Lost Stadiums – The West Ham Speedway

The West Ham Speedway stadium was a super stadium, it could host up to 120, 000 people, with some good number of sold out weekends on special occasions and an average of at least 80, 000 flocking to the venue to most of the races.

London was the Centre of Speedway racing in England, and included teams from Wembley, Wimbledon, Harringay and New Cross, as well as West Ham. The West Ham Stadium was situated off of Prince Regent Lane, Custom House, London E16. 

The opening meeting took place on 28th of July 1928, when a large and enthusiastic crowd were treated to a display of racing by some of the leading British, Australian and American Speedway riders. The venue was the home stadium of the West Ham ‘Hammers’, who enjoyed great success for a period of 43 years winning the Knockout Cup in 1965 and the League Championship in 1937 and 1965. 

In the centre of the arena there was a full size football ground used by the professional team, Thames Association. The stadium was also used for greyhound racing, with the West Ham Greyhound track being the largest in Britain. 

The stadium hosted other sports events such as stock car racing and baseball. It was one of the biggest sports venues in east London and a major attraction for both locals and visitors that saw competing athletes and teams from all around the world. Even the roads constructed on the site of the old West Ham Stadium, were named after figures that were associated with the history of the Custom House circuit.

Sadly, in May 1972 after 44 years of sports success and magic memories, Speedway at West Ham ceased.

Join us for a look at the history of the lost stadiums of the local area on 21st June which will focus on the West Ham Speedway.

Our guest speaker for the evening will be historian and writer Dr. Brian Belton who has written extensively about Speedway and Sports in the East End including “Hammerin’ Round: Speedway in the East End”, “Fay Taylor: Queen of Speedway”, “Bluey Wilkinson: West Ham’s First World Champion” and  “Thames Ironworks: A History of East London Industrial and Sports Heritage”.

We are also very excited to be bringing exclusively for that evening to the RDLAC, a  2.5m x 0.9m model of the West Ham Speedway built by Jason Steele, previously seen at the West Ham Remembrance day at the National Speedway Museum.

The event is presented by the Royal Docks History Club, and will be followed by refreshments.