Saffron Lane velodrome is no more.

[Hilldodger]

Britain's most important velodrome of the last 50 years is being demolished as I write this

 

[John Ponting]

A sad day for british cycling history.

Can you see it from your offices?

Did the Sports centre reopen ? I knew there were plans earlier. Was it at the expense of the velodrome ?

 

[John Ponting]

you've prompted me to do a bit of googling. Seems I'm way out of date.

 

[Hilldodger]

Can you see it from your offices?

No, I cycled by there this morning

 

[yello]

Whilst I never cycled there myself, I did play football. My father road the boards there though. It feels, for me personally, that another link with my birth place has been severed.

 

[Hilldodger]

Whilst I never cycled there myself, I did play football. My father road the boards there though. It feels, for me personally, that another link with my birth place has been severed.

I've done much research on 'The Saff' and would welcome any memories you have of the place - even if it's just about going to watch your dad ride there.

 

[derosa]

Very sad. My old house in Leicester was right outside the track - hell, you could see the back of the house from the stands. A black day indeed.

Some recent photos here:
http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=8494&l=c296e&id=1064820897

 

[Hilldodger]

When it was first closed down and deemed to dangerous to ride I asked if I could have a bit of the track for my collection of memorabilia.

The council said yes, so I nipped down with a saw and cut out part of the start line. Even then the wood was rotting but I've now got a small rot free piece in my office

 

[derosa]

When it was first closed down and deemed to dangerous to ride I asked if I could have a bit of the track for my collection of memorabilia.

The council said yes, so I nipped down with a saw and cut out part of the start line. Even then the wood was rotting but I've now got a small rot free piece in my office

You're a very lucky man.
I remember watching the world champs as a nipper - happier times

 

[Wobbly John]

I rode some of the BHPC races there in the mid 90's. I was using a Kingcycle tyre with a ribbed tread and by the end of a race the tyre had a fringe round it where the tread had ripped off staying on the banking.

 

[naffets]

i remember seeing the worlds there in 87 f moser making an appearance and adrian timmis stacking it! pity to loose a bit of cycling heritage!!

 

[derosa]

I remember seeing Beryl Burton race in the 1970 worlds at Saffron Lane
Yes, I'm a real old fart

 

[ufkacbln]

I have a lot of slides somewhere of that meeting... 1994 or 5 if I remember rightly

 

[Hilldodger]

I have a lot of slides somewhere of that meeting... 1994 or 5 if I remember rightly

The HPV worlds? 95. And I'd very much like to see them

 

[andharwheel]

Didnt Reg Harris beat Trevor Bull at the age of 54 to win the British Sprint Championship here in 1974?