Plus a first ever visit to the Sittingbourne Greyhound Stadium home of the Kent SLYDE Kings of the Milton Keynes Knights in a ‘Junior’ match.
The Invicta Pairs débuted last year and proved a resounding success. Sponsored by supporters of the long defunct Crayford Speedway club, the event last year commemorated the 80th. anniversary of the county’s first ever Speedway track in what’s nowadays the London Borough of Bexley.
This year the Invicta event features five pairings, with all of the Kent SLYDE Kings involved and some legendary names from the sport’s history in the south east of England (its birthplace and traditional hot-bed) recalled and one favourite son of Kent Speedway making an emotional return to Central Park!
As well as a duo representing the home side – the pairing together of the two Lukes, Clifton and skipper Bowen who will begin the SLYDE Kings’ home assault on the Travel Plus National League [TPNL)’s senior competitions the following week – there are Pairs representing Crayford Kestrels (the club fondly remembered by a dedicated group of supporters of the north-west Kent club who’ve invited former riders to attend as part of the now annual reunion); Romford – the much loved track from metropolitan Essex in the late ‘60s/early ‘70s; and the Crusaders: the iconic club nickname of sides who represented the county at Canterbury from 1968 to 1987 and subsequently at Iwade.
Crayford will see the SLYDE Kings’ fans favourite (twice voted the rider of the year by supporters), Danny Ayres paired up with Danno Verge. The south-east London born Verge represented Crayford in this event last year, going so close to victory; and will be proud to wear the famous body colours again – it’s a sentimental family matter for the Verges too, as Danno’s parents met when his mother Kay was a fan and father, Steve rode for the Kestrels!
Romford Bombers had an explosive impact of Speedway in the south east even if for a relatively short period. Formed when attempts to stage the sport at Rochester’s City Way Stadium fell through in 1969, the Bombers shifted instead to the impressive Brooklands Stadium in Romford and immediately attracted a huge following.
One of the most infamous events in the history of British Speedway saw a solitary resident mount a one man campaign against the sport at the Romford Football Stadium and the resident (an early example of what later came to be known as NIMBY-ism) won the day; getting the support which was enjoyed by 1000s weekly closed down in 1971 – only for the resident to have actually moved away from the area even before the last roar of bikes at Brooklands was heard.
The Bombers briefly relocated to the huge Custom House Stadium in West Ham but sadly that was sold for redevelopment into a housing estate as soon was Brooklands and to this day the Bombers haven’t flown – but will be back for one night only on Monday!
The Crusaders, meanwhile, pair together the Baseby brothers: Mark (now with the Isle of Wight Warriors) and former Kent Kings’ man, Aaron – both rode for the Sittingbourne Crusaders in 2005-’08 before moving on when the Iwade based club departed competitive Speedway to gain the National League and Cup double with Bournemouth Buccaneers in 2009. That the pair from Tonbridge will reprise their memorable on track partnership is a major attraction.
As is the return of the legendary Ben Morley to Central Park. The rider from Southend was a fixture in the Invicta race jacket from the opening of the sport at the Sittingbourne Greyhound stadium in 2013 to the end of last year, where he climaxed his Kent career by taking the National Pairs title (partnering Danny Ayres) and then took the National League Riders Championship.
A move to Rye House for 2016 is unlikely to have affected his huge popularity at Central Park and he returns to head up a Raiders pairing from the club from Hertfordshire alongside Maidstone-based Connor Locke.
The second part of the meeting will be a six heat match between a ‘junior’ Kent side, the ‘Around The Clock Locks’ Princes and the Milton Keynes Knights. The side from the Buckinghamshire ‘New Town’ were Midland Development League winners in 2014 and have as their mentor and team boss, former Wimbledon rider Russell Paine.
Former riders attending on this night of nostalgia include two absolute legends of the sport in Kent, Barry Thomas and Alan Sage plus Crayford skipper for many years and himself a former National League Riders Champion, Laurie Etheridge. These three former Crayford men will be joined by fellow ex-Kestrels: Pete Wigley, Bill Archer, Paul Woods, Chris Tritton and Les Rumsey.
Canterbury-born Rumsey was also a League title winner with his home city Crusaders’ side in 1978 and from that famous side will also be Graham Clifton (uncle of current SLYDE Kings man Luke) and the legendary Barney Kennett. Completing the current list of former Kent based or born racers will be another Canterbury-born race ace, former GB international Bobby McNeil and one-time World number two, Dave Jessup.
The action and not a small amount of nostalgia gets underway at 6.30pm at Kent Speedway, Central Park Stadium, Eurolink estate, Church Road, Murston, Sittingbourne ME10 3SB on Monday 25th. April.
Last Monday it was very much mission accomplished as Kent SLYDE Kings pairing Luke Clifton and Danno Verge went through the card undefeated by opponents as the one-off side the Murston Monarchs ruled supreme over a side dubbed the Swale Greyhounds by 65-46 in the inaugural Provincial Challenge. Top scoring for the Greyhounds was Maidstone-born Matt Saul.
Image courtesy of Elizabeth Leslie