London Riders' Championship Explained

Pixels:150px
Sport:motorcycle speedway
Founded:1930
Country:United Kingdom
Folded:1997

The London Riders' Championship was an individual motorcycle speedway competition for top riders of teams from London. It was a prestigious competition, especially in its early days.

History

The event was introduced in 1930. It was considered a prestigious competition, especially in its early days due to the fact that the leading teams in British speedway at the time were all from London. However, as the number of teams from London dwindled, so did interest in the competition.[1] [2] The last competition was held in 1983.[3] [4]

An attempted revival of the Championship was made in 2011 at the Arena Essex Raceway speedway track in Purfleet, Essex, where the riders taking part represented not their current clubs, but long-defunct London clubs including West Ham Hammers, New Cross Rangers, Wembley Lions and Walthamstow Wolves. It was staged there as the track, home of the Lakeside Hammers was the closest track to London staging speedway at the time. However, the meeting was abandoned after only a few heats due to heavy rain and was never restaged.[5]

Past winners

width=40px Yearwidth=200px Winnerwidth=200px Teamwidth=250px Venue
align=center 1930 Jack Ormston Wembley LionsCrystal Palace Exhibition Grounds
align=center 1931 Joe Francis Crystal Palace GlaziersCrystal Palace Exhibition Grounds
Championship suspended 1932-1933
align=center 1934 Tom Farndon New Cross LambsNew Cross Stadium
align=center 1935 Tom Farndon New Cross LambsNew Cross Stadium
align=center 1936 Vic Huxley ()Wimbledon DonsNew Cross Stadium
align=center 1937 Jack Milne ()New Cross RangersNew Cross Stadium
align=center 1938 Eric Chitty ()West Ham HammersNew Cross Stadium
align=center 1939 Jack Milne ()New Cross RangersNew Cross Stadium
Championship suspended 1939-1944
align=center 1945 Ron Johnson ()unattachedNew Cross Stadium
align=center 1946 Ron Johnson ()New Cross RangersNew Cross Stadium
align=center 1947 Vic Duggan ()Harringay RacersNew Cross Stadium
align=center 1948 Split Waterman Wembley LionsNew Cross Stadium
align=center 1949 Alec Statham Wimbledon DonsNew Cross Stadium
align=center 1950 Cyril Roger New Cross RangersNew Cross Stadium
align=center 1951 Aub Lawson ()West Ham HammersNew Cross Stadium
align=center 1952 Ronnie Moore ()Wimbledon DonsNew Cross Stadium
align=center 1953 Jack Young ()West Ham HammersHarringay Stadium
align=center 1954 Jack Young ()West Ham HammersWest Ham Stadium
align=center 1955 Barry Briggs ()Wimbledon Dons
align=center 1956 Brian Crutcher Wembley LionsWembley Stadium
Championship suspended 1957-1962
align=center 1963* Norman Hunter Hackney HawksHackney Wick Stadium
align=center 1964 Mike Broadbanks Swindon RobinsWest Ham Stadium
align=center 1965Sverre Harrfeldt ()West Ham HammersHackney Wick Stadium
align=center 1966Norman Hunter West Ham HammersHackney Wick Stadium
align=center 1967 Colin Pratt Hackney HawksHackney Wick Stadium
align=center 1968 Colin Pratt Hackney HawksHackney Wick Stadium
align=center 1969 Trevor Hedge Wimbledon DonsHackney Wick Stadium
align=center 1970Trevor Hedge Wimbledon DonsHackney Wick Stadium
align=center 1971 Bengt Jansson ()Hackney HawksHackney Wick Stadium
align=center 1972 Ronnie Moore ()Wimbledon DonsHackney Wick Stadium
align=center 1973Barry Thomas Hackney HawksHackney Wick Stadium
align=center 1974Barry Thomas Hackney HawksHackney Wick Stadium
align=center 1975Dave Jessup Leicester LionsHackney Wick Stadium
align=center 1976Gordon Kennett White City RebelsHackney Wick Stadium
align=center 1977Larry Ross ()Wimbledon DonsHackney Wick Stadium
align=center 1978Keith White Hackney HawksHackney Wick Stadium
Championship suspended 1979
align=center 1980Finn Thomsen Hackney HawksHackney Wick Stadium
Championship suspended 1981
align=center 1982Kai Niemi ()Wimbledon DonsWimbledon Stadium
align=center 1983Bo Petersen Hackney HawksHackney Wick Stadium
align=center 1988Andy Galvin Hackney KestrelsHackney Wick Stadium
align=center 1996Billy Hamill ()Cradley & StokeLondon Stadium

Notes and References

  1. Jacobs, Norman (2001). Speedway in London.
  2. Belton, Brian (2003). Hammerin' Round.
  3. Oakes, P & Rising, P (1986). 1986 Speedway Yearbook.
  4. Book: Oakes, Peter . 1981 Speedway Yearbook . 1981 . 66-67 . Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd . 0-86215-017-5.
  5. Web site: Year by Year . Speedway Researcher . 23 October 2023.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "London Riders' Championship".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.