Gerald Smitherman
| File:Gerald Smitherman 1977.jpg | |
| Born | 24 June 1952 Telford, England |
|---|---|
| Career history | |
| 1972 | Cradley Heathens |
| 1973-1976 | Ellesmere Port Gunners |
| 1977 | Oxford Cheetahs |
Gerald Smitherman (born 24 June 1952 in Telford, England) is a former motorcycle speedway rider from England.[1]
Career
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The year 1972 saw Smitherman undertake the Cradley rider training school and compete in second half rides for the experience.[2] During the 1972 British League season Smitherman was thrown in the deep end due to injuries suffered by hs team and he represented Cradley Heathens.[3]
His career took off properly when he was signed for Ellesmere Port Gunners for the 1973 British League Division Two season.[4] where he stayed for four years,[5] returning decent averages in the middle ranks.[6]
In his final year, he was signed over to Oxford Cheetahs to promoter Harry Bastable[7] and competed for the Cheetahs during the 1977 National League season.
After speedway
[edit | edit source]During his time as a rider, he had also made seats and continued with supplying accessories after retiring as GTS Products.[8] For the 1991 World Speedway Final, he made the suits for Sam Ermolenko, Ronnie Corrie, Billy Hamill, Jan O. Pedersen and Per Jonson as well as pit crews. Married to Sherry, they have four daughters. Gerald took up squash, winning an Over-45 championship. He still follows speedway and provides accessories for today's riders as well as retro items.
References
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- ^ Lawson, K (2018) “Riders, Teams and Stadiums”. Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
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- ^ Bamford, R & Shailes, G (2007). "The Story of Oxford Speedway". Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
External links
[edit | edit source]- https://www.cradleyspeedway.co.uk/riders.htm
- https://www.classicspeedwayandgrasstrack.com/ongoing-projects/ (reference to GTS Products in article)