The Canterbury Crusaders were a

motorcycle speedway Motorcycle speedway, usually referred to simply as speedway, is a motorcycle sport involving four and sometimes up to six riders competing over four anti-clockwise laps of an oval circuit. The motorcycles are specialist machines that use only ...

team who operated from the

Kingsmead Stadium Kingsmead Stadium was a greyhound racing and motorcycle speedway track and Association football ground in Canterbury. It was host to Canterbury City F.C. and the Canterbury Crusaders speedway team. The stadium closed in 1999 and was demolishe ...

, Kingsmead Road,

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. ...

from 1968 to 1987. For all of their 20-year existence, the Crusaders operated at the second level of British league speedway, in

British League Division Two The British League Division Two was created in 1968 and was the second tier of speedway racing in the United Kingdom until the restructuring of British speedway in 1995. It was renamed the New National League in 1975 and the National League betwee ...

and the National League.

History

Canterbury were founder members of

in 1968. The first meeting at Kingsmead, on 18 May 1968, saw the Crusaders narrowly lose a British League Division Two fixture 38–39 to

Belle Vue Colts The Belle Vue Colts are the junior youth development team of the Belle Vue Aces, one of the World's most famous motorcycle speedway team, based in Manchester in the northwest of England. History Belle Vue first operated a reserve team during the ...

. The Colts and the Crusaders had contested the first ever Division Two fixture ten days previously at Belle Vue on 8 May, when the Colts won 55–23. The Crusaders' first league title was won in 1970, and a second championship was to follow in 1978. In 1977 the promoters

Johnnie Hoskins Johnnie S. Hoskins MBE (1892 Waitara, New Zealand – 1987 Kent, England) was the most significant promoter of speedway and stock car racing in the United Kingdom, he is considered by some to have invented motorcycle speedway. Early life Born ...

and Wally Mawdsley had to go to court in order to keep the Kingsmead track open after complaints of noise from local residents. However, the team were forced to disband in 1987 when the Canterbury Council refused to renew the lease. The final Crusaders fixture took place at Kingsmead on 31 October 1987, when Canterbury defeated

Rye House Rockets The Rye House Rockets were a speedway team based at Rye House Stadium, Hoddesdon, England. They competed in various British speedway leagues from 1954 to 2018. History Rye House began life in 1934 hosting open meetings. Whilst at Hackney in ...

49–29 in the second leg of the Kent/Herts Trophy. Greyhound racing continued at Kingsmead until 1999 but the site is now a housing estate.Jacobs, N. ''Speedway in the South East''.

Notable riders

The longest serving rider was

Barney Kennett Brian 'Barney' Kennett (born 1955) is a former motorcycle speedway rider from England, who raced in the British National League. Born in Orpington, he is part of a speedway family which includes brothers Gordon Kennett and Dave Kennett, and ne ...

who rode for the Crusaders from 1971 until 1984. Barney is the brother of riders

Gordon Kennett Gordon William Kennett (born 2 September 1953) is a former motorcycle speedway rider. In 1978 he won the World Pairs Championship with Malcolm Simmons. He also finished runner-up to Ole Olsen in the 1978 Speedway World Championship at Wemble ...

and Dave Kennett and is uncle to

Edward Kennett Edward David Kennett (born 28 August 1986 in Hastings, England) is a motorcycle speedway rider. He was the British Under-21 Champion in 2005 and has appeared in two Speedway Grand Prix as a wild card. Kennett's father Dave, was a motorcycle ...

. * Nigel Boocock * Barry Thomas *

* Graham Miles * Graham Banks *

Ted Hubbard Edward Raymond Hubbard nicknamed "Hurricane Hubbard" (born in Lydden, England) was a motorcycle speedway rider in National League (speedway) and British League. Career Hubbard was a popular sportsman who rode chiefly for Canterbury Crusaders ...

* Martyn Piddock * Steve Koppe * Mike Ferreira

Teams

1977 * Steve Koppe *

Bob Spelta Bob, BOB, or B.O.B. may refer to: Places *Mount Bob, New York, United States * Bob Island, Palmer Archipelago, Antarctica People, fictional characters, and named animals *Bob (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Bob (surnam ...

Graham Banks Graham and Graeme may refer to: People * Graham (given name), an English-language given name * Graham (surname), an English-language surname * Graeme (surname), an English-language surname * Graham (musician) (born 1979), Burmese singer * Clan ...

Graham Clifton Graham and Graeme may refer to: People * Graham (given name), an English-language given name * Graham (surname), an English-language surname * Graeme (surname), an English-language surname * Graham (musician) (born 1979), Burmese singer * Clan ...

*Brendan Shilleto *

Bob Canning Bob, BOB, or B.O.B. may refer to: Places *Mount Bob, New York, United States * Bob Island, Palmer Archipelago, Antarctica People, fictional characters, and named animals *Bob (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Bob (surnam ...

Season summary

References

{{Reflist Defunct speedway teams in the United Kingdom Sport in Canterbury

History

Notable riders

Teams

Season summary

See also

References