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1954 Speedway National League
The 1954 National League Division One was the 20th season of speedway in the United Kingdom and the ninth post-war season of the highest tier of speedway. Summary Bristol dropped out of the league and joined the National League Division Two. Wimbledon won their first National League Championship, beginning a run of 7 titles in 8 years, ending a similar run by Wembley Lions. Final table Top Ten Riders (League only) National Trophy The 1954 National Trophy was the 17th edition of the Knockout Cup. Qualifying first round Qualifying second round Qualifying Final Round First round Quarterfinals Semifinals Final First leg Second leg Wembley were National Trophy Champions, winning on aggregate 123–92. See also * List of United Kingdom Speedway League Champions * Knockout Cup (speedway) References {{National League speedway seasons 1932–1964 Speedway National League 1954 in speedway Speedway National League The current National Development League former ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wimbledon Dons
The Wimbledon Dons were a professional motorcycle speedway team who operated from the Wimbledon Stadium, Plough Lane in London.Jacobs, N. ''Speedway in London'', The track opened in 1928 and the Dons operated there from 1929 until 1991. They were closed during the Second World War but upon their reopening in 1946 there were 42,000 people in attendance with an estimated 10,000 more locked outside. The club were very successful at the highest level of British speedway during the 1950s and 1960s, and attracted numerous famous riders. Having been defunct for eleven years, the team was reopened again in 2002 by Steve Ribbons & David Croucher in the Conference League but were forced to close in 2005, with Ian Perkin, Dingle Brown & Perry Attwood being joint owners of the club, when the stadium owners insisted on dramatically increasing the rent paid by the team to the stadium.. Honours National League Champions: 1954, 1955, 1956, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961 National Trophy Winners ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Harringay Racers (speedway)
The Harringay Racers were a motorcycle speedway team who raced at the Harringay Stadium from 1947 until 1954 in the National League Division One. History The Racers were the third of three speedway teams to be based at Harringay Stadium. From 1929 to 1931 the Harringay Canaries were based there and later from 1934 to 1939, the team was known as the Harringay Tigers. Racing ceased because of World War II. The stadium reopened on 4 April 1947 at which point the team were revived as the Harringay Racers. The team finished runner-up in the league in 1948 and 1953. During the 1952 Speedway National League season the team became the National Trophy champions. Australian Vic Duggan Victor Duggan (16 October 1910, West Maitland, New South Wales – 24 March 2007, Queensland)Addison J. (1948). ''The People Speedway Guide''. Odhams Press Limited was a motorcycle speedway racer who won the London Riders' Championship in 1947 ... was the top man in the league for a few years. His b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Harringay Racers
Harringay Racers refers to multiple British ice hockey teams based in Harringay, London, United Kingdom. Harringay Racers The first team to use the Harringay Racers moniker was founded in 1936 and initially played alongside Harringay Greyhounds at the Harringay Arena. Both sides entered the English National League, which Racers won in 1937/8. After a break during World War II, the league resumed and Harringay were champions again in 1948/9. Following Racers' championship win, Greyhounds merged with the team. In 1954, the English National League and the Scottish National League merged to form the British National League. Racers were the first champions, but withdrew in 1958 when the Arena was sold to a foods group for use as food storage. They did not play again. A new team named Haringey Racers was founded in 1990, playing at Alexandra Palace. It disappeared in 1992, although Haringey Greyhounds briefly adopted the name in 2002. London Racers Haringey Racers formed agai ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Split Waterman
Squire Francis Waterman (27 July 1923 – 8 October 2019), better known as Split Waterman, was an English speedway rider who twice finished second in the Speedway World Championship final.Bamford, R. & Shailes, G. (2002). ''A History of the World Speedway Championship''. Stroud: Tempus Publishing. Waterman took up speedway while serving in the British Army in Italy and went on to become one of the top riders of the post-war era. He made the headlines again in the late 1960s when he was convicted of gold smuggling and firearms offences. Biography Born in New Malden, Waterman worked as a toolmaker's apprentice after leaving school.Burford, Brian (2019) "Squire Francis 'Split' Waterman (1923–2019) ''Speedway Star'', 19 October 2019, pp. 43–45 Wartime service Waterman applied to join the Royal Air Force when the Second World War broke out but was unable to do so as his job as a toolmaker was classed as a reserved occupation.Davies, Trevor (2008) ''Warzone Speedway'', Trevor Dav ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Freddie Williams (speedway Rider)
Freddie Williams (12 March 1926 – 20 January 2013) was a motorcycle speedway rider from Wales who was World Champion on two occasions. He was the winner of the Speedway World Championship in 1950 and 1953 and runner-up in 1952. Career Williams grew up in Port Talbot, where he was a classmate of Richard Burton, and they played together in the school rugby team.Rhys, Steffan (2011)Richard Burton's school days recalled by speedway star, '' Western Mail'', 25 June 2011, retrieved 2011-11-27 In 1941 he moved to Portsmouth where he started an apprenticeship in the dockyards as an engineer-fitter.Morgan, Tom (1949) ''Who's Who in Speedway'', Sport-in-Print, p. 74 He was a despatch rider in World War II, and began his speedway career as the war ended, after initially competing in grasstrack. After attending training sessions at Rye House, he was signed by Alec Jackson for the Wembley Lions, and in 1948 got a regular place in the team after injuries to George Wilks and Bill Kitchen.C ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Barry Briggs
Barry Briggs (born 30 December 1934) is a New Zealand former speedway rider. Career He won the World Individual Championship title four times – in 1957, 1958, 1964 and 1966.Bamford, R. & Shailes, G. (2002). ''A History of the World Speedway Championship''. Stroud: Tempus Publishing. He appeared in a record 17 consecutive World Individual finals (1954–70), and a record 18 in all, during which he scored a record 201 points. He also won the London Riders' Championship in 1955 whilst riding for the Wimbledon Dons.Jacobs, Norman (2001). ''Speedway in London''. Stroud: Tempus Publishing He is also a six-time winner of the British Championship. He won the first final in 1961 and then dominated the sixties titles by winning in 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, and 1969.Belton, Brian (2003). ''Hammerin' Round''. Stroud: Tempus Publishing Briggs also twice won his home title, the New Zealand Championship, winning in 1959 and again in 1963. Briggs also created a domestic record by winni ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eric Williams (speedway Rider)
William Eric Williams (17 November 1927 - 24 July 2009) was a motorcycle speedway rider from Wales. Speedway career Williams was a leading speedway rider in the 1950s. He reached the final of the Speedway World Championship on three occasions in the 1951 Individual Speedway World Championship, 1953 Individual Speedway World Championship and 1955 Individual Speedway World Championship. He rode in the top tier of British Speedway, riding for Wembley Lions. World Final appearances Individual World Championship * 1951 – London, Wembley Stadium – 12th - 6pts * 1953 – London, Wembley Stadium – 13th - 4pts * 1955 – London, Wembley Stadium Wembley Stadium (branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE for sponsorship reasons) is a football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Stadium, which was demolished from 200 ... – 4th - 12+1pts Family His two brothers, Freddie Williams and Ian Williams wer ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Brian Crutcher
Brian Crutcher (born 23 August 1934 in Poole, England) is a former international speedway rider who finished second at the 1954 Speedway World Championship finals. Career Crutcher made his debut for third division team the Poole Pirates in 1951 at age 16. He made his first World Final appearance in only his second year of racing in 1952, finishing in twelfth place. At the start of 1953 Crutcher moved to first division team the Wembley Lions and appeared in the next four World Championship finals, finishing second in 1954 behind Ronnie Moore.Bamford, R. & Shailes, G. (2002). ''A History of the World Speedway Championship''. Stroud: Tempus Publishing. Wembley closed down in 1956 and Crutcher moved to the Southampton Saints until he retired from the sport in 1960. World Final appearances * 1952 - London, Wembley Stadium - 11th - 6pts * 1953 - London, Wembley Stadium - 10th - 6pts * 1954 - London, Wembley Stadium - Second - 13pts * 1955 - London, Wembley Stadium - 5th - 10 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Arthur Forrest (speedway Rider)
Arthur Forrest (5 January 1932 in Bradford, England – 2000) was a former international speedway who qualified for the Speedway World Championship finals five times.Bamford, R. & Shailes, G. (2002). ''A History of the World Speedway Championship''. Stroud: Tempus Publishing. Career summary Forrest started his career with the Halifax Dukes in the National League Division Three. In his opening season aged just seventeen he scored nineteen maximums (unbeaten by an opponent) from fifty meetings. The following season the Dukes rode in National League Division Two, but Forrest carried on from the previous season, actually raising his average.Pavey,A. (2004) ''Speedway in the North-West'', Tempus Publishing Ltd. Whilst with the Dukes he was called up to ride for England at only eighteen years of age.Foster, P. (2005) ''History of the Speedway Ashes'', The History Press Ltd. After a third season with the Dukes in 1951 he joined hometown club, the Bradford Tudors in 1952. The Tudor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bradford Tudors
The Odsal Tudors or Bradford Tudors were a motorcycle speedway team based at Odsal Stadium in Bradford from 1950 to 1960.Bamford, R & Jarvis J.(2001). ''Homes of British Speedway''. History At the end of July 1950 the Odsal Tudors replaced the Odsal Boomerangs. At the time it was said that the name change was due to the riders hating the Boomerang nickname, or maybe they believed that a change of name would herald a change of fortune following the events of 1 July. On 1 July 1950, 47-year-old Joe Abbott was killed instantly following a crash at Odsal Stadium in a league match against West Ham Hammers. After falling and hitting the safety fence he was hit by a rider behind. A second rider was killed on the same night in a division 2 fixture. The Tudors of 1951 repeated the feat of the Boomerangs of 1948 and finished bottom of the National League. One bright spot was Arthur Forrest, a local rider who was the product of the Monday night training school, finished third in the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eddie Rigg
Edward Rigg (5 December 1919, Burnley, England — February 1991, Perth, Australia) was an international speedway racer who finished twice finished seventh in the Speedway World Championship final.Bamford, R. & Shailes, G. (2002). ''A History of the World Speedway Championship''. Stroud: Tempus Publishing. Career summary Rigg started his career with the Odsal Boomerangs, where he stayed for the following ten seasons. In 1957 he joined the Belle Vue Aces and won his only domestic team trophies, the Britannia Shield in 1957 and the National Trophy, at the end of his final season in 1958.Pavey,A. (2004) ''Speedway in the North-West'', Tempus Publishing Ltd. Rigg appeared for Great Britain national speedway team on fourteen occasions. World Final Appearances * 1951 - London, Wembley Stadium - 7th - 8pts * 1954 - London, Wembley Stadium Wembley Stadium (branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE for sponsorship reasons) is a football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Geoff Mardon
Geoffrey Cyril Mardon (24 November 1927 – 6 August 2015) was a New Zealand motorcycle speedway rider. He rode for the Aldershot Shots, the Wimbledon Dons and the Southampton Saints. Career Mardon began riding at the Aranui Speedway in Christchurch in 1949, the same track that would later start the careers of World Champions and fellow Christchurch natives Barry Briggs and Ivan Mauger. He moved to England in 1951 and joined the third division team, Aldershot. He qualified as second reserve for the 1951 World Final. The following year he moved up the first division to ride for the Wimbledon Dons. He rode in the 1953 World Final and finished in 3rd place. In 1954 Mardon was the third highest individual points scorer in the National League. He rode in the World final again and he won the Brandonapolis at Coventry. Later in the year he married Valerie Moore, the sister of Ronnie Moore. At the beginning of 1955 he decided to retire and live in New Zealand. After a four-year break S ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |