 | |
| 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) 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 [2] where he rode for the next two seasons, before Rye House Rockets for 5 seasons [3] [4] [5] [6] as the stadium was sold and team relocated under the promotion of Len Silver. [7] 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.
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.
Victor John Harding was a motorcycle speedway rider.
Colin George Pratt was a British motorcycle speedway rider and later promoter of the Coventry Bees who compete in the British Elite League. He earned 14 international caps for the England national speedway team and 7 caps for the Great Britain team. He was later the manager of the Great Britain national team from 1979 to 1980 and from 1986 to 1993.
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.
Barry John Thomas is a former motorcycle speedway rider. He spent 20 consecutive seasons at the Hackney Wick Stadium and earned 26 international caps for the England national speedway team.
Finn Thomsen is a former motorcycle speedway rider from Denmark. He earned 30 caps for the Denmark national speedway team.
Raymond Wilson is a former international motorcycle speedway rider who was World Pairs Champion in 1972 and British Speedway Champion in 1973, was also England Team Captain for five years in the early 1970s. He was the first Englishman to record a maximum score in a World Team Cup Final. He earned 72 international caps for the England national speedway team and 36 caps for the Great Britain team.
Kelvin John Mullarkey was a motorcycle speedway rider from England.
Ashley Lawrence Pullen was a speedway rider from England.
Jens Rasmussen is a former speedway rider from Denmark. He earned 17 caps for the Denmark national speedway team.
Peter Edward Jarman was a motorcycle speedway rider from England.
Dennis Clifford Dunton was an English international motorcycle speedway rider and promoter who reached the final of the Speedway World Championship in 1950, achieving 12th place with 5 points. As well as riding, Dunton promoted Peterborough Panthers and co-promoted Oxford Cheetahs, then Oxford Rebels and finally White City Rebels.
Robert Charles Cooper is a British former motorcycle speedway rider who rode for Leicester Lions and Rye House Rockets.
Karol Roman Fiala better known as Karl Fiala, is a former motorcycle speedway rider from England.
Laurie Etheridge is a former international motorcycle speedway rider from England. He earned one international cap for the England national speedway team.
Edward Raymond Hubbard nicknamed "Hurricane Hubbard" was a motorcycle speedway rider in National League (speedway) and British League.
Brian Woodward was a motorcycle speedway rider from Wales, who rode in the National League (speedway) and British League.
Hackney Speedway opened in 1935 at Hackney Wick Stadium, Waterden Road, London, and operated until 1996. The team raced under various names, known as Hackney Wick Wolves, Hackney Hawks, Hackney Kestrels and London Lions.