Rye House Rockets


The Rye House Rockets were a speedway team based at Rye House Stadium, Hoddesdon, England. They competed in various British speedway leagues from 1954 to 2018.

History

Origins & 1930s

Rye House began life in 1934, hosting open meetings on a circuit that had been converted from a former running track. Under the charge of the Harringay Light Car and Motor Cycle Club, the track soon became known as a training school for riders. The first Rye House team competed in several challenge matches throughout 1936.
Whilst at Hackney in September 1937, Dicky Case purchased the lease of the sixty acre estate of Rye House and continued the training school at Rye House Stadium, operating under the name of the Hackney Motor Club. The school operated until 1938, when a Rye House team staged Sunday Dirt-track League matches. In 1939, various challenge matches were held.

1940s

Rye House stadium continued to operate speedway from 1940 to 1943, despite the disruption caused by World War II. After the end of the war the track was re-opened by Arthur Elvin and was once again used as a training school, this time for the Wembly Lions riders. The site remained under the lease ownership of Dicky Case until he returned to his native Australia. It was the foremost venue for aspiring speedway riders throughout the decade.

1950s

The team competed in a league for the first time since 1938, when they joined the 1954 Southern Area League. Riding as the Rye House Roosters they finished third in a six team league. The team then won two league titles; the 1955 Southern Area League and the 1956 Southern Area League. The team was led by Mike Broadbank, who also won the Riders' Championship at Rye House on 25 September.

1960s

In 1960, Jack Carter agreed a lease with stadium owner L. H. Lawrence and the speedway track was rebuilt by Mike Broadbank, along with his father Alfred. Broadbank ran the speedway team known as the Red Devils who raced in challenge matches from 1960 until 1966. No public meetings were held in 1967 or 1968, although the training school continued; but public speedway resumed in 1969, with a combination of individual meetings and team challenge matches, and continued until 1973.

1970s

In 1974, Rayleigh Rockets closed down but the promotion, riders and nickname moved to Rye House. It was the first season of league speedway at Rye House since the 1959 Southern Area League. After struggling for two seasons they progressed to 5th place in 1976 before competing for the title from 1977 to 1979 and winning the 1979 Knockout Cup.

1980s

The consistency and stability of the team paid dividends in 1980, when the Rockets won the 1980 National League. Bobby Garrad, Karl Fiala and Kelvin Mullarkey all averaged over nine for the season.
The success could not be repeated for the rest of the decade as the team experienced mediocrity.

1990s

After finishing 8th during the 1993 British League Division Two season the promoters Roger Shute and Peter Redfern left the club leaving Ronnie Russell in sole charge. Russell failed to secure the necessary funding to continue and the Rockets were disbanded.
In 1999, the team returned to league action in the Conference League but they soon moved up to division 2 in 2002 and formed a junior side called the Raiders to compete in the Conference League. The Raiders won the Conference League Four-Team Championship in 2003.
After three years of competing in the Premier League from 2002 to 2004, the Rockets re-signed Edward Kennett and together with Stuart Robson, Chris Neath, Brent Werner, they helped secure the Premier League title. Two years later, Robson and Neath were still part of the Rockets team that won another league title. The 2007 team included new signing Tai Woffinden.
In 2008, the junior team were renamed the Cobras'.

2010s

The Rockets continued to compete in the Premier League from 2010 to 2016 before entering the highest tier of British speedway for the first time in their history for the 2017 season. The team competed in the SGB Premiership and featured riders such as Chris Harris and Scott Nicholls. Mid-way through the 2018 season the Rockets results were annulled by the Speedway Control Bureau, due to the teams withdrawal due to financial issues.
In September 2018, the Lakeside Hammers, a speedway team in the SGB Championship, moved to the Rye House Stadium, following the closure of the Arena Essex Raceway.

2020s

In December 2020, the Rye House stadium was demolished.

Riders

Rider of the year

Season summary

Year and leaguePositionNotes
1938 Sunday Dirt-Track League4th
1954 Southern Area League3rdrode as Rye House Roosters
1955 Southern Area League1stChampions
1956 Southern Area League1stChampions & cup winners
1957 Southern Area League3rd
1959 Southern Area League4th
1974 British League Division Two season16th
1975 New National League season14th
1976 National League season5th
1977 National League season2nd
1978 National League season3rd
1979 National League season2ndKnockout Cup winners
1980 National League season1stChampions
1981 National League season16th
1982 National League season6th
1983 National League season11th
1984 National League season8th
1985 National League season13th
1986 National League season11th
1987 National League season16th
1988 National League season14th
1989 National League season14th
1990 National League season15th
1991 British League Division Two season9th
1992 British League Division Two season5th
1993 British League Division Two season8th
1999 Speedway Conference League4th
2000 Speedway Conference League6th
2001 Speedway Conference League4th
2002 Premier League speedway season13th
2002 Speedway Conference League4thRaiders
2003 Premier League speedway season14th
2003 Speedway Conference League2ndRaiders
2004 Premier League speedway season6th
2004 Speedway Conference League2ndRaiders
2005 Premier League speedway season1stChampions
2005 Speedway Conference League6thRaiders
2006 Premier League speedway season4th
2006 Speedway Conference League3rdRaiders
2007 Premier League speedway season3rdChampions
2007 Speedway Conference League6thRaiders
2008 Premier League speedway season4th
2008 Speedway Conference League7thCobras
2009 Premier League speedway season9th
2009 National League speedway season10thCobras
2010 Premier League speedway season5th
2010 National League speedway season4thCobras
2011 Premier League speedway season8th
2012 Premier League speedway season11th
2013 Premier League speedway season9th
2014 Premier League speedway season13th
2015 Premier League speedway season12th
2016 Premier League speedway season9th
SGB Premiership 20175th
SGB Premiership 2018N/Arecord annulled