Born | (1911-11-11)11 November 1911 Dandenong, Victoria |
---|---|
Died | 29 April 2005(2005-04-29) (aged 93) |
Nationality | Australian |
Career history | |
1937–1939, 1947–1953 | New Cross Rangers |
1946 | Odsal Boomerangs |
1953 | Bradford Tudors |
1953–1954 | Wimbledon Dons |
1955 | Rayleigh Rockets |
1955 | Wembley Lions |
Individual honours | |
1946 | Northern Riders' Champion |
Team honours | |
1938, 1948, 1954 | National League Champion |
1947 | London Cup |
1954 | RAC Cup Winner |
William Mowbray Longley (11 November 1911 in Dandenong, Victoria – 15 April 2005) was an Australian international speedway rider.
Career summary
Longley noted as being only 5 ft 1 inch in height, began his British career with the New Cross Rangers in 1937, where he remained until the outbreak of World War II, winning the National League Championship in 1938.
In 1946 he rode for Odsal but returned to New Cross in 1947 and was again a member of the team that won the 1948 National League Championship. Longley finished ninth in the Speedway World Championship in 1949 and remained with New Cross until they closed in 1953. He joined Bradford for a short spell with the Tudors before returning to London with the Wimbledon Dons.
In 1950, he finished runner up in the Australian Championship.
Longley was a member of the Wimbledon team that won the 1954 National League Championship. In 1955 he had a short spell with the Rayleigh Rockets before riding in one meeting for the Wembley Lions. He then decided to retire.
World Final Appearances
- 1949 – London, Wembley Stadium – 9th – 8pts
References
- "Speedway Notes". Norwood News. 21 May 1937. Retrieved 23 August 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ Jacobs, N. (2008) Out of the Frying Pan, The History Press LTD ISBN 978-0-7524-4476-5
- Addison J. (1948). The People Speedway Guide. Odhams Press Limited
- "ULTIMATE RIDER INDEX, 1929-2022" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 4 June 2023.
- ^ Bamford, R. & Shailes, G. (2002). A History of the World Speedway Championship. Stroud: Tempus Publishing. ISBN 0-7524-2402-5
- Jacobs, Norman (2001). Speedway in London. Stroud: Tempus Publishing ISBN 0-7524-2221-9
- "Individual Australian Championship". Historia Sportu Zuzlowego. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
- 1911 births
- 2005 deaths
- Australian speedway riders
- New Cross Rangers riders
- Wimbledon Dons riders
- Wembley Lions riders
- Australian expatriate speedway riders in England
- Rayleigh Rockets riders
- Sportspeople from Melbourne
- Sportsmen from Victoria (state)
- People from Dandenong, Victoria
- 20th-century Australian sportsmen