Eric Boocock
Encyclopedia
Eric Boocock is a former Speedway
rider who appeared in three Speedway World Championship
finals.
in 1961 and stayed there until the promotion closed in 1964. The promoter, Reg Fearman
opened up a speedway track at The Shay
in Halifax and moved his Middlesbrough riders there, to form the Halifax Dukes
. Eric spent his entire career with the Dukes, winning the British League and the KO Cup in 1966.
He made three World final appearances and appeared with brother Nigel Boocock
in the 1970 Speedway World Pairs Championship
finals, finishing in third place. He was also a regular England International rider.
Eric became British Champion
in 1974 after finishing on the rostrum three times previously. The same season he became the first rider to gain a testimonial meeting for his services to speedway and then retired as a racer at the early age of twenty-nine. He appeared again briefly for the Halifax Dukes
in 1983 but retired again very quickly.
where he stayed for seven seasons. In 1976 he also helped Peter Collins
win the Speedway World Championship
by stripping, cleaning and rebuilding his clutch between heats in the final, and by keeping away an attempt by the Polish contingent to put off Collins who were making irrational protests over his fuel.
In 1980 he became coach of England with Ian Thomas as team manager, winning the World Team Cup and the Speedway World Pairs Championship
, with Michael Lee
also becoming World Champion
. In 1982 Eric had a season as England team manager and then in 1986 he was appointed joint manager with Colin Pratt
with whom he spent seven years at the helm.
In 2004 Eric became co-promoter of the Hull Vikings
where they won the Premier League
, the Knock-Out Cup and the Craven Shield. He then went on to team manager the Belle Vue Aces
with Chris Morton
.
In 2008 Eric became co-promoter and manager at the Sheffield Tigers
.
Has served several terms on the British Speedway Promoters' Association
management committee.
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...
rider who appeared in three 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...
finals.
Career
Eric started his career with the Middlesbrough BearsMiddlesbrough Bears
The Middlesbrough Bears were a British speedway team which operated under various names from 1939 until their closure in 1996.-Brief history:The team was initially nicknamed the Bears in 1939...
in 1961 and stayed there until the promotion closed in 1964. The promoter, Reg Fearman
Reg Fearman
Reg Fearman is a former international speedway rider and promoter.-Riding career:He first received his speedway licence on his sixteenth birthday, presented to him in front of a forty thousand strong West Ham crowd at the West Ham Stadium in London...
opened up a speedway track at The Shay
The Shay
The Shay is a multi-use sports stadium in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England near Shaw Hill. FC Halifax Town and Halifax both play their home games at the Shay....
in Halifax and moved his Middlesbrough riders there, to form the Halifax Dukes
Halifax Dukes
The Halifax Dukes were a Speedway team which operated from 1949-1951 and again from 1965 until their closure in 1985 at The Shay Stadium in Halifax...
. Eric spent his entire career with the Dukes, winning the British League and the KO Cup in 1966.
He made three World final appearances and appeared with brother Nigel Boocock
Nigel Boocock
Nigel Boocock is a former speedway rider who appeared in eight Speedway World Championship finals and was a reserve in one other .-Career:...
in the 1970 Speedway World Pairs Championship
Speedway World Pairs Championship
The Speedway World Pairs Championship was an annual speedway event held each year in different countries. The first competition was held in 1968 and the final competition was held in 1993. From 1994 it was merged with the World Team Cup.- Rules :...
finals, finishing in third place. He was also a regular England International rider.
Eric became British Champion
British Speedway Championship
The British Speedway Championship is an annual motorcycle speedway competition open to British national speedway riders. The winner of the event becomes the British Speedway Champion. It has been open in the past to riders from British dominions and was dominated in its early years by riders from...
in 1974 after finishing on the rostrum three times previously. The same season he became the first rider to gain a testimonial meeting for his services to speedway and then retired as a racer at the early age of twenty-nine. He appeared again briefly for the Halifax Dukes
Halifax Dukes
The Halifax Dukes were a Speedway team which operated from 1949-1951 and again from 1965 until their closure in 1985 at The Shay Stadium in Halifax...
in 1983 but retired again very quickly.
Manager and Promoter
In 1975, Eric became team manager of the Belle Vue AcesBelle Vue Aces
The Belle Vue Aces are a British speedway team from Manchester in the north west of England.-Brief history:Racing first took place in 1928 at the Belle Vue greyhound stadium in Kirkmanshulme Lane before moving the following year to a specially built stadium nearby on Hyde Road. The club raced there...
where he stayed for seven seasons. In 1976 he also helped Peter Collins
Peter Collins (speedway rider)
Peter Spencer Collins MBE is a former Speedway rider who spent his whole career with the Belle Vue Aces, the team he supported as a child...
win 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...
by stripping, cleaning and rebuilding his clutch between heats in the final, and by keeping away an attempt by the Polish contingent to put off Collins who were making irrational protests over his fuel.
In 1980 he became coach of England with Ian Thomas as team manager, winning the World Team Cup and the Speedway World Pairs Championship
Speedway World Pairs Championship
The Speedway World Pairs Championship was an annual speedway event held each year in different countries. The first competition was held in 1968 and the final competition was held in 1993. From 1994 it was merged with the World Team Cup.- Rules :...
, with Michael Lee
Michael Lee (speedway rider)
Michael Andrew Lee is a former international speedway rider who won the Speedway World Championship in 1980...
also becoming World Champion
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...
. In 1982 Eric had a season as England team manager and then in 1986 he was appointed joint manager with Colin Pratt
Colin Pratt
Colin Pratt in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire) is a former motorcycle speedway rider and current promoter of the Coventry Bees who compete in the British Elite League.-Early career and retirement:...
with whom he spent seven years at the helm.
In 2004 Eric became co-promoter of the Hull Vikings
Hull Vikings
Hull Vikings, were a speedway team from Hull, England. The team began life as the 'Hull Angels', based at Hedon on the outskirts of Hull between 1947 and mid 1949. Speedway came back to Hull after a long gap and were known as the Vikings, racing at The Boulevard, the former ground of rugby league...
where they won the Premier League
Speedway Premier League
The Premier League is the second division of Speedway in the United Kingdom and goverened by the Speedway Control Board , in conjunction with the British Speedway Promoters' Association . The Premier League was founded in 1995 when it replaced the British League as the first division...
, the Knock-Out Cup and the Craven Shield. He then went on to team manager the Belle Vue Aces
Belle Vue Aces
The Belle Vue Aces are a British speedway team from Manchester in the north west of England.-Brief history:Racing first took place in 1928 at the Belle Vue greyhound stadium in Kirkmanshulme Lane before moving the following year to a specially built stadium nearby on Hyde Road. The club raced there...
with Chris Morton
Chris Morton
Christopher John Morton MBE is a former motorcycle speedway rider. He rode bikes from a young age at the farm of Peter Collins' parents.-Brief career summary:...
.
In 2008 Eric became co-promoter and manager at the Sheffield Tigers
Sheffield Tigers
The Sheffield 'Window Centre' Tigers are a speedway team based in Sheffield, England. They currently race in the British Premier League and their home meetings take place at Owlerton Stadium which is the fastest track in British speedway...
.
Has served several terms on the British Speedway Promoters' Association
British Speedway Promoters' Association
The British Speedway Promoters Association organises the domestic motorcycle speedway competitions in the UK. They are also responsible for the promotion and running of the FIM meetings staged in Britain....
management committee.
World Final Appearances
- 19671967 Individual Speedway World ChampionshipThe 1967 Individual Speedway World Championship.-World final:*September 16, 1967 London, Wembley Stadium...
-
United Kingdom 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 - 7th - 9pts - 19711971 Individual Speedway World ChampionshipThe 1971 Individual Speedway World Championship.-World final:*September 10, 1971 Göteborg, UlleviNote : Vladimir Gordeev was disqualified after illegal additives were found in his fuel.-Heat by Heat Classification:...
-
Sweden Göteborg, UlleviUlleviUllevi is a stadium in Gothenburg, Sweden. The stadium was built for the 1958 FIFA World Cup, but since then Ullevi has also hosted the 1995 World Championships in Athletics and the 2006 European Championships in Athletics, the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup finals in 1983 and 1990, the UEFA Euro 1992...
- 11th - 4pts - 19721972 Individual Speedway World ChampionshipThe 1972 Individual Speedway World Championship.-World final:*16 September 1972 London, Wembley Stadium...
- United Kingdom 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 - 2pts