Lakeside Hammers
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The Lakeside Hammers were a
speedway Speedway may refer to: Racing Race tracks *Edmonton International Speedway, also known as Speedway Park, a former motor raceway in Edmonton, Alberta *Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a motor raceway in Speedway, Indiana Types of races and race cours ...
team who most recently raced in the
SGB Championship The Speedway Great Britain (SGB) Championship is the second division of speedway league competition in the United Kingdom, governed by the Speedway Control Bureau (SCB), in conjunction with the British Speedway Promoters' Association (BSPA). It ...
in 2018. They were founded (as the Arena-Essex Hammers) by promoter Wally Mawdsley and
stock car Stock car racing is a form of automobile racing run on oval tracks and road courses measuring approximately . It originally used production-model cars, hence the name "stock car", but is now run using cars specifically built for racing. It ori ...
promoter Chick Woodroffe. The team were nicknamed the Hammers after the
West Ham Hammers The West Ham Hammers were a speedway team, first promoted by Jimmy Baxter in 1929. History They operated from the West Ham Stadium until the outbreak of World War II under several different promotions, most successfully under the control o ...
, a speedway team that closed twelve years earlier. The team's home track, the
Arena Essex Raceway Arena Essex Raceway was a stock car and speedway racing track located near Purfleet, Essex. It opened in 1978 and closed in 2018. The Lakeside Shopping Centre was built close to the venue. The stadium The Arena-Essex Raceway Complex was the id ...
, closed shortly before the end of the 2018 season and the team did not compete in a league in 2019.


History

From foundation in 1984 until January 2007, the club was known as the Arena-Essex Hammers but new promoter Stuart Douglas renamed them the 'Lakeside' Hammers at the Arena-Essex Raceway. The
Arena Essex Raceway Arena Essex Raceway was a stock car and speedway racing track located near Purfleet, Essex. It opened in 1978 and closed in 2018. The Lakeside Shopping Centre was built close to the venue. The stadium The Arena-Essex Raceway Complex was the id ...
was built in 1978 to stage banger racing. The original Arena-Essex Hammers promotion touted them as the successors to or the reincarnation of the old West Ham Speedway which had closed in the early 1970s - the team took the Hammers nickname, the race colours of white crossed hammers on red and blue halves, and the racenight programmes also carried photos of past West Ham riders from the 1930s through to the early 1970s. There was even a direct link to West Ham speedway within the original Arena-Essex team itself - Alan Sage had ridden for West Ham at the start of his career in 1970-71. The
speedway Speedway may refer to: Racing Race tracks *Edmonton International Speedway, also known as Speedway Park, a former motor raceway in Edmonton, Alberta *Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a motor raceway in Speedway, Indiana Types of races and race cours ...
track was unusual because it did not have a safety fence as the
stock car Stock car racing is a form of automobile racing run on oval tracks and road courses measuring approximately . It originally used production-model cars, hence the name "stock car", but is now run using cars specifically built for racing. It ori ...
circuit acted as a run-off area. It was not until 1991 that a safety fence was installed, but the lack of fence encouraged the riders to ride wider lines than they would otherwise have done. The Hammers competed in the
National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...
(the second league tier) from 1984 until 1990. In 1991 Arena Essex won the
British League Division Two The British League Division Two was created in 1968 and was the second tier of speedway racing in the United Kingdom until the restructuring of British speedway in 1995. It was renamed the New National League in 1975 and the National League between ...
Championship and were promoted to the
British League The British League was the main motorcycle speedway league in Britain from its formation in 1965 until 1995 when British speedway was restructured. It initially had a single division, with a second division starting in 1968 (which was renamed the ...
. They remained in the top flight until the end of the 1995 season, when a promotion change meant the Hammers had to drop to the Conference League for 1996. From 1997 to 2003, Arena Essex competed in the
Premier League The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
, before moving up into the Elite League, the top league of British speedway. The team manager is Jon Cook (previously of the
Eastbourne Eagles The Eastbourne Eagles were a British speedway team, based at Arlington Stadium, near Eastbourne, England, that raced in the SGB Championship. History Speedway was initially introduced to Eastbourne in 1929. During their first league season th ...
). The Promoter Stuart Douglas, known affectionately to Hammers fans as 'Stan', took control of the club in 2006. In 2008, the club had one of its most successful years. The Hammers finished joint top of the Elite League table, but due to race points, were in second place. The Hammers lost three of their top four riders with serious injuries towards the end of the season, but still reached the
Craven Shield The Craven Shield and Young Shield were shortlived speedway end of season cup competitions in the United Kingdom governed by the Speedway Control Bureau (SCB), in conjunction with the British Speedway Promoters' Association (BSPA). Craven Shield ...
and Elite League play-off finals. In 2009, the club won their first piece of silverware since 1991. They defeated the
Coventry Bees Coventry Bees were a motorcycle speedway team that existed from 1929 to 2018. They raced at Brandon Stadium, Brandon near Coventry, England. History A Coventry team was first formed in 1928 and competed in the inaugural season of the Southern ...
108–77 on aggregate in the KO Cup Final. In 2018 the team opted to move up in to the
SGB Championship The Speedway Great Britain (SGB) Championship is the second division of speedway league competition in the United Kingdom, governed by the Speedway Control Bureau (SCB), in conjunction with the British Speedway Promoters' Association (BSPA). It ...
after competing in the
National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...
for 2017. In September 2018, speedway racing ceased at the track, and the Hammers moved to the Rye House
Hoddesden Hoddesdon () is a town in the Borough of Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, lying entirely within the London metropolitan area, London Metropolitan Area and Greater London Urban Area. The area is on the River Lea and the Lee Navigation along with the ...
raceway to complete their fixtures.


Season summary


Riders previous seasons

2018 team * * * * * * * 2017 team * * * * * * * Also rode: * * 2016 team * * * * * * * * * 2015 team * * * (DU) * * (DU) * (DU) * (DU) * (DU) 2014 team * * * * * (DU) * - Fast Track * - Fast Track 2013 team * * * * * * (DU) *(DU) Also rode: * * 2012 team The team finished in 4th place out of 10, qualifying for the play-offs, making it the 4th time in 5 years. * 8.61 * 8.06 * 5.93 *(DU) 4.90 *(DU) 5.09 * 4.44 * 5.45 * (DU) 3.00 * (DU) 3.69 Also rode: * 8.20 2011 team The team finished 4th from 10, making the playoffs; however, they were eliminated by Eastbourne in the semi-finals. * 8.06 * 6.88 * 6.23 * 5.60 *(DU) 5.07 *(DU) 5.22 * 4.83 * 4.15 *(No 8) Also rode: * * *(DU) *(DU) *(DU) *(No 8) 2010 team The 2010 team finished in 5th place from 9 teams, narrowly missing out on the playoffs. * 8.67 * 6.51 * 7.39 * 5.35 * 4.03 * 5.17 * 3.91 * (No 8) 3.49 Also rode: * 8.33 * 4.91 * (No 8) – 2009 team Lakeside finished 3rd out of 9, qualifying for the playoffs, but lost to Wolverhampton in the playoff semi-finals. The team became K.O Cup Champions by defeating Coventry. * 8.56 * 7.97 * 6.02 * 5.63 * 4.17 *(DU) 3.56 *(DU) 2.29 * (No 8) 3.23 * 7.79 Also rode: * 7.82 (DU) Riders doubling-up between Premier and Elite League 2008 team The team finished joint top on points with Poole, but lost the playoff final to an aggregate score of 108 – 75 to the Pirates. They also reached the Final of the Craven Shield, losing to Coventry. * 9.66 * 8.10 * 6.40 * 6.75 * 5.10 * 4.90 * – * (No.8) 6.56 Also Rode: * 5.96 * (as No.8) – * 4.48 * 2.00 2007 team The revamped Lakeside Hammers finished 5th from 10 teams (after the closure of Oxford). * 8.00 * 6.12 * 8.68 * 7.40 * 5.05 * 3.37 * 3.49 * 3.11 * (No.8) 2.86 Also Rode * 4.05 * 4.00 * 4.07 * – 2006 team Arena Essex finished 11th out of 11, placing them bottom of the Elite League for a second consecutive season. * 5.20 * 5.35 * 7.56 * 5.92 * 6.33 * 2.88 * 5.59 Also Rode * 7.56 * 3.26 * 1.40 * (No.8) 3.25 * (No.8) 3.75 2005 team The 2005 side finished bottom of the Elite League. * 7.75 * 5.96 * 5.60 * 5.39 * 4.76 * 5.12 * 5.08 * (No.8) 4.02 Also Rode * 9.83 * 4.00 * 3.67 2004 team Although the team finished 8th from 10 in their first season in the Elite League, they were 14 points above 9th place. * 9.66 * 5.71 * 5.67 * 5.02 * 5.13 * 5.21 * 5.10 * (No.8) – Also Rode * 3.70 * 5.75 2003 team The team finished 7th out of 18 teams. It would be their last at Premier League level. * 9.06 * 9.38 * 7.85 * 5.68 * 3.96 ** 2.82 * 4.76 Also Rode * 7.41 * 3.15 1998 team The team finished 11th out of 13 teams. * * * 8.71 * * ** *


References

{{Speedway Elite League Speedway Elite League teams SGB Championship teams Speedway teams in Essex Sport in Thurrock