Ray Wilson (speedway rider)
Merton, Surrey, England | |
Nationality | British (English) |
---|---|
Career history | |
1963-1967 | Long Eaton Archers |
1968-1976 | Leicester Lions |
1977-1979 | Birmingham Brummies |
Individual honours | |
1973 | British Champion |
1969 | Brandonapolis |
Team honours | |
1971, 1972, 1973, 1974 | World Team Cup winner |
1972 | World Pairs champion |
1972, 1974 | Midland Cup |
Raymond Wilson (born 12 March 1947 in
Family
His father Ron Wilson, was also a speedway rider for Leicester and Oxford in the early 1950s.[3]
Domestic career
Wilson competed in
He followed the Long Eaton promotion when they moved to Leicester to open the Leicester Lions. He stayed with the Lions for nine seasons, scoring over four thousand points (including bonus points). For the final three seasons of his career he joined the Birmingham Brummies.[5]
Outside speedway, Wilson ran his own haulage company.[1]
He is currently enjoying the role of Ambassador to his home town team, Leicester.[citation needed]
International career
Wilson first rode for England in 1966 against Scotland, and in 1967 rode in test matches against Sweden and Poland.[4] He was part of England's line-up for the 1967 World Team Cup, becoming the youngest Englishman to feature in a World Team Cup final at aged twenty,[6] and was part of the England team that toured Australia in 1967/8.[4]
1967 also saw him appear in his first of four World Championship finals. In 1970, he was captain of Leicester and was a regularly represented his nation.[7]
In 1972 he became World Pairs Champion with partner Terry Betts.
He captained
World Final appearances
Individual World Championship
- 1967 -
London, Wembley Stadium - 8th - 7pts
- Göteborg, Ullevi- 4th - 11pts
- 1973 -
Chorzów, Silesian Stadium - 14th - 5pts
- 1975 -
London, Wembley Stadium[8]
World Pairs Championship
- 1968* -
Illerstadion, Kempten (with Geoff Mudge) - 2nd - 21pts (9)
- 1972 -
Ryavallen, Borås (with Terry Betts) - Winner - 24pts (15+3)
* Unofficial World Championships.
World Team Cup
- 1967* -
Malmö, Malmö Stadion (with Eric Boocock / Barry Briggs / Ivan Mauger / Colin Pratt) - 3rd= - 19pts (4)
- 1970* -
London, Wembley Stadium (with Ivan Mauger / Barry Briggs / Nigel Boocock / Eric Boocock) - 2nd - 31pts (4)
- Olympic Stadium (with Jim Airey / Ivan Mauger / Barry Briggs / Ronnie Moore) - Winner - 37pts (12)
- 1972* -
Olching, Olching Speedwaybahn (with Ivan Mauger / Terry Betts / John Louis) - Winner - 36pts (8)
- Malcolm Simmons / Peter Collins/ Terry Betts) – Winner – 37pts (8)
- 1974 -
Chorzów, Silesian Stadium (with Peter Collins / John Louis / Dave Jessup / Malcolm Simmons) - Winner - 42pts (dnr)
* 1967-1973 for
References
- ^ ISBN 0-904584-04-6, p. 113-4
- ISBN 978-0-244-72538-9
- ^ a b "ULTIMATE RIDER INDEX, 1929-2022" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
- ^ ISBN 0-7207-0322-0, p. 121-4
- ^ "Rider averages 1929 to 2009" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
- ^ Vintage Speedway Magazine. Vol.14 No 4
- ^ "Hectic week for Ray Wilson". Leicester Daily Mercury. 3 July 1970. Retrieved 29 December 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ISBN 0-7524-2402-5.