- Hastings Saxons
Infobox Speedway team
clubname = Hastings Saxons
track =The Pilot Field
Elphinstone RoadHastings East Sussex
country =England
founded = 1948
closed = 1949
manager = Charles Dugard
captain =
league =
website =
colours = Red and White
tracksize = convert|388|yd
track record time= 71.0 seconds
track record date= 1948
track record holder=Wally Green
teamhonour = None
teamyear =Hastings Saxons were a British
motorcycle speedway team which operated for two years between 1948 and 1949 at the Pilot Field inHastings . [cite book | first = Norman | last = Jacobs | date = 2006 | title = 75 Years of Eastbourne Speedway | publisher = NPI Media Group | isbn = 0752437518]History
At the end of 1947, the
Eastbourne Eagles were forced to close down due to a petrol ban enforced at their Arlington Stadium. They decided to transfer their team to Hastings and at the beginning of 1948 the Speedway Control Board granted a licence to Hastings to stage speedway. They entered the National League Division Three under the management of ex-Wimbledon riderCharles Dugard . In their first meeting at their track at Pilot Field, approximately 5,000 people saw Hastings beat Stoke 44-39. [cite web | title =The early days | work =Hastings Saxons Speedway | publisher = | date =2007 | url =http://hastingssaxons.1066-media.com/Hastings-Saxons.htm | format = | doi = | accessdate =2008-04-21 ] Hastings finished the 1948 league season in a mid table position and completed the 1949 season in a similar position. At the end of 1949, Hastings were forced to close after a group residents living near to the track took legal action to prevent further racing. The residents claimed that the noise from the speedway motorcycles was apublic nuisance . [cite web | title =Closure | work =Hastings Saxons Speedway | publisher = | date =2007 | url =http://hastingssaxons.1066-media.com/closure.htm | format = | doi = | accessdate =2008-04-21 ]Notable riders were Jock Grierson,
Ken Middleditch and Wally Green, who went on to race for West Ham in the First Division and was runner up in the 1950 World Final. The Pilot Field is still in use by football team Hastings United.References
External links
* [http://hastingssaxons.1066-media.com Hastings Saxons Website]
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