[Other Sport] Eastbourne Eagles

[Lenny Rider]

Hadn’t realised they’ve been packed up nearly 2 years now.


Did anyone on NSC ever go to a meeting, the late Tony Millard was forever banging on about me taking the family over there, unfortunately we never made it though. Mr 0898 always talked about Bob Dugard wanting to relocate to the Dog Track in the 70s and 80s, maybe Speedway in Hove would have been more attractive to the masses?

 

[Phoebes Mum]

Hadn’t realised they’ve been packed up nearly 2 years now.


Did anyone on NSC ever go to a meeting, the late Tony Millard was forever banging on about me taking the family over there, unfortunately we never made it though. Mr 0898 always talked about Bob Dugard wanting to relocate to the Dog Track in the 70s and 80s, maybe Speedway in Hove would have been more attractive to the masses?

I started going in 1979, when Tony Millard was the Presenter/Announcer. Had some really good times, some bad years too when it looked as though it might finish but somehow it kept going. I stopped going in the early 90’s although still went to the odd meeting and have some good friends who went right up until it closed.
I understand that there is still a group that are trying to get Speedway started again but they need a new venue as Arlington has been ruled out, who knows maybe the Dog Track will be mentioned again?
Unfortunately Bob has now passed away.
There have been a lot of track closures over the last few years and it looks very precarious for the sport at the moment as there are so few teams in this country.

 

[bhafc99]

Never really got the point of speedway. Whoever starts best and gets to the first corner wins. That’s it.

 

[Phoebes Mum]

Never really got the point of speedway. Whoever starts best and gets to the first corner wins. That’s it.

Never really got the point of speedway. Whoever starts best and gets to the first corner wins. That’s it.

I understand your point and you can definitely get matches like that. I would say that if the track is prepared well, (something that the late Bob Dugard and Roy Prodger were renowned for) as it was at Eastbourne usually you could get some excellent racing. The size of the track could also be a factor Eastbourne was one of the smallest with tight bends.

 

[Lenny Rider]

I started going in 1979, when Tony Millard was the Presenter/Announcer. Had some really good times, some bad years too when it looked as though it might finish but somehow it kept going. I stopped going in the early 90’s although still went to the odd meeting and have some good friends who went right up until it closed.
I understand that there is still a group that are trying to get Speedway started again but they need a new venue as Arlington has been ruled out, who knows maybe the Dog Track will be mentioned again?
Unfortunately Bob has now passed away.
There have been a lot of track closures over the last few years and it looks very precarious for the sport at the moment as there are so few teams in this country.

PM in your opinion would Speedway at Hove have worked better?

I certainly would have taken the family more than once if it was 25 mins down the road rather than over an hour to Eastbourne.

 

[Sheebo]

PM in your opinion would Speedway at Hove have worked better?

I certainly would have taken the family more than once if it was 25 mins down the road rather than over an hour to Eastbourne.

Wasn’t even in Eastbourne really - more Hailsham (Arlington) so wasn’t like it was easy for Eastbourne residents to get to either. Used to be a good night occasionally… Shame it all went wrong. Would have prob been much busier at Hove yes.

 

[Easy 10]

Do they still do banger racing there ? Far more exciting, I used to love an afternoon of that, especially with the Demolition Derby at the end.

 

[Sheebo]

Do they still do banger racing there ? Far more exciting, I used to love an afternoon of that, especially with the Demolition Derby at the end.

Yes, but normal stock car racers hate them as they f*** the track - they will always be part of a 3/4 diff class meeting so not just bangers. Expensive now too.

 

[Phoebes Mum]

PM in your opinion would Speedway at Hove have worked better?

I certainly would have taken the family more than once if it was 25 mins down the road rather than over an hour to Eastbourne.

I’m not sure as i think it is more built up in that area? A lot of the issues around tracks come from complaints from residents about noise etc.
This was not really an issue at Arlington which appeared to be an ideal location.
Living in Battle Hove would have been a bit of a trek for me but as I travelled to the Albion matches would have been exactly the same journey. Don’t think I would go regularly now though if it were to relocate there.

 

[HangletonGull]

Remember when they where the Man City of speedway knew a few who went regularly but never made it

 

[Leekbrookgull]

Been a few times back in the day of Martin Dugard and Paul Woods and at the time E/E were very strong at home.

 

[VAL1850]

Why has a return to Arlington been ruled out if someone can reform the Eagles, it is still regularly used for stocks, bangers etc??

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Hadn’t realised they’ve been packed up nearly 2 years now.


Did anyone on NSC ever go to a meeting, the late Tony Millard was forever banging on about me taking the family over there, unfortunately we never made it though. Mr 0898 always talked about Bob Dugard wanting to relocate to the Dog Track in the 70s and 80s, maybe Speedway in Hove would have been more attractive to the masses?

You're right speedway was the talk of Sussex forty or fifty years ago, (crikey that seems like a long time ago now), well maybe not the talk of Sussex exactly, but far more popular thn it is today. Every minority sport seems to go in and out of fashion l guess.

 

[METALMICKY]

Never really got the point of speedway. Whoever starts best and gets to the first corner wins. That’s it.

Indeed. I do recall it being really popular though and one of the mainstays of ITV's World of Sport back in the 70's. It was all about Ivan Mauger, Anders Michanek and Peter Collins.

I much preferred car racing with bangers, hot rods, midgets and super stox

 

[Sheebo]

Indeed. I do recall it being really popular though and one of the mainstays of ITV's World of Sport back in the 70's. It was all about Ivan Mauger, Anders Michanek and Peter Collins.

I much preferred car racing with bangers, hot rods, midgets and super stox

Wow you’ve just made me remember Trans World Sport from the 90s! Nostalgia.

And no kids it isn’t what you think

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

My dad used to occasionally take me to see Glasgow Tigers or Edinburgh Monarchs when I was a tiddler. Was tremendous fun standing on the curve being pelted by gravel. It was always dark and always luridly lit and it always smelt of whatever that fuel is that they put in speedway bikes. Hove Speedway would 'of' been infinitely more fun than Hove Dogs. IMHO, like

 

[METALMICKY]

Wow you’ve just made me remember Trans World Sport from the 90s! Nostalgia.

And no kids it isn’t what you think

Not forgetting World of Sports other gem.....................cliff diving from Acapulco!

 

[Timbo]

I used to go regularly when Martin Dugard was just starting out! It was very popular for a while but as with everything it got expensive. It's on it's arse now with only a handful of clubs still going and tracks being eyed up by developers, The racing could be fairly tedious if a fairly weak team were visiting Arlington as it was a very different track to most of the others. It would never be allowed at hove, way too much noise.

The Pilot Field at Hastings had a speedway track for a while as well.

 

[The Lemming Stomper]

Hadn’t realised they’ve been packed up nearly 2 years now.


Did anyone on NSC ever go to a meeting, the late Tony Millard was forever banging on about me taking the family over there, unfortunately we never made it though. Mr 0898 always talked about Bob Dugard wanting to relocate to the Dog Track in the 70s and 80s, maybe Speedway in Hove would have been more attractive to the masses?

I was an Arlington regular up to when it went tits up...

The promoters went bust...Many riders were unpaid and were owed money from multiple meetings...

They probably need 1000 punters to break even and some of the matches must have had 400 max (if that)...

Previously, Eastbourne dropped 2 leagues from the Premiership to the National Development League and the racing was pretty competitive...Seeing riders like Tom Brennan starting as a 14 year old who now is riding in Grand Prix challenge meetings is a pretty positive experience...Same with Adam Ellis the then number 1 who ride a bike round there like he stole it! He's now a regular heat leader in the Polish top league...

They moved up to the Championship renewing rivalry with hated Poole Pirates and things looked good, until it ended pretty abruptly...

Nowhere close to watch speedway anymore, so get my fix at the Cardiff GP and the evening before's Championship pairs meeting at Oxford

 

[sully]

Would it be possible to use the oval at Angmering?
Someone asked earlier why Arlington isn’t viable any more and it would be interesting to know that.
I only ever went to Arlington for the stock car racing but always thought it a good thing that Sussex had a speedway team, too.