Walthamstow Wolves

The introduction of speedway racing in Britain in 1928 led to the opening of many tracks throughout the country. Teams competed in league speedway from 1929. In 1934 Walthamstow joined the league, following the closure by the Speedway Control Board of the nearby Lea Bridge team. Following complaints by local residents, noise issues could not be resolved to the satisfaction of the High Court and after only three months track action the Walthamstow Wolves were silenced.

In 1949, as the post-war speedway boom period was starting to end, the Wolves team was revived and took its place in the National League Second Division. After a slow start the team improved and although finishing in mid-table for three seasons in a row there were some memorable moments at The Stow. The owners and managers of the club craved First Division status and when this failed to materialise the track closed and Walthamstow speedway was silenced permanently.

This book by Keith Corns provides a comprehensive examination of the efforts to establish speedway in Walthamstow. There is an in-depth look at the Wolves riders. The book covers the difficulties the promotion faced, including legal problems and their unsuccessful efforts to convince rival London promoters and the speedway authorities that the team should be in the First Division. There are also comprehensive statistical details for a team that has been largely overlooked in speedway’s history.