Bert Edwards (speedway rider)
Richard Herbert Edwards (8 February 1917 – 13 June 1982) was an international motorcycle speedway rider from England. He earned seven international caps for the England national speedway team.[1][2]
| Born | 8 February 1917 Liverpool, England |
|---|---|
| Died | 13 June 2008 (aged 91) |
| Nationality | British (English) |
| Career history | |
| 1950–1951 | Walthamstow Wolves |
| 1951–1952 | Aldershot Shots |
| 1952–1953 | Cardiff Dragons |
| 1953–1958 | Ipswich Witches |
Biography edit
Edwards was born in Liverpool but attended Hyde School in Hendon and later Goldbeaters Modern School in Burnt Oak. He was a member of the Northern Cycling Club[3] before he and his younger brother Harry Edwards joined the Kenton and Kingsbury Motor Cycle Club. The pair gained recognition as grass track riders before moving into coventional speedway.[4] He began his British leagues career riding for Walthamstow Wolves during the 1950 Speedway National League Division Two, where he joined his brother who was already a Walthamstow rider.[5]
In 1951, after starting the season with Walthamstow he was loaned out to Aldershot Shots[6] and remained at the club for the first half of the 1952[7] before transferring from parent club Walthamstow to Cardiff Dragons for £400.[8]
His riding average was solid but not particularly special and it was not until he joined Ipswich Witches that his career took off.[9] He left Cardiff following their withdawal from the league in 1953 and although he only rode 8 matches for Ipswich during the remainder of the season, he averaged 9.12.[10]
He became very popular at Ipswich where attendances consistently approached 20,000 and was described as an idol by the press.[3] In 1955, he averaged 9.45 and was club captain. In 1956, he was called up by England for test matches that included fixtures against Sweden and Australia.[11] His final two seasons were with Ipswich in the highest division of British speedway in the National League.
Family edit
His father was Richard Edwards was a councillor in Harrow and his uncle was Bob Edwards, a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1955 to 1987.[3]
References edit
- ^ "ULTIMATE RIDER INDEX, 1929-2022" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
- ^ "Speedway in the 1950s". Ipswich Star. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
- ^ a b c "Speedway team man and Individualist". Harrow Observer. 20 September 1956. Retrieved 15 November 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Thrills and Spills". Acton Gazette. 23 July 1948. Retrieved 15 November 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "1950 season results" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
- ^ "Brother against brother". Aldershot News. 20 April 1951. Retrieved 15 November 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Year by Year". Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
- ^ "Speedway". Aldershot News. 4 April 1952. Retrieved 15 November 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Rider Moves". Daily Mirror. 8 July 1953. Retrieved 15 November 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Rider averages 1929 to 2009" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
- ^ "England win third speed test". Birmingham Daily Gazette. 5 July 1956. Retrieved 15 November 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.