A Look Into Histories 2

A LOOK INTO HISTORY TWO HUNDRED AND EIGHTY SIX

WEST HAM SPEEDWAY AND THAMES FC.

West Ham Speedway opened on July 28th 1928 for a meeting called the Golden Gauntlet. Twice a week meetings took place in front of 40,000 and 82,400 turned up for an England v Australia test match at the stadium that was the largest in Britain and capable of holding 120,000. Meetings were staged in 1945 but the Hammers re-opened in 1946 and ran until 1955. However dwindling crowds saw the promotion close. It did not re-open until 1964. The West Ham team were the inaugural winners of the British League in 1965, and ran for a further six seasons until 1971 when they were informed that the stadium was being sold to make way for building development. The Romford Bombers moved into the stadium for the 1972 season, racing under the name West Ham Bombers.
When the West Ham team folded in the speedway British League Division One, after the London Cup v Hackney Wick on 12th October 1971 meeting and the shares capital transferred along with the First Division licence to Ipswich Witches the prospect of racing at the famous Custom House Stadium, albeit with a "nomad" team, delighted the local populace, and attendances at Custom House for the Bombers were very healthy.
Our Match Programme, a Special Souvenir edition was the last ever one issued by West Ham Bombers v Hull on 23rd May 1972 as uncertainty had dogged the promotion, with always the prospect of the stadium being sold from underneath them at short notice. It was the 7th home meeting before the licence was transferred to Barrow allowing the Northern side to enter Division Two after a series of challenge matches on 13th June 1972 and take over the West Ham fixtures.
The West Ham Bombers, despite leading 34-32 at heat 11 lost the match 38-40, with the last league race (heat 13) won by Hull's Tony Childs. West Ham's Kevin Holden was the winner of the last race, the second-half Finale, to finally complete a long and sad disintegration of the sport at one of the world's most famous venues. The stadium was demolished later that year and the site redeveloped for 200 houses. The roads on the new estate were all named after former West Ham riders, mostly from the 1930s, 1940s and 1950’s.
The Custom House Stadium and Thames FC
To fill the stadium on weekends Thames Association FC in red and blue quartered shirts and white shorts was founded in 1927. After two years in the Southern Football League, Thames were elected to the Football League Third Division South in 1930, replacing Merthyr Town. The stadium could hold 120,000 but created the lowest recorded attendance in Football League history when just 469 people turned up to watch Thames take on Luton Town on 6 December 1930. They only lasted for two seasons in the Football League, coming 20th and 22nd out of 22 teams during their brief stay and resigned in May 1932 being dissolved soon