Eastbourne Eagles

History

Origins & 1930s

During 1928 the Eastbourne Motorcycle Sports Club purchased a field in Arlington for the purposes of dirt track racing. Practice sessions took place before the official opening on 5 August 1929 by the Arlington Motor Sports Club.

Over the following years the race meetings continued at regular intervals but there was still no team formed to compete in the British league system. However the Hailsham Cup was the main prize available and large attendances frequented the track. In 1937, George Newton broke the track record, which lasted until 1955.

1940s

After the war, Charlie Dugard bought the track and it underwent extensive repairs before opening again on 14 July 1946.

1950s

The team returned to compete in the Southern Area League and struggled until Leo McAuliffe and Jimmy Heard helped lift them to second place in 1956. McAuliffe won the Southern Area League Riders' Championship the same year. Another second place in 1957 was followed by a season of challenge matches in 1958. In 1959, they won the 1959 Southern Area League, which was the second division league.

1960s

In 1960, the club were refused entry to the new Provincial league but continued to hold challenge meetings util 1964, when they joined the Metropolitan League. However, after 1964 the club closed for four years.

1970s

In 1971, the Eagles won silverware, winning the 1971 British League Division Two. Despite losing their leading rider Dave Jessup to division 1, Eastbourne triumphed by bringing in new signing Malcolm Ballard to support the Kennett brothers Gordon and Dave.

The club remained in division 2 until it was renamed the National League and they won their first Knockout Cups in 1975. They were National League champions in 1977 and won two more knockout Cups in 1977 and 1978 respectively. In 1979, the team stepped up to compete in the top division for the first time.

1980s

|File:Colin Richardson.jpg |Colin Richardson |File:Gordon Kennett .jpg |Gordon Kennett After competing in the top division for six years, the Eagles dropped back down to the National League. Eastbourne achieved the 'double double' by winning the National League and Cup double in both 1986 and 1987. The team was spearheaded by Gordon Kennett, Martin Dugard and Colin Richardson.

1990s

In 1991, the team returned to the top league and in 1994 they won their sixth Knockout Cup (but first in the top flight). The following season in 1995, Eastbourne won their first highest league title, after they won the 1995 Premier League speedway season. The gulf in quality of teams was evident after the merging of the two leagues, with the Eagles winning the title 56 points clear of bottom club Exeter Falcons. Eastbourne had been an easy runner-up the previous year to runaway winners Poole Pirates and retained four of their riders, Martin Dugard, Dean Barker, Stefan Dannö and Stefan Andersson, which provided enough firepower to seal the Championship.

After a second place finish and another top tier Knockout Cup win in 1997, the Eagles finished the decade with two mid-table finishes.

2000s

The Eagles became the British champions for the second time after winning the 2000 Speedway Elite League, with Martin Dugard once again being the star for the team. They then topped the table in 2002 but lost the play off final, although consolation was gained by becoming Elite League Knockout Cup winners in 2002.

The Eagles continued to compete in the Elite League and won their fourth highest division Knockout Cup win in 2008.

2010s

The Eagles competed in the top league for 24 consecutive seasons until the end of the 2014 season.

In 2015, the team joined the National League and gained success for four consecutive years, winning the third tier Knockout Cup four years running and winning the 2018 league title. The Eagles moved up to the second tier in 2019.

2020s

After the leagues were cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Eagles competed in the SGB Championship 2021 (division 2) but withdrew from the league on 26 August because of financial problems. Their results were expunged as were the NDL results of their junior side called the Eastbourne Seagulls. The last match was held on 31 July 2021.

As of 2023, a consortium continued to search for a new venue to bring back speedway to Eastbourne and in 2024 the Arlington Staduium's owners (the Dugards) were approached to race NORA meetings.

Notable riders

• SWE Stefan Andersson
• ENG Malcolm Ballard
• ENG Dean Barker
• SWE Stefan Dannö
• ENG Martin Dugard
• ENG Paul Gachet
• SCO Ross Gilbertson
• ENG Colin Gooddy
• ENG Andy Grahame
• ENG Wally Green
• SCO Jock Grierson
• ENG Dave Jessup
• ENG Gordon Kennett
• ENG Mark Loram
• WAL Leo McAuliffe
• ENG Neil Middleditch
• USA Kelly Moran
• ENG David Norris
• DEN Nicki Pedersen
• ENG Colin Richardson
• ENG Joe Screen
• ENG Steve Weatherley

Season summary

Season summary (juniors)

2021 season

the Seagulls were formed in February 2021 and disbanded in August 2021. This was the junior side of the Eagles. " The Seagulls' first two signings for the season were Jake Knight and Richard Andrews, both returning to Arlington having ridden for the Eagles when they were in the National League. Club asset, and local youngster, Nathan Ablitt was then confirmed as one of the Seagulls' reserves starting on a 3.00 average. The Seagulls then completed the signings of Chad Wirtzfeld and Connor King, who both had previous National League experience with the Isle of Wight Warriors. Henry Atkins became the Seagulls' sixth signing, he raced for the Seagulls alongside riding for his SGB Championship team, the Plymouth Gladiators. Another local rider, Nick Laurence, was named as the Seagulls' second reserve and their final signing.

Riders previous seasons

2021 team

• ENG Richard Lawson
• ENG Edward Kennett
• ENG Lewis Kerr
• ENG Tom Brennan
• ENG Kyle Newman
• ENG Drew Kemp
• ENG Nathan Ablitt

2019 team

• ENG Edward Kennett
• ENG Richard Lawson
• ENG Lewis Kerr
• ENG Kyle Newman
• ENG Georgie Wood
• ENG Alfie Bowtell
• ENG Jason Edwards
• ENG Tom Brennan
• ENG Ben Morley

2018 team

• ENG Georgie Wood
• ENG Mark Baseby
• ENG Tom Brennan
• ENG Jason Edwards
• GER Ethan Spiller
• ENG Charley Powell
• ENG Charlie Brooks
• ENG Kelsey Dugard

2017 team

• ENG Josh Bailey
• ENG Jake Knight
• ENG Georgie Wood
• ENG Tom Brennan
• ENG Charley Powell
• ENG Mattie Bates
• ENG Charlie Saunders
• ENG Kelsey Dugard Kelsey Dugard and Connor Coles were replaced in the team by Matt Saul and Jake Knight on 2 June 2017.
• ENG Connor Coles Kelsey Dugard and Connor Coles were replaced in the team by Matt Saul and Jake Knight on 2 June 2017.
• ENG Matt Saul
• ENG Mark Baseby

2016 team

• ENG Adam Ellis
• ENG Jake Knight
• ENG Ellis Perks
• ENG Georgie Wood
• ENG Gary Cottham
• ENG Charley Powell
• ENG Luke Harris

2015 team

• NZL Bradley Wilson-Dean
• ENG Ben Hopwood
• ENG Marc Owen
• GER Daniel Spiller
• ENG Georgie Wood
• ENG Richard Andrews
• ENG Kelsey Dugard

2014 team

• DEN Bjarne Pedersen
• AUS Cameron Woodward
• FIN Joonas Kylmäkorpi
• DEN Mikkel Michelsen
• FIN Timo Lahti
• ENG Lewis Blackbird
• ENG Danny Halsey

2013 team

• DEN Bjarne Pedersen
• AUS Cameron Woodward
• CZE Lukáš Dryml
• SWE Kim Nilsson
• SWE Simon Gustafsson
• DEN Mikkel Michelsen
• FIN Timo Lahti

2012 team

• FIN Joonas Kylmäkorpi
• SWE Simon Gustafsson
• FIN Timo Lahti
• ENG Lewis Bridger
• AUS Cameron Woodward
• CZE Lukáš Dryml
• RUS Denis Gizatullin

Notes

References

References

1. "90 years of Eastbourne Speedway".
2. (7 August 1929). "Arlington Motor Sports Club". Eastbourne Gazette.
3. Bamford, R & Jarvis J.(2001). ''Homes of British Speedway''. {{ISBN. 0-7524-2210-3
4. (23 March 1940). "Speedway meeting to-morrow". Eastbourne Herald.
5. "1958 to 1963".
6. "Year by Year".
7. Oakes, Peter. (1981). "1981 Speedway Yearbook". Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd.
8. Bott, Richard. (1980). "The Peter Collins Speedway Book No.4". Stanley Paul & Co Ltd.
9. "HISTORY ARCHIVE".
10. "1995 league tables". Speedway GB.
11. (2008-10-27). "Eagles seal KO Cup shock". Skysports.
12. "Eastbourne Speedway withdraw from 2021 season".
13. . (10 June 2023). "Eastbourne Search".
14. . (6 July 2024). "Eagles need promoting figurehead".
15. (2021-02-24). "National Development League Details". Speedway GB.
16. (2021-03-01). "Knight back for Seagulls". Speedway GB.
17. (2021-03-06). "Andrews joins Seagulls". Speedway GB.
18. (2021-03-08). "Ablitt is our latest Seagull". Eastbourne Eagles.
19. (2021-03-11). "Eastbourne welcomes Chad Wirtzfeld". Eastbourne Eagles.
20. (2021-03-15). "Connor King announced as the fifth Seagull". Eastbourne Eagles.
21. (2021-03-16). "Atkins joins Seagulls NDL squad". Eastbourne Eagles.
22. (2021-03-23). "Laurence completes Seagulls". Speedway GB.