Norwich Stars
| Norwich Stars | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Club information | |||||||||
| Track address |
The Firs Stadium Aylsham Road Norwich | ||||||||
| Country | England | ||||||||
| Founded | 1930 | ||||||||
| Closed | 1964 | ||||||||
| Team manager |
Max Grosskreutz Dick Wise Fred Evans Gordon Parkins | ||||||||
| Team captain |
Dick Wise Bert Spencer Phil Clarke Aub Lawson Reg Trott | ||||||||
| Club facts | |||||||||
| Colours | Green with Yellow Star | ||||||||
| Track size | 425 yards (389 m) | ||||||||
| Track record holder |
Peter Craven & Ove Fundin | ||||||||
| Major team honours | |||||||||
| |||||||||
Norwich Stars were a motorcycle speedway team based in Norwich, England which operated from 1930 until their closure in 1964.[1]
History
Speedway racing was staged in Norwich both before and after World War II at The Firs Stadium in Aylsham Road, Hellesdon. Pre-War Norwich were members of the National Provincial League in 1937, National League Division Two in 1938 & 1939. After the war, the Norwich Stars raced in the Northern League in 1946 and the National League Division Two from 1947 to 1951. They won the League Championship in both 1950 and 1951.
They were invited into the National League Division One in 1952 and finished runners up in the League in 1958 and 1963. Another honour was the winning of Speedway's premier Knockout Competition, the National Trophy. This was achieved in both 1955 and 1963.[2]
The Stars raced in the top flight until the stadium was closed at the end of the 1964 season when the track and stadium were sold for re-development.[1]
In July 2012, former rider Ove Fundin played a part in announcing a return of speedway in the city of Norwich. Plans, which did not come to fruition, were outlined for a new track to be built on the city's outskirts, with the hope of a return to the British league structure.
Notable riders
- Ove Fundin
- Trevor Hedge
- Aub Lawson
- Wal Morton
- Bob Leverenz
- Geoff Pymar
- Raymond "Billy" Bales
- Phil Clarke
- Titch Read
- Olle Nygren
- Terry Betts
- Fred Brand
- Ted Bravery
- Johnny Chamberlain
- Harry Edwards
- Jack Freeman
- Jimmy Gooch
- Max Grosskreutz
- Alec Hunter
- Wilf Jay
- Syd Littlewood
- Paddy Mills
- Fred Pawson
- Cyril Roger
- Fred Rogers
- Bert Spencer
- Derek Strutt
- Reg Trott
- Dick Wise
- Barrie East