When dad was Team Manager at Newcastle Speedway my brother and I would spend our school holidays at the track riding on our mini-motorbikes while he prepared for the Monday night meeting and my interest in bikes developed from there.  At ten years old I started riding in schoolboy moto-cross events. I loved the cut and thrust of motor-cross and rode in both local and national events throughout the country, normally finishing in the first three. I was North East Schoolboy’s Champion on a number of occasions so enjoyed a fair bit of success. I suppose I was lucky I had an advantage over the other kids as my dad had been a professional rider in his own field and was able to pass on his expertise to me (although as you can imagine this could prove to be a pain at times as a lot was expected of me). I moved into the adult classes at sixteen years old and was chosen to represent the North East in a three man team which competed in events around the country.

During this time dad and I still managed to fit in various speedway meetings and I began to take a keen interest in the sport. I did fancy having a go at speedway but as I was training to be an Architectural Technician at Durham County Council my parents said I should concentrate on my career in architecture as speedway was a precarious profession!!

I continued in my job at Durham County Council and rode in adult moto-cross events at weekends. Unfortunately, on what started out to be a normal Sunday outing into Yorkshire to a track I had ridden at many times before, fate stepped in and decided to call a halt to my
active participation in moto-cross events when I took a tumble over a jump, fell head-first into sand and ended up with a broken neck – not a smart move!!

Ian Younghusband

Ian Younghusband

I’m lucky that I still manage to spectate at speedway and motor-cross events and follow the coverage of both sports on TV. I think the camaraderie between true motor-cycling enthusiasts is second to none.

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David writes :

As long as I can remember motor-bikes have played a large part in my life. When I was quite young my parents used to take me to Newcastle Speedway and also to grass track meetings where my dad used to compete – so in all honesty I can’t remember a time when bikes haven’t been around.

When I was sixteen I started a five year apprenticeship at Consett Iron Company as a Fitter & Turner and after saving my meagre wages purchased my first "trials" bike. I was quite successful at this sport and gained a place in the "Dot" Motorcycle Factory trials team riding for them in the Scot5tish Six Days Trial, the Scott Trial which is reputed to be one of the most gruelling in the trials calendar and many other National events up and down the country. I won the North East Centre Championship on several occasions and also represented the North East Centre in the Inter-Centre Trials Championship which was held in a differed Centre each year.

After finishing my apprenticeship I had to carry out my National Service in the Army which is where I met Rick France. We became close friends and that friendship is still exceptionally strong today. We were both Despatch Rider Instructors at Catterick Camp in Yorkshire and on a Thursday night Rick (who prior to joining the Army rode for Coventry Bees) used to travel up to Middlesbrough Speedway where he rode as a member of the Bears team. I went along and acted as mechanic and the rest is history – I became hooked on Speedway.

After demob I bought a secondhand speedway bike (the money was supposed to buy an engagement ring so you can imagine how unpopular I was) and I started to ride in second-half events at Newcastle and Middlesbrough going into the team at Middlesbrough after three months. When Halifax opened in 1965 I moved with the Middlesbrough team to the Shay and became a member of the Halifax Dukes and thoroughly enjoyed my time there. I rode in several Test Matches as a member of the England team and toured Australia and New Zealand with them in l968/69.

Unfortunately my riding career was cut short after a bad accident at Poole in l972 and it took me 18 months to get back to full fitness. However, I was lucky to maintain my interest in the sport, albeit on the other side of the fence, when I joined Newcastle Speedway as Team Manager in l975 under Ian Thomas’ promotion. I had a great time managing one of the most successful teams in the National League and after the team had won all of the major trophies going we were invited to a reception at the Mansion House in Newcastle hosted by the Lord Mayor who felt the team’s success had really helped promote Newcastle City.

I had a short spell managing Berwick Speedway for the then promoter, Terry Lyndon, who unfortunately did a disappearing act leaving the speedway in the lurch and everyone knows how that ended.

Dave Younghusband

The Dukes 1966 League and KO Cup winners

Motor-cycling is obviously in the Younghusband genes as both of our sons are enthusiasts. Gary, the eldest, is a good trials rider competing in events most weekends and Ian, the youngest, was an excellent moto-crosser until a devastating injury in 1998 which ended his riding career. However this hasn’t dampened our enthusiasm and we still attend as many speedway and motor-cross meetings as possible during the season.

I don’t think our love of motor-cycling will ever wane.

Reg with Ian and Dave Younghusband

Eileen, Dave, Ian, Reg and Margaret