Cup
presentation by Brian Fairhead
| Itteringham.com |
| The Itteringham Lions Cycle Speedway team was one of the most successful in the whole circuit. |
We hope to identify all those in the pictures below, so if you recognise someone as yet unidentified, let us know and we will update the site. Let your cursor rest on each person's head and if we know their name, the label will appear. If you recognise someone unlabelled please do let us know. Please use this link or telephone 07836 675369 |
The
Lions team competed from approximately 1948 - 1958. It was eventually disbanded
as many of the riders were becoming "too old." The circuit was
known as The Sandpit as the area contained a deep old sand pit that had
subsequently been partially filled with rubbish. The pit was finally filled
and landscaped after a rider from Norwich fell in, resulting in a particularly
frosty telephone call from his club. |
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Cup
presentation by Brian Fairhead
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The
Lions
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Other
competing teams came from local villages and included Aldborough, Corpusty,
Erpingham, Hempstead, Hevingham, Marsham Thunderbolts, Reepham, Saxthorpe and Spixworth
Spokes. There were league tables but we have yet to find a copy....? |
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Practising
a start in the 60s
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A
practice race in progress with the now demolished Church Row behind. Eric Thaxter on the bike bottom left. |
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The
Broughton Brothers
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The
Broughton Brothers and a finger in front of the lens |
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Denny
& Freddie Broughton
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Derek
Broughton
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Bob
Pleasants
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George
Dale
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Some years after the Lions disbanded, Michael Baxter asked Kenny Harrison if he would set up another club and so the Itteringham Rockets team was born. It is probable that the name Lions had already been taken by another club in the interim. |
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Left-right - Denny Broughton, ?, ?, Eric Thaxter, ?
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Pit
stop outside Church Row
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I do remember being keen on the speedway bikes.....and remember swapping my
own creation for a 125cc Excelsior motorbike that I pushed all the way to
Aylsham when we had moved there in about 1960..... and my first brush with
the law when trying to get some petrol for it without any road tax etc.... |
Denny Broughton was Norfolk Champion 1963 and 1964. Definitely the best rider in the County. |
Jimmy Overton was the village pub landlord and I don't think he ever missed a meeting home or away. |
Jimmy and Mary were wonderful. The Norwich teams joined us after matches in the Walpole Arms. |
The team used Kent's coaches for away fixtures. The bike frames were put in the aisle with the front wheels stored in the coach boot. |
I once travelled to Thorpe to ride in a Norfolk qualifier on my motorbike with the track bike frame over my shoulder and the wheels strapped on the back of the bike. Think I would have got pulled over today |
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The cinder speedway track |
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The
crowd
Back row left-right - Ruth Harrison, Ethel Newstead, Lili Hoolhouse, Alice Newstead Front row left-right - Mrs Hall, Nora Curtis, Mrs Broughton, Lily Dale, Johnny Wells |
I used to run the Mulbarton Cycle Speedway Club. We were in the Norwich League at the time Itteringham were in the North Norfolk. One of the riders with Itteringham team was Paul Overton and he used to work with me at Mann Egerton in Norwich. I havent heard from him for years but I know he was in the team with a Fred Broughton in those days. If he is still about I wouldn't mind hearing from him. My own e-mail address is - (supplied on
request to this website). They were really good days and it was a pity the League didn't embrace all the County but I think there were inter-league matches on occasions. The top riders in the Norwich League were Barry Woodcock, Mike Parkins (a World Champion in 1962), Trevor Hedge and Gerry Abel. They were all Norfolk Champions at some time.
Bryan Tungate - 24th July 2005 |
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The
Rockets
Back row left-right - Kenny Harrison, Norman Barnes, Fred Broughton, Adrian Hall, Paul Overton, Peter Hoolhouse, Donny Baxter, Jimmy Overton Front row left-right - Rodney Hall, David Hall, Denny Broughton, Michael Baxter |
| If you have any memories, anecdotes or photos please let us know and we may be able to use them to update the site. By all means telephone 07836 675369 or |
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Copyright ©
Jonathan Neville 2004
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