Swindon Robins
Encyclopedia
The Swindon Speedway team, also known as the Swindon Robins, are an English
Motorcycle Speedway
team established in 1949 that competes in the Elite League
.
The club have raced on their home track at the Abbey Stadium, Lady Lane, Blunsdon
since their inception. The formation of the club followed the sport's prehistory in the town at the now demolished Gorse Hill Aerodrome, where dirt track racing had taken place since 1928.
The birth of the Robins was a product of the partnership of Bristol
speedway manager Reg Witcomb and businessman Bert Hearse. Under their direction, a 410 yards (374.9 m) cinder track was built.
The first meeting, a non-league home challenge match, took place on the 23 July 1949 against future rivals Oxford
, and an official attendance figure of 8,000 was given, although employees of the club believe that 10,000 would be closer to the truth. The Robins lost their debut meeting 39-45 in a meeting that saw Ginger Nicholls top score for the home side with 11 points on his wedding day. In the process he won the first ever race, was beaten by an opponent only once, and set the first ever track record at 82.8 seconds.
Also Rode: (as No. 8)
(DU) Riders doubling-up between Premier and Elite League
Elite League Pairs Championship
Premier League Four-Team Championship
Winners : 2003
World Under-21 Champion
World Ice Speedway Champion
British Speedway Championship
British League Riders' Championship
BL Division 2 Riders' Championship
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
Motorcycle 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...
team established in 1949 that competes in 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...
.
The club have raced on their home track at the Abbey Stadium, Lady Lane, Blunsdon
Blunsdon
Broad Blunsdon is a village in the Borough of Swindon, England, about north of Swindon itself.Together with the nearby villages of Blunsdon St Andrew and adjoining Lower Blunsdon, the settlement is usually known simply as Blunsdon...
since their inception. The formation of the club followed the sport's prehistory in the town at the now demolished Gorse Hill Aerodrome, where dirt track racing had taken place since 1928.
History
Bristol Bulldogs
The Bristol Bulldogs were a British motorcycle speedway team based in the Knowle Stadium, Bristol, England.The club was formed prior to World War II. The track operated a season of challenge matches in 1946 with the team known as Ex-Bristol. They competed in the National League Division Two from 1947...
speedway manager Reg Witcomb and businessman Bert Hearse. Under their direction, a 410 yards (374.9 m) cinder track was built.
The first meeting, a non-league home challenge match, took place on the 23 July 1949 against future rivals Oxford
Oxford Cheetahs
The Oxford Cheetahs were a British Speedway team based in Oxford, England. From 1972 to 1975 they were known as Oxford Rebels, which was the name the team took to White City in 1976 as White City Rebels. The new Oxford team, in the National League, took back the name of Cheetahs...
, and an official attendance figure of 8,000 was given, although employees of the club believe that 10,000 would be closer to the truth. The Robins lost their debut meeting 39-45 in a meeting that saw Ginger Nicholls top score for the home side with 11 points on his wedding day. In the process he won the first ever race, was beaten by an opponent only once, and set the first ever track record at 82.8 seconds.
2009 Team
(DU) (DU) (DU / No. 8)Also Rode: (as No. 8)
(DU) Riders doubling-up between Premier and Elite League
Elite League Pairs ChampionshipSpeedway Elite League Pairs ChampionshipThe Elite League Pairs Championship is a contest between the top two riders from each club competing in the Speedway Elite League in the UK. The meetings comprise ten teams of two riders drawn into two qualifying groups.-Gate positions:...
- 2004 (Leigh AdamsLeigh AdamsLeigh Scott Adams is an Australian motorcycle speedway rider. He is a multiple Speedway Grand Prix winner and World Team Champion...
and Charlie GjeddeCharlie GjeddeCharlie Rasmussen Gjedde is an international motorcycle speedway rider who won the Speedway World Cup with Denmark in 2006...
) - 2005 (Leigh AdamsLeigh AdamsLeigh Scott Adams is an Australian motorcycle speedway rider. He is a multiple Speedway Grand Prix winner and World Team Champion...
and Lee RichardsonLee Richardson (speedway rider)Lee Stewart Richardson is a British international motorcycle speedway rider. Richardson has represented Great Britain at senior and under-21 level, and has featured in several World Cup tournaments. He was also a fully fledged Grand Prix rider for four seasons from 2003 until 2006...
)
Premier League Four-Team ChampionshipSpeedway Premier League Four-Team ChampionshipThe Premier League Four-Team Championship is a contest between teams competing in the Speedway Premier League in the UK. Eight teams are grouped into fours, with one rider from each team in each race...
Winners : 2003World Under-21 ChampionIndividual Speedway Junior World ChampionshipThe Individual Speedway Junior World Championship is an annual speedway event held each year organized by the International Motorcycling Federation since 1977...
- Peter NahlinPeter NahlinPeter Nahlin is a former Motorcycle speedway rider who became the 1988 World Under-21 Champion.-Sweden:...
(1988) - Leigh AdamsLeigh AdamsLeigh Scott Adams is an Australian motorcycle speedway rider. He is a multiple Speedway Grand Prix winner and World Team Champion...
(1992)
World Ice Speedway ChampionIndividual Ice Racing World ChampionshipThe medalists of the from finals of the Individual Ice Racing World Championship.- External links :*...
- Erik Stenlund (1988)
British Speedway ChampionshipBritish Speedway ChampionshipThe 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...
- Barry BriggsBarry BriggsBarry Briggs MBE from Christchurch, New Zealand is a former Speedway rider.He won the World Individual Championship title four times - in 1957, 1958, 1964 and 1966. He appeared in a record 17 consecutive World Individual finals , and a record 18 in all, during which he scored a record 201 points...
(1964, 1965, 1966, 1967 & 1969) - Steve BastableSteve BastableStephen Henry Bastable is a former Speedway rider, son of Harry Bastable, who had also been a rider...
(1981)
British League Riders' ChampionshipSpeedway Elite League Riders ChampionshipThe Elite League Riders Championship is a contest between the top riders with the highest average points total from each club competing in the Speedway Elite League in the UK. The championship was inaugurated in 1960 when it was known as the Provincial League Riders Championship...
- Barry BriggsBarry BriggsBarry Briggs MBE from Christchurch, New Zealand is a former Speedway rider.He won the World Individual Championship title four times - in 1957, 1958, 1964 and 1966. He appeared in a record 17 consecutive World Individual finals , and a record 18 in all, during which he scored a record 201 points...
(1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970)
BL Division 2 Riders' ChampionshipSpeedway Premier League Riders ChampionshipThe 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...
- Gary AllanGary AllanGary Allan Herzberg is an American country music artist, known professionally as Gary Allan.Signed to Decca Records in 1996, Allan made his debut on the United States country music scene with the release of his single "Her Man", the lead-off to his gold-certified debut album Used Heart for Sale,...
(1993)
Swindon Robins All Time Points Scorers
| Rider | |Total Points | |Average |
|---|---|---|
| Leigh Adams Leigh Adams Leigh Scott Adams is an Australian motorcycle speedway rider. He is a multiple Speedway Grand Prix winner and World Team Champion... |
6442.5 | 9.72 |
| Martin Ashby Martin Ashby Martin Ashby is a former international speedway rider who reached the final of theSpeedway World Championship in 1968... |
5476.5 | 8.61 |
| Phil Crump Phil Crump Philip John "Phil" Crump in Mildura, Victoria is a retired Australian Motorcycle speedway rider who attained 3rd place in the 1976 World Championship... |
4254 | 9.52 |
| Mike Broadbank Mike Broadbank Michael Broadbank is a former international motorcycle speedway rider who made 560 appearances for the Swindon Robins, scoring over 4,200 points.-Rye House:... |
4239 | 7.84 |
| Bob Kilby Bob Kilby Robert Stanley "Bob" Kilby was a motorcycle speedway rider for the Swindon Robins, Oxford Rebels and Exeter Falcons. From the start of his career in 1964 to its end in 1983, he rode some 2,226 times over 556 meetings, and amassed a total of 4,192 points. He was a member of the Robins' British... |
4192 | 7.95 |
| Jimmy Nilsen Jimmy Nilsen Jimmy Nilsen is a former international motorcycle speedway rider from Sweden. He was Swedish Champion in 1996 after finishing 3rd in 1994. Nilsen also rode in five World Finals as well as representing Sweden in Test Matches.... |
3815 | 8.41 |
| Barry Briggs Barry Briggs Barry Briggs MBE from Christchurch, New Zealand is a former Speedway rider.He won the World Individual Championship title four times - in 1957, 1958, 1964 and 1966. He appeared in a record 17 consecutive World Individual finals , and a record 18 in all, during which he scored a record 201 points... |
3681 | 10.71 |
| Ian Williams Ian Williams Ian Williams is an American rock guitarist. He became noted for his finger tapping guitar playing in bands such as Don Caballero, Storm & Stress and currently in Battles.-Biography:... |
3452.5 | 7.54 |
| Brian Karger Brian Karger Brian Karger is a former international motorcycle speedway rider. He was a member of the Denmark speedway team when they won the 1991 and 1995 World Team Cup Finals... |
2754 | 7.60 |
| Neil Street | 1802.5 | 7.45 |