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Joe Abbott (speedway rider)
Encyclopedia
John Patrick 'Joe' Abbott (born 12 April 1902 Burnley
, England
- died 1 July 1950) was an international motorcycle speedway
rider who rode in the World Championship
final in 1937
.
and stayed there until the outbreak of World War II
. At Belle Vue he formed a formidable partnership with Frank Charles
which they utilised internationally. He made fifteen appearances for England
between 1930 and 1939 and qualified for a World Final.
After the war he became captain of the Harringay Racers
in 1947 and transferred to the Odsal Boomerangs
in Bradford
in 1948.
On 21 June 1949 Joe was riding in live televised meeting at West Ham Stadium
against the West Ham Hammers
. Joe crashed and suffered serious injury, but in the crowd were dozens of ambulance men from Poplar
hospital who rushed him there immediately. The quick actions saved his life.
match for the Boomerangs
against the West Ham
, Joe, who was now 48 years old fell in his second race and was hit by a following rider and was instantly killed. The riders and promoters decided to carry on with the meeting, as they believed Joe would have wished it. Fans left Odsal Stadium
unaware that Joe, nicknamed the 'India-rubber Man', had died.
Burnley
Burnley is a market town in the Burnley borough of Lancashire, England, with a population of around 73,500. It lies north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River Brun....
, England
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...
- died 1 July 1950) was an international 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...
rider who rode in the 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 1937
1937 Individual Speedway World Championship
The 1937 Individual Speedway World Championship.-World final:*September 2, 1937 London, Wembley Stadium...
.
Career summary
Joe began his career with local track Burnley in 1928 before moving onto Preston for two seasons. He then joined 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...
and stayed there 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...
. At Belle Vue he formed a formidable partnership with Frank Charles
Frank Charles (speedway rider)
Frank Charles was a former international motorcycle speedway rider who rode in the first ever World Championship final in 1936.- Career summary :...
which they utilised internationally. He made fifteen appearances 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....
between 1930 and 1939 and qualified for a World Final.
After the war he became captain of 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....
in 1947 and transferred to the Odsal Boomerangs
Odsal Boomerangs
Odsal Boomerangs were a motorcycle speedway team based at Odsal in Bradford from 1945 to 1949. The team later become the Odsal Tudors. -History:...
in Bradford
Bradford
Bradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and received its charter as a city in 1897...
in 1948.
On 21 June 1949 Joe was riding in live televised meeting at West Ham Stadium
West Ham Stadium
West Ham Stadium was a stadium that existed between 1928 and 1972 in Custom House, in east London...
against 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....
. Joe crashed and suffered serious injury, but in the crowd were dozens of ambulance men from Poplar
Poplar, London
Poplar is a historic, mainly residential area of the East End of London in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is about east of Charing Cross. Historically a hamlet in the parish of Stepney, Middlesex, in 1817 Poplar became a civil parish. In 1855 the Poplar District of the Metropolis was...
hospital who rushed him there immediately. The quick actions saved his life.
World Final appearances
- 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 - 13th - 14pts
Death
On 1 July 1950 in the National LeagueSpeedway 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...
match for the Boomerangs
Odsal Boomerangs
Odsal Boomerangs were a motorcycle speedway team based at Odsal in Bradford from 1945 to 1949. The team later become the Odsal Tudors. -History:...
against the West Ham
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....
, Joe, who was now 48 years old fell in his second race and was hit by a following rider and was instantly killed. The riders and promoters decided to carry on with the meeting, as they believed Joe would have wished it. Fans left Odsal Stadium
Odsal Stadium
Odsal Stadium is a stadium situated in Odsal, Bradford in West Yorkshire, England. The venue is used for rugby league and has been the home ground of Bradford Bulls/Bradford Northern since 1934...
unaware that Joe, nicknamed the 'India-rubber Man', had died.