Stoke Potters

The Stoke Potters were a British speedway team competing in the National League. The team raced at Loomer Road Stadium in Newcastle-under-Lyme.[2]

For the football club, see Stoke City F.C.

Stoke Potters
Club information
Track addressLoomer Road Stadium
Newcastle-under-Lyme
Staffordshire
ST5 7LB
CountryEngland
Founded1929
Closed2019[1]
Team managerAdam Isherwood
Team captainTom Perry
LeagueNational League
Websitewww.stoke-speedway.com
Club facts
ColoursRed and White
Track size312 metres (341 yd)
Track record time60.5s
Track record date8 August 2009, 26 September 2009
Track record holderTy Proctor, Steve Johnston
Current team
Rider CMA
Tom Perry 8.50
Joe Lawlor 7.91
Connor Coles 7.43
Luke Priest 5.21
Shelby Rutherford 3.61
Joe Alcock 4.36
Kieran Douglas 2.00
Total 39.02
Major team honours
National League Div 3 Champions1949
Div 3 National Trophy Winners1949
Northern Cup1960
National League Fours Champions1990, 2019
National League Pairs Champions2011, 2015

History

In the late 1940s, early 1950s and the early 1960s, the club was based in Sun Street in Hanley, and were originally known as the Hanley Potters who attracted crowds of over 12,000. But they became the Stoke Potters when the five towns merged to become Stoke. Hanley won the National League Division Three in 1949.[3]

The Sun Street track operated a few times before the war.

The Loomer Road track was home to Stoke from 1973; they were known for one season as Chesterton Potters. In 1996, it was home to the Cradley Heath team, displaced from their base at Dudley Wood Stadium, Cradley Heath.[3]

November 2010 saw a major decision taken by the club's promotion. The team were to withdraw from Premier League racing to drop a division and compete in the National League, speedway's third tier.[4] The club had been struggling financially for the last couple of seasons and the move was made in order to stabilise finances and hopefully get on a sure footing to make a return to the Premier League later.

2011 saw the club top the National League table by seven points.[5] Injuries struck key riders and this affected their final matches in which they were beaten in the play-off semi finals by the Mildenhall Fen Tigers who also beat them in the final of the National League Knockout Cup. Since the 2011 campaign the Potters have continued to race in the National League with little success and they ended 2015 season's National League table with only Kent Kings below them.[6] On 13 July 2019, Stoke won the National League Fours for the second time.[7]

Riders

2010 team

Previous seasons
Extended content

2009 team

2008 team

  • Lee Complin
  • Ben Barker
  • Mark Burrows
  • Andrew Moore
  • Krister Jacobsen
  • Klaus Jakobsen
  • Jesper Kristiansen

Also Rode:

2007 team

Also Rode

2006 team

Notable riders
Riders 1976
gollark: Madness.
gollark: Ah, that was August.
gollark: And the other whatsits?
gollark: And the trade hub?
gollark: The terms fixes?

References
  1. "FINAL CALL FOR POTTERS - British Speedway Official Website". speedwaygb.co.uk. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
  2. Bamford, R & Jarvis, J.(2001). Homes of British Speedway. ISBN 0-7524-2210-3
  3. "Official Stoke Potters Speedway: BRIEF HISTORY OF STOKE SPEEDWAY". stoke-speedway.com. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
  4. "POTTERS JOIN NL - British Speedway Official Website". speedwaygb.co.uk. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
  5. "British Speedway Official Website". speedwaygb.co.uk. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
  6. "British Speedway Official Website". speedwaygb.co.uk. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
  7. "STOKE CROWNED NL FOURS CHAMPIONS - British Speedway Official Website". speedwaygb.co.uk. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
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