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Post by mrsgustix on Dec 3, 2009 17:38:03 GMT
A name which keeps coming with questions about him which never seem to get answered is that of Jimmy Kilsby who was prominent on south London tracks in the mid-1950s, ran several teams and a league, and also rode for England in test matches in Holland. Just who was he?
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Post by mrsgustix on Dec 29, 2009 20:46:24 GMT
I have seen the South London League table (or at least the teams in it) for 1955. This league was the brainchild of Jimmy Kilsby but was really little more than that. Did all those teams really exist - I only know that Welling Wings (run by Vic Duffy) and Brockley Boomerangs (run by John Hyam) actually started a short-lived season. I think the league was briefly covered in the Speedway Gazette and South London Press.
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danny
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Post by danny on Mar 2, 2010 20:07:45 GMT
I have a programme showing Jimmy Kilsby rode for Mersham Vikings, a team based in the Norwood S.E 27 area of London against Beckenham Pirates this was a Southern Premier 2nd division match in the 1953 season. He is also shown on the letterhead of the Southern Premier League as being the treasurer in 1954 & 1955
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Post by crossedhammers on Mar 2, 2010 21:05:59 GMT
Whar is the background to the Southern Premier League. Was it a good standard competition. In 1954 or 1955, did Jimmy Kilsby, as suggested, ride for England in Holland.
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danny
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Post by danny on Mar 6, 2010 19:59:02 GMT
The Southern Premier League was certainly operational in 1953 and continued until the end of 1959, when the British Cycle Speedway Federation was formed and the British League became the Federations own League, most teams moved to the new league,as long as the teams met stringent criteria ie track presentation, riders uniforms etc.The S.P.L and the British League were probably the strongest leagues certainly in the south of the country with top teams and first class tracks and administration. The Leagues contained teams such as South London Rangers & Hunters, Tooting Tigers & Wildcats, Raynes Park Tigers & Stars, Edmonton Saints, Thornton Heath Cobras, Hellingley Lions, Thurrock Stars, Tottenham Kangeroos, Bournemouth Vikings,Beckenham Pirates, Beckenham Monarchs & Royals, Mersham Vikings, Ruskin Flyers, St Helier Saints, Cheam Pirates,Cheam Wolves, Cheam Cherokees,Tolwoth Tudors, Ditton Devils, Wimbledon Stars, plus others I may have forgotten. The above clubs have supplied the World Champion (both Cycle and motorised speedway) The British individual champion, the National Team champions plus numerious other accolades. A number of teams from the above list have toured Holland and raced against Dutch opposition but that does not mean they can be called The ENGLAND team, if it does then I can claim to being an England Captain as I captained my club side on our tour of Holland.
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Post by ayoutubefiend on Nov 2, 2013 9:33:20 GMT
A name which keeps coming with questions about him which never seem to get answered is that of Jimmy Kilsby who was prominent on south London tracks in the mid-1950s, ran several teams and a league, and also rode for England in test matches in Holland. Just who was he? Jimmy Kilsby ran his own league at sometime in the mid-1950s. Some of their matches were on a track near the now long demolished Mitcham Stadium. The teams used to have some results in the local paper the South London Press at one time but the coverage did not last very long.
There was another guy out Ilford way at this time who also ran similar teams and a league. His name evades me but he did have some support from the Speedway Star in regard to publicity - it must have been around 1954 or 1955. If anyone can refresh my memory on this venture it would be appreciated.
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