Weymouth Wildcats
| Weymouth Wildcats | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Club information | |||||||
| Track address |
Wessex Stadium Radipole Lane Weymouth, Dorset (now Defunct) | ||||||
| Country |
 England | ||||||
| Founded | 1954 | ||||||
| Closed | 2010 | ||||||
| Team manager | James Tresadern and Martin Peters | ||||||
| League | National League | ||||||
| Website | Official website | ||||||
| Club facts | |||||||
| Colours | Red and white | ||||||
| Track size | 223 metres | ||||||
| Track record time | 50.9 seconds | ||||||
| Track record date | 8 August 2009 | ||||||
| Track record holder | Tim Webster | ||||||
| Major team honours | |||||||
| |||||||
The Weymouth Wildcats are a British motorcycle speedway team based in Weymouth, England who raced in the National League.[1] The Wildcats won the first Conference League Championship in their history in 2008 after winning the Conference League play-offs.[2] They closed down in 2010. In 2017 they are racing in the newly formed Southern Development League and hoping to relocate into Weymouth soon.
History
Speedway at the Wessex Stadium started in 1954 under the promotion of J W Coates, R Barzilay and W J (Bill) Dutton. In 1955 Weymouth entered National League Division 2. Early names for the club were Weymouth Scorchers and Weymouth Royals When the British League formed a second division in 1968, Wally Mawdsley and Pete Lansdale entered a team from Weymouth which was known as Weymouth Eagles. The Eagles finished ninth out of 10 in the 1968 Division 2.
Harry Davis, in 1974, teamed up with Boston promoters Cyril Crane, Gordon Parkins and Ted Holding to enter the (renamed) Weymouth Wizards in British League Division 2.
In 1975 the Wizards finished in last place out of 20 teams in the League (renamed from British League Division 2 in 1974 to National League).
1978 saw yet another new name, Weymouth Wildcats and new colours (red and white replacing the purple and white), Len Silver (Hackney) taking over as promoter. But Len Silver withdrew from the promotion of Weymouth Speedway during the winter of 1978/79, following a disagreement over terms for using the stadium and Allied Presentations (the promotion at Reading) stepped in to take over the licence.
Early in 1980 Allied Presentations announced that they would no longer promote Speedway in Weymouth leading to local businessman Mervyn Stewkesbury becoming the new promoter. In 1981, the Wildcats finished runners- up in the League. 1983 Weymouth retained the National League Pairs Championship.
2003 After a break of nearly twenty years, thanks to former junior rider Brian White,the Wildcats returned, at a new venue, Wessex Stadium.
In November 2010 the club was shut down after their landlords, Morgan Sindall and Wessex Delivery, repossessed the track for non-payment of rent.[3][4] Despite attempts by local businessman, Harold Doonan, to re-open the club, the landlords subsequently dismantled and removed the track and applied to West Dorset District Council for permission to use the land for open storage.[5]
In 2017 they were entered into the newly formed SDL league with James Tresadern and Martin Peters as Co Promoters / Co Owners
Wildcat Squads
2010
- Tom Brown
- Byron Bekker
- Adam McKinna
- James Cockle
- Luke Chessell
- Richard Andrews
- Karl Mason
- Nick Alford
2017
Southern Development League
- Martin French (Captain)
- Kenny Bowdrey (Vice Captain)
- Tom Meakins
- Chris Bambury
- James Chattin
External links
References
- ↑ Bamford, Robert (2007-03-01). Tempus Speedway Yearbook 2007. NPI Media Group. ISBN 0-7524-4250-3.
- ↑ "Wildcats lift Conference title". BBC Sport. 2008-10-30. Retrieved 2008-11-03.
- ↑ "Cats run out of lives". Dorset Echo. 16 November 2011. Retrieved 14 February 2012.
- ↑ "Weymouth Wildcats forced to close". BBC Sport. 16 November 2011. Retrieved 14 February 2012.
- ↑ "Opposition to plans at former raceway". Dorset Echo. 23 December 2011. Retrieved 14 February 2012.