Neil Middleditch is a former Speedway

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 and the team manager of the Poole Pirates

Poole Pirates

Poole Pirates are a motorcycle speedway team based in Poole, England, competing in the British Elite League...

. His father Ken

Ken Middleditch

Kenneth Arthur Middleditch is a British retired motorcycle speedway rider.-Career Summary:Middleditch served in the RAF in World War II as a rear gunner, and became interested in speedway while stationed in Egypt....

 was a former rider with the Poole Pirates. He was the team manager of the Great Britain national speedway team

Great Britain national speedway team

The Great Britain national speedway team are one of the major teams in international speedway. The team is managed by Poole Pirates manager Neil Middleditch and the captain is Chris Harris of the Belle Vue Aces....

 for seven years before resigning in February 2008.

Riding career

Middleditch's riding career spanned from 1973 until 1986, riding for the Eastbourne Eagles

Eastbourne Eagles

The Eastbourne Eagles are a British speedway team based near Eastbourne, England who compete in the British Elite League. They became Elite League Champions in 2000. They were also Elite League Knockout Cup winners in 2002 and again in 2008. Speedway was initially introduced to Eastbourne in...

, Poole Pirates

Poole Pirates

Poole Pirates are a motorcycle speedway team based in Poole, England, competing in the British Elite League...

, Reading Racers

Reading Racers

Reading Racers were a British motorcycle speedway team. Formed in 1968, they won four British League titles during their history...

 and the Arena Essex Hammers. In 1975 Middleditch became British Under-21 Champion

British Speedway Under 21 Championship

The British Speedway Under-21 Championship is an annual speedway competition open to riders of British nationality aged at least fifteen on the date of the first meeting, and under twenty-one on 1 January in the year of the competition...

 and was third in the 1978 European Under-21 Championship

1978 Individual Speedway Junior European Championship

The 1978 Individual Speedway Junior European Championship-European Final:*July 22, 1978 Lonigo, Santa Marina Stadium...

 final. In 1985 he became National League Riders Champion

Speedway Premier League Riders Championship

The Premier League Riders Championship is a contest between the top riders with the highest average points total from each club competing in the Speedway Premier League in the UK. The championship was inaugurated in 1968 when it was known as the British League Division Two Riders Championship...

.

Poole Pirates

Middleditch became the Poole Pirates

Poole Pirates

Poole Pirates are a motorcycle speedway team based in Poole, England, competing in the British Elite League...

 team manager in 1999, winning the Elite League

Speedway Elite League

The Elite League is the top division of Speedway league competition in the United Kingdom and is governed by the Speedway Control Bureau , in conjunction with the British Speedway Promoters' Association . It is sponsored by Sky Sports...

 Championship in 2003 and 2004, the Elite League Knockout Cup

Elite League Knockout Cup

The Elite League Knockout Cup is a speedway cup competition in the United Kingdom governed by the Speedway Control Board in conjunction with the British Speedway Promoters' Association . The teams from the top division of league racing, the Elite League, take part...

, also in 2003 and 2004, the Craven Shield

Craven Shield

The Craven Shield is a Speedway cup competition in the United Kingdom governed by the Speedway Control Board , in conjunction with the British Speedway Promoters' Association...

 in 2001, 2002 and 2006 and the British League Cup in 2003.

Great Britain

Middleditch was appointed as team manager of Great Britain speedway team in 2001 after the resignations of joint managers 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:...

 and Eric Boocock

Eric Boocock

Eric Boocock is a former Speedway rider who appeared in three Speedway World Championship finals.-Career:...

. In 2004 Great Britain lost out on the World Cup

Speedway World Cup

The Speedway World Cup is an annual speedway event held each year in different countries. The first edition of the competition in the current format was in 2001 and it replaced the old World Team Cup competition.-Format:...

 by a single point with Middleditch at the helm. During the BSPA's 2007 annual general meeting, Middleditch announced that he wanted to continue as the Great Britain manager but recommended that 1992 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...

 Gary Havelock

Gary Havelock

Robert Gary Havelock is a speedway rider who currently captains the Redcar Bears in the British Premier League...

should be his successor once he has retired from racing. In February 2008 Middleditch quit his role as the Great Britain manager after seven years in charge to focus on his family business.