Colin Richardson
| Eastbourne Eagles | |||||||||||||
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| Club information | |||||||||||||
| Track address | Arlington Stadium Arlington Hailsham Sussex | ||||||||||||
| Country | England | ||||||||||||
| Founded | 1929 | ||||||||||||
| Closed | 2021 | ||||||||||||
| Website | www | ||||||||||||
| Club facts | |||||||||||||
| Colours | Blue & Yellow | ||||||||||||
| Track size | 275 metres (301 yd) | ||||||||||||
| Track record time | 54.9 seconds | ||||||||||||
| Track record holder | Jason Crump & Chris Holder | ||||||||||||
| Major team honours | |||||||||||||
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The Eastbourne Eagles were a British motorcycle speedway team, based at Arlington Stadium, near Eastbourne, England. They were founded in 1929 and are two times champions of Britain in 1995 and 2000. The team last raced on 31 July 2021.
During 1928 the Eastbourne Motorcycle Sports Club purchased a field in Arlington for the purposes of dirt track racing.[1] Practice sessions took place before the official opening on 5 August 1929 by the Arlington Motor Sports Club.[2][3]
Over the following years the race meetings continued at regular intervals but there was still no team formed to compete in the British league system. However the Hailsham Cup was the main prize available and large attendances frequented the track. In 1937, George Newton broke the track record, which lasted until 1955.[1] In 1938, a team was formed to compete in the Sunday Amateur Dirt Track League. The team included Tiger Hart, Bob Lovell, Danny Lee, Charlie Dugard, Stan Johns, Charlie Page and Jack Collins.[1] Activity at Arlington ended during 1939 due to the outbreak of World War II but did return for a one off meeting in March 1940.[4]
After the war, Charlie Dugard bought the track and it underwent extensive repairs before opening again on 14 July 1946.[1] The following season the team joined the 1947 Speedway National League Division Three and led by captain Ken Tidbury and top scorer Wally Green, they became champions. Despite winning the title at their first attempt they were forced to close down due to a petrol ban enforced at their Arlington Stadium. They decided to transfer their team to Hastings Saxons and at the beginning of 1948 the Speedway Control Board granted a licence to Hastings to stage speedway. Eastbourne would not compete again in the league until they joined the Southern Area League in 1954, although challenge matches were held during 1950 and 1953.[5][1]
The team returned to compete in the Southern Area League and struggled until Leo McAuliffe and Jimmy Heard helped lift them to second place in 1956. McAuliffe won the Southern Area League Riders' Championship the same year. Another second place in 1957 was followed by a season of challenge matches in 1958. In 1959, they won the 1959 Southern Area League, which was the second division league.[6]
In 1960, the club were refused entry to the new Provincial league but continued to hold challenge meetings util 1964, when they joined the Metropolitan League. However, after 1964 the club closed for four years.[1] The Eagles returned for the 1969 British League Division Two season.[7]
In 1971, the Eagles won silverware, winning the 1971 British League Division Two. Despite losing their leading rider Dave Jessup to division 1, Eastbourne triumphed by bringing in new signing Malcolm Ballard to support the Kennett brothers Gordon and Dave.[8]
The club remained in division 2 until it was renamed the National League and they won their first Knockout Cups in 1975.[9] They were National League champions in 1977 and won two more knockout Cups in 1977 and 1978 respectively.[10] In 1979, the team stepped up to compete in the top division for the first time.[5]
After competing in the top division for six years, the Eagles dropped back down to the National League. Eastbourne achieved the 'double double' by winning the National League and Cup double in both 1986 and 1987. The team was spearheaded by Gordon Kennett, Martin Dugard and Colin Richardson.[5]
In 1991, the team returned to the top league and in 1994 they won their sixth Knockout Cup (but first in the top flight). The following season in 1995, Eastbourne won their first highest league title, after they won the 1995 Premier League speedway season. The gulf in quality of teams was evident after the merging of the two leagues, with the Eagles winning the title 56 points clear of bottom club Exeter Falcons.[11] Eastbourne had been an easy runner-up the previous year to runaway winners Poole Pirates and retained four of their riders, Martin Dugard, Dean Barker, Stefan Dannö and Stefan Andersson, which provided enough firepower to seal the Championship.[12]
After a second place finish and another top tier Knockout Cup win in 1997, the Eagles finished the decade with two mid-table finishes.
The Eagles became the British champions for the second time after winning the 2000 Speedway Elite League, with Martin Dugard once agian being the star for the team. They then topped the table in 2002 but lost the play off final, although consolation was gained by becoming Elite League Knockout Cup winners in 2002.[13]
The Eagles continued to compete in the Elite League and won their fourth highest division Knockout Cup win in 2008.[14]
The Eagles competed in the top league for 24 consecutive seasons until the end of the 2014 season.
In 2015, the team joined the National League and gained success for four consecutive years, winning the third tier Knockout Cup four years running and winning the 2018 league title. The Eagles moved up to the second tier in 2019.
After the leagues were cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Eagles competed in the SGB Championship 2021 (division 2) but withdrew from the league on 26 August because of financial problems. Their results were expunged as were the NDL results of their junior side called the Eastbourne Seagulls.[15] The last match was held on on 31 July 2021.
As of 2023, a consortium continued to search for a new venue to bring back speedway to Eastbourne.[16]
Malcolm Ballard Dean Barker
Stefan Dannö Martin Dugard Paul Gachet
Ross Gilbertson Colin Gooddy Andy Grahame Wally Green Jock Grierson Dave Jessup Gordon Kennett Mark Loram
Leo McAuliffe Neil Middleditch
Kelly Moran David Norris
Nicki Pedersen Colin Richardson Joe Screen Steve WeatherleyExtended content | |||||||||
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2021 season |
Extended content |
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2021 team 2019 team
2018 team
2017 team
2016 team
2015 team
2014 team
2013 team
2012 team
Notes
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