Canterbury Crusaders (speedway)

Last updated

Canterbury Crusaders
Canterbury Crusaders speedway logo.png
Club information
Track address Kingsmead Stadium
Kingsmead Road
Canterbury
Kent
CountryEngland
Founded1968
Closed1987
Club facts
ColoursBlue and Gold
Track size360 metres (390 yd)
Major team honours
NL/BL tier 2 champions1970, 1978
British League Div Two KO Cup winners1968
National League Pairs champions

The Canterbury Crusaders were a motorcycle speedway team who operated from the Kingsmead Stadium, Kingsmead Road, Canterbury from 1968 to 1987. [1] For all of their 20-year existence, the Crusaders operated at the second level of British league speedway, in British League Division Two and the National League. [2]

Contents

History

Origins and 1960s

Kingsmead Stadium Canterbury Kingsmead Stadium c.1980.png
Kingsmead Stadium

In early 1968 speedway promoter Johnnie Hoskins held a test fixture for councillors to make a judgement on the noise levels and whether to allow speedway to take place around Kingsmead Stadium. [3] After speedway was given the green light, the team known as the Crusaders were founder members of British League Division Two. [4] The first league meeting at Kingsmead, on 18 May 1968, [5] saw the Crusaders narrowly lose a British League Division Two fixture 38–39 to Belle Vue Colts. The Colts and the Crusaders had contested the first ever Division Two fixture ten days previously at Belle Vue on 8 May, when the Colts won 55–23. [6] In their inaugural season the team, led by Peter Murray and Barry Crowson, won the Knockout Cup, defeating Reading Racers in the final. [7]

1970s

Crusaders away at Oxford in 1977 Oxford v Canterbury 1977.jpg
Crusaders away at Oxford in 1977

In just their third season in 1970, the Crusaders' won their first league title [8] despite losing Peter Murray and Martyn Piddock. [9] New Zealander Graeme Smith was signed from Hackney, Barry Crowson returned and Barry Thomas improved significantly to help Canterbury win the league by two points clear of Eastbourne Eagles. [10]

The next five seasons from 1971 to 1975, were a struggle for the Crusaders with a best finish of 10th. [11] Barney Kennett, Steve Koppe and Les Rumsey were brought in during this period and helped the Crusaders recover to consecutive 4th places.

In 1977, the promoters Johnnie Hoskins and Wally Mawdsley had to go to court in order to keep the Kingsmead track open after complaints of noise from local residents. The following year during the 1978 National League season, the Crusaders managed to win a second championship. [12] Although finishing equal on 60 points with Newcastle Diamonds, they won by virtue of the fact that their race points difference was greater than their rival. The Crusaders scoring was led by Rumsey, Riders' champion Koppe and Mike Ferreira. [13] Unfortunately the season was tainted by the death of rider Graham Banks during a grasstrack meeting. [14]

1980s

The 1981 season brought an individual title for Zimbabwean Mike Ferreira and a pairs championship success for Ferreira and his countrymate Denzil Kent. [15] The team's performances were significantly less successful as hey failed to climb into the top ten from 1980 to 1987. The leading rider for the Crusaders at the time was Dave Mullett.

In 1986, Wally Mawdsley retired and the lease was taken over by Chris Galvin (father of Andy Galvin). [16] Galvin would allow the Canterbury riders to practice on his Iwade training track but unfortunately the team was forced to disband on 31 October 1987, when the Canterbury Council refused to renew the Kingsmead Stadium lease. [17] [18]

The final Crusaders fixture took place at Kingsmead on 31 October 1987, when Canterbury defeated Rye House Rockets 49–29 in the second leg of the Kent/Herts Trophy. [6] Greyhound racing continued at Kingsmead until 1999 but the site is now a housing estate. [19]

Notable riders

The longest serving rider was Barney Kennett who rode for the Crusaders from 1971 until 1984.

Season summary

Extended content
Year and leaguePositionNotes
1968 British League Division Two season 7thKnockout Cup winner
1969 British League Division Two season 6th
1970 British League Division Two season 1st Champions
1971 British League Division Two season 14th
1972 British League Division Two season 13th
1973 British League Division Two season 15th
1974 British League Division Two season 10th
1975 New National League season 10th
1976 National League season 4th
1977 National League season 4th
1978 National League season 1st Champions
1979 National League season 10th
1980 National League season 18th
1981 National League season 14thPairs winners
1982 National League season 16th
1983 National League season 15th
1984 National League season 12th
1985 National League season 16th
1986 National League season 15th
1987 National League season 13th

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rye House Rockets</span> British motorcycle speedway team

The Rye House Rockets were a speedway team based at Rye House Stadium, Hoddesdon, England. They competed in various British speedway leagues from 1954 to 2018.

The Sittingbourne Crusaders formerly the Iwade Kent Crusaders were a British speedway team based in Iwade, Kent. England who raced in the Conference League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gordon Kennett</span> English speedway rider (1953–2023)

Gordon William Kennett was an English motorcycle speedway rider. In 1978, he won the World Pairs Championship and finished runner-up to Ole Olsen in the 1978 Individual Speedway World Championship, at Wembley. He earned 53 international caps for the England national speedway team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edward Kennett</span>

Edward David Kennett is a motorcycle speedway rider. He was the British Under-21 Champion in 2005 and has appeared in two Speedway Grand Prix as a wild card. He has recently retired from the sport due to injury.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crayford Kestrels</span>

The Crayford Kestrels were a Speedway team which operated from 1968 until their closure in 1983. They were based at Crayford & Bexleyheath Stadium in Crayford.

The 1972 British League season was the 38th season of the top tier of speedway in the United Kingdom and the eighth season of the British League.

The 1975 Gulf Oil British League season was the 41st season of the top tier of motorcycle speedway in the United Kingdom and the 11th season known as the British League.

The 1976 Gulf British League season was the 42nd season of the top tier of speedway in the United Kingdom and the 12th season known as the British League.

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 1968 British League Division Two season was the inaugural season of a second tier of motorcycle speedway in Great Britain.

The 1970 British League Division Two season was the third season of second tier motorcycle speedway in Great Britain.

The 1972 British League Division Two season was the second tier of motorcycle speedway in Great Britain.

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.

The 1978 National League was contested as the second division of Speedway in the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barney Kennett</span> British motorcycle racer

Brian Kennett better known as Barney Kennett is a former motorcycle speedway rider from England, who raced in the British National League. Born in Orpington, he is part of a speedway family which includes brothers Gordon Kennett and Dave Kennett, and nephew Edward Kennett.

David John Mullett is a former international speedway rider from England. He earned three international caps for the England national speedway team.

Iwade Speedway is a motorcycle speedway venue approximately four miles north of Sittingbourne in Kent. The track is located off Old Ferry Road, on the site of a former gun site.

Barry Michael Crowson is a former motorcycle speedway rider from England.

Graeme john Smith is a former motorcycle speedway rider from New Zealand. He earned two international caps for the New Zealand national speedway team.

References

  1. ↑ Bamford, R & Jarvis J.(2001). Homes of British Speedway. ISBN   0-7524-2210-3
  2. ↑ "Canterbury Speedway". Defunct Speedway. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
  3. ↑ "Speedway goes on trial" . Kentish Express. 16 February 1968. Retrieved 25 September 2024– via British Newspaper Archive.
  4. ↑ Rogers, Martin (1978). The Illustrated History of Speedway. Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd. p. 129. ISBN   0-904584-45-3.
  5. ↑ "Grand Opening Meeting" . Kentish Express. 10 May 1968. Retrieved 2 March 2024– via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. 1 2 "Year by Year". Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
  7. ↑ "Season 1968" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  8. ↑ Bott, Richard (1980). The Peter Collins Speedway Book No.4. Stanley Paul & Co Ltd. ISBN   0-09-141751-1.
  9. ↑ "Crusaders lose riders Murray and Piddock" . Kentish Express. 13 March 1970. Retrieved 27 September 2024– via British Newspaper Archive.
  10. ↑ Rogers, Martin (1978). The Illustrated History of Speedway. Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd. ISBN   0-904584-45-3.
  11. ↑ "Speedway Teams UK 1970-1975". Cyber Motorcycle. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  12. ↑ "British League Tables - British League Era (1965-1990)". Official British Speedway website. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
  13. ↑ Oakes, Peter (1981). 1981 Speedway Yearbook. Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd. p. 101. ISBN   0-86215-017-5.
  14. ↑ "Crusaders star killed in accident" . Whitstable Times and Herne Bay Herald. 9 June 1978. Retrieved 27 September 2024– via British Newspaper Archive.
  15. ↑ "1981 season results" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  16. ↑ "New promoter at Kingsmead" . Kentish Gazette. 1 August 1986. Retrieved 29 February 2024– via British Newspaper Archive.
  17. ↑ Bamford, R & Jarvis J.(2001). Homes of British Speedway. ISBN   0-7524-2210-3
  18. ↑ "Speedway is family sport" . Kentish Gazette. 10 July 1987. Retrieved 27 September 2024– via British Newspaper Archive.
  19. ↑ Jacobs, N. Speedway in the South East. ISBN   0-7524-2725-3
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.