Norwich Stars
Norwich Stars were a motorcycle speedway team based in Norwich, England which operated from 1930 until their closure in 1964.[1]
Norwich Stars | |||||||||||||
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Club information | |||||||||||||
Track address | The Firs Stadium Cromer Road Norwich | ||||||||||||
Country | England | ||||||||||||
Founded | 1930 | ||||||||||||
Closed | 1964 | ||||||||||||
Team manager | Max Grosskreutz Dick Wise Fred Evans Gordon Parkins | ||||||||||||
Team captain | Dick Wise Bert Spencer Phil Clarke Aub Lawson Reg Trott | ||||||||||||
Club facts | |||||||||||||
Colours | Green with Yellow Star | ||||||||||||
Track size | 425 yards (389 m) | ||||||||||||
Track record holder | Peter Craven & Ove Fundin | ||||||||||||
Major team honours | |||||||||||||
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History
Speedway racing was staged in Norwich both before and after World War II at The Firs Stadium in Cromer Road, Hellesdon. Pre-War Norwich were members of the National Provincial League in 1937, National League Division Two in 1938 & 1939. After the war, the Norwich Stars raced in the Northern League in 1946 and the National League Division Two from 1947 to 1951. They won the League Championship in both 1950 and 1951.
They were invited into the National League Division One in 1952 and finished runners up in the League in 1958 and 1963. Another honour was the winning of Speedway's premier Knockout Competition, the National Trophy. This was achieved in both 1955 and 1963.[2] The Stars raced in the top flight until the stadium was closed at the end of the 1964 season, when the track and stadium were sold for re-development.[1]
In July 2012, former rider Ove Fundin played a part in announcing a return of speedway in the city of Norwich. Plans, which did not come to fruition, were outlined for a new track to be built on the city's outskirts, with the hope of a return to the British league structure.
Notable riders
- Ove Fundin
- Trevor Hedge
- Aub Lawson
- Bob Leverenz
- Geoff Pymar
- Raymond "Billy" Bales
- Olle Nygren
- Terry Betts
- Jimmy Gooch
- Max Grosskreutz
- Paddy Mills
- Cyril Roger
References
- Bamford, R & Jarvis J.(2001). Homes of British Speedway. ISBN 0-7524-2210-3
- Jacobs, Norman (2000). Speedway in East Anglia. ISBN 0-7524-1882-3