Thomas John Bateman (30 December 1908 – 4 February 1993) was a

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.

Biography

Bateman, born in

Gainsborough, Lincolnshire Gainsborough () is a market town and civil parish in the West Lindsey Non-metropolitan district, district of Lincolnshire, England. The population was 20,842 at the 2011 census, and estimated at 23,243 in 2019. It lies on the east bank of the ...

, was a well known

grasstrack Motorcycle Grasstrack is a form of track racing which typically, in its current form, takes place on a flat track consisting of two straights and two bends usually constructed in a field. It is one of the oldest types of motorcycle sports in t ...

rider before moving into conventional speedway. He began his British leagues career riding for

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 ...

during the

1937 Provincial Speedway League The 1937 Provincial Speedway League was the second season of the Provincial League. Seven speedway teams started the season. From the previous season's finishers, Plymouth Panthers had dropped out but Leicester, Birmingham (Hall Green) and N ...

and helped the team win the league title. Later that season he travelled to Australia to race. He was coveted after an impressive first season by various clubs, including Wimbledon, Norwich and Belle Vue. He eventually signed for Hackney Wick Wolves, which turned out to be fortunate because he won the league title again. Bateman started riding for Middlesbrough in the top division during 1939 before they withdrew from the league after just eight matches. He found consolation with the Belle Vue reserve team but the season was cut short by

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 ...

. After the war, Bateman joined the

Sheffield Tigers The Sheffield Tigers (sponsored by Tru Plant) are a motorcycle speedway team based in Sheffield, England. They currently race in the British SGB Premiership, and their home meetings take place at Owlerton Stadium. They were founded in 1929 an ...

recording a solid 8.00 season average and helping Sheffield into second place. The team won the British Speedway Cup in 1947, with Bateman improving his average to 9.11. Bateman's last season was the 1950 Speedway National League Division Two, when he moved to ride for the

Newcastle Diamonds Newcastle Diamonds were a motorcycle speedway team that raced in the British speedway leagues from 1929 to 2022. They were based at Newcastle Stadium on the Fossway, Byker. The Stadium was previously known as Brough Park. History Origins and ...

averaging an impressive 9.67.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bateman, Tommy 1908 births 1993 deaths British speedway riders Hackney Wick Wolves riders Middlesbrough Bears riders Newcastle Diamonds riders Nottingham speedway riders Sheffield Tigers riders