Michael Handley (born 29 December 1946

Dudley Dudley ( , ) is a market town in the West Midlands, England, southeast of Wolverhampton and northwest of Birmingham. Historically part of Worcestershire, the town is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley. In the ...

) known as Mick Handley is a former

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

Mick was about 16 when he bought a speedway bike, which he used to push across fields to a cycle speedway track where he started to learn to ride. When he first rode at Cradley in second half rides, he had no transport and he would push the bike the two miles from home to the track, which he did several times before a lift was organised for him. A neighbour would give him lifts to

Wolverhampton Wolverhampton ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands of England. Located around 12 miles (20 km) north of Birmingham, it forms the northwestern part of the West Midlands conurbation, with the towns of ...

until he had an ultimatum to decide on which club he would ride for. As Wolves were about to tour in Italy and offered him a place on the team, he signed without hesitation. Handley rode in the top two tiers of British Speedway from 1966 to 1982, riding for various clubs. Starting his career at

Wolverhampton Wolves Wolverhampton Wolves were a British motorcycle speedway team based in Wolverhampton, England. They were champions of the United Kingdom five times and raced at Monmore Green Stadium from 1928 to 2023. History 1928–1930 Speedway (known ...

, where he spent five seasons, he was transferred in controversial circumstances to

West Ham Hammers The West Ham Hammers were a speedway team that raced at West Ham Stadium in London, England, from 1929 to 1971. The team were twice champions of the United Kingdom. History Origins and 1920s Speedway arrived at West Ham in 1928, the ina ...

in 1971. In-between in 1968, he topped the league averages during the 1968 British League Division Two season, riding for the Crayford Highwaymen. When Oxford Speedway was rescued from closure in 1976, Handley was one of the first riders to represent the reformed

Oxford Cheetahs The Oxford Cheetahs are a British Motorcycle speedway, speedway teamLawson,K (2018) “Riders, Teams and Stadiums”. based at Oxford Stadium, in Oxford, England. They were founded in 1939 and are five times champions of Britain, in 1964 Speed ...

under promoters

Harry Bastable Henry Bastable (30 August 1928 – 5 September 2021) was an international motorcycle speedway rider and promoter from England. Career summary Bastable was a novice at the Alan Hunt (speedway rider), Alan Hunt 1949 winter training school when ...

and Tony Allsopp. He continued to ride for the Cheetahs for seven years despite a serious crash in 1980 when he sustained serious leg injuries.

After speedway

He had still remained a builder by trade throughout his career and returned to housebuilding full time after hanging up his leathers. Lives in

with wife, Arlene, and is a father and grandfather. To keep fit, he uses a gym and does boxing training. No longer with any involvement with speedway, he is a

Wolverhampton Wanderers Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club ( ), commonly referred to as Wolves, is a professional association football, football club based in Wolverhampton, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league s ...

supporter

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Handley, Mick Living people 1946 births British speedway riders Cradley Heathens riders Crayford Kestrels riders Long Eaton Archers riders Oxford Cheetahs riders Scunthorpe Scorpions riders Swindon Robins riders Stoke Potters riders West Ham Hammers riders Wolverhampton Wolves riders Sportspeople from Dudley