New Cross Rangers

The New Cross Rangers were a motorcycle speedway team which operated from 1934 until their closure in 1953. They also rode as the New Cross Lambs from 1934 to 1935 and then the New Cross Tamers in 1936.^[1][2] The team were League Champions in 1938 and 1948.^[3][4]

The team started when promoter Fred Mockford relocated his Crystal Palace team at the end of the 1933 season. Originally known as the New Cross Lambs from 1934 to 1935 and then the New Cross Tamers in 1936.^[5] In 1935 Tom Farndon was killed after crashing at the stadium^[6][7] and in 1937, New Cross Rangers rider Jack Milne from America won the second ever Speedway World Championship.

The New Cross club colours were a black Maltese cross on a burnt orange background. The significance of the cross was purely down to the 'Cross' in the team's name. The colours were brought with the team from Crystal Palace when promoter Fred Mockford transferred the whole operation. The official speedway track length was 262 yards from 1934 until 1953,^[8] when the track reopened in 1959 until its final closure in 1963 the official speedway track length was 278 yards.^[9]

New Cross Stadium was used as a film set for some of the action and crowd scenes for the 1949 film "Once a Jolly Swagman" which starred Dirk Bogarde.

Before The track reopened in 1959 under Johnnie Hoskins for a series of open meetings and then in 1960 and 1961 operated in the National League. After closing at the end of the 1961 season they re-opened again under Pete Lansdale and Wally Mawdsley in the Provincial League in 1963, but had to close down before completing the season. .^[5][10] The track was often referred to as 'The Frying Pan'. It was built inside the greyhound track and had banking all the way round.^[11]