John Ivor Nicholls (2 December 1936 – 7 December 2013) was an international motorcycle speedway rider from England. He earned five international caps for the England national speedway team.[1]
| Born | 2 December 1936 Coventry England |
|---|---|
| Died | 7 November 2013 (aged 76) Warwick, England |
| Nationality | British (English) |
| Career history | |
| 1954–1955 | Brafield Flying Foxes |
| 1954–1961 | Coventry Bees |
| 1959 | Oxford Cheetahs |
| 1962 | Belle Vue Aces |
| 1962 | Cradley Heathens |
| Team honours | |
| 1960 | Midland Cup |
| 1961 | Central Shield |
Biography edit
Nicholls, born in Coventry, started racing around the oval tracks during the second half events at Brandon Stadium.[2] In 1954, he gained a place in the Coventry Bees team as an injury replacement[3] but raced mainly for Brafield Flying Foxes during the 1954 Southern Area League season.[4]
He cemented a place in the Coventry side for the 1955 season, helping the Midlands team secure the runner-up position in the league[5] and in 1956 had improved his average to 6.40.[6] From 1957 to 1959, Coventry competed in the top division, known as the National league at the time and Nicholls was a first team regular and also represented England against Australia. However, halfway through the 1959 season he was loaned out to Oxford Cheetahs. In 1960, Oxford attempted to loan him again but Coventry told them he was not available.[7]
He helped Coventry win the 1960 Midland Cup,[8] before completing his eighth and last season with the club in 1961. His last season in speedway was shared between Belle Vue Aces in the National League and Cradley Heath Heathens in the Provincial League.[9]
References edit
- ^ "ULTIMATE RIDER INDEX, 1929-2022" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
- ^ "First division opposition for Brandon Bees". Coventry Evening Telegraph. 10 October 1953. Retrieved 24 December 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Ex-Yarmouth rider in Beess team". Coventry Evening Telegraph. 25 May 1954. Retrieved 24 December 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "1954 season" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
- ^ "Year by Year". Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
- ^ "Rider averages 1929 to 2009" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
- ^ "Nick Nicholls will ride for the Bees". Coventry Evening Telegraph. 12 March 1960. Retrieved 24 December 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Bees' Sparkling Win in Midland Cup Final". Coventry Evening Telegraph. 26 September 1960. Retrieved 24 December 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Speedway". Sunday Mirror. 7 April 1963. Retrieved 24 December 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.