Arthur Claude Rye known as Claude Rye (1908–1988) was an international speedway rider from England.

Speedway career

Rye came to prominence in 1929 after gaining a two year contract with

Preston (speedway) Preston were a British speedway team that existed from 1929 to 1932. History They first competed in the English Dirt Track League (effectively the Northern League) in 1929 when they were runners-up to Leeds Lions. In the same season they won the ...

and then joined

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 w ...

in 1931. In 1933, he broke a leg in his first Test appearance for England. He became the captain of Wimbledon and finished second in the league averages during the

1933 Speedway National League The 1933 National League was the fifth season of speedway in the United Kingdom. Summary Sheffield and Nottingham joined the league but the Stamford Bridge Pensioners dropped out. The National Association Trophy was dropped in favour of expandin ...

. He competed in the 1934 Star Riders' Championship and went on to represent England against the United States and Australia.

Personal life

Rye was the Managing Director of one of Britain's largest ball bearing firms and became a Freeman of the City of London.

Film appearance

The speedway scenes from the 1933 film

Britannia of Billingsgate ''Britannia of Billingsgate'' is a 1933 British musical comedy film directed by Sinclair Hill and starring Violet Loraine, Gordon Harker, Kay Hammond and John Mills. A family who work in the fish trade at Billingsgate Market encounter a film cr ...

were shot at

Hackney Wick Stadium Hackney Wick Stadium was a greyhound racing and speedway stadium located at Waterden Road in the London Borough of Hackney. Origins The site chosen for the stadium was on land known as Hackney Marshes west of the River Lea and on the west sid ...

and featured some of the leading riders in Britain at the time including Rye, Colin Watson,

Arthur Warwick Arthur is a common male given name of Brythonic origin. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. The etymology is disputed. It may derive from the Celtic ''Artos'' meaning “Bear”. Another theory, more ...

Gus Kuhn Gus Kuhn (17 October 1898 – 30 August 1966) was a successful British TT and motorcycle speedway rider during the 1920s and 1930s. He was born in Birmingham, England, and served in the Royal Naval Air Service in World War I. Speedway K ...

Tom Farndon Tom Farndon (11 September 1910 – 30 August 1935), was a British speedway rider who won the Star Riders' Championship in 1933 whilst with the Crystal Palace Glaziers. Career Born in Coventry, Farndon started his career at the Lythalls Lan ...

and

Ron Johnson Ronald Harold Johnson (born April 8, 1955) is an American accountant, businessman, and politician serving as the senior United States senator from Wisconsin, a seat he has held since 2011. A Republican, Johnson was first elected to the U.S. Se ...

Players cigarette cards

Rye is listed as number 39 of 50 in the 1930s Player's

cigarette card Cigarette cards are trading cards issued by tobacco industry, tobacco manufacturers to stiffen cigarette packaging and nicotine marketing, advertise cigarette brands. Between 1875 and the 1940s, cigarette companies often included collectible ca ...

collection.

References

1908 births 1988 deaths British speedway riders Wimbledon Dons riders {{Speedway-stub