Norwich Stars | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Club information | |||||||||||||
Track address | The Firs Stadium Cromer Road Norwich | ||||||||||||
Country | England | ||||||||||||
Founded | 1930 | ||||||||||||
Closed | 1964 | ||||||||||||
Team manager | Max Grosskreutz Dick Wise Fred Evans Gordon Parkins | ||||||||||||
Team captain | Dick Wise Bert Spencer Phil Clarke Aub Lawson Reg Trott | ||||||||||||
Club facts | |||||||||||||
Colours | Green with Yellow Star | ||||||||||||
Track size | 425 yards (389 m) | ||||||||||||
Track record holder | Peter Craven & Ove Fundin | ||||||||||||
Major team honours | |||||||||||||
|
Norwich Stars were a motorcycle speedway team based in Norwich, England which operated from 1930 until their closure in 1964. [1]
Speedway racing was staged in Norwich both before and after World War II at The Firs Stadium in Cromer Road, Hellesdon. Pre-War Norwich were members of the 1937 Provincial Speedway League, 1938 Speedway National League Division Two & 1939 Speedway National League Division Two. After the war, the Norwich Stars raced in the 1946 Speedway Northern League and the National League Division Two from 1947 to 1951. They won the League Championship in both 1950 and 1951.
They were invited into the National League Division One in 1952 and finished runners up in the League in 1958 and 1963. Another honour was the winning of Speedway's premier Knockout Competition, the National Trophy. This was achieved in both 1955 and 1963. [2] The Stars raced in the top flight until the stadium was closed at the end of the 1964 season, when the track and stadium were sold for re-development. [1]
In July 2012, former rider Ove Fundin played a part in announcing a return of speedway in the city of Norwich. Plans, which did not come to fruition, were outlined for a new track to be built on the city's outskirts, with the hope of a return to the British league structure.
Four riders from 1947 to 1951 died at the Norwich track. Norwich's 38-year-old rider Cyril Anderson died instantly on 16 August 1947, during a Best Pairs event. Anderson was leading when he skidded and was hit by a rider from behind. [3] 32-year-old Bill Wilson of the Middlesbrough Bears was fatally injured, on 3 July 1948, at Norwich and died two days later in hospital. [4] [5]
The third rider died on 1 July 1950. Jock Shead riding for Halifax Dukes was killed during the semi-final of the National Trophy. Shead's bike collided with another bike and he somersaulted before landing, he was taken to hospital but died shortly afterwards. [6] The following year, 21-year-old Bob Howes was killed when he hit the fence during a training practice race on 10 November 1951. [7] [8]
Norwich rider Malcolm Flood died on 2 April 1956, at Poole. The 25-year-old rider suffered fatal injuries despite an earlier warning from the race steward that he was riding too erratically into the bends. [9]
The Firs Stadium was arguably the deadliest track in the country and claimed another life on 24 July 1960. Derek 'Tink' Maynard of the Belle Vue Aces was fatally injured in a crash on 23 July 1960. Maynard was competing in the second leg of the National Trophy against Norwich when Slant Payling lost control of his bike and it hit Maynard. Both riders were taken to Norwich Hospital but Maynard died the following morning. [10]
Ove Fundin is a Swedish former professional motorcycle speedway rider. He competed in the Speedway World Championships from 1951 to 1970. Fundin is notable for winning the Speedway World Championship Final five times, a record bettered only by Ivan Mauger and fellow Swede Tony Rickardsson who each won six World Championships. He finished runner-up in the championship 3 times (1957–59) and was third in 1962, 1964 and 1965 meaning that from his first win in 1956 until his last in 1967, Fundin did not finish lower than a podium place in a record eleven World Finals. He was known by the nickname of the "Flying Fox" or just "the Fox" because of his red hair. In 2013, Fundin was named an FIM Legend for his motorcycling achievements.
Peter Theodore Craven was an English motorcycle racer. He was a finalist in each FIM Speedway World Championship from 1954 to 1963 and he won the title twice. He was British Champion in 1962 and 1963.
Bengt Gustaf Jansson is a former international motorcycle speedway rider from Sweden.
Björn Knutson commonly spelt Knutsson is a former motorcycle speedway rider who won the Speedway World Championship in 1965 and was a four-time winner of the World Team Cup. He gained the nickname 'The Crown Prince' for his speedway success.
Sören Willy Ernfrid Sjösten was a motorcycle speedway rider from Sweden.
The 1955 Speedway National League was the 21st season and tenth post-war season of the highest tier of motorcycle speedway in Great Britain.
The 1947 National League Division Two was the second post-war season of the second tier of motorcycle speedway in Great Britain. In the previous season, the league was known as the Northern League but the addition of Bristol Bulldogs and a third tier saw the name revert to the one used 8 years previously.
The 1950 National League Division Two was the fifth post-war season of the second tier of motorcycle speedway in Great Britain.
The 1951 National League Division Two was the sixth post-war season of the second tier of motorcycle speedway in Great Britain.
The 1956 National League Division One was the 22nd season and eleventh post-war season of the highest tier of motorcycle speedway in Great Britain.
The 1977 Individual Speedway World Championship was the 32nd edition of the official World Championship to determine the world champion rider.
The 1960 Individual Speedway World Championship was the 15th edition of the official World Championship to determine the world champion rider.
The 1957 Individual Speedway World Championship was the 12th edition of the official World Championship to determine the world champion rider.
The 1956 Individual Speedway World Championship was the 11th edition of the official World Championship to determine the world champion rider.
Harald Olof Ingemar Nygren was a Swedish motorcycle speedway rider, who reached the finals of the Speedway World Championship five times.
The 1960 National League was the 26th season and the fifteenth post-war season of the highest tier of motorcycle speedway in Great Britain.
The 1962 National League was the 28th season and the seventeenth post-war season of the highest tier of motorcycle speedway in Great Britain.
The 1963 National League was the 29th season and the eighteenth post-war season of the highest tier of motorcycle speedway in Great Britain.
Göte Nordin is a former motorcycle speedway rider from Sweden.
Philip Charles Clarke was an English motorcycle speedway rider.