.gif)
Cliff Watson (speedway rider)
Encyclopedia
Cliff Watson (28 August 1916 – 1989) was a former international speedway
motorcyclist who qualified for the Speedway World Championship
final in 1949.
, New Zealand
but moved to Australia and represented the Australian national team
at test level.
He joined the West Ham Hammers in 1947, progressing to heat leader status in 1949 and qualifying for the World final the same year. In 1950, after a poor start to the season with West Ham he joined the Harringay Racers
and remained with them until the end of the following season. He rejoined the Hammers in 1952 but after a poor start to the 1953 season he decided to retire and return to Australia.
Motorcycle speedway
Motorcycle speedway, usually referred to as speedway, is a motorcycle sport involving four and sometimes up to six riders competing over four anti-clockwise laps of an oval circuit. Speedway motorcycles use only one gear and have no brakes and racing takes place on a flat oval track usually...
motorcyclist who qualified for the Speedway World Championship
Speedway World Championship
The World Championship of Speedway is an international competition between the highest ranked motorcycle speedway riders of the world. Today, it is organised as a series of Speedway Grand Prix events, where points are awarded according to performance in the event and tallied up at the end of each...
final in 1949.
Career summary
Watson was born in ChristchurchChristchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
but moved to Australia and represented the Australian national team
Australia national speedway team
Australia are one of the major teams in international speedway. The team is managed by former rider, three time Australian Champion and 1994 World #3 Craig Boyce and captained by three time Speedway World Champion Jason Crump...
at test level.
He joined the West Ham Hammers in 1947, progressing to heat leader status in 1949 and qualifying for the World final the same year. In 1950, after a poor start to the season with West Ham he joined the Harringay Racers
Harringay Racers (speedway)
The Harringay Racers were a motorcycle speedway team who raced at the Harringay Stadium from 1947 until 1954 in the National League Division One....
and remained with them until the end of the following season. He rejoined the Hammers in 1952 but after a poor start to the 1953 season he decided to retire and return to Australia.
World Final Appearances
- 19491949 Individual Speedway World ChampionshipThe 1949 Individual Speedway World Championship.-Qualification:# August 8, 1949 - London, Wimbledon Stadium# August 10, 1949 - London, New Cross Stadium# August 22, 1949 - Birmingham, Perry Barr Stadium# August 25, 1949 - London, Wembley Stadium...
-
LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Wembley Stadium - 15th - 1pt