Cycle Speedway Teams Down the Ages
Warwickshire: Whitley Rangers
About the team
Formerly the Stoke CSC, changed name at the beginning of 1964
Track was on the Chace Playing Fields, London Road, Whitley, Warks.
Club Secretary: M.F. Oakes, 74 Forknell Avenue, Wyken, Coventry(1965).
Racing in the Coventry League 1964.
Raced in the Northern Premier League Div 1(1969).
Disbanded during Winter of 1972/73, reformed as Park Rangers.
Stuart Clements was the driving force behind the re-opening of the club, acting as both Manager and Rider..
In 1980 their newly constructed track was opened, this having taken 2 1/2 years to complete. Over 200 tons of earth were man-handled to form the foundations of the bends, whilst the entire centre green was dug up to a depth of five feet to sort out the drainage problems. 50 tons of brick were added as a soakaway, before new kebstones and a new starting grid was laid. Finally close on 150 tons of quality red shale was laid. The whole project cost in the region of £4,000, with much of this raised through jumble sales, lotteries and the like. Man behind the scheme was Stuart Clements, ex Bedworth rider.
Individual Honours.
1969 Frank Smith won the Coventry Evening Telegraph Cup, the Coventry Senior Individual Championship, and the Coventry League Riders Championship. He also won the Gold Sash match race championship.
1970 Robert Hemming(13) won the Berkshire Junior Grand Prix at Hungerford after a run-off with Mick Hosier(Raynes Park), 3rd after a four man run-off was Brian Johnson(Carrs Wood) who scored 10 points together with Roger Lowery(Bristol), Paul Williams(Denton), and A.n.other from Offerton.
Team Honours.
1969 won the Coventry League, runners-up Brandon Bees.
1969 won the Coventry Reserve League, runners-up Brandon Bees.
1969 won the Spring Shield, runners-up Brandon Bees.
1969 won the A.D. Ellis Memorial Trophy, runners-up Tamworth Stars.
1969 won the Brian Doubleday Trophy, runners-up Brandon Bees.
1969 came runners-up in the National Champions Trophy to Blackley Flyers.
Speedway Riders.
Frank Smith rode for Coventry, Peterborough & Stoke.
Riders
1960s.
- Roger Adams
- Pete Averns
- A. 'Buck' Backhouse
- Phil Bainbridge
- Chris Budd
- Stuart Clements
- R. Dennis
- K. Dickinson
- Brian Doubleday
- Graham Doubleday
- Derek 'Des' Faulkner
- W. Fisher
- P. Flanaghan
- Sean Flanaghan
- M. Harbon
- R. Hardie
- John Harrison
- Bob Hemming
- Mick Jackson
- Phil Jackson
- Mick "Jonah" Jones
- St Leon
- Ray Lewis
- Alan Luddford
- M. Madder
- Paul Moore
- M. Oakes
- Dave Parsons(1964)
- John Reynolds
- C. Rice
- J. Roberts
- J. Savery
- T. Savery
- C. Slater
- Frank Smith
- Paul Thomas(1968-70)
- S. Timms
- C. Trevatt
- Nigel Underwood
- D. Williams
- W. Woodfield