George Greenwood (28 October 1911 – Q4 1988) was an international

motorcycle speedway Motorcycle speedway, usually referred to simply as speedway, is a motorcycle sport involving four and sometimes up to six riders competing over four clockwise, anti-clockwise laps of an oval circuit. The motorcycles are specialist machines that ...

rider from England.

Speedway career

In 1929, Greenwood was the

Leeds Leeds is a city in West Yorkshire, England. It is the largest settlement in Yorkshire and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds Metropolitan Borough, which is the second most populous district in the United Kingdom. It is built aro ...

track champion at the age of 17, and soon became a major star around the Northern tracks. His form soon attracted the attention of

Wembley Lions The Wembley Lions were an English ice hockey team. History The team were founded in 1934 but showed a continuity with the London Lions team which had played at various venues since 1924. The Wembley team were based at the newly built Empire ...

, who signed him in 1929, for the 1930 season. He was one of the first riders recognised as developing team riding (where both riders attempt to hold the front of the race together), forming a successful partnership with

Harry Whitfield Henry Whitfield (9 May 1908 - 14 September 1988) was a British motorcycle speedway rider who went on to manage Middlesbrough Bears. He earned one international caps for the England national speedway team. Career Originally from Middlesbrou ...

. In 1930, he was selected for Great British team to tour New Zealand. It was the first team to leave the shores and consisted of Greenwood, Whitfield, Jim Kempster, Roger Frogley, Frank Bond and Squib Burton. He was later the captain of the

Nottingham Nottingham ( , East Midlands English, locally ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located south-east of Sheffield and nor ...

team and became the 1936 Provincial League Riders' champion and topped the averages during the

1936 Provincial Speedway League The 1936 Provincial Speedway League was the first season of the Provincial League, introduced as a second tier to the National League. It was formed after Mr B. Southouse (the Cardiff speedway manager for the Greyhound Racing Association) prop ...

. At retirement he had earned two international caps for the

England national speedway team The Great Britain national speedway team (formerly the England speedway team) is one of the major teams in international motorcycle speedway. The team is managed by former Great Britain riders Oliver Allen and Simon Stead, and captained by th ...

Personal life

He married Ivy Elliston in 1937 and after

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, he managed a motor export shop (owned by Wembley speedway manager Alec Jackson) in

Harrow Road Harrow Road is an ancient route in London, North West London which runs from Paddington in a northwesterly direction towards Harrow, London, Harrow. It is also the name given to the immediate surrounding area of Queen's Park, London, Queens Par ...

Kensal Green Kensal Green, also known as Kensal Rise, is an area in north-west London, and along with Kensal Town, it forms part of the northern section of North Kensington, London, North Kensington. It lies north of the canal in the London Borough of Brent ...

, London and was also part of the Wembley Lions management team.

Players cigarette cards

Greenwood is listed as number 16 of 50 in the 1930s Player's

cigarette card Cigarette cards are trading cards issued by tobacco industry, tobacco manufacturers to stiffen cigarette packaging and nicotine marketing, advertise cigarette brands. Between 1875 and the 1940s, cigarette companies often included collectible car ...

collection.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Greenwood, George 1911 births 1988 deaths British speedway riders Hackney Wick Wolves riders Leeds Lions riders Middlesbrough Bears riders Wembley Lions riders Nottingham speedway riders