The Rayleigh Rockets were a Speedway

Motorcycle speedway

Motorcycle speedway, usually referred to as speedway, is a motorcycle sport involving four and sometimes up to six riders competing over four anti-clockwise laps of an oval circuit. Speedway motorcycles use only one gear and have no brakes and racing takes place on a flat oval track usually...

 team which operated from 1949 until their closure in 1973 from the Rayleigh Weir Stadium in Rayleigh

Rayleigh, Essex

Rayleigh is a market town and civil parish in the District of Rochford in Essex, England, located between Chelmsford and Southend-on-Sea. It lies to the east of central London. It has a population of 30,196, having expanded rapidly in the 1960s.-Toponymy:...

, Essex . The Rockets closed in 1958 but re-opened again in 1960 and entered the Provincial League

Speedway Provincial League

The Provincial League was a league competition for speedway teams in the United Kingdom which operated alongside the National League for five years between 1960 and 1964.-History:The Provincial League was formed in the winter of 1959/60...

 and then the Metropolitan League in 1964. However that was the last league racing seen until 1968 when Len Silver

Len Silver

Len Silver is a former speedway rider and is currently promoter of the Rye House Rockets.-Racing career:Silver stopped racing in 1957 but returned to the Ipswich Witches in 1960 after a layoff due to injury...

 took over as promoter.

The Rockets rode at the stadium until 1973 when it was announced that the stadium had been sold to developers and the Rockets would need to find a new home. Len Silver

Len Silver

Len Silver is a former speedway rider and is currently promoter of the Rye House Rockets.-Racing career:Silver stopped racing in 1957 but returned to the Ipswich Witches in 1960 after a layoff due to injury...

 took the Rockets to Hoddesdon

Hoddesdon

Hoddesdon is a town in the English county of Hertfordshire, situated in the Lea Valley. The town grew up as a coaching stop on the route between Cambridge and London. It is located southeast of Hertford, north of Waltham Cross and southwest of Bishop's Stortford. At its height during the 18th...

 in Hertfordshire

Hertfordshire

Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...

 to start the 1974 season as the Rye House Rockets

Rye House Rockets

The Rye House Rockets are a Speedway team based at Rye House Stadium, Hoddesdon, England. They currently compete in the British Premier League.The club is promoted by Len Silver who previously ran the Hackney Hawks promotion at Hackney Wick Stadium....

.. The former site of Rayleigh Stadium is now a retail park.

Many of the former Rayleigh fans now support the only Essex Speedway team remaining, the Lakeside Hammers

Lakeside Hammers

The Lakeside Hammers are a speedway team who race in the British Elite League. They were founded by promoter Wally Mawdsley and stock car promoter Chick Woodroffe...

, who race at the Arena Essex Raceway next to the Lakeside Shopping Centre.