Jump to content

Clive Featherby

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Clive Featherby
Born6 April 1933 (1933-04-06)
Kings Lynn, England
Died28 August 2019(2019-08-28) (aged 86)
Brisbane, Australia
NationalityBritish (English)
Career history
1958–1960Norwich Stars
1960Yarmouth Bloaters
1960, 1966Cradley Heathens
1961–1965Sheffield Tigers
1967–1972King's Lynn Stars
Team honours
1962, 1963, 1964Northern League Winner

Clive G. C. Featherby (6 April 1933 – 28 August 2019) was an international motorcycle speedway rider from England. He earned one international cap for the Great Britain national speedway team.[1]

Biography

[edit]

In 1959, Featherby was signed by the Norwich Stars manager Gordon Parkins after impressing in a try out.[2] He moved on to Yarmouth Bloaters and then Stoke Potters and Cradley Heathens all during 1960.[3]

It was not until 1961 that he found stability, signing for Sheffield Tigers for the 1961 Provincial Speedway League and produced a 9.59 average for the season.[4] The following season he performed even better, recording the second best average in the league at 10.21[5] and becoming Sheffield's leading rider and captain.[6]

Following five successful seasons at Sheffield, Featherby was forced to join Cradley Heath for the 1966 British League season[7] due to the restrictions imposed on teams by the Control Board.[8] He spent an unhappy season at the club before joining the King's Lynn Stars in 1967.

He ended his career at King's Lynn in 1972, after six years with the West Norfolk club. His last race was in May 1972 because of a badly broken leg, suffered during a World Championship qualifying round.[9] His son Craig Featherby later became a professional speedway rider but was killed in a speedway league crash during 1983.[1]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "ULTIMATE RIDER INDEX, 1929-2022" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
  2. ^ "Crutcher's at home". Sunday Mirror. 19 April 1959. Retrieved 22 November 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  3. ^ "Clive Featherby". WWOS backup. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
  4. ^ "Rider averages 1929 to 2009" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
  5. ^ "1962 season results" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
  6. ^ "Too wet says skipper match off". Newcastle Journal. 6 August 1963. Retrieved 22 November 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. ^ "Year by Year". Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
  8. ^ "Discontented at Cradley". Coventry Evening Telegraph. 23 April 1966. Retrieved 22 November 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  9. ^ "Injured speedway rider satisfactory". Reading Evening Post. 23 May 1972. Retrieved 22 November 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.