the Hackney Hawks promotion at Hackney Wick Stadium....
) (Now promoter at Coventry Bees
Coventry Bees
The Coventry Bees are a motorcycle speedway team based at Brandon near Coventry, England. A Coventry team was first formed in 1928 and competed in the Southern League and then the National League in the pre-war era at Brandon stadium. There were also meetings at a stadium in Lythalls Lane...
)
See also
- Hackney Wick WolvesHackney Wick WolvesHackney Wick Wolves speedway opened in 1935 at Hackney Wick Stadium, Waterden Road, London, and operated until the outbreak of World War II in 1939.-History:The Walthamstow Wolves closed at the end of the 1934 season and the team moved into Hackney Stadium...
- Hackney KestrelsHackney KestrelsThe Hackney Kestrels were a Speedway team which operated from 1984 until their closure in 1990 when the Crayford Kestrels transferred the promotion to Hackney.In 1988 the Kestrels won the League Championship, winning twenty-six of their thirty league matches...
- London LionsLondon Lions (speedway)The London Lions were a motorcycle speedway team that operated for one season in 1996 from the Hackney Wick Stadium, the former home of the Hackney Hawks and the Hackney Kestrels..-Management:...