John Alan Wilkinson (3 May 1949 – 24 July 2020) was a motorcycle speedway rider from England.[1][2] He earned 12 international caps for the England national speedway team.[3]
 | |
| Born | 3 May 1949 Penrith, Cumbria, England |
|---|---|
| Died | 24 July 2020 (aged 71) |
| Career history | |
| 1970-1971 | Rochdale Hornets |
| 1971-1978 | Belle Vue Aces |
| Individual honours | |
| 1975, 1977 | British Championship finalist |
| Team honours | |
| 1971, 1972 | British League Champion |
| 1972, 1973, 1975 | British League KO Cup Winner |
| 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978 | Northern Trophy |
Speedway career
editWilkinson rode in the top tier of British Speedway from 1970 to 1978, riding for various clubs.[4]
Wilkinson began his league career with Rochdale Hornets during the 1970 British League Division Two season,[5] going on to captain the team before claiming a full time place in the Belle Vue Aces team.[6]
He reached the final of the British Speedway Championship on two occasions in 1975 and 1977.[1][7]
During 1978 he was paralysed when crashing into the wooden boards that surrounded the track, while riding for Belle Vue Aces.[2]
References
edit- ^ a b "Speedway riders, history and results". wwosbackup. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
- ^ a b "ALAN WILKINSON". SpeedwayGB. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
- ^ "ULTIMATE RIDER INDEX, 1929-2022" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
- ^ "History Archive". British Speedway. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
- ^ "Rochdale Hornets formerly Belle Vue Colts". Berwick Advertiser. 14 May 1970. Retrieved 11 October 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "So easy for Aces". Manchester Evening News. 7 June 1971. Retrieved 11 October 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "HISTORY SPEEDWAY and LONGTRACK". Speedway.org. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
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