- Les Collins
Infobox Speedway rider
ridername= Les Collins
nationality = flagicon|EnglandEngland
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1958|5|24
cityofbirth =Manchester
countryofbirth =England
website =
retired = Retired
polishleague =
swedishleague =
years = 1975
1975-1979, 1988
1976, 1997
1980-1983
1984-1985
1986, 1988
1986-1995
1996
1999-2001
2002
career =Crewe Kings Belle Vue Aces Stoke Potters Leicester Lions Sheffield Tigers King's Lynn Stars Edinburgh Monarchs Cradley Heath Heathens
Glagsow TigersWorkington Comets
indivhonour = Inter Continental Champion
British Under-21 Champion
British League Riders Champion
indivyear = 1982
1977
1980
teamhonour = Premier League Fours Winner
National League Pairs Champion
teamyear = 1993
1986Leslie 'Les' Collins (born
24 May 1958 inManchester ,England ) is a former Speedway rider. [Oakes, P.(2004). "British Speedway Who's Who". ISBN 0-948882-81-6] . He once finished runner-up inSpeedway World Championship .Career
Crewe, Stoke & Belle Vue
Les started his career with the
Crewe Kings before movingBelle Vue Aces . He was loaned to theStoke Potters in 1976 but in 1977 he made a place with the Aces his own, riding alongside brother Peter and family friendChris Morton .Leicester Lions & 1982 World Individual Final
Les moved to the Leicester Lions in 1980 where he stayed until 1983. It was the 1982 season however that proved to be the high point of Les' career. He qualified for his first and only
Speedway World Championship final, winning the Inter Continental title on the way. He finished runner-up that day, despite being the only rider to beat the eventual championBruce Penhall . The final was held atLos Angeles Memorial Coliseum .Les is considered to be very unlucky not to have been crowned champion after an incident involving Penhall and the late
Kenny Carter saw Carter excluded. Both riders were being beaten by Peter Collins at the point of the crash. If Penhall had been excluded (as many people feel he should have), then the title may have headed in Les' direction. [Bamford, R. & Shailes, G. (2002). "A History of the World Speedway Championship". Stroud: Tempus Publishing. ISBN 0-7524-2402-5]heffield & Edinburgh
In 1984 Les moved to the
Sheffield Tigers , still in the top flight British League. In 1986 he dropped down to the National League and signed for theEdinburgh Monarchs , where he rode for ten seasons. In his first season with the Monarchs he became Pairs champion with Doug Wyer. The Monarchs won the National League Four Team Tournament in 1993 with Les in the team.Cradley Heath, Stoke
1996 saw Les riding in the top flight again, with the
Cradley Heath Heathens followed by a year in the Premier League back with theStoke Potters . Les missed the whole of the 1998 season but in 1999 he returned to the sport with Edinburgh's rivals, the Glagsow Tigers.Glasgow
It was at Glasgow in the 2001 and 2002 seasons he rode with his son Aidan. The 2002 team was unique as there was a second father and son connection. Former Leicester team-mate Mark Courtney was also in the line-up with his son Scott.
Les had a spell in 2002 with the
Workington Comets but returned to Glasgow in 2003 where he was again ever present, as he was in 2000 and 2001.World Final Appearances
* 1982 - Flag|USA
Los Angeles - 2nd - 13ptsFamily
Les has four brothers all of whom were speedway riders, Peter, Phil, Neil and Stephen. His son Aidan and nephew Chris were also riders but have both retired from the sport.
External links
* [http://www.leicester-lions.co.uk/riders/collins_les/lescollins.html Les Collins in the Leicester Lions Scrapbook]
* [http://www.aidancollins.com Aidan Collins Website]References
reflist))
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