83-537: The Swindon Robins are an motorcycle speedway team from England, established in 1949 that have competed primarily in the top division of speedway league competition in the United Kingdom. They are five times league champions of the United Kingdom. The club have raced at the Abbey Stadium since their inception but since 2020 have been unable to race at the stadium. The formation of the club followed
166-615: A few laps one Sunday morning, the noise attracted the attention of the Showground committee and approval to race at the "Electric Light Festival" was won. Motorcycle racing under lights was a huge success and its promoter was New Zealand-born John S. Hoskins. These pioneers introduced the Speedway signatures of No Left Footpeg and the Steel Shoe, ironically fashioned from worn coal shovels, manufactured in this Steel region. Following
249-582: A lesser extent in Australia and North America. A variant of track racing , speedway is administered internationally by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). Domestic speedway events are regulated by FIM-affiliated national motor sport federations . The early history of speedway race meetings is a subject of much debate and controversy. There is evidence to show that meetings were held on small dirt tracks in Australia and
332-788: A loan spell with Belle Vue Aces and was part of the Reading team that won the Fours championship. In 1994, whilst on loan again to the Swindon Robins , he won the British League Division Two Pairs Championship , partnering Tony Langdon , during the 1994 British League Division Two season . He returned to the Racers in 1995 and in his final season in 1996 he was voted 'Rider of the Year' by
415-426: A maximum length of 30 centimetres (12 in)) attached to the rider's right wrist." The high compression ratio of the engine can also assist in slowing down a machine; if the throttle is closed, the engine may stop. Riders can stop the bike by deliberately laying down the bike on the track, and this technique is used to avoid riders who fall in front of pursuing opponents. Before cut-outs were introduced, an engine
498-416: A record time of 59 seconds on a 342 metres (1,122 ft) track and produced an average speed of 83 km/h (51.86 mph). The speed on straight sections of the track reaches 110 km/h (70 mph) or more on longer tracks, but the limited speed on curves lowers the average. At the start of a race it takes between one and two seconds for the motorcycle to reach the "curve speed" (somewhat lower than
581-422: A rider with a scheduled ride may go out for double points, in which the riders points will be doubled if he beats a rider of the opposing team. Any rider taking a tactical substitute ride or double points ride is denoted by a black and white helmet colour as rather than one of the four usual coloured helmets. If that rider remains unbeaten by either opposition rider his scored points are doubled and also count towards
664-716: A second job, or amateurs. The United Kingdom has three main domestic leagues, the SGB Premiership , the SGB Championship , and the National League , as well as three 'junior' amateur leagues. It also has a youth championship. Speedway is one of the most popular sports in Poland and is governed by the Main Commission for Speedway Sport (Główna Komisja Sportu Żużlowego, GKSŻ) which is a part of
747-426: A series of meetings over the space of a week in the summer. The final World Cup Champions were Poland in 2017. The Speedway World Pairs Championship was an annual speedway event held each year in different countries. Competing countries picked their top two riders to represent them (or in some cases, those who were available). The first competition was held in 1970 and the final competition was held in 1993. From 1994
830-608: A smaller scale, competitions are also held in Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czechia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Ukraine and the United States. Some countries' top divisions feature highly paid star riders. In smaller countries and lower divisions, riders may be part-timers with
913-474: Is a motorcycle sport involving four and sometimes up to six riders competing over four anti-clockwise laps of an oval circuit. The motorcycles are specialist machines that use only one gear and have no brakes . Racing takes place on a flat oval track usually consisting of dirt , loosely packed shale , or crushed rock (mostly used in Australia and New Zealand). Competitors use this surface to slide their machines sideways, powersliding or broadsiding into
SECTION 10
#1732776205915996-581: Is a Swedish former international motorcycle speedway rider. He was a member of the Swedish team that finished third in the 1988 and 1989 World Team Cup finals. He earned 26 caps for the Sweden national speedway team . Born on the Norland Island Gotland, Tony Olsson began his career with the club Bysarna. In 1982, he made his debut for the senior team and already 1983 he won Rider of
1079-493: Is argued that they are easier to handle. As speedway bikes do not use brakes , the clutch is used as a release mechanism at the start of races. FIM regulations state that the motorcycles must have no brakes , are fueled by pure methanol , use only one gear and weigh a minimum of 77 kilograms (170 lb). By using engine and rear wheel sprockets the gear ratio can be adjusted as required for track conditions. The use of methanol allows for an increased compression ratio to
1162-399: Is divided into a grid of four equal parts and the riders from each team must take their place in alternate grids or "gates". The colours also denote starting positions in individual events; Red is the inside gate (gate 1), blue starts from gate 2, white starts from gate 3 and yellow/black starts on the outside (gate 4). When an event dictates that there is a fifth rider at the start line, gate 3
1245-504: Is halfway along one of the two straight sections of the track. Starting gates are simple spring-loaded mechanisms that raise two or three strands of tape to start the race. The FIM regulations require licensed tracks to provide a garage or pit area for motorcycles as well as medical and press facilities. Track boundaries are marked by white lines or barriers on the inside and outside the track, any rider who crosses this boundary with both wheels will be disqualified unless they only did so in
1328-509: Is known as a tape infringement and can result in a false start being recorded and the rider penalised (disqualified, or in league matches in Great Britain, a 15-metre penalty or replace the disqualified rider with a team reserve). The race is started with the raising of the start tape mechanism operated by the match referee and the riders must proceed around the track in an anti-clockwise direction without both wheels illegally leaving
1411-472: Is measured at a distance of 1 metre (3.3 ft) from the inner boundary. Tracks may be banked, but the gradient must under no circumstances exceed 5% in the straight, 10% in the bends, and must remain constant and grow from the inner edge to the safety fence. A white start line is marked across the track approximately mid-way along one of the straights. The starting area is also divided into four equal parts (known as gates) by white lines marked at right angles to
1494-428: Is moved to the centre with a green helmet colour, and white and yellow (or yellow/black) take gates 4 and 5 respectively. Riders must be able to get their bikes to the start line under their own power, without any external assistance and not by pushing the machine, then line up in parallel. A rider who is not at the start line within a reasonable period of time is also liable to be disqualified, although league matches in
1577-427: Is scheduled to ride four or five times. The team with the most points at the end of the meeting is the winner. Most league seasons end with play-offs – a series of meetings between the highest finishing teams to determine a league champion. The champions may be promoted to a higher division and the team finishing at the bottom are in some countries relegated to a lower division. The majority of countries supplement
1660-967: Is the current (2019) World Champion. The annual British Grand Prix is currently held at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff , Wales. Scoring in Grand Prix events changed in 2005 with riders scoring 3–2–1–0 in their races and these points being carried forward to decide the winner of each Grand Prix. At the end of the series the highest scorer becomes the world champion. World Speedway Champions include Ivan Mauger (six-time World Champion), fellow New Zealander Barry Briggs (four times), Ole Olsen (three times), Ove Fundin (five times), Lionel Van Praag (inaugural World Champion in 1936), Hans Nielsen (nicknamed "The Professor", four-time World Champion), Tony Rickardsson (six times), Erik Gundersen and Jason Crump , both three-time World Champions, and
1743-414: Is the second oldest Motorcycle Speedway track in the world. However, its first recorded motorcycle race was much earlier in 1908. The first Australian Motorcycle Speedway Championship was held at Newcastle Showground in 1926. Ironically it was won by American rider Cec Brown. Visiting English and American racers were common, for they were highly paid showmen, often winning a year's salary in just one night. It
SECTION 20
#17327762059151826-940: The Polish Motor Union Polski Związek Motorowy (PZM). The PZM is a member of the FIM and the Union Européenne de Motocyclisme (UEM). The Polish Extraleague has the highest average attendances for any sport in Poland. The first speedway meetings in Poland were held in the 1930s and league racing began in 1948. There are three championships in Poland: individual (IMP), pairs (MPPK) and team (the DMP consisting of three leagues). The Junior under-21 championships also has three competitions: individual (MIMP), pairs (MMPPK) and team (MDMP). There are three leagues: Extraleague , First League and Second League . In
1909-698: The Under-21 Individual World Championship . In total, seven Polish riders have been World Champions at Under-21 level. Speedway in Sweden is governed by the Swedish Motorcycle and Snowmobile Federation (SVEMO) . The first Swedish speedway league was founded in 1948 and copied the British format of league racing, including adopting the Swedish version of several British teams nicknames. The Elite League ( Elitserien )
1992-676: The 1930 Scottish Championship which was won by Wembley Lions' Harry Whitfield . The forerunner of the World Championship, the Star Riders' Championship , was inaugurated in Great Britain in 1929, but was split into two sections, as it was felt that the British riders were not yet the equal of the Australians and Americans. Frank Arthur won the Overseas Section and Roger Frogley the British. The following year
2075-497: The 1930s, with the official World Championship first held in 1936 . The present FIM Speedway Grand Prix (SGP) championship organised by Speedway Grand Prix (Discovery Sports Events since 2015) has taken place since 1995. The SGP uses a scoring system based on each riders overall final position. The rider who has gained the most points at the end of the tournament is declared the World Champion . Polish rider Bartosz Zmarzlik
2158-719: The 2022 season, the Extraleague and First League had eight teams competing and the Second League had seven teams. The GKSŻ organizes the Golden Helmet (Jerzy Szczakiel Memorial), Silver Helmet (Under-21) and Bronze Helmet (Under-19) competitions. Individual meetings such as the Criterium of Polish Speedway League Aces – Mieczysław Połukard Memorial , Alfred Smoczyk Memorial , Edward Jancarz Memorial, Jerzy Szczakiel Memorial and Individual international championship of
2241-583: The Allsvenskan, the top four teams at the end of each season ride in the play-offs in semi-finals and a final. The Allsvenskan Division One is the third tier of Swedish speedway with seven teams. The team finishing the season in first place are champions and can apply for promotion to the Allsvenskan, subject to having suitable facilities and sufficient finances. Other competitions include the Swedish Individual Championship and
2324-627: The Ekstraliga named after Zenon Plech are also popular. The Polish National team are the final champions of the now-defunct Speedway World Cup , having won the competition eight times in all. Poland has produced three Individual World Champions , Jerzy Szczakiel in 1973, Tomasz Gollob in 2010 and Bartosz Zmarzlik in 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023 and 2024. The Polish junior team won the Under-21 World Championship in 2005 and 2006 and since 2003 four Polish juniors have won
2407-497: The FIM occasionally sanctions the use of stadiums that install temporary tracks such as the British Grand Prix held at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff . Speedway uses a unique type of motorcycle, governed by the FIM's "Track Racing Technical Rules". In the past, bikes with upright engines were used (the name taken from the way the engine sits in the frame), but today most professional riders use laydown bikes as it
2490-592: The Robins in 2008 and part of the 2009 season. Alun Rossiter also returned as team manager after a 2-year spell with Coventry, with whom he won the Elite League in 2010. In 2012, the Robins won the Elite League title after beating the Poole Pirates 95–89 on aggregate following a 45-year wait for glory. In 2013, 2014 and 2015, the Robins made the semi-finals of the playoffs, but failed to advance further. At
2573-663: The Robins won the Premier League Four-Team Championship , which was held on 27 July, at the Abbey Stadium. In 2004, the club returned once again to the top league, which was now called the Elite League and won the Elite League Pairs Championship in both 2004 and 2005. From 2006 until 2009 the Robins reached four consecutive play offs. During the 2009 Elite League speedway season the Robins finished first in
Swindon Robins - Misplaced Pages Continue
2656-673: The Swedish Junior Individual Championship. The Swedish Individual Championship is contested by 18 riders in a Grand Prix format with 20 heats. The Junior Individual Championship is for riders aged twenty-one years and under. Speedway in Denmark is administered by Danmarks Motor Union (DMU) . The sport was introduced into Denmark in the 1930s but it didn't boom until the 1970s. Notable Danish speedway riders today include – Nicki Pedersen, Bjarne Pedersen and Hans Nørgaard Andersen. Former rider, Ole Olsen won
2739-524: The UK allow teams to elect to start the disqualified rider fifteen metres back from the tapes or replace the disqualified rider with a team reserve. This period of time is standardised to two minutes from a time determined by the match referee and usually indicated by a bell, a rotating orange lamp or a digital clock readout. All riders must be at the tapes under their own power before the two minutes have elapsed. Additional time between races will be allowed by, and at
2822-677: The UK to feature bikes with no brakes and broadsiding round corners on loose dirt was the third meeting held at High Beech on 9 April 1928, where Colin Watson , Alf Medcalf and "Digger" Pugh demonstrated the art for the first time in the UK. Proto speedway was staged in Glasgow at the Olympic Stadium (Glasgow Nelson) on 9 April 1928 and the first fully professional meeting was staged at Celtic Park on 28 April 1928. The first meeting in Wales
2905-487: The United States before World War I . On 13 November 1905 motorcycle racing was held at the Newcastle NSW Rugby Ground, a distance of approximately 440 yards. American rider Don Johns was known to have used broadsiding before 1914. It was said that he would ride the entire race course wide open, throwing great showers of dirt into the air at each turn. By the early 1920s, Johns' style of cornering
2988-457: The World Championship three times and his success helped popularise the sport in Denmark. Since retiring Olsen has become an FIM Speedway Grand Prix race director. A popular Danish rider in the 1960s was Arne Pander, and in the 1980s Erik Gundersen, Jan O Pedersen and Hans Nielsen (who was also an active racer through the 1990s). Tony Olsson John Tony Olsson (born 13 March 1965 in Visby )
3071-657: The World Pairs was merged with the World Team Cup. As of 2018, a new pairs championship, the Speedway of Nations , has now replaced the Speedway World Cup on the sport's calendar. Most European countries run their own domestic speedway leagues. The FIM affiliated governing bodies in each country operate league systems , normally comprising several divisions , in which the teams gain points throughout
3154-405: The average), which is roughly estimated to be the equivalent of 2.5 to 3 seconds to reach 100 kilometres per hour (62 mph) (or 0 to 60 mph ). The start of the race is an important aspect of the race overall. "Gating" correctly can help a rider gain an initial advantage over other riders but speed advantages can be made as a race progresses. Those riders willing to take a risk and opt for finding
3237-616: The bends. On the straight sections of the track, the motorcycles reach speeds of up to 70 miles per hour (110 km/h). There are now both domestic and international competitions in a number of countries, including the Speedway World Cup , whilst the highest overall scoring individual in the Speedway Grand Prix events is pronounced the world champion. Speedway is popular in Central and Northern Europe and to
3320-435: The deacde was led by Swindon stalwart Phil Crump before Jimmy Nilsen took over as the team's number one rider. Phil Crump scored 4,254 points and was the Robins' leading rider for eight years from 1979 to 1986. In 1990, the club paid £20,000 to Poole Pirates to secure the transfer of Leigh Adams , who would go on to become the number 1 rider at Swindon during three different spells, in addition to being regarded as one of
3403-402: The discretion of, the referee if a rider has two consecutive rides, to allow the rider time to prepare. A starting gate consisting of two or more tapes is erected across the start line. The riders must situate themselves not more than 10 centimetres (3.9 in) from this and not touch it once the green light comes on, they must also remain stationary until the tapes are raised. Failure to do so
Swindon Robins - Misplaced Pages Continue
3486-424: The engine producing more power than other fuels and resulting in higher speeds (approximately 130 kilometres per hour (81 mph) when cornering). Machines used must: Machines used cannot: In addition, all motorcycles must have a safety cut-out device fitted; this is defined as a switch that "must cut off the circuit of the electrical supply by the simple action of pulling a lanyard or a non-elastic string (with
3569-566: The entire league with 11.05 but the contributions from Martin Ashby (8.83), Bob Kilby (8.61) and Mike Broadbank (8.55) were pivotal in the Swindon's success. The Robins also won the Midland Cup for two consecutive seasons in 1967 and 1968. Martin Ashby would go on to ride for Swindon for 16 seasons from 1961 to 1979 and score 5,476.5 points for the club. The 1970s failed to live up to
3652-676: The event of a tie, the race is commonly awarded as a dead heat . If it is a tie for first place, they will both receive two points. A tie for second place earns each rider one point while a joint-last finish earns each rider zero points. Teams can use a tactical substitute rule once in a meeting. If that team is eight (six in World Cup) or more points in arrears, they may bring in the use of a different rider in their team lineup, to race in any heat except for heat 15. This may be different in World cup or event racing. If they are ten or more points behind,
3735-422: The extra riders safely. Speedway operates a sliding scale for scoring (known as the 3–2–1–0 method). Three points are scored for first place, two points for second place and one point for third place. A rider does not score when finishing fourth, or failing to finish, or if excluded from a race. These points accumulate over the competition, with riders points either counting towards individual or team placings. In
3818-463: The first of the next month. These CMA's are used in most professional leagues and are altered or weighted depending on the league the rider gained the CMA in. A rider that has no recorded average will receive an indicative CMA for the start of the season that is assessed on their prior experience in the sport. An international individual speedway championship has taken various forms since its beginnings in
3901-628: The grippy parts of the track rather than the race line, are sometimes rewarded with extra speed allowing them to pass other riders either on the outside or the inside. Tracks used for professional speedway racing are regulated by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) who provide rules concerning construction, size and safety requirements. Speedway racing takes place on a level oval track consisting of two straights joined by two semicircles. Tracks must be between 260 and 425 metres (853 and 1394 ft) in length, this
3984-407: The interest of safety or were forced to by another competitor. The track surface consists of four layers of grading . The topmost of which must be of shale , granite , brick granules or other loose material of which no individual piece can be over 7 millimetres (0.28 in) in size. Competitors use this surface to slide their machines sideways (powersliding or broadsiding ) into the bends using
4067-400: The leading riders included Mike Broadbank , Neil Street and Tadeusz Teodorowicz . The Robins strengthened the team in 1964 with the signing of Barry Briggs , who won his third world title during the same year. The next major success came during the 1967 British League season when Swindon won the league title. Swindon finished with four riders with averages over eight, Barry Briggs topped
4150-496: The league system with one or more cup competitions. These are organised on a knock-out basis, the winner of each match proceeding to the next round and the loser taking no further part in the competition. The major speedway nations in Europe are the United Kingdom, Sweden, Poland and Denmark. These countries run a number of leagues and have regular fixtures throughout the traditional speedway season that runs from March to October. On
4233-549: The now-closed 520 metres (570 yd) Claremont Speedway in Perth and the 509 metres (557 yd) Sydney Showground , to smaller, purpose-built 300 metres (330 yd) long motorcycle tracks, such as Gillman Speedway in Adelaide and Mildura 's Olympic Park . Each track is between 260 and 425 metres long and it takes approximately one minute to complete four laps. For example, 10 time Australian Champion Leigh Adams set
SECTION 50
#17327762059154316-745: The only Swedish rider to qualify for the World Final in Munich. In the only World Final of his career he finished in eighth place. Olsson rode in the United Kingdom for the Reading Racers from 1986, where he became the team captain and then onto the Swindon Robins for a year in 1991 after he was forced out of Reading's line-up due to average restrictions after winning the British League Championship in 1990. After riding for Exeter Falcons in 1992 he returned in 1993, after
4399-418: The purposes of choosing which riders to enter for each race. At the start of a season, a rider retains their last recorded CMA (or assessed CMA if they have never previously established one) until they have competed in six home and six away matches. A new CMA is then issued that comes into effect seven days later. These are subsequently updated on the 15th of every month from May onwards, and come into effect on
4482-481: The rear wheel to scrub-off speed while still providing the drive to power the bike forward and around the bend. The skill of speedway lies in the overall ability of the rider to control his motorcycle when cornering and thus avoid losing places through deceleration . The use of asphalt , concrete and tarmac for any layer is prohibited. The top layer must be levelled or "graded" at intervals during an event by tractors towing specially adapted rakes to evenly re-distribute
4565-439: The regular season table but lost in the play off final. The Australian Leigh Adams was the best rider in the league, topping the averages twice and was the track record holder, with a time of 63.86 seconds, on 31 August 2009. Following difficult campaigns in 2010 (when Adams left the club) and 2011, Swindon signed Denmark's Peter Kildemand , former world #5 Hans Andersen and Australian international Troy Batchelor , who rode for
4648-481: The required two British reserves. In 2017, the Robins won the League Championship play off final against Wolverhampton Wolves despite losing the first leg at their home track. Jason Doyle was instrumental in helping Swindon claim the crown. Due to stadium issues, a new stadium was planned to be built for the 2018 season but this did not happen and at the start of the 2019 season, the Abbey Stadium
4731-580: The rest of the fence through blow-off valves or restriction ports connected to the other sections. They are mandatory for tracks in the British Elite League , Polish Ekstraliga , Speedway Grand Prix and Speedway World Cup . Neutral zones outside the track provide safe run-off areas for riders and their machinery to minimise the potential risk of injury to spectators. The majority of tracks are dedicated to speedway or other sports such as sidecar speedway and banger racing . For larger events,
4814-467: The rider's calculated match average (CMA). The sport produces Calculated Match Averages (CMAs or averages) for every rider, these are calculated from the following: CMAs scale from 3.00 to 12.00, any rider scoring above or below this range of values will be awarded the maximum or minimum respectively. These averages are used in leagues such as the Premiership in the UK to identify heat-leaders for
4897-447: The season depending on results. Teams are placed into tables , placing them in order according to points accrued. Most commonly, each team races every other team in its league at home and away in each season, in a round-robin tournament . Meetings traditionally consist of two teams riding against each other with four riders in each race with two home team riders and two away team riders. Meetings usually feature fifteen heats and each rider
4980-537: The season, when Reg Witcomb applied to the Speedway Control Board to take over the remaining fixtures of Hull Angels , who had withdrawn from the league. Swindon finished in 11th place. The first silverware came to the club in 1956 and 1957. In 1956, they won the 1956 Speedway National League Division Two title, finishing one point clear of Southampton Saints , with three riders, Bob Roger , Ian Williams and George White securing 9+ averages for
5063-764: The season. He twice finished runner-up in the Swedish Under-21 Championship in 1984 and 1985. One year later in 1986, Olsson finished runner-up in the World Under-21 Championship, despite suffering an engine failure in one heat. In 1988 he played a huge part in Bysarna becoming Swedish champions. The same year he won the Swedish Pairs Championship with former World Champion Per Jonsson . In 1991 he won it again with Dennis Löfqvist . In 1989 Olsson became
SECTION 60
#17327762059155146-463: The season. Promotion ensued and the following year Swindon joined the highest league, that of the 1957 Speedway National League . Several riders were brought in to bolster the campaign but it was the same three riders that steered Swindon to back to back league titles. The Robins continued to compete in the top division, which became known as the British League in 1965 and during the period
5229-521: The show to England, as the word had spread about this exciting sport. 14 April 1928, Johnnie Hoskins, 13 Australian Riders and their motorcycles sailed from Perth on the passenger ship Oronsay to introduce Speedway Solo motorcycle racing to England. The first meeting in the United Kingdom took place at High Beech on 19 February 1928. There are, however, claims that meetings were held in 1927 at Camberley , Surrey and Droylsden , Lancashire. Despite being described as "the first British Dirt Track meeting" at
5312-498: The sport's prehistory in the town at the now-demolished Gorse Hill Aerodrome, where dirt track racing had taken place since 1928. The birth of the Robins was a product of the partnership of Bristol speedway manager Reg Witcomb and businessman Bert Hearse. Under their direction, a 410-yard (370 m) cinder track was built. The first meeting, a non-league home challenge match, took place on 23 July 1949 against future rivals Oxford Cheetahs , and an official attendance figure of 8,000
5395-488: The sports first two-time champion Jack Young who won in 1951 & 1952. Currently, no world team championship is contested for senior riders. The first such championship was the Speedway World Team Cup , which was contested annually from 1960 to 2000. It was replaced by the Speedway World Cup , another annual event, in 2001. Both competitions featured teams from the major speedway countries, usually in
5478-439: The start line and extending back at least 1 metre (3.3 ft). Additional rules govern the placement of warning systems such as lights and also the construction of the starting mechanism. The minimum track width is 10 metres (33 ft) on the straights and the bends must be at least 14 metres (46 ft) wide. The minimum widths give each rider adequate space to safely navigate the track. The start line and starting gate assembly
5561-508: The start of the 2015 season, Swindon's No 1 Adrian Miedziński was injured in the first meeting at the Abbey, with Peter Kildemand filling in on a temporary basis before the club signed Australian international Darcy Ward. However, Ward suffered a career-ending accident while riding in Poland, and Kildemand once again stepped in to complete the season. The 2016 Robins team was nicknamed Roscos Roo's, because it contained five Australians in addition to
5644-606: The success of Maitland, Speedway meetings were conducted at Newcastle Showground in 1924. These events were very successful and led to the construction of Newcastle Speedway off Darling Street, Hamilton. Johnnie Hoskins became the Secretary of Newcastle Speedway Ltd. The Newcastle Herald reports the Grand Opening on 14 November 1925 attracted an audience of 42,000 at that time it was approximately one-third of Newcastle's entire population. After Maitland, Newcastle Showground
5727-487: The success of the previous decade but the Robins did manage two fifth place finishes in 1971 and 1976 respectively. The team consisted of various number one riders throughout the period including Briggs, Ashby, Kilby before the signing of Phil Crump in 1979 by the new promoter Wally Mawdsley . The 1980s followed the same path as the 1970s, with a full decade of top level speedway but with only two third place finishes to show for their efforts in 1981 and 1987. The majority of
5810-428: The surface. Tracks are watered before and, if needed, during meetings to prevent the surface becoming too dry and to protect the public and the riders from dust. Safety requirements include the use of suspended wire fences, air fences and wooden fences. Air fences are made up of inflated panels installed on the bends. The fence is designed to dissipate energy by allowing an impacted area to compress and transfer air into
5893-1002: The team would not be fielding a team in the 2022 season due to uncertainty over when the new stadium would be completed. In December 2022, a stand-off continued between the council and builders Taylor Wimpey over the stadium's perimeter and its expected redevelopment. Around that time Clarke Osborne of Gaming International issued a press release calling for sites, seeking a 5,000 capacity stadium to host speedway, karting and car racing. 2019 team 2018 team 2017 team 2016 team 2010 team 2009 team Also Rode: 2008 team Also Rode: 2007 team Also rode: 2006 team Elite League Pairs Championship British League Division Two Best Pairs World Champion World Under-21 Champion World Ice Speedway Champion British Speedway Championship British League Riders' Championship British League Division Two Riders Championship Motorcycle speedway Motorcycle speedway , usually referred to simply as speedway ,
5976-524: The time, the meeting at Camberley on 7 May 1927 differed in that the races were held in a clockwise direction. Races at Droylsden were held in an anti-clockwise direction, but it is generally accepted that the sport arrived in the United Kingdom when Australians Billy Galloway and Keith McKay arrived with the intention of introducing speedway to the Northern Hemisphere . Both featured in the 1928 High Beech meeting. The first speedway meeting in
6059-539: The top league. Jimmy Nilsen returned to the club in 1996, as did Leigh Adams in 1997 but the club dropped again to the second division in 1999. The club experienced success in 2000, winning the Div 2 KO Cup and Young Shield during the 2000 Premier League speedway season , a season in which they were unlucky to finish league runner-up behind Exeter Falcons . The Falcons only won the title on points difference and actually won three less matches than Swindon that season. In 2003,
6142-450: The track boundaries. Once a race is under way, no rider can receive outside assistance, including push-starts , from others. Historically, pushers were allowed at the start of the race. A white line at the 30-metre mark used to designate the extent to which a push was allowed but due to safety concerns, assistance is now illegal. Occasionally races can consist of up to six riders but this is rare as most tracks are too narrow to accommodate
6225-418: The two sections were amalgamated and Vic Huxley proved to be the winner. Huxley was also runner-up three times and won the first British Match Race championship in 1931. Speedway racing typically took place on purpose-built tracks, although in Australia bikes shared larger speedways with Sprintcars , Speedcars (Midgets) and saloons, with tracks traditionally ranging from 1/3-mile showground tracks, such as
6308-433: The world's best riders for over a decade. Despite securing his services he lacked support and the Robins suffered a poor 1992 season, finishing last and dropping down to the second division from 1993 to 1994. The team ( Tony Olsson and Tony Langdon ) won the British League Division Two Pairs Championship , held at Arena Essex Raceway on 28 May 1994. With the merger of the divisions for the 1995 season, Swindon returned to
6391-543: Was established in 1982 and has ten teams. At the end of each season the top four teams ride in the play-offs in semi-finals and a final and the winner of the final are the Elitserien champions. The team finishing bottom of the league are relegated to the National league (Allsvenskan). The Allsvenskan has seven teams and before the introduction of the Elitserien in 1982 was the top flight speedway league in Sweden. As with
6474-587: Was followed in the United States, where it was called Short Track Racing, by riders such as Albert "Shrimp" Burns, Maldwyn "Floppy" Jones and Eddie Brinck. Motorcycle Speedway can be traced back to the early 1920s. One track that staged speedway, amongst others, was at the West Maitland Showground, whose first speedway meeting was staged on 15 December 1923. This track had a motorcycle riding entrepreneur as its Secretary and his personal account has him inviting his friends and their associates to do
6557-449: Was given, although employees of the club believe that 10,000 would be closer to the truth. The Robins lost their debut meeting 39–45 in a meeting that saw Ginger Nicholls top score for the home side with 11 points on his wedding day. In the process he won the first-ever race, was beaten by an opponent only once, and set the first-ever track record at 82.8 seconds. The team then joined the 1949 Speedway National League Division Three late in
6640-523: Was reduced in size to 320 metres from its original 363 metres. It turned out to be their last season at the Abbey Stadium. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic , the 2020 SGB Premiership was completely cancelled and in January 2021, the Robins confirmed their withdrawal from the 2021 season, citing uncertainty around the potential redevelopment of their stadium. The Robins' promoter, Terry Robins, confirmed that
6723-754: Was staged at Cardiff White City on Boxing Day 1928. In the 1928–1929 season at the Melbourne Exhibition Speedway , Australian Colin Stewart won the prestigious Silver Gauntlet, which required the rider to win the feature race 10 times in one season. He won it 12 times. He also achieved success at an international level, racing for Southampton Saints in 1929 and captained Glasgow in the Northern League in 1930 before moving to Wembley Lions in 1931, for whom he rode in just four matches, averaging 4.00 points per match. He also raced in
6806-549: Was stopped in an emergency situation by removing the plug lead from the spark plug or shutting off the fuel supply. Races (known as heats) consist of four riders racing over four laps from a standing start . Riders wear different coloured helmets, traditionally in team events red and blue denote home team riders, and white (in British speedway, green has previously been used as an alternative to white, apparently for early interactive TV) and yellow/black quartered colours (latterly plain yellow) denote visiting riders. The starting area
6889-442: Was very successful, so Newcastle Showground held the championship again in 1927. Very fitting that Newcastle Showground held the first National Speedway Championship anywhere in the world. In 1926 Johnnie Hoskins took his Speedway show to Sydney's Royal Showground. A very wet Sydney summer nearly sent Hoskins broke, so he took the show on the road to Perth, where one good season made him wealthy again. He and his riders decided to take
#914085