Bill Pitcher

British motorcycle speedway rider

Bill PitcherBorn| (1910-02-05)5 February 1910
Coventry, England

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Died| 24 October 1995(1995-10-24) (aged 85)
Queens County, Prince Edward Island, Canada
Nationality| British (English)
Career history
1930-1931| Leicester Stadium
1931| Crystal Palace Glaziers
1932-1933| Coventry
1934| Birmingham Bulldogs
1935-1939| Harringay Tigers
1946-1948| Belle Vue Aces
1949| Wimbledon Dons
Team honours
1946, 1947| National Trophy winner
1935| London Cup winner
1946| A.C.U. Cup winner

William George Henry Pitcher (born 5 February 1910 in Coventry, England[1] \- died 24 October 1995) was an international motorcycle speedway rider who rode in the first ever World Championship final in 1936.[2] He earned 7 international caps for the England national speedway team.[3]

## Career

[edit]

From 1930 to 1933, Pitcher rode for Leicester Stadium, Crystal Palace Glaziers and Coventry. In 1934, he rode one season for Birmingham Bulldogs and continued to compete in individual meetings.[4]

His career blossomed after he joined Harringay Tigers in 1935 and rode for them for five years before World War II interrupted his career.[5] He a member of the team that won the London Cup in 1935[6] and in 1936 he rode in the first ever Speedway World Championship.

After the end of the war he joined the Belle Vue Aces. Pitcher was also a member of the England team that toured Australia in 1946–47. He made his England international debut in 1939.[1] His final season was in 1949 with the Wimbledon Dons.[7]

## World Final appearances

[edit]

* 1936 \-  London, Wembley Stadium \- 17th - 8pts[2]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Addison J. (1948). The People Speedway Guide. Odhams Press Limited
2. ^ a b Bamford, R. & Shailes, G. (2002). A History of the World Speedway Championship. Stroud: Tempus Publishing. ISBN 0-7524-2402-5
3. ^ "ULTIMATE RIDER INDEX, 1929-2022" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
4. ^ "Stan Greatrex and Bill Pitcher in form". Coventry Herald. 17 August 1934. Retrieved 4 October 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
5. ^ "Hackney Speedsters". Weekly Dispatch (London). 9 August 1936. Retrieved 4 October 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
6. ^ "Harringay take Speedway Cup". Daily Herald. 2 October 1935. Retrieved 16 September 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
7. ^ Jacobs, Norman (2001). Speedway in London. Stroud: Tempus Publishing ISBN 0-7524-2221-9

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