Malcolm Brown (speedway rider)
Encyclopedia
Malcolm Brown is a former motorcycle speedway
rider who rode for Hackney Hawks
and Leicester Lions in the 1960s and 1970s.
, Brown began speedway racing at Rye House
, signing for the Hackney Hawks in 1964, and was an ever-present for Hackney in the 1966, 1967, and 1968 seasons. In that era he also sang regularly in Working Men's Club
s in East London. He moved to the Leicester Lions in 1969, and was a mainstay of the team between 1969 and 1973. He rode in only six matches in 1974, and retired from racing that year, although he did return to Leicester for a second half event in 1977.
Brown moved to Rhodesia
in the mid-1970s, where he promoted speedway at Bulawayo
. He also ran his own Z International nightclub, where he performed as a singer and comedian. The end of colonial rule, as Rhodesia became Zimbabwe, saw Brown return to the UK, where he opened the Raffles club in St Austell
. In 1988 he relocated again, this time to Florida
, where he set up a cleaning company. Through his neighbour, Burt Reynolds
, Brown got a small part in the TV series B.L. Stryker
, and went on to appear in films such as Illtown
and Do You Wanna Know a Secret?
. In 2005, he recorded an album, On Track, with proceeds going to help fund the National Speedway Museum.
.
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 for Hackney Hawks
Hackney Hawks
Hackney Hawks speedway opened in 1963 at Hackney Wick Stadium, Waterden Road, London and operated until 1983.-Early days:Originally opened by Mike Parker, the promotion was then sold to Len Silver who was the club's promoter for the next twenty seasons....
and Leicester Lions in the 1960s and 1970s.
Biography
Born in WalthamstowWalthamstow
Walthamstow is a district of northeast London, England, located in the London Borough of Waltham Forest. It is situated north-east of Charing Cross...
, Brown began speedway racing at Rye House
Rye House Stadium
Rye House Stadium is a greyhound racing and speedway venue in Rye House near Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire. It is situated adjacent to the River Lea Navigation.-The stadium:...
, signing for the Hackney Hawks in 1964, and was an ever-present for Hackney in the 1966, 1967, and 1968 seasons. In that era he also sang regularly in Working Men's Club
Working men's club
Working men's clubs are a type of private social club founded in the 19th century in industrial areas of the United Kingdom, particularly the North of England, the Midlands and many parts of the South Wales Valleys, to provide recreation and education for working class men and their families.-...
s in East London. He moved to the Leicester Lions in 1969, and was a mainstay of the team between 1969 and 1973. He rode in only six matches in 1974, and retired from racing that year, although he did return to Leicester for a second half event in 1977.
Brown moved to Rhodesia
Rhodesia
Rhodesia , officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state located in southern Africa that existed between 1965 and 1979 following its Unilateral Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom on 11 November 1965...
in the mid-1970s, where he promoted speedway at Bulawayo
Bulawayo
Bulawayo is the second largest city in Zimbabwe after the capital Harare, with an estimated population in 2010 of 2,000,000. It is located in Matabeleland, 439 km southwest of Harare, and is now treated as a separate provincial area from Matabeleland...
. He also ran his own Z International nightclub, where he performed as a singer and comedian. The end of colonial rule, as Rhodesia became Zimbabwe, saw Brown return to the UK, where he opened the Raffles club in St Austell
St Austell
St Austell is a civil parish and a major town in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated on the south coast approximately ten miles south of Bodmin and 30 miles west of the border with Devon at Saltash...
. In 1988 he relocated again, this time to Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, where he set up a cleaning company. Through his neighbour, Burt Reynolds
Burt Reynolds
Burton Leon "Burt" Reynolds, Jr. is an American actor. Some of his memorable roles include Bo 'Bandit' Darville in Smokey and the Bandit, Lewis Medlock in Deliverance, Bobby "Gator" McCluskey in White Lightning and sequel Gator, Paul Crewe and Coach Nate Scarborough in The Longest Yard and its...
, Brown got a small part in the TV series B.L. Stryker
B.L. Stryker
B.L Stryker is an American detective drama that aired on ABC from February 13, 1989 to May 1990 as part of the ABC Mystery Movie along with Gideon Oliver, Columbo and Kojak. The series was executive produced by Tom Selleck.-Premise:...
, and went on to appear in films such as Illtown
Illtown
Illtown is a 1998 film directed by Nick Gomez.Plot: Dante and his girlifrend Micky run a very profitable drug operation in a seaside town, aided and abetted by a host of teens who sell the smack at discos around town, as well as by Lucas, a corrupt cop who's on the take...
and Do You Wanna Know a Secret?
Do You Wanna Know a Secret?
Do You Wanna Know A Secret is a 2001 slasher film starring Joey Lawrence, Chad Allen and Dorie Barton. The film begins with six friends are on a retreat and are about to graduate college. One by one, the friends are being stalked and murdered by a killer wearing a black cloak and a rubber mask...
. In 2005, he recorded an album, On Track, with proceeds going to help fund the National Speedway Museum.
Career record
All figures relate to the British LeagueSpeedway British League
The British League was the top division of Speedway in the United Kingdom from 1965 until 1995 when it became known as the Premier League. Prior to 1965 the division had been known as the National League....
.
| Year | Team | Matches | Rides | Points | Bonus | Total | Average |
| 1965 | Hackney | 19 | 59 | 60 | 16 | 76 | 5.15 |
| 1965 | Sheffield | 1 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2.00 |
| 1966 | Hackney | 38 | 145 | 147 | 19 | 166 | 4.58 |
| 1967 | Hackney | 39 | 141 | 158 | 20 | 178 | 5.05 |
| 1968 | Hackney | 37 | 134 | 158 | 20 | 178 | 5.31 |
| 1969 | Leicester | 38 | 117 | 127 | 24 | 151 | 5.16 |
| 1970 | Leicester | 38 | 127 | 129 | 22 | 151 | 4.76 |
| 1971 | Leicester | 36 | 118 | 122 | 22 | 144 | 4.88 |
| 1972 | Leicester | 35 | 116 | 96 | 18 | 114 | 3.93 |
| 1973 | Leicester | 36 | 125 | 125 | 21 | 146 | 4.67 |
| 1974 | Leicester | 6 | 22 | 16 | 7 | 23 | 4.18 |