| Boston Barracudas | |||||||||||
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| Club information | |||||||||||
| Track address | Boston Sports Stadium (1970–1987) King's Lynn Stadium (2000–2008) | ||||||||||
| Country | England | ||||||||||
| Founded | 1970 | ||||||||||
| Closed | 2008 | ||||||||||
| Club facts | |||||||||||
| Colours | Blue and White | ||||||||||
| Track size | 342 metres | ||||||||||
| Major team honours | |||||||||||
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The Boston Barracudas were a speedway team that competed from 1970 to 1987 and again from 2000 to 2008. the team were based at Boston Sports Stadium in New Hammond Beck Road, Boston, Lincolnshire. [1]
The Boston Barracudas were founded mid-season in 1970 by promoters Cyril Crane and Gordon Perkins. Planning permission was received to construct a track at the Boston Sports Stadium and the promoters bought the second tier team known as the King's Lynn Starlets from Maurice Littlechild. [2] The Barracudas first home fixture was an inter-counties cup match against Peterborough Panthers on 16 August. [3] The team fulfilled the remaining King's Lynn fixtures and finished the season in 13th place. [4]
The team continued to compete in the second division and during the 1973 British League Division Two season completed the league and cup double by finishing 1st in the league table and winning the Knockout Cup. [5] [6] The team led by Arthur Price was backed up by Carl Glover, who had improved his average significantly to 9.62 and six other riders who posted averages from 8.42 to 6.88. [7]
The remainder of the decade was less successful and from 1975 they competed in the National League (the new name for division 2). Also in 1975, the Barracudas signed 16-year-old Michael Lee on loan from King's Lynn. Lee would be a world champion just 5 years later. [8] With no Price, Glover or Lee, the team could only record a best finish of 7th in 1977.
With riders such as David Gagen and Rob Hollingworth, Boston were consistent but were unable to challenge for honours. In late 1984 promoter Cyril Crane was unhappy over new rules and wanted to sell his promotion rights. [9] Despite signing riders for 1985, the club withdrew from the league just days before the start of the season, when Crane relinquished his interests. [10]
The team soon returned for the 1986 season, under a new promotion team of Richard Green, David Cox and Glen Norton. [11] However, after just one season the team entered 1987 and suffered heavy defeats and financial issues. This resulted in the Barracudas withdrawing mid-season with the last fixture being a heavy home defeat to Eastbourne on 1 August 1987, the Barracudas results were expunged. [12] [13]
In 2000 the club was reformed and entered the third tier Conference League but riding at King's Lynn Stadium because the Boston Sports Stadium had closed in 1987. During the 2000 Speedway Conference League the team finished 4th and won the Conference League Knockout Cup defeating Rye House Rockets in the final. [14] [15]
The team won the 2003 Conference Trophy riding as the Boston Barracuda-Braves and competed up to the end of the 2008 Speedway Conference League season. The last honours for the club were two consecutive Pairs Championship wins in 2007, won by Paul Cooper and Simon Lambert [16] and 2008, when won by James Cockle and Lambert. [17]
King's Lynn Stars are a motorcycle speedway team who compete in the SGB Premiership. The nickname "Stars" was adopted from the defunct Norwich Stars team. The team was founded in 1965 and has been running continually since then, except for 1996 when King's Lynn failed to have a team competing in the British league system.
The Scunthorpe Scorpions are a motorcycle speedway team in the British SGB Championship. They have raced at various times since 1971, at three different venues.
The Mildenhall Fen Tigers are a British speedway team, founded in 1975, who last raced in the National Development League during 2023.
Michael Andrew Lee is a British former international speedway rider who won the World Championship in 1980. He earned 72 international caps for the England national speedway team.
The 1997 Elite League speedway season was the 63rd season of the top tier of speedway in the United Kingdom. It was the first season of a new league known as the Elite League and was governed by the Speedway Control Board (SCB), in conjunction with the British Speedway Promoters' Association (BSPA).
The 1977 Gulf British League season was the 43rd season of the top tier of motorcycle speedway in the United Kingdom and the 13th season known as the British League.
The 1973 British League Division Two season was the second tier of motorcycle speedway in Great Britain.
The 1977 National League was contested as the second division of Speedway in the United Kingdom.
Colin Cook is an English former motorcycle speedway rider who rode for Ipswich Witches and Leicester Lions in the British League, before spending eight successive seasons with the Exeter Falcons.
Carl Glover is a former motorcycle speedway rider from England. He earned one international cap for the England national speedway team and later managed the national team in 1984.
The 1985 National League was contested as the second division of motorcycle speedway in the United Kingdom.
The 2007 Speedway Conference League was the third tier/division of British speedway.
The 2000 Speedway Conference League was the third tier/division of British speedway.
The 2008 Speedway Conference League was the third tier/division of British speedway.
Matthew James Wethers is a motorcycle speedway rider from Australia.
David Peter Gagen is a former speedway rider from England.
Kevin Jolly is an English former motorcycle speedway rider. He earned six international caps for the England national speedway team.
Robert Hollingworth is a former motorcycle speedway rider from England.
Graham Alan Jones is a former motorcycle speedway rider from England.
Dave Trownson is a former motorcycle speedway rider from England.
United Kingdom Speedway Seasons | ||
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| Tier One League Top division |
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| Tier Two League Second division |
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| Tier Three League Third division | ||
| Champions | ||
