Arthur Atkinson (speedway rider)
Encyclopedia
Arthur Atkinson was a former international motorcycle speedway
rider and promoter who appeared in the first Speedway World Championship
final in 1936
.
in 1929, Atkinson joined the Wembley Lions
in 1930. The team won the Southern League but in the last league meeting of the season Atkinson was left unconscious after a crash. He missed the whole of the 1931 season after a dispute with Wembley but in 1932 he joined the West Ham Hammers
.
In 1937 the Hammers won the National League Championship
and in 1938 they won the ACU Cup. Atkinson remained with Hammers until the outbreak of World War II
.
1936 saw Atkinson selected for England
against Australia
in the test series and was a regular up to the war.
After the war he managed the West Ham Hammers
alongside Stan Greatrex from 1946 until 1949. In 1950 Atkinson and his wife 'Tippy' became promoters at the newly formed Rayleigh Rockets
. Whilst promoting at Rayleigh he returned to riding again, for West Ham, but the twelve years away from competitive riding showed in his scoring. In 1952 he was signed by the Harringay Racers
for £80 and scored reasonably well but after a poor start to 1953 Atkinson retired from racing for ever.
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 promoter who appeared in the first 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 1936
1936 Individual Speedway World Championship
The 1936 Individual Speedway World Championship was the first ever Speedway World Championship and was won by Lionel Van Praag of Australia. It was the first of a record 26 times that London's Wembley Stadium would host the World Final with the last being in 1981.*1936 Podium# Lionel Van Praag # ...
.
Career
After early meetings at Halifax and LeedsLeeds Lions
Leeds Lions are a defunct British motorcycle speedway team who were based at Fullerton Park Sports Stadium at Elland Road in Leeds, England.-History:...
in 1929, Atkinson joined the Wembley Lions
Wembley Lions (speedway)
The Wembley Lions were a motorcycle speedway team which operated from 1929 until their closure in 1971. Their track was located at Wembley Stadium, London. The original stadium which hosted speedway has been redeveloped.-Pre-war:...
in 1930. The team won the Southern League but in the last league meeting of the season Atkinson was left unconscious after a crash. He missed the whole of the 1931 season after a dispute with Wembley but in 1932 he joined the West Ham Hammers
West Ham Hammers
The West Ham Hammers were a speedway team, first promoted by Jimmy Baxter in 1929.. They operated from the West Ham Stadium until the outbreak of World War II under several different promotions, most successfully under the control of Johnnie Hoskins....
.
In 1937 the Hammers won the National League Championship
Speedway National League
The National League was the top division of Speedway in the United Kingdom from 1932 until 1965 when it became known as the British League. Prior to 1932 there were only small regional leagues competing within the sport in the UK. The National League was re-incarnated in 1975 as the second division...
and in 1938 they won the ACU Cup. Atkinson remained with Hammers until the outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
1936 saw Atkinson selected for England
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....
against Australia
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...
in the test series and was a regular up to the war.
After the war he managed the West Ham Hammers
West Ham Hammers
The West Ham Hammers were a speedway team, first promoted by Jimmy Baxter in 1929.. They operated from the West Ham Stadium until the outbreak of World War II under several different promotions, most successfully under the control of Johnnie Hoskins....
alongside Stan Greatrex from 1946 until 1949. In 1950 Atkinson and his wife 'Tippy' became promoters at the newly formed Rayleigh Rockets
Rayleigh Rockets
The Rayleigh Rockets were a Speedway team which operated from 1949 until their closure in 1973 from the Rayleigh Weir Stadium in Rayleigh, Essex . The Rockets closed in 1958 but re-opened again in 1960 and entered the Provincial League and then the Metropolitan League in 1964...
. Whilst promoting at Rayleigh he returned to riding again, for West Ham, but the twelve years away from competitive riding showed in his scoring. In 1952 he was signed by 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....
for £80 and scored reasonably well but after a poor start to 1953 Atkinson retired from racing for ever.
World final appearances
- 19361936 Individual Speedway World ChampionshipThe 1936 Individual Speedway World Championship was the first ever Speedway World Championship and was won by Lionel Van Praag of Australia. It was the first of a record 26 times that London's Wembley Stadium would host the World Final with the last being in 1981.*1936 Podium# Lionel Van Praag # ...
-
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 - 16th - 3pts + 16 semi-final points - 19371937 Individual Speedway World ChampionshipThe 1937 Individual Speedway World Championship.-World final:*September 2, 1937 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 - 14th - 6pts + 8 semi-final points - 19381938 Individual Speedway World ChampionshipThe 1938 Individual Speedway World Championship.-World final:*September 1, 1938 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 - 11th - 5pts + 5 semi-final points