Garry Middleton
 | |
| Born | 19 July 1948 Corowa, New South Wales, Australia |
|---|---|
| Died | 23 November 1994 (aged 46) |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Career history | |
| 1967, 1975 | King's Lynn Stars |
| 1967 | Belle Vue Aces |
| 1967-1968 | Wimbledon Dons |
| 1969 | Newcastle Diamonds |
| 1969-1971 | Hackney Hawks |
| 1972 | Oxford Rebels |
| 1973 | Coventry Bees |
| 1976 | Birmingham Brummies |
| 1977 | Leicester Lions |
| Team honours | |
| 1976 | World Team Cup |
| 1968, 1971 | British League KO Cup |
| 1968, 1971 | London Cup Winner |
Garry David Middleton (born 19 July 1948 Corowa, New South Wales - 23 November 1994)[1] was an Australian motorcycle speedway rider.[2]
Career
[edit]He first came to Britain in 1967 and rode for a short time with the Belle Vue Aces and the King's Lynn Stars before getting a permanent ride with the Wimbledon Dons. He stayed with the Dons for the 1968 season, but in 1969 he moved to the Hackney Hawks. He rode for the Hawks from 1969 until 1971.[3] In 1972, he moved to the Oxford Rebels following a contract dispute with promoter Len Silver. Middleton also raced as an International rider for Australia. After a season with Coventry Bees in 1973, the Midlands club were unable to locate him for the 1974 season.[4]
In 1975 he re-signed for King's Lynn despite efforts from another of his former clubs Coventry to sign him.[5]
Middleton incidents
[edit]He was nicknamed 'Cass the Gas' as he was a real showman and made his feelings known about a variety of subjects.
In 1969, he was involved in an incident with Roy Trigg at Cradley Heath. Garry tried to forcefully dive under Roy but Roy saw him and slowed down, leaving Middleton to shoot straight past him into the safety fence. Middleton then went into the pits into his toolbox and pulled out a handgun. He had to be dragged from the pits to avoid further trouble.[6] He nursed a broken shoulder during the 1969 season[7] and was involved in several high profile incidents.[8]
In 1971, in a meeting against then World Champion Ole Olsen, Olsen was riding so well that he was unbeaten, passing people almost for fun. In the second half of the meeting, Middleton, to entertain the crowd, jokingly strapped two broom handles to his handlebar to stop Olsen passing him. The match referee did not share his sense of humour and fined him.
World Final appearances
[edit]World Team Cup
[edit]- 1976 -
London, White City Stadium (with John Boulger / Phil Crump / Billy Sanders / Phil Herne) - Winner - 31pts (0)
References
[edit]- ^ Oakes, Peter; Mauger, Ivan OBE, MBE (1976). Who's Who of World Speedway. Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd. ISBN 0-904584-04-6.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "ULTIMATE RIDER INDEX, 1929-2022" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
- ^ "Reading Racers get ready for the off". Reading Evening Post. 18 March 1972. Retrieved 23 August 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "... but Garry goes missing down under". Rugby Advertiser. 8 March 1974. Retrieved 6 September 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Bees aiming to wipe out snatched stars". Coventry Evening Telegraph. 21 August 1975. Retrieved 29 August 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ Fenn, C.(2003). Hackney Speedway, Friday at Eight. ISBN 0-7524-2737-7
- ^ "Guest Diamond is on form". Newcastle Evening Chronicle. 21 April 1969. Retrieved 23 August 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Punch up on speedway". Wolverhampton Express and Star. 11 August 1969. Retrieved 23 August 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- 1948 births
- 1994 deaths
- Australian speedway riders
- Sportsmen from New South Wales
- Hackney Hawks riders
- Wimbledon Dons riders
- Coventry Bees riders
- Belle Vue Aces riders
- Newcastle Diamonds riders
- King's Lynn Stars riders
- Australian expatriate speedway riders in England
- Oxford Cheetahs riders
- Birmingham Brummies riders
- Leicester Lions riders
- 20th-century Australian sportsmen