British motorcycle speedway team
Mildenhall Fen Tigers
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![](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c6/Mildenhalltigers.jpg) Mildenhall Fen Tigers
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Track address
| Mildenhall Stadium
Hayland Drove
West Row
Mildenhall
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---|
Country
| England
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Founded
| 1975
|
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Website
| www
.mildenhall-speedway
.com
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|
Colours
| Orange and Black
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Track size
| 260 metres (280 yd)
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---|
Track record time
| 49.68
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Track record date
| 14 July 2013
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Track record holder
| Steve Boxall
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|
tier 2
Champions
| 1979
|
tier 2 Pairs
Winners
| 1987
|
tier 2 Fours
Winners
| 1984, 1987
|
tier 3
Champions
| 2003, 2004, 2012, 2021
|
tier 3 KO Cup
Winners
| 2003, 2004, 2011, 2012, 2023
|
tier 3 Pairs
Winners
| 2012
|
tier 3 Fours
Winners
| 2004, 2012
|
tier 3 Trophy Winners
| 2000, 2002, 2004, 2012, 2018
|
|
The
Mildenhall Fen Tigers
are a British
speedway
team, founded in 1975, who last raced in the
National Development League
during 2023.
[1]
History
[
edit
]
1970s
[
edit
]
Mildenhall Stadium
The original track was built in 1971 on farm land owned by Terry Waters, with Bernie Klatt the driving force behind establishing speedway in Mildenhall.
[2]
Klatt had been the head chef at the officers club at the nearby
air force base
, and later established a restaurant at the track.
[2]
The speedway track was moved to a second area on the same farm in February 1973,
[3]
with Klatt and Waters opening the 300 yard circumference circuit as a training school for riders.
[4]
The following year in 1974, an application was made to the
Speedway Control Board
for the status of an official practice track.
[5]
After running as a training track, the Mildenhall team entered the
New National League
(division 2) in 1975,
[6]
with the first home fixture held on 18 May against
Scunthorpe Saints
.
[7]
Following four tough seasons from 1975 to 1978, the team came good during the
1979 National League season
, winning the league title.
[8]
Four riders were influential throughout the season and scored heavily,
Ray Bales
,
Mick Hines
,
Melvyn Taylor
and
Robert Henry
averaged between 9.51 and 8.87 respectively.
[9]
1980s
[
edit
]
The Fen Tigers were a major challenger during the 1980s and were unlucky to finish runner-up four times in 1982, 1983, 1984 and 1987 and runner-up in the
Knockout Cup
in 1986 and 1987.
However, the club did win the
Fours championship
final, held at the
East of England Showground
on 22 July 1984, with Bales, Henry,
Carl Blackbird
and Carl Baldwin
[10]
and the
Pairs
and Fours in 1987. The pairs was won by Dave Jessup and Melvyn Taylor (the latter had returned to the club in 1985),
[11]
[12]
and the fours was sealed by Jessup, Taylor,
Eric Monaghan
and Dave Jackson.
[13]
The 1989 season saw a complete change to the club and team, with Skid Parish taking over the promotion and Dave Jackson being the only rider retained. A financial crisis ensued and Mildenhall dropped out of the league.
[14]
1990s
[
edit
]
Despite no team racing at West Row, the track remained open from 1990 to 1991. The 1992 season started with fixtures in the Gold Cup and league before the team withdrew from the
1992 British League Division Two season
. The club finally found some stability in 1994, when they joined the third tier of British speedway (primarily for junior riders). The club then experienced six years of mediocrity.
2000s
[
edit
]
Mildenhall versus Oxford in 2004
In 2000, the team were denied the league title in unfortunate circumstances. The bad weather meant that the Fen Tigers were unable to hold their final home fixture before the 1 November deadline and finished runner-up to
Sheffield Prowlers
, with both teams on 31 points.
The Tigers won the league and cup double twice during the
2003 Speedway Conference League
and
2004 Speedway Conference League
seasons.
[15]
The club moved up to the
Premier League
in 2006, when new promoter Mick Horton took over.
[16]
He also formed a junior side called the
Mildenhall Academy
that rode in the
2006 Speedway Conference League
. In 2007, stadium owner Carl Harris formed Fen Tigers Limited with the intention of selling the company shares to the fans. Lifelong supporter Simon Barton bought a major shareholding in the club until the promotion sold to Keith & Jonathan Chapman in August 2008.
[17]
[18]
Team manager Laurence Rogers was replaced with former Tigers rider
Richard Knight
. At the beginning of the season the club struggled to find a sponsor, so uniquely, the fans collectively sponsored the team.
[19]
Following the 2008 season. the club dropped back down to the third division.
2010s
[
edit
]
In 2010, the team withdrew from the league and had their results were expunged but the following season they bounced back by winning the
Knockout Cup
. The
2012 National League speedway season
was even better as the Fen Tigers made a clean sweep of four trophies, winning the league and cup double, pairs and fours.
[20]
After dominating the league standings during the
2018 season
, the Tigers were unlucky to lose the play-off final to
Eastbourne Eagles
, although some consolation was found in winning the National Trophy.
2020s
[
edit
]
After the leagues were cancelled in 2020 due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
, the team competed in the third division for the 12th consecutive season and were crowned champions for the fourth time since 2003.
[21]
[22]
After the 2022 campaign there was uncertainty as to whether the club could line up for the
2023 season
but in January it was announced they would compete.
[23]
In 2023, the team went on to win the
Knockout Cup
[24]
but then declared their intention to sit out the 2024 season, following an ownership change.
[25]
Season summary
[
edit
]
Riders previous seasons
[
edit
]
Extended content
|
2006 team
2007 team
Also Rode:
2008 team
Also Rode:
2009 team
2010 team
2011 team
2012 team
2013 team
2014 team
2015 team
2019 team
2021 team
2022 team
-
Jason Edwards
10.50
-
Jack Kingston
7.06
-
Sam Bebee
7.02
-
James Shanes
7.00
-
Alex Spooner
6.83
-
Josh Warren
6.21
-
Luke Muff
5.88
|
Notable riders
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
Bamford, Robert (2008).
Methanol Press Speedway Yearbook 2008
. Methanol Press.
ISBN
978-0-9553103-5-5
.
- ^
a
b
Butt, Randall (1980) "Dream Come True",
Speedway Star
, 15 November 1980, p. 7
- ^
"Fen Tigers are Ready",
Speedway Star
, 2 November 1974, p. 14
- ^
"Chef Bernie may have cooked up a recipe for success"
.
Bury Free Press
. 6 April 1973
. Retrieved
9 May
2024
– via
British Newspaper Archive
.
- ^
"Control Board Ok wanted for speedway track"
.
Bury Free Press
. 15 March 1974
. Retrieved
9 May
2024
– via
British Newspaper Archive
.
- ^
Rogers, Martin (1978).
The Illustrated History of Speedway
. Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd. p. 129.
ISBN
0-904584-45-3
.
- ^
"1975 season"
(PDF)
.
Speedway Researcher
. Retrieved
9 May
2024
.
- ^
"British League Tables - British League Era (1965-1990)"
.
Official British Speedway website
. Retrieved
1 September
2021
.
- ^
"Rider averages 1929 to 2009"
(PDF)
.
Speedway Researcher
. Retrieved
9 May
2024
.
- ^
"Red hot Tigers takes fours crown at last"
.
Cambridge Daily News
. 23 July 1984
. Retrieved
8 May
2023
– via
British Newspaper Archive
.
- ^
"1987 fixtures"
(PDF)
.
Speedway Researcher
. Retrieved
25 May
2023
.
- ^
"Tigers triumph"
.
Cambridge Daily News
. 27 July 1987
. Retrieved
25 May
2023
– via
British Newspaper Archive
.
- ^
"Fantastic Fours!"
.
Cambridge Daily News
. 31 October 1987
. Retrieved
8 May
2023
– via
British Newspaper Archive
.
- ^
"Mildenhall crisis"
.
Nottingham Evening Post
. 31 January 1990
. Retrieved
9 May
2024
– via
British Newspaper Archive
.
- ^
"Year by Year"
.
Speedway Researcher
. Retrieved
1 September
2021
.
- ^
Bamford, Robert (1 March 2007).
Tempus Speedway Yearbook 2007
. NPI Media Group.
ISBN
978-0-7524-4250-1
.
- ^
"Lynn promoter takes over Tigers"
.
BBC
. 29 August 2008
. Retrieved
12 September
2008
.
- ^
"Stars buy Mildenhall speedway"
. Lynn news. 29 August 2008
. Retrieved
12 September
2008
.
- ^
"Speedway fans become club sponsor"
.
BBC
. 27 February 2008
. Retrieved
12 September
2008
.
- ^
"Mildenhall Fen Tigers on brink of grand slam"
.
ITV
. Retrieved
1 September
2021
.
- ^
"National League table"
.
Speedway GB
. Retrieved
24 October
2021
.
- ^
"FEN TIGERS ARE CHAMPIONS"
.
Speedway GB
. Retrieved
24 October
2021
.
- ^
"Green light for Fen Tigers"
.
British Speedway
. Retrieved
6 January
2023
.
- ^
"Fen Tigers awarded KO Cup"
.
British Speedway
. Retrieved
31 October
2023
.
- ^
"Fen Tigers call time out"
.
British Speedway
. Retrieved
19 November
2023
.