It’s anniversary time in the history of Speedway in Kent in 2018 marking 50 years since the sport opened at the county’s first league racing track at Kingsmead in Canterbury.

The opening meeting at the stadium in the very shadow of the famous Cathedral was on May 18th. 1968 and to commemorate the ‘Golden Anniversary’ of this landmark, a Reunion Social Event is being held on the nearest Saturday (Canterbury’s traditional race night) to the anniversary – 7pm on May 19th.

The event is being held at the current home of Kent Speedway, Central Park Stadium in Sittingbourne. All ex-riders who wore the famous crossed swords race-jacket of the two times Division Two/National League champions, the Canterbury Crusaders between 1968 & 1987 have an invite to this gala event.

Ex-riders are asked to contact the organiser Dick Jarvis to let him know they’re coming and admission is free for ex-riders and their ‘plus ones’.

For others this is a tickets in advance event, so you need to contact the organiser Dick Jarvis to get your ticket(s).

The event is being held at Central Park Stadium on Saturday May 19th. with a 7pm start time.

Tickets are £15 which includes a buffet.

The venue in the Stadium’s main function room has to a fully stocked pay bar. There will be loads of memorabilia on display and plenty of memories to share among riders and Crusaders’ fans alike. Tony MacDonald of Backtrack magazine will be on hand with the roving mic to get interviews with the ex-Canterbury Crusaders riders and others in attendance.

The contact number for Dick Jarvis to order tickets or for ex-riders to notify attendance is: 07538 112606

The start time is 7pm and the full address of the venue is Central Park Stadium, Stadium Road (off Church Road), Eurolink estate, Murston, near Sittingbourne, Kent ME10 3SB

Today we also launch the special logo for the Canterbury Crusaders’ 50 years anniversary – a logo that will be used throughout the year.

Designed by former Kingsmead regular, now of Kent Speedway’s ‘The Whistle Gang’, Bill Roissetter the logo features the iconic crossed swords race jacket of the Crusaders and the names of all 162 riders who appeared for Canterbury plus the legendary figure who founded the track back in 1968, itself 45 years after he organised what’s widely recognised as the world’s first Speedway meeting in his native Australia, John S. Hoskins.