Eastbourne Eagles
Club information
Track addressArlington Stadium
Arlington
Hailsham
Sussex
CountryEngland
Founded1929
Closed2021
Websitewww.eastbourne-speedway.com
Club facts
ColoursBlue & Yellow
Track size275 metres (301 yd)
Track record time54.9 seconds
Track record holderJason Crump & Chris Holder
Major team honours
British Champions1995, 2000
Division 2 champions1959, 1971, 1977, 1986, 1987
Division 3 champions1947, 2018
Knockout Cup winners1994, 1997, 2002, 2008
Knockout Cup Div 21975, 1977, 1978, 1985, 1986, 1987
Knockout Cup Div 32015, 2016, 2017, 2018

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.

History

1928 to 1946

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 due to the outbreak of World War II.

1947 to 1953

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.[4][1]

1954 to 1968

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. 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]

1969 to 1975

1976 Eagles

The Eagles returned for the 1969 British League Division Two season and two years later 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.[5] The club remained in division 2 until it was renamed the National League and they won their first Knockout Cups in 1975. They were National League champions in 1977 and won two more knockout Cups in 1977 and 1978 respectively. In 1979, the team stepped up to compete in the top division for the first time but found it difficult to compete and dropped back down to the National league in 1985.[4]

1986 to 1994

Eastbourne achiveed 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. In 1991, the team returned to the top league and in 1994 they won their sixth Knockout Cup (but first in the top flight).[4]

1995 to 2013

Eastbourne versus Oxford in 2007

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.[6] Eastbourne had been an easy runner-up the previous year to runaway winners Poole Pirates and retained four of their riders, Dugard, Dean Barker, Stefan Dannö and Stefan Andersson, which provided enough firepower to seal the Championship.[7]

After a second place finish and another top tier Knockout Cup win in 1997 they became the British champions for the second time after winning the 2000 Speedway Elite League. The topped the table in 2002 but lost the play off final, they did gain compensation by becoming Elite League Knockout Cup winners in 2002.[8] The Eagles continued to compete in the Elite League and won their fourth highest division Knockout Cup win in 2008.[9] The Eagles competed in the top league for 24 consecutive seasons until th eend of the 2014 season.

2015 to present

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 a division in 2019 but in 2021, in the SGB Championship 2021 (division 2) 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.[10]

As of 2023, a consortium continued to search for a new venue to bring back speedway to Eastbourne.[11]

Notable riders

Colin Richardson

Season summary

Extended content
Year and league Position Notes
1947 Speedway National League Division Three1stchampions
1954 Southern Area League5th
1955 Southern Area League4th
1956 Southern Area League2nd
1957 Southern Area League2nd
1959 Southern Area League1stchampions
1969 British League Division Two season8th
1970 British League Division Two season2nd
1971 British League Division Two season1stchampions
1972 British League Division Two season5th
1973 British League Division Two season3rd
1974 British League Division Two season2nd
1975 New National League season4thKnockout Cup winners
1976 National League season8th
1977 National League season1stchampions & Knockout Cup winners
1978 National League season4thKnockout Cup winners
1979 British League season16th
1980 British League season16th
1981 British League season13th
1982 British League season12th
1983 British League season14th
1984 British League season11th
1985 National League season10th
1986 National League season1stchampions & Knockout Cup winners
1987 National League season1stchampions & Knockout Cup winners
1988 National League season3rd
1989 National League season7th
1990 National League season11th
1991 British League season12th
1992 British League season12th
1993 British League season3rd
1994 British League season2ndKnockout Cup winners
1995 Premier League speedway season1stchampions
1996 Premier League speedway season3rd
1997 Elite League speedway season2ndKnockout Cup winners
1998 Elite League speedway season5th
1999 Elite League speedway season9th
2000 Elite League speedway season1stchampions
2001 Elite League speedway season7th
2002 Elite League speedway season1stPO final & Knockout Cup winners
2003 Elite League speedway season6th
2004 Elite League speedway season4th
2005 Elite League speedway season4th
2006 Elite League speedway season9th
2007 Elite League speedway season7th
2008 Elite League speedway season5thKnockout Cup winners
2009 Elite League speedway season7thElite Shield
2010 Elite League speedway season7th
2011 Elite League speedway season2ndPO final
2012 Elite League speedway season5th
2013 Elite League speedway season8th
2014 Elite League speedway season5th
2015 National League speedway season2ndKnockout Cup winners
2016 National League speedway season3rdKnockout Cup winners
2017 National League speedway season1stPO final & Knockout Cup winners
2018 National League speedway season2ndchampions (PO winners) & Knockout Cup winners
SGB Championship 20199th
SGB Championship 2021N/Awithdrew, results expunged

Season summary (juniors)

Extended content
Year and league Position Notes
1996 Speedway Conference League12thStarlets
2021 National Development League speedway seasonN/ASeagulls, withdrew, results expunged

2021 season
the Seagulls were formed in February 2021 tand disbanded in August 2021. This was the junior side of the Eagles.[12] The Seagulls' first two signings for the season were Jake Knight and Richard Andrews, both returning to Arlington having ridden for the Eagles when they were in the National League.[13][14] Club asset, and local youngster, Nathan Ablitt was then confirmed as one of the Seagulls' reserves starting on a 3.00 average.[15] The Seagulls then completed the signings of Chad Wirtzfeld and Connor King, who both had previous National League experience with the Isle of Wight Warriors.[16][17] Henry Atkins became the Seagulls' sixth signing, he raced for the Seagulls alongside riding for his SGB Championship team, the Plymouth Gladiators.[18] Another local rider, Nick Laurence, was named as the Seagulls' second reserve and their final signing.[19]

Riders previous seasons

Extended content

2021 team

2019 team

2018 team

2017 team

2016 team

2015 team

  • New Zealand Bradley Wilson-Dean
  • England Ben Hopwood
  • England Marc Owen
  • Germany Daniel Spiller
  • England Georgie Wood
  • England Richard Andrews
  • England Kelsey Dugard

2014 team

2013 team

2012 team

Notes

  1. Tom Brennan was replaced in the team by Kyle Newman on 21 May 2019.
  2. Ben Morley was replaced in the team by Jason Edwards on 16 July 2019.
  3. Kelsey Dugard was replaced in the team by Ethan Spiller on 27 July 2018.
  4. 1 2 Kelsey Dugard and Connor Coles were replaced in the team by Matt Saul and Jake Knight on 2 June 2017.
  5. Matt Saul was replaced in the team by Charlie Saunders on 3 August 2017.
  6. Mark Baseby was replaced in the team by Josh Bailey on 23 August 2017.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "90 years of Eastbourne Speedway". Eastbourne Speedway. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  2. "Arlington Motor Sports Club". Eastbourne Gazette. 7 August 1929. Retrieved 22 April 2023 via British Newspaper Archive.
  3. Bamford, R & Jarvis J.(2001). Homes of British Speedway. ISBN 0-7524-2210-3
  4. 1 2 3 "BRITISH LEAGUE TABLES - POST-WAR ERA (1946-1964)". Official British Speedway website. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  5. "Year by Year". Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  6. "HISTORY ARCHIVE". British Speedway. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  7. "1995 league tables". Speedway GB.
  8. Bamford, Robert (January 2004). Tempus Speedway Yearbook 2004. NPI Media Group. ISBN 0-7524-2915-9.
  9. "Eagles seal KO Cup shock". Skysports. 27 October 2008. Retrieved 28 October 2008.
  10. "Eastbourne Speedway withdraw from 2021 season". Eastbourne Herald. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
  11. "Eastbourne Search". Speedway Star page 4. 10 June 2023.
  12. "National Development League Details". Speedway GB. 24 February 2021. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  13. "Knight back for Seagulls". Speedway GB. 1 March 2021. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  14. "Andrews joins Seagulls". Speedway GB. 6 March 2021. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  15. "Ablitt is our latest Seagull". Eastbourne Eagles. 8 March 2021. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  16. "Eastbourne welcomes Chad Wirtzfeld". Eastbourne Eagles. 11 March 2021. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  17. "Connor King announced as the fifth Seagull". Eastbourne Eagles. 15 March 2021. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
  18. "Atkins joins Seagulls NDL squad". Eastbourne Eagles. 16 March 2021. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
  19. "Laurence completes Seagulls". Speedway GB. 23 March 2021. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
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