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Longest League Careers Post War

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Jack Biggs' British career spanned 1947 to 1970... 24 years.

 

And that certainly wasn't his whole career. He was killed in action in Australia in 1972 at the age of 50. Not sure when he started racing in Australia - can anyone provide the year?

 

All the best

Rob

 

EDIT Rob Hollingworth made his league debut for Berwick in 1973. His final league season was at Boston in 2005. There was a gap in the middle.

Edited by lucifer sam

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Mauger went home at the end of 1958 and didn't return to British speedway until 1963 I think!

 

Ivan didn't ride League speedway in 1982 and 83. He only returned in 1984 to help out a desperately shorthanded Exeter on their return to the British League where he managed to blackmail the authorities into allowing him to ride home meetings only!!

Ivan Mauger 1957 - 1984 (28 years)......though it has to be said a bit on and off at the beginning and end! So probably only 22 years in total.

So a revised look then

 

Jimmy Squibb 30 (1946-1975)
Neil Collins 29 (1978-2006)
Les Collins 29(1975-2003)
Ken McKinlay 28 (1948-1975)
Malcolm Simmons 28 (1963-1989,1993)

Nigel Boocock 26 (1955-1980)
Alan Mogridge 26 (1981-2006)

Must be some current riders looking to break into that table and probably one or two from the past who make it.Scott Nicholls i think started out in 1995,so would have done 23 seasons now,although did he miss a year and only rode in Poland(Sweden when he was in the GPs?Not sure

Simmo didn't ride in 1988 when he was co-promotor at King's Lynn!

 

Scotty had his first League rides in 1994 for Peterborough and has been going ever since apart from a brief spell at the start of one season where he tried missing Britissh speedway in a failed attempt to enhance his GP career. If you count complete years of racing then Scotty I think started racing in junior grasstrack in the mid 1980's!

 

Rob Hollingworth retired in 1986 and came back via amateur speedway in late 1998!

Edited by 25yearfan
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Stuart Robson & Jon Armstrong??

Edited by JoeW

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Andy Smith is a possibility i think?1982-2007 equals Moggo,or did he miss a year or two?

Edited by iris123

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Andy Smith is a possibility i think?1982-2007 equals Moggo,or did he miss a year or two?

He was the first name I thought of (along with Neil and les Collins). But pretty sure he had 2 or 3 seasons without aBritish club. 1996? And one or two others?
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Yes,I wasn't sure,but something in my memory was saying he held a Polish licence and the reason was probably because he wasn't riding in GB

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Yes,I wasn't sure,but something in my memory was saying he held a Polish licence and the reason was probably because he wasn't riding in GB

I think he rode on a German licence, same as Marvyn Cox.

 

This is why it gets interesting, because the span of a career can be very different to the actual seasons ridden - particularly when it comes to British league racing.

 

Steve

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Colin 'Joe' Gooddy (1955-78) and Mike Broadbank (1955-77) are two worthy of a mention.

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He was the first name I thought of (along with Neil and les Collins). But pretty sure he had 2 or 3 seasons without aBritish club. 1996? And one or two others?

Taken a look on WWOS and it seems Andy missed the 1 season in 2002,if of course they have mot made a mistake.So 25 seasons.Not too bad and still equal with Moggo if Robs info is correct

 

1982..Belle Vue..4..10..8..3..4.40

1983..Belle Vue..50..149..137..30..4.48

1984..Belle Vue..50..187..302..37..7.25..2F..1P

1985..Belle Vue..38..156..267..29..7.59..4F

1986..Belle Vue..16..61..84..9..6.10

1987..Belle Vue..35..136..194..22..6.35..1F..1P

1988..Belle Vue..41..171..257..35..6.83..1F..1P

1989..Bradford..36..169..275..32..7.27..2P

1990..Bradford..27..117..191..34..7.69..3P

1991..Swindon..7..32..53..9..7.75

1992..Coventry..15..72..129.5..8..7.64

1993..Coventry..36..187..309..40..7.47..2F

1994..Coventry..22..103..151..15..6.45

1995..Coventry..38..182..276..28..6.68

1996..Bradford..43..217..371..50..7.76..2P

1997..Coventry..38..189..239..37..5.84

1998..Belle Vue..15..74..88..15..5.57

1998..Swindon..16..88..137..29..7.55..1P

1999..Belle Vue..27..127..227.5..35..8.27..3P

2000..Belle Vue..30..147..202..26..6.20

2001..Belle Vue..25..106..142..12..5.81

2002.....?????????????

2003..Oxford..21..92..132..16..6.43..1F

2004..Swindon..39..174..208..44..5.79

2005..Belle Vue..45..202..263..58..6.36

2006..Reading..27..108..120..29..5.52

2007..Reading..6..28..22..2..3.43

2007..Oxford..10..42..34..8..4.00

So an updated list

 

Jimmy Squibb 30 (1946-1975)

Neil Collins 29 (1978-2006)

Les Collins 29(1975-2003)

Ken McKinlay 28 (1948-1975)

Malcolm Simmons 27 (1963-1987,1989,1993)

Nigel Boocock 26 (1955-1980)

Alan Mogridge 25 (1981-1997,1999-2006)

Andy Smith 25 (1982-2001,2003-2007)

As far as i can tell both Scott Nicholls and Stuart Robson are just outside the list,but still going and next year would be the 25 season for both,as it seems Stuart missed a year(because of injury?)

Edited by iris123

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I've got a feeling that Andy Smith did miss 2002. When Oxford signed him in 2003 (firstly for the BLC, then for the CL (!), and then for the EL), I'm sure he'd missed the previous year.

 

All the best

Rob

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According to that great fount of all knowledge, Wikipedia, Andy Smith rode in the Grand

Prix series in 2002 but not the league.

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