Fleetwood Flyers

Infobox Speedway team
clubname = Fleetwood Flyers


track = Highbury Stadium
Park Avenue
Fleetwood
Lancashire
country = flagicon|England England
founded = 1948
closed = 1952
manager =
captain =
league = National League Division Two
website =
colours = green and red
tracksize = "not known"
track record time = 63.8
track record date = 1948-06-29
track record holder = Dick Geary
teamhonour =
teamyear =

Fleetwood Flyers were a speedway team in Fleetwood, England which operated from 1948 until 1952.cite web
title = The Speedway Researcher, Fleetwood
publisher = The Speedway Researcher
url = http://www.speedwayresearcher.org.uk/fleetwood.html
accessdate = 2008-10-05 ] Home meetings were raced at Highbury Stadium stadium, Park Avenue in Fleetwood.

easons

The Flyers first competed in the National League Division Two in 1948 when they replaced Wigan Warriors after three matches. They competed in Division Two in 1949, 1950 and 1951.

In 1952 they dropped out of the league and operated on an open licence riding challenge matches as Fleetwood Knights.

1948 season

The first three meetings of the season were run by Wigan Warriors. As the Warriors they lost two and won one meetings. The first meeting at home was against Edinburgh Monarchs on 14 April, which they lost 35-49 with Norman Hargreaves top scoring on ten points. The track record race time was set as 70.4 seconds in the second heat by Jack Gordon. The track record was broken at the next home meeting in at 68.8 seconds set by Sheffield Tigers rider Jack Bibby. The Flyers first victory came in an away meeting over Birmingham Brummies on 24 April. On 27 April Norwich Stars rider Syd Littlewood set a new track record of 66.8 seconds. In the 44-39 win over Newcastle Diamonds on 18 May the track record was again broken, by Wilf Plant at 65.4 seconds. As results gradually improved the track record was broken in the 48-36 win over Glasgow Tigers on 1 June, set by Dick Geary at 65.0 seconds. Bristol Bulldogs rider Fred Tuck broke the track record again on 15 June in a cup meeting at 64.8 seconds and he broke it again a week later in a National Trophy meeting at 64.6 seconds. On 29 June Flyers rider Dick Geary broke the track record for a second time, setting a new record of 63.8 seconds.cite web
title = Fleetwood 1948
publisher = The Speedway Researcher
url = http://www.speedwayresearcher.org.uk/docs/fleetwood/1948.pdf
format = PDF
accessdate = 2008-10-04 ]

League results

*Norwich Stars 45 Wigan Warriors 37 (Firs Stadium, Norwich 27 March)
*Newcastle Diamonds 38 Wigan Warriors 45 (Brough Park Stadium, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne 5 April)
*Glasgow Tigers 49 Wigan Warriors 34 (White City Stadium, Glasgow 7 April)
*Fleetwood Flyers 35 Edinburgh Monarchs 49 (Highbury Stadium, Fleetwood 14 April)
*Sheffield Tigers 48 Fleetwood Flyers 36 (Owlerton Stadium, Sheffield 15 April)
*Fleetwood Flyers 39 Sheffield Tigers 49 (Highbury Stadium, Fleetwood 20 April)
*Birmingham Brummies 40 Fleetwood Flyers 44 (Alexander Stadium, Birmingham 24 April)
*Fleetwood Flyers 31 Norwich Stars 53 (Highbury Stadium, Fleetwood 27 April)
*Middlesbrough Bears 63 Fleetwood Flyers 19 (Cleveland Park, Middlesbrough 29 April)
*Fleetwood Flyers 38 Birmingham Brummies 46 (Highbury Stadium, Fleetwood 4 May)
*Edinburgh Monarchs 45 Fleetwood Flyers 39 (Old Meadowbank, Edinburgh 8 May)
*Fleetwood Flyers 41 Bristol Bulldogs 42 (Highbury Stadium, Fleetwood 11 May)
*Fleetwood Flyers 37 Middlesbrough Bears 47 (Highbury Stadium, Fleetwood 17 May)
*Fleetwood Flyers 44 Newcastle Diamonds 39 (Highbury Stadium, Fleetwood 18 May)
*Norwich Stars 53 Fleetwood Flyers 30 (Firs Stadium, Norwich 22 May)
*Fleetwood Flyers 48 Middlesbrough Bears 36 (Highbury Stadium, Fleetwood 25 May)
*Fleetwood Flyers 48 Glasgow Tigers 36 (Highbury Stadium, Fleetwood 1 June)
*Bristol Bulldogs 49 Fleetwood Flyers 35 (Knowle Stadium, Bristol 4 June)
*Edinburgh Monarchs 42 Fleetwood Flyers 41 (Old Meadowbank, Edinburgh 3 July)
*Fleetwood Flyers 40 Glasgow Tigers 44 (Highbury Stadium, Fleetwood 3 August)
*Sheffield Tigers 54 Fleetwood Flyers 30 (Owlerton Stadium, Sheffield 12 August)
*Birmingham Brummies 62 Fleetwood Flyers 22 (Alexander Stadium, Birmingham 28 August)
*Middlesbrough Bears 51 Fleetwood Flyers 33 (Cleveland Park, Middlesbrough 2 September)
*Fleetwood Flyers 53 Sheffield Tigers 31 (Highbury Stadium, Fleetwood 7 September)
*Fleetwood Flyers 51 Bristol Bulldogs 3 (Highbury Stadium, Fleetwood 14 September)
*Fleetwood Flyers 40 Birmingham Brummies 44 (Highbury Stadium, Fleetwood 21 September)
*Fleetwood Flyers 53 Norwich Stars 31 (Highbury Stadium, Fleetwood 28 September)
*Newcastle Diamonds 43 Fleetwood Flyers 41 (Brough Park Stadium, Newcastle 4 October)
*Fleetwood Flyers 50 Edinburgh Monarchs 34 (Highbury Stadium, Fleetwood 5 October)
*Glasgow Tigers 42 Wigan Warriors 42 (White City Stadium, Glasgow 6 October)
*Fleetwood Flyers 52 Newcastle Diamonds 32 (Highbury Stadium, Fleetwood 12 October)
*Bristol Bulldogs 57 Fleetwood Flyers 27 (Knowle Stadium, Bristol 15 October)

Cup

*Newcastle Diamonds 54 Fleetwood Flyers 42 (Brough Park Stadium, Newcastle 19 April)
*Norwich Stars 47 Wigan Warriors 57 (Firs Stadium, Norwich 1 May)
*Sheffield Tigers 55 Fleetwood Flyers 41 (Owlerton Stadium, Sheffield 20 May)
*Birmingham Brummies 51 Fleetwood Flyers 45 (Alexander Stadium, Birmingham 29 May)
*Fleetwood Flyers 47 Birmingham Brummies 49 (Highbury Stadium, Fleetwood 8 June)
*Fleetwood Flyers 51 Bristol Bulldogs 45 (Highbury Stadium, Fleetwood 15 June)
*Fleetwood Flyers 62 Glasgow Tigers 34 (Highbury Stadium, Fleetwood 29 June)
*Fleetwood Flyers 54 Edinburgh Monarchs 42 (Highbury Stadium, Fleetwood 20 July)
*Fleetwood Flyers 59 Newcastle Diamonds 37 (Highbury Stadium, Fleetwood 27 July)
*Glasgow Tigers 68 Wigan Warriors 28 (White City Stadium, Glasgow 28 July)
*Fleetwood Flyers 69 Middlesbrough Bears 27 (Highbury Stadium, Fleetwood 10 August)
*Edinburgh Monarchs 58 Fleetwood Flyers 38 (Old Meadowbank, Edinburgh 14 August)
*Fleetwood Flyers 56 Sheffield Tigers 40 (Highbury Stadium, Fleetwood 17 August)
*Middlesbrough Bears 51 Fleetwood Flyers 45 (Cleveland Park, Middlesbrough 19 August)
*Fleetwood Flyers 55 Norwich Stars 41 (Highbury Stadium, Fleetwood 24 August)
*Bristol Bulldogs 56 Fleetwood Flyers 40 (Knowle Stadium, Bristol 17 September)

National Trophy

*Bristol Bulldogs 65 Fleetwood Flyers 43 (Knowle Stadium, Bristol 18 June)
*Fleetwood Flyers 69 Bristol Bulldogs 39 (Highbury Stadium, Fleetwood 22 June)
*Fleetwood Flyers 39 Birmingham Brummies 59 (Highbury Stadium, Fleetwood 13 July)
*Birmingham Brummies 75 Fleetwood Flyers 33 (Alexander Stadium, Birmingham 19 July)

Challenge meetings

*Fleetwood Flyers 52 Stoke Potters 31 (Highbury Stadium, Fleetwood 2 August)
*Fleetwood Flyers 48 Sheffield Tigers 36 (Highbury Stadium, Fleetwood 16 October)

1949 season

1950 season

1951 season

1952 season

In 1952 a number of open meeings were held with the team re-named the Fleetwood Knights.

Riders

The most notable rider who rode for the Flyers was Peter Craven who rode in one meeting in 1951.cite web
title = Fleetwood A-Z
publisher = The Speedway Researcher
url = http://www.speedwayresearcher.org.uk/docs/fleetwood/01.pdf
format = PDF
accessdate = 2008-10-04 ] The riders who made the most appearances for the Flyers were -

*Norman Hargreaves - 107 meetings (1948 - 28, 1949 - 27, 1950 - 24, 1951 - 28)
*Don Potter - 71 meetings (1949 - 19, 1950 - 24, 1951 - 28)
*Wilf Plant - 67 meetings (1948 - 23, 1949 - 20, 1950 - 24)
*Alf Parker - 52 meetings (1950 - 24, 1951 - 28)
*Ron Hart - 51 meetings (1948 - 28, 1949 - 14, 1950 - 2, 1952 - 7)
*Dick Geary - 44 meetings (1948 - 27, 1950 - 17)
*Wilf Jay - 43 meetings (1951 - 28, 1952 - 15)
*Jeff Crawford - 42 meetings (1951 - 27, 1952 - 15)
*Ernie Appleby - 39 meetings (1948 - 15, 1949 - 18, 1951 - 6)
*Ray Harker - 38 meetings (1951 - 26, 1952 - 12)
*Frank Malouf - 34 meetings (1948 - 1, 1949 - 28, 1950 - 2, 1951 - 1)
*Reg Lambourne - 28 meetings (1948 - 28)
*George Newton - 28 meetings (1949 - 27, 1950 - 1)
*Angus McGure - 24 meetings (1950 - 3, 1951 - 21)
*Jack Gordon - 23 meetings (1948 - 23)
*Graham William - 21 meetings (1950 - 21)
*Geoff Culshaw - 20 meetings (1950 - 19, 1952 - 1)

Highbury stadium

For many years a feature of the stadium was the 'setback' on the west side of the ground where part of the speedway track used to be. Both the main stand and the long covered standing area known as the "Scratching Shed" were set back from the pitch by a large gap. This was the legacy of the speedway years.cite news
title = Fleetwood Town's stand hit by hold-up
publisher = Blackpool Gazette
date = 2006-10-03
url = http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/ViewArticle.aspx?SectionID=64&ArticleID=1801146
accessdate = 2008-10-05 ] cite news
title = Motorbiking ace dies at 90
publisher = Blackpool Gazette
date = 2003-08-08
url = http://www.blackpooltoday.co.uk/ViewArticle.aspx?SectionID=62&ArticleID=572864
accessdate = 2008-10-05 ]

References