In Memory Of Billy Newland

William George [Billy] Newland 19th August 1952 - 7th October 2021

Billy and Paul Tadman

A tribute to my mate William George Newland by Paul Tadman.

Very sad to hear of the passing of Billy [as most of us knew him]

I would have first met Billy at Hackney Speedway in and around 1972/73 after Romford Speedway and then West Ham Speedway had closed.  

Billy was a well-known figure in the HSSC kiosk on the first bend. Billy was probably best known for taking coach bookings for the Hawks away travel. I wonder how many who new Billy will remember he had a younger brother John, who would be at The Wick with him every Friday night?  

Billy would stand by the starting gate with Snowy, Vi Langstone, Ian Cook and others during the meeting tearing strips off the raffle tickets before Snowy would go onto the centre green after heat 13 to do the ‘weekly fiddle’.

After the meeting Billy was a regular in the pits where a few beers were consumed by supporters and riders, along again with his little brother, John…..

Billy also worked for Warner Sports who did speedway trips to Europe for fans to watch speedway, ice speedway and long track meetings. Billy worked alongside three other Hackney fans on Warner Sports namely, Snowy Beattie, Brian Deadman and Steve Van Gelder all as reps on the trip with Warner Sports supremo Danny Leno

Warner Sports did fantastic speedway ‘holidays’ including a Warner Sports trains to Poland in 1976 and the ferry from Harwich to Gothenburg for the World Final’s in Sweden. One memory I have is Billy and I having consumed several beers then making our way into the casino on board the boat to Gothenburg. We both exchanged I think a £1 note for one chip much to the frustration of the casino staff. But we both walked out with around £50 in our pockets half hour later, which certainly bought a few more beers in the very expensive country of Sweden.         

Speedway is such a unique sport. We had great times and built a great friendship with many fans up and down the country and Europe.

Outside of the speedway world Billy worked in the photographic game and was a much underrated photographer. Billy took all the photographs at my wedding. He supplied them in a wonderful album as a wedding present, something that now will have an extra special memory.

Billy was an avid West Ham fan. I’d often have debates with him why he should support Spurs but as a true east Londoner he was West Ham FC through and through.  

Billy liked his rock music to. Many a Saturday night we’d both been down the Marquee Club in Wardour Street in London’s Soho watching up and coming bands.  

But like many friends from the seventies and eighties Billy and I lost touch. Billy had got married to Gail and had children Kirsty, Grace and David.

The last time I saw Billy was in 1996 [although we did occasionlly have a telephone call] when he came to the revamped Hackney Stadium [then called the London Stadium] the one season of speedway under the banner of the London Lions at the Waterden Road venue.

Then around 2003 while I was working at Royal Mail’s Mount Pleasant Sorting Office a guy I worked with saw a Hackney Speedway sticker in the back of my car. He said ‘I used to go Hackney’. Now I knew his surname was Newland and up until then nothing had clicked. I then had that Ulrika moment and replied

‘You’re not Billy’s brother are you?        

John and I have worked together at Royal Mail since and he has always kept me up to speed on what Billy had been up to.

I was truly saddened to hear from John of Billy’s passing.

Bill's farewell is at 2pm on the 9th November at Eltham Crematorium, Crown Woods Way, London, SE9 2AZ  

To Gail, Kirsty, Grace, David, John and all of  Billy’s friends and family from all at Hackney and the speedway world we send our deepest condolences.    

RIP Bill we’ll catch up one day…………

A tribute to my mate William George Newland by Paul Tadman.

Very sad to hear of the passing of Billy [as most of us knew him]

I would have first met Billy at Hackney Speedway in and around 1972/73 after Romford Speedway and then West Ham Speedway had closed.  

Billy was a well-known figure in the HSSC kiosk on the first bend. Billy was probably best known for taking coach bookings for the Hawks away travel. I wonder how many who new Billy will remember he had a younger brother John, who would be at The Wick with him every Friday night?  

Billy would stand by the starting gate with Snowy, Vi Langstone, Ian Cook and others during the meeting tearing strips off the raffle tickets before Snowy would go onto the centre green after heat 13 to do the ‘weekly fiddle’.

After the meeting Billy was a regular in the pits where a few beers were consumed by supporters and riders, along again with his little brother, John…..

Billy also worked for Warner Sports who did speedway trips to Europe for fans to watch speedway, ice speedway and long track meetings. Billy worked alongside three other Hackney fans on Warner Sports namely, Snowy Beattie, Brian Deadman and Steve Van Gelder all as reps on the trip with Warner Sports supremo Danny Leno

Warner Sports did fantastic speedway ‘holidays’ including a Warner Sports trains to Poland in 1976 and the ferry from Harwich to Gothenburg for the World Final’s in Sweden. One memory I have is Billy and I having consumed several beers then making our way into the casino on board the boat to Gothenburg. We both exchanged I think a £1 note for one chip much to the frustration of the casino staff. But we both walked out with around £50 in our pockets half hour later, which certainly bought a few more beers in the very expensive country of Sweden.         

Speedway is such a unique sport. We had great times and built a great friendship with many fans up and down the country and Europe.

Outside of the speedway world Billy worked in the photographic game and was a much underrated photographer. Billy took all the photographs at my wedding. He supplied them in a wonderful album as a wedding present, something that now will have an extra special memory.

Billy was an avid West Ham fan. I’d often have debates with him why he should support Spurs but as a true east Londoner he was West Ham FC through and through.  

Billy liked his rock music to. Many a Saturday night we’d both been down the Marquee Club in Wardour Street in London’s Soho watching up and coming bands.  

But like many friends from the seventies and eighties Billy and I lost touch. Billy had got married to Gail and had children Kirsty, Grace and David.

The last time I saw Billy was in 1996 [although we did occasionlly have a telephone call] when he came to the revamped Hackney Stadium [then called the London Stadium] the one season of speedway under the banner of the London Lions at the Waterden Road venue.

Then around 2003 while I was working at Royal Mail’s Mount Pleasant Sorting Office a guy I worked with saw a Hackney Speedway sticker in the back of my car. He said ‘I used to go Hackney’. Now I knew his surname was Newland and up until then nothing had clicked. I then had that Ulrika moment and replied

‘You’re not Billy’s brother are you?        

John and I have worked together at Royal Mail since and he has always kept me up to speed on what Billy had been up to.

I was truly saddened to hear from John of Billy’s passing.

Bill's farewell is at 2pm on the 9th November at Eltham Crematorium, Crown Woods Way, London, SE9 2AZ  

To Gail, Kirsty, Grace, David, John and all of  Billy’s friends and family from all at Hackney and the speedway world we send our deepest condolences.    

RIP Bill we’ll catch up one day…………

The speedway gang L/R Bob Cook, Len Gander, Ray Tarrant, Billy, Paul Tadman, Bob's wife (Can't think of her name) and Mick Richardson