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Andy Grahame

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Andy Grahame
Born (1957-09-10) 10 September 1957 (age 67)
Birmingham, England
NationalityBritish (English)
Career history
1976-1983Birmingham Brummies
1978-1979Milton Keynes Knights
1984, 1988Wolverhampton Wolves
1985-1987, 1989, 1994Oxford Cheetahs
1990Wimbledon Dons
1991-1992Eastbourne Eagles
1992-1994Cradley Heathens
Individual honours
1982British Champion
1990National League Riders Champion
Team honours
1979National League Best Pairs Champion
1985, 1986, 1989British League Champion
1985, 1986British League KO Cup winner
1987British League Pairs Champion

Andrew George Grahame (born 10 September 1957[1] in Birmingham, England) is a former motorcycle speedway rider. He earned 16 international caps for the England national speedway team.[2]

Career

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Grahame began his British leagues career when he joined his older brother Alan Grahame at Birmingham Brummies for the 1976 British League season. Over the next three seasons he would only make a handful of appearances for the Midlands club so doubled up with Milton Keynes Knights in 1978, where he managed a 6.17 average. In 1979, he significantly improved his average for Birmingham and was the top rider at Milton Keynes.[3] He also won the 1979 National League Pairs, partnering Bob Humphreys, during the 1979 National League season.[4]

From 1980 to 1983 he only rode for Birmingham[5] and finished second in the team averages three seasons running behind Danish superstar Hans Nielsen. Grahame won the British Speedway Championship in 1982 and made it to the World Final in 1982 in Los Angeles as reserve but did not ride.

In 1984, he rode for Wolverhampton before being signed by Oxford Cheetahs for the 1985 British League season. At Oxford he teamed up again with Hans Nielsen and the pair formed a formidable partnership at positions 1 and 2 in the team. He was part of the league and cup double winning team in both 1985 and 1986.[6]

In 1987, he teamed up with Nielsen to win the British League Pairs Championship, held at Smallmead Stadium.[7] He spent a year at Wolverhampton in 1988 after signing fo £12,000[8] before returning to Oxford again for the 1989 British League season, where he won another league title.[2]

In 1990, he left Oxford to drop down a division and joined Wimbledon Dons. He won the National League Riders' Championship, held on 15 September 1990 at Brandon Stadium and also topped Wimbledon's averages.[9]

He would reach his seventh British final in 1993 and continued to ride until the end of 1994.

World Final Appearances

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Brothers

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His brother Alan Grahame also rode for the Oxford Cheetahs in 1993 and 1994 and both rode together for the Cradley Heathens in 2009.[10] Another brother John Grahame also rode professional speedway.

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Andy's image is depicted on Proof of Youth an album released in 2007 by the Brighton band The Go! Team. [citation needed]

References

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  1. ^ Profile, cradleyspeedway.co.uk; accessed 12 August 2007
  2. ^ a b "ULTIMATE RIDER INDEX, 1929-2022, Rob Hollingworth" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  3. ^ "Andy Grahame". WWOS Backup. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  4. ^ "Diamonds out in semi finals". Sunday Sun (Newcastle). 22 July 1979. Retrieved 22 May 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. ^ "Grahame speeds Brummies home". Sandwell Evening Mail. 28 May 1980. Retrieved 27 September 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. ^ "SPEEDWAY: Nielsen regret at Oxford". Oxford Mail, 25 Apr 2008
  7. ^ "Oxford Wins Hans Down". Reading Evening Post. 13 July 1987. Retrieved 18 May 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. ^ "Andy takes Wolves to a record". Birmingham Mail. 10 May 1988. Retrieved 30 August 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  9. ^ "Grahame's title". Staffordshire Sentinel. 17 September 1990. Retrieved 22 June 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  10. ^ "Ermolenko keen to renew rivalry". BBC Sport, 10 March 2009
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