Wally Hull

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Wally Hull
Born2 March 1907 (1907-03-02)
Manchester, England
Died10 March 1985(1985-03-10) (aged 78)
Macclesfield, Cheshire, England
NationalityBritish (English)
Career history
1929–1930White City Manchester
1931–1932, 1947–1948Belle Vue Aces
1932Wimbledon Dons
1933Sheffield Tigers
1934Lea Bridge/Walthamstow Wolves
Team honours
1931Northern League Champion
1931Northern League KO Cup Winner
1935, 1936National League Champion
1935, 1936, 1937, 1947National Trophy Winner
1935, 1936, 1937ACU Cup
1939British Speedway Cup

Walter Norbury Hull (2 March 1907 – 10 March 1985) was an international motorcycle speedway rider from England. He earned two international caps for the England national speedway team.[1]

Biography[edit]

Hull, born in Manchester, rode in the pioneer years of British speedway beginning his British leagues career riding for White City Manchester during the inaugural 1929 Speedway English Dirt Track League season.[2] He was described as the Altrincham star.[3] He gained recognition in 1930 and was selected to represent England against Australia.[4]

His two seasons with the Manchester club were chaotic because they withdrew from the league on both occasions. In 1931, he joined Belle Vue Aces, where he would enjoy a better foundation and duly impressed with an 8.84 league average and helping his team become league champions.[5]

Following the amalgamation of the Southern and Northern leagues for the 1932 Speedway National League season, he was transferred, moving to London to ride for the Wimbledon Dons.[6] His form dipped and he found himself spending a season with Sheffield Tigers in 1933 and then had a fractured season in 1934, riding for the Lea Bridge/Walthamstow team.[7]

In 1935, he returned to Belle Vue, where he would spend the remainder of his career (with a enforced break during World War II), retiring in 1948. He won several numerous trophies with the club including the 1935 and 1936 trebles.[8]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "ULTIMATE RIDER INDEX, 1929-2022" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
  2. ^ "1929 season results" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
  3. ^ "Speedway". Manchester Evening News. 3 May 1929. Retrieved 20 December 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  4. ^ "Honour for Burton". Leicester Evening Mail. 17 July 1930. Retrieved 20 December 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. ^ "Rider averages 1929 to 2009" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
  6. ^ "Palace trio in test team". Daily Herald. 23 July 1932. Retrieved 20 December 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. ^ "Year by Year". Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
  8. ^ "Innocents on the Speedway". The People. 27 April 1947. Retrieved 20 December 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.