Dean Barker (speedway rider)

Last updated

Dean Barker
Born(1970-08-02)2 August 1970
Isleworth, Middlesex, England
NationalityBritish (English)
Career history
Great Britain
1986–1989,
1993–1995, 1997,
1999–2003, 2005–2007
Eastbourne Eagles
1987–1988 Cradley Heathens
1990–1992 Oxford Cheetahs
2004 Arena Essex Hammers
Sweden
2002 Luxo Stars
Team honours
1995, 2000 PL/EL (tier 1)
1994, 1997, 2002 BL/EL KO Cup (tier 1)
1986, 1987 NL (tier 2)
1986, 1987 NL KO Cup (tier 2)

Dean Barker (born 2 August 1970) is a former British international motorcycle speedway rider who competed at the sports highest level until his retirement in 2007. [1] [2] He earned 14 caps for the England national speedway team and 4 caps for the Great Britain national speedway team. [3]

Speedway career

Barker first rode for Eastbourne Eagles during the 1986 National League season, although he only appeared in 14 matches that season he contributed to a league and cup double winning season for the south coast club. [4] The following season in 1987, Barker and Eastbourne repeated the success to record the 'double double'. [5]

He was one of Eastbourne's leading riders by the time Oxford Cheetahs came in to sign him for the 1990 British League season, where he would ride alongside Hans Nielsen. [6] In 1993 and 1994, [7] he returned to Eastbourne and was an integral part of the Eagles team that won the 1994 Knockout Cup and 1995 Premier League. [1] [8]

He won another Knockout Cup in 1997 but suffered serious injuries that forced him to miss two entire seasons in 1996 with a broken leg and 1998 with a broken arm. [9] However, after making a successful comeback in 1999 he won the Elite League in 2000 and the Knockout Cup in 2002.

His farewell meeting in 2009 celebrated a career which included highlights of becoming Eastbourne Eagles captain and racing to podiums in major competitions such as the British Under 21 Championship and the British Championship. [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Loram</span> British motorcycle speedway rider

Mark Roysten Gregory Loram is a British former motorcycle speedway rider, who won the World Speedway Championship in 2000 and won the British Championship in 1997, 1999, and 2001. He earned 36 international caps for the England national speedway team and 10 caps for the Great Britain team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastbourne Eagles</span> English former motorcycle speedway team, based in Eastbourne, East Sussex

The Eastbourne Eagles were a British motorcycle speedway team, based at Arlington Stadium, near Eastbourne, England. They were founded in 1929 and are two times champions of Britain in 1995 and 2000. The team last raced on 31 July 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cradley Heathens</span> Former motorcycle speedway team

Cradley Heathens were a motorcycle speedway team from Dudley, England. The team was founded in 1947 and competed primarily at the top level of British speedway at Dudley Wood Stadium until its closure in 1995. The team was revived as Dudley Heathens in 2010, competing in the National League, reverting to the Cradley Heathens name in 2013 but ceased operating after the 2019 season.

<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">Simon Wigg</span> British motorcycle speedway rider

Simon Antony Wigg was an English speedway, grasstrack and longtrack rider. He won five World Long Track Championships and finished runner-up in the Speedway World Championship in 1989. He earned 57 international caps for the England national speedway team.

Alan William Grahame was a British motorcycle speedway rider, who rode for the England national speedway team.

Philip David Collins is a former motorcycle speedway rider. He finished runner-up with England in the World Team Cup final in 1984 and third in 1985. He was British Under-21 Champion in 1978. His transfer from Ellesmere Port to Cradley Heath in 1978 for £15,000 was a record transfer fee at the time.

Martin Robert Dugard is a former English international motorcycle speedway rider, who spent much of his career with the Eastbourne Eagles and Oxford Cheetahs.

David Michael Norris is a former British international motorcycle speedway rider. He earned 20 international caps for the England national speedway team and 8 caps for the Great Britain team.

Jan Erik Peter Nahlin is a former Motorcycle speedway rider who became the 1988 World Under-21 Champion. He earned 32 caps for the Sweden national speedway team.

The 1994 British League season was the 60th season of the top tier of speedway in the United Kingdom and the 30th and final season known as the British League.

The 1991 British League season was the 57th season of the top tier of speedway in the United Kingdom and the 27th known as the British League.

The 1987 British League season was the 53rd season of the top tier of speedway in the United Kingdom and the 23rd known as the British League.

The 1990 British League season was the 56th season of the top tier of speedway in the United Kingdom and the 26th known as the British League.

The 1995 Premier League season was the 61st season of the top tier of speedway in the United Kingdom. It was also the first for the new league, and the first of two seasons in which British speedway was competed as a single division.

The 2015 National League was the seventh season of the National League, the third tier of British speedway. The Cradley Heathens were the defending champions after winning the competition in 2014.

Thomas Brennan is a British Motorcycle speedway rider.

Jason Edwards is a British motorcycle speedway rider.

Lance Alan King is a former speedway rider from the United States. He earned 47 international caps for the United States national speedway team.

Cyril Maurice Squibb was an international motorcycle speedway rider from England. He earned four international caps for the England national speedway team and four caps for the Great Britain team.

References

  1. 1 2 "Speedway riders, history and results". wwosbackup. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  2. "2008 Rider index" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
  3. "ULTIMATE RIDER INDEX, 1929-2022" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
  4. "Speedway" . Daily Mirror. 3 November 1986. Retrieved 27 October 2023 via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. "History Archive". British Speedway. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  6. Bamford/Shailes, Robert/Glynn (2007). The Story of Oxford Speedway. Tempus Publishing Ltd. pp. 143–144. ISBN   978-0-7524-4161-0.
  7. "Eagles land six of England's best" . Coventry Evening Telegraph. 7 March 1994. Retrieved 7 September 2024 via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. "Dean Barker". Cradley Speedway. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
  9. "Dean Barkwer biography". Cradley Speedway. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
  10. "Speedway star Barker bids fond farewell". Eastbourne Herald. Retrieved 23 January 2010.