In this section you find profiles of actual riders from past years:
1. COLIN PRATT
CAREER HISTORY
1960-61 Southampton Saints
1961-63 Stoke Potters
1964-69 Hackney Hawks
1970 Cradley Heath Heathens
INDIVIDUAL HONOURS
1967,1968 London Riders Champion
1969 Southern Riders Champion
Colin was born in Hoddesdon, Herts where he lived near to Mike(The Red Devil) Broadbank from whom he bought his first speedway bike at the age of nineteen and practised at the nearby Rye House track
In 1960 he was signed by Southampton and made his debut against Oxford. Unfortunately he broke his wrist at Swindon which brought his debut season to an early end. He only had second half rides at Southampton in 1961 and was loaned out to Poole Pirates for whom he rode in three matches, Ipswich Witches 2 matches and then stoke Potters where he scored well with paid 15 points against Wolverhampton and a 12 point maximum against Cradley Heath. In 1962 he scored 177 points from 34 matches for the Potters and improved further the following year, scoring 141 points in his first 12 matches and winning all five races and breaking the Track record to win the Gerry Hussey Memorial Trophy at Rye House.
He moved to Swindon Robins before joining Hackney in 1964 where he rode for six years until he moved to Cradley Heath. He was forced to retire after he was involved a road crash in Belgium where five riders and officials died. He was riding as a guest for West Ham against a Danish Select side in the Netherland. He sustained three broken bones in his neck and was warned that if he rode again and broke it he would be paralysed.
Colin was a full England International and rode in two World Team Cup Finals. He also qualified for the World Championship Final in 1967were he was 13th.
In 1979 he became co-promoter at Rye House then in 1983 spent a season as Team Manager of King's Lynn Stars before becoming Promoter at Cradley Heath a year later. He stayed at Cradley until 1996 when he became co-promoter of London Lions who were based at Hackney's old stadium. The promotion closed after one season so he moved to join Bradford Dukes as team manager
In 1988 he joined Coventry as promoter and he has been there ever since in various roles
2. IVOR BROWN
NICKNAME: HOVIS THE BROWN BOMBER
CAREER HISTORY
1953-57 Leicester Hunters
1958-60 Yarmouth Bloaters
1961-68 Cradey Heath Heathens
Born in Wymeswold, Leics. Ivor started speedway racing at Long eaton in 1952 following earlier grass track riding. He moved to riding in second halves at Birmingham and Leicester before he made a few team appearances for the Hunters between 1953 and 1957. However, it was at Yarmouth that he made regular team appearances and became skipper of the Bloaters in the Southern area League and in 1960 the Provincial League when he scored 176 points from 18 matches.
When Yarmouth closed he moved to Cradley Heath where he topped the Provincial League Averages and the team won the Knock Out Cup twice in four years. In 1965, which saw the formation of the British League, he rode in the Internationale at Wimbledon were he sustained serious injuries to his lower spine in a clash with Ove Fundin. Although he returned to racing that season his form dipped and with further injuries he retired at the end o the 1968 season.
Ivor leads Ivan Mauger
In eight seasons with Cradley he averaged close to ten points per match. After retiring he became promoter at Long Eaton and then Scunthorpe.
Sadly Ivor passed away in 2005 aged 77. In 2011 a trophy named in his honour was contested by Leicester Lions and Dudley Heathens.
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