Derrick Edward Bradley (28 November 1924 – 30 October 2022) was an English motorcycle speedway rider.[1][2][3] He earned 24 international caps for the England national speedway team.[4]

Dick Bradley
Bradley in 1951
Born(1924-11-28)28 November 1924
Netheravon, Wiltshire
Died28 October 2022(2022-10-28) (aged 97)
Chiseldon, Wiltshire
NationalityBritish (English)
Career history
1948-1955Bristol Bulldogs
1955-1963Southampton Saints
1964-1965Newport Wasps
Individual honours
1951, 1952, 1953Speedway World Championship finalist
Team honours
1962National League Champion
1961National Trophy Winner
1948, 1949, 1954National League Division II Champion
1949, 1956National Trophy (Div 2) Winner
1964Provincial League KO Cup Winner
1954Southern Shield Winner

Speedway career

edit

When Bradley left school he became an apprentice mechanic for a company called Skurrays. After competing in grasstrack racing he was given a trial by Bristol Bulldogs manager Bill Hamblin.[3] He raced a few times in 1948 and was a league winner with Bristol during the 1948 Speedway National League Division Two season and the 1949 Speedway National League Division Two season.[5]

Bradley became one of the leading speedway riders in the 1950s. He reached the final of the Speedway World Championship on three occasions in the 1951 Individual Speedway World Championship, 1952 Individual Speedway World Championship and the 1953 Individual Speedway World Championship.[6] He was capped by the England national speedway team against Australia in 1952.[3]

He rode in the top tier of British Speedway from 1948-1965,[7] riding for Bristol Bulldogs, Southampton Saints and Newport Wasps.[8] His successes included winning the National Trophy and the National League with the Southampton Saints.

Bradley lived in Chiseldon, Wiltshire for 65 years.[3] He died on 30 October 2022.[9]

World final appearances

edit

Individual World Championship

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ "WORLD INDIVIDUAL FINAL - RIDER INDEX". British Speedway. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  2. ^ "Dick Bradley". wwosbackup. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d "Obituaries". Speedway Star. 26 November 2022. p. 36.
  4. ^ "ULTIMATE RIDER INDEX, 1929-2022" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
  5. ^ "Year by Year". Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  6. ^ "World Speedway finals" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  7. ^ "History Archive". British Speedway. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  8. ^ "Sport in Brief". Daily Record. 12 May 1964. Retrieved 15 September 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  9. ^ "Former World finalist Dick Bradley passed away". Speedway Star. 5 November 2022. p. 4.