Melvyn Taylor
Melvyn Roy Taylor (born 26 April 1961) is a former speedway rider from England.[1][2]
| Born | 26 April 1961 West Row, Suffolk, England |
|---|---|
| Nationality | English |
| Career history | |
| 1977-1979, 1985-1988, 1992 | Mildenhall Fen Tigers |
| 1980-1983, 1988 | King's Lynn Stars |
| 1978-1979 | Reading Racers |
| 1984-1985 | Oxford Cheetahs |
| 1988 | Ipswich Witches |
| 1989-1991 | Rye House Rockets |
| Individual honours | |
| 1980, 1981 | British Speedway Championship finalist |
| 1982 | Golden Sovereign winner |
| Team honours | |
| 1979 | National League Champions |
| 1987 | Pairs champion |
| 1987 | Fours Championship winner |
| 1980 | Gauntlet Gold Cup Winner |
| 1980 | Inter League Knockout Cup Winner |
Speedway career Edit
Taylor started his career at Mildenhall Fen Tigers in 1977 before riding in the top tier of British Speedway for King's Lynn Stars and Reading Racers in 1978. In 1980, he reached the Commonwealth final, which formed part of the 1980 Individual Speedway World Championship.[3] He reached the final of the 1980 British Speedway Championship and the 1981 British Speedway Championship, finishing 9th and 12th respectively.[4]
In 1984, he was signed by Oxford Cheetahs who bought him from King's Lynn for £12,000. The Oxford team had returned to the British League and the other signings to start as the top five riders for the season were Hans Nielsen for a record £30,000, Simon Wigg for £25,000, Marvyn Cox for £15,000 and Jens Rasmussen, with Ian Clark and Nigel Sparshott at 6 & 7.[5] After a mid table finish in 1984 he was part of the Oxford team that won the league and cup double during a 1985 British League season.[3] Taylor did not compete in the cup final because he left the team in late August to rejoin Mildenhall.[5]
In 1987, he won the National League Pairs, partnering Dave Jessup for the Mildenhall, during the 1987 National League season.[6] He also won the Fours Championship with Mildenhall, during the 1987 season.[7]
After spells at Ipswich Witches and Rye House Rockets he returned to Mildenhall for one final season in 1992.
References Edit
- ^ "Mel Taylor". wwosbackup. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
- ^ "ULTIMATE RIDER INDEX, 1929-2022" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
- ^ a b "History Archive". British Speedway. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
- ^ Oakes, Peter (1981). 1981 Speedway Yearbook. Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd. p. 100. ISBN 0-86215-017-5.
- ^ a b Bamford/Shailes, Robert/Glynn (2007). The Story of Oxford Speedway. Tempus Publishing Ltd. pp. 128–135. ISBN 978-0-7524-4161-0.
- ^ "Tigers triumph". Cambridge Daily News. 27 July 1987. Retrieved 25 May 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Fantastic Fours!". Cambridge Daily News. 31 October 1987. Retrieved 8 May 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.