Geoff Bennett (speedway rider)
| Born | 24 February 1924 Birmingham, England |
|---|---|
| Died | 24 June 2014 (aged 90) Stratford-upon-Avon, England |
| Nationality | British (English) |
| Career history | |
| 1947–1954 | Birmingham Brummies |
| 1947, 1952 | Cradley Heath Cubs |
| Team honours | |
| 1948 | National Trophy (tier 2) |
| 1948 | Anniversary Cup (Div 2) winner |
Geoffrey Edwin Bennett (24 February 1924 – 24 June 2014) was a motorcycle speedway rider from England.[1]
Biography
[edit]Bennett, born in Birmingham, was recruited by Tiger Stevenson of the Birmingham Brummies, after Bennett had ridden on continental tracks and had been demobbed from the British Army in 1947.[2] He began his British leagues career riding for Birmingham and then Cradley Heath Cubs during the 1947 Speedway National League Division Three season, where he topped the team's averages.[3]
The following year in 1948, he rode for Birmingham, improving his average to 7.91 and winning the National Trophy (tier 2) with the team.[4] The team moved up to the top league in 1949. He also reached the Championship round of the 1949 Individual Speedway World Championship.[5]
In 1950, he was a heat leader for the Brummies and rode 49 times for them during the season, averaging 8.19[6] and again reached the Championship round of the 1950 Individual Speedway World Championship.
The 1951 season started well, with Bennett being named the new Birmingham captain[7] but then in April, he broke his leg racing at the Chapelizod Sports Stadium in Dublin and he would miss the entire season.[8] The following season he was named captain again for Birmingham but after just a few matches he injured his knee and it was clear that he had not fully recovered from his injuries. He returned to Cradley Heath on loan in division 2 for the season.[9]
He remained on Birmingham's books for both the 1953 and 1954 seasons but only rode a few matches after changing his mind several times about retiring.[10]
References
[edit]- ^ "ULTIMATE RIDER INDEX, 1929-2022" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
- ^ "Sportsreel". Birmingham Daily Gazette. 12 April 1947. Retrieved 11 January 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "1947 season" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
- ^ Oakes, Peter (1978). 1978 Speedway Yearbook. Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd. ISBN 978-0904584509.
- ^ "Year by Year". Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
- ^ "Rider averages 1929 to 2009" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
- ^ "Brummies have a revised team". Evening Despatch. 29 March 1951. Retrieved 11 January 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Another Brummies blow, Geoff Bennett breaks leg". Evening Despatch. 12 April 1951. Retrieved 11 January 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Geoff Bennett moves to Cradley heath on Loan". Sports Argus. 28 June 1952. Retrieved 11 January 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Geoff Bennett decide to quit speedway". Evening Despatch. 25 April 1953. Retrieved 11 January 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.