 | |
| Born | 25 November 1944 Guernsey, Channel Islands |
|---|---|
| Nationality | British (Channel Islander) |
| Career history | |
| 1969-1970 | Eastbourne Eagles |
| 1970-1971 | Rayleigh Rockets |
| 1970-1974 | Hackney Hawks |
| 1975-1979 | Rye House Rockets |
| Team honours | |
| 1971 | British League KO Cup Winner |
| 1979 | National League KO Cup Winner |
| 1971, 1973 | London Cup Winner |
Hugh Saunders (born 25 November 1944 in Guernsey, Channel Islands) is a former speedway rider from Guernsey, who competed in the National League. [1]
Saunders started his speedway career with Eastbourne Eagles where he rode for two seasons. Then a move to Rayleigh Rockets where he rode for the next two seasons, before Rye House Rockets for 5 seasons [2] [3] [4] as the stadium was sold and team relocated under the promotion of Len Silver. [5] With Len Silver, Hugh Saunders rode for other teams run by this promoter, namely Hackney Hawks in the interim between Rayleigh and Rye House.
In his final season in the sport in 1979, Saunders won the National League Knockout Cup with Rye House. On 17 September 1979, racing at Newcastle's Brough Park, he dislocated his ankle and ended his career. A year later he returned for his own testimonial, to ride as reserve in a team of old friends named, for the day, the "Hughgonuts" but broke his leg in his first outing and missed the rest of the event and the post-match celebrations.
Hackney Hawks speedway opened in 1963 at Hackney Wick Stadium, Waterden Road, London, England, and operated until 1983. The team replaced the Hackney Wick Wolves who had raced at the stadium from 1935 to 1939. The Hawks were then themselves replaced by the Hackney Kestrels.
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.
Len Silver is a former motorcycle speedway rider and is former promoter of the Rye House Rockets.
The Rayleigh Rockets were a Speedway team which operated from 1949 until their closure in 1973 from the Rayleigh Weir Stadium in Rayleigh, Essex.
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