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Goodbye Wimbledon Stadium

Posted: Wed Apr 12, 2017 7:58 pm
by mab01uk
Sadly the last of the London Stadiums hosted its last Spedeworth motorsport event last month as planning permission has been granted for demolition of the historic but run down venue......to make way for housing and a new football stadium on the Plough Lane site. :(

Here is a video (with Minis) from happier times when I was a regular visitor to our local London track back in the 1970's. 8-)
Hot Rod v Rallycross racing Wimbledon 1976
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EWap8MPwX0

Re: Goodbye Wimbledon Stadium

Posted: Wed Apr 12, 2017 9:58 pm
by minimans
Also many happy memories of Saturday night banger racing and hot rods with the whole family and later as a teenager at the stadium........

Re: Goodbye Wimbledon Stadium

Posted: Thu Apr 13, 2017 12:41 am
by BRI MK1
I used to race in the single seater midgets i loved Wimbledon won many races there with my cooper s engine in back number 65 the green arrow :P

Re: Goodbye Wimbledon Stadium

Posted: Thu Apr 13, 2017 7:21 am
by mab01uk
BRI MK1 wrote:I used to race in the single seater midgets i loved Wimbledon won many races there with my cooper s engine in back number 65 the green arrow :P
Would love to see some photos of the green arrow if you have any? :D

Re: Goodbye Wimbledon Stadium

Posted: Thu Apr 13, 2017 10:03 am
by surfblue63
I never went to Wimbledon. My dad took us to Crayford for the Speedway in the '70s, then we started going to Arena Essex when that started up.

We also went to the Banger racing at Brands Hatch. They used to use Clearways for the track as there was a tarmac link between McLaren and Surtees back then. It was amusing watching old BMC Farinas, Consuls, Zephyrs and Zodiacs tumble down the slope the pit entry.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9EEwZhHnDY

Re: Goodbye Wimbledon Stadium

Posted: Thu Apr 13, 2017 10:43 am
by dodge44
To be fair I'm amazed Wimbledon has lasted this long given what happened to the adjacent football stadium. Vividly recall Wimbledon in the late 80's / early 90's always having a great motorsport atmosphere, and for us had the advantage it was close enough to get up there from Dorset in time for a meeting after work. Arena Essex was more difficult on the 'other side of town' but always had the feel of a track plonked on wasteland... Never did the (relatively) nearby Rye House but recall it was known for being extremely small.

Re: Goodbye Wimbledon Stadium

Posted: Thu Apr 13, 2017 12:57 pm
by mab01uk
dodge44 wrote:To be fair I'm amazed Wimbledon has lasted this long given what happened to the adjacent football stadium.
Wimbledon motorsport and greyhound racing fans are rather put out by this because the original adjacent Wimbledon football club stadium was sold off a few years back for short term profit & a housing development and the club then left to move to Milton Keynes where they of course lost most of their local fanbase support........now the new AFC Wimbledon football club has taken away the motorsport/greyhound venue to allow local football to return.......and say they can't incorporate the race track facilities as it would take to long to prepare the ground for a football match after a race meeting had taken place.