Richard Knight (speedway rider)
Richard John Knight (born 26 May 1959 in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England)[1] is a former international motorcycle speedway rider, who represented the England team which finished third in the 1985 World Team Cup. He earned 20 international caps for the England national speedway team.[2]
| Born | 26 May 1959 (age 64) Cambridge, England |
|---|---|
| Nationality | British (English) |
| Career history | |
| 1978–1983 | Mildenhall Fen Tigers |
| 1979, 1982, 1983 | Wimbledon Dons |
| 1983 | Poole Pirates |
| 1984–1986 | Ipswich Witches |
| 1987–1990 1993–1994 | King's Lynn Stars |
| 1991–1992 | Berwick Bandits |
| Individual honours | |
| 1990 | World finalist |
| 1986, 1988, 1990 1991, 1993, 1994 | British finalist |
| 1983 | National League Riders' runner-up |
| Team honours | |
| 1985 | World Cup bronze |
| 1984 | British League Champion |
| 1984 | Knockout Cup Winner |
| 1979 | National League Champion |
Career edit
Knight, born in Cambridge, first rode in the British speedway leagues riding for Mildenhall Fen Tigers during the 1978 National League season.[3] The following season he remained with Mildenhall but also appeared for Wimbledon Dons in the highest league.[4]
He significantly improved his average with Mildenhall and by 1983, his last season with the club, he was averaging 8.98.[5] It was in 1984, that his career received a major boost when he was signed by Ipswich Witches. The Suffolk club were one of the leading clubs in the world at the time and he contributed to a league and cup double winning season.[6]
His career continued to blossom and he was selected by England to represent them in the 1985 Speedway World Team Cup, where they reached the final and won the bronze medal.[7]
Knight joined King's Lynn Stars after the 1986 season and was the club's leading rider in 1987 and 1989. He also won the South African (Open) Championship in 1989. He would continue riding until the end of the 1994 season before he announced his retirement. He rode for Berwick Bandits form 1991 to 1992 and for King's Lynn again from 1993 to 1994.
In 2008, he returned to speedway to become Team Manager of Mildenhall Fen Tigers following the club's takeover in August of that year.[8][9]
World Final Appearances edit
Individual World Championship edit
- 1990 - Bradford, Odsal Stadium - 10th - 7pts
World Team Cup edit
- 1985 – Long Beach, Veterans Memorial Stadium (with Jeremy Doncaster / Phil Collins / Kelvin Tatum / John Davis) – 3rd – 13pts (2)
References edit
- ^ Oakes, P & Rising, P (1986). 1986 Speedway Yearbook. ISBN 0-948882-00-X
- ^ "ULTIMATE RIDER INDEX, 1929-2022" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
- ^ "1978 season results" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
- ^ "Richard Knight". WWOS backup. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
- ^ "Rider averages 1929 to 2009" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
- ^ "Favourite-ever Ipswich Witches teams... FANS HAVE THEIR SAY". East Anglian Daily Times. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
- ^ "1985 WORLD TEAM CUP". International Speedway. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
- ^ "Lynn promoter takes over Tigers". BBC. 29 August 2008. Retrieved 12 September 2008.
- ^ "Stars buy Mildenhall speedway". Lynn news. 29 August 2008. Retrieved 12 September 2008.