IT HAS been nearly 15 years since the bikes last roared at Waterden Road in Hackney, but the Hackney Hawks will return to the track in 2011 as a National League side after being accepted into the sports third tier at this weeks AGM.

IT HAS been nearly 15 years since the bikes last roared at Waterden Road in Hackney, but the Hackney Hawks will return to the track in 2011 as a National League side after being accepted into the sports third tier at this weeks AGM.

The team will be a joint project funded by and racing at both Rye House and Lakeside Speedways, which will allow both clubs the opportunity to develop young British talent in tandem. Home meetings will be shared equally between the two venues.

The team will replace the previous Cobras - and before that Raiders – outfits in National League competition to maintain a third tier involvement for Rye House that now extends back to the 1999 re-launch of the Rockets.

The team title of Hackney has been chosen as both tracks enjoy considerable support from former Hawks supporters, and also brings into focus the current lack of a London team in British Speedway, a situation which both clubs would like to see changed.

Lakeside co-promoter Jon Cook explained that “This is a new exciting venture for us and will give our fans a chance to see the development of our young riders at the Raceway. We expect to stage at least a meeting a month during the season and we feel the need to develop young British talent is a duty all clubs should undertake in future seasons. We hope this joint partnership with Rye House will point the way ahead. I am sure London fans will be drawn to see the iconic Hawks race jacket in action and help us to continue pressure for Speedway to play some part in the Olympic legacy, which of course is on the site of the old Waterden Road Stadium.”

Rye House promoter Len Silver shares Cook’s enthusiasm. “I am very excited to be linking with our friends at Lakeside, and I sure this move will be a great success and big factor in producing future stars for both our teams. Because of my own long connection with Hackney it is nostalgic for me to be going back in that direction and I am sure the fans are in for a real treat once this exciting brand of Hawks takes to the track in April”.

The team is set to include highly-rated prospects Marc Owen, Shane Hazelden and Ben Morley, with the full team scheduled to be announced within the next week or so.

In separate news from the AGM, it was confirmed that the National League Riders’ Championship will once again take place at Rye House, with the staging date scheduled for Saturday, September 3rd (7pm start).