John Dews
John Dews (26 March 1945 – 7 August 1995) was a motorcycle speedway rider from England.[1][2]
Born | Wakefield, England | 26 March 1945
---|---|
Died | 7 August 1995 50) | (aged
Nationality | British (English) |
Career history | |
1962-1963 | Belle Vue Aces |
1962-1970 | Sheffield Tigers |
1971-1972 | Wimbledon Dons |
1973-1975 | Oxford Rebels |
1976 | White City Rebels |
Team honours | |
1962, 1963, 1964 | Provincial Northern League Champion |
1975 | Midland Cup winner |
Career
Born in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England, Dews started his speedway career as a trainee at Belle Vue Aces, had his longest team history with Sheffield Tigers, scoring over 1,300 points for the club. Speedway rules required a change of team due to his averages and he moved to Wimbledon Dons for two years,[3] before Oxford in 1973, as a replacement for Dave Hemus,[4] He won the Radio Oxford Best Pairs match at Oxford in May 1974,[4] partnering Richard Greer.
He was a member of the Midland Cup winning team in 1975, after drawn matches with Swindon Robins in the first round requiring reruns.[5] He then moved with the Rebels under promoters Danny Dunton and Robert Dugard to White City Stadium in 1976, where he ended his racing career as a popular rider.[6]
He rode 270 matches in his career, having 1033 rides, with a match average of 6.29. He went back to Sheffield to be the team manager in 1977 until 1980.
John Dews died in August 1995, aged only 50, after a short illness.
Gallery
- Dews in action at Oxford
- Oxford Best Pairs Champions
References
- Lawson,K (2018) “Riders, Teams and Stadiums”. ISBN 978-0-244-72538-9
- "ULTIMATE RIDER INDEX, 1929-2022" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
- "John Dews". WWOS Backup. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
- Bamford,R & Shailes,G (2007). The Story of Oxford Speedway. ISBN 978-0-7524-4161-0
- Lawson,K (2018) “Rebels 1975 – The Last Season”. ISBN 978-0-244-99725-0
- "Rider averages 1929 to 2009" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 10 August 2023.