| Harry Shepherd | ||
| Personal information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Nationality | England | |
| Date of birth | May 5, 1903 | |
| Place of birth | London, England | |
| Current club information | ||
| Career status | Retired | |
| Career history | ||
| Crystal Palace Glaziers New Cross Rangers Bristol Bulldogs |
1930-1933 1934-1936 1936-1939 |
|
| Individual honours | ||
| None | ||
| Team honours | ||
| London Cup | 1931, 1934 | |
George 'Harry' Shepherd' (born 5 May 1903, Death 17 5 1988 At north shore Auckland nz[1] was an international speedway rider who has been credited with the invention of the starting gate still used in speedway today.[2]
Born in London, England, Shepherd appeared in the finals of the 1931 Star Riders' Championship, the forerunner to the Speedway World Championship.[3] His final season, 1939, saw Shepherd make his international debut for England.
In 1933 Shepherd, along with New Cross promoter Fred Mockford invented the starting gate which is still in use today, by stretching a set of tapes across the track which were then released by a hand operated electric mechanism, similar to those used in horse racing. This starting procedure allowed for much fairer starts.[2]