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Lloyd Goffe

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Lloyd Goffe
Born(1913-01-30)30 January 1913
Reading England
Died18 October 1984(1984-10-18) (aged 71)
Reading, England
NationalityBritish (English)
Career history
1937-1938, 1950-1951West Ham Hammers/Hawks
1937Leicester Hounds
1938-1939, 1948-1950Harringay Tigers/Racers
1938Lea Bridge Cubs
1946-1947Wimbledon Dons
1951-1952Odsal Tudors
1952St Austell Gulls
Team honours
1948Anniversary Cup Winner

Kenneth Lloyd Goffe (30 January 1913 [1] – 18 October 1984) was a British motorcycle speedway rider. He earned one international cap for the England national speedway team.[2]

Career

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Goffe began his racing career in 1934 at the sand track in the resort of California near Wokingham, riding for prize money.[3][4] He then concentrated on grasstrack racing, winning the South of England Grass Track Championship at Basingstoke in 1936.[3] He bought a 500cc Rudge bike from "Froggy" French in 1936, which he used in his early speedway rides, impressing sufficiently to receive offers from both Hackney Wick Wolves and the Johnny Hoskins-managed West Ham Hammers, signing for the latter in 1937.[3][4] He had a brief spell with the Leicester Hounds team, riding in three matches in 1937 before the club withdrew from the Provincial League.[5]

His performances progressed after transferring to the Harringay Tigers later that season, staying with the team until the outbreak of World War II.[3] During the war, he served as a fitter in the Royal Air Force.[4]

After the end of the war, Goffe joined the Wimbledon Dons in 1946. His riding style led to him being nicknamed "Cowboy".[4] He achieved one of his ambitions in 1946 by beating the Wembley captain Bill Kitchen in a race.[6] In 1948 Goffe rejoined Harringay (now the 'Racers') for a £1,350 transfer fee,[5] where he won the Anniversary Cup in 1949 and by 1950 his career completed a full circle when he rejoined West Ham.[7]

In 1951 he signed and rode for Odsal Tudors[8] and started the 1952 season there before he joined the St Austell Gulls.[4]

World Final Appearances

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References

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  1. ^ Addison J. (1948). The People Speedway Guide. Odhams Press Limited
  2. ^ "ULTIMATE RIDER INDEX, 1929-2022" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 4 June 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d Storey, Basil (1947) "From an Office Stool to Cinders", in Speedway Favourites, Sport-in-Print, p. 5
  4. ^ a b c d e May, Cyril (1963) "Riders I Remember: Fighting 'Cowboy'", Speedway Star, 30 November 1963, p. 14
  5. ^ a b Jones, Alan (2010) Speedway in Leicester: The Pre-War Years, Automedia, p. 180
  6. ^ "Lloyd Goffe achieves ambition". South Western Star. 11 October 1946. Retrieved 23 September 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. ^ Belton, Brian (2003). Hammerin' Round. Stroud: Tempus Publishing ISBN 0-7524-2438-6
  8. ^ "Lloyd Goffe joins Odsal". Halifax Evening Courier. 8 May 1951. Retrieved 23 September 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.