Misplaced Pages

Boston Barracudas
Club information
Track address	Boston Sports Stadium (1970–1987) King's Lynn Stadium (2000–2008)
Country	England
Founded	1970
Closed	2008
Club facts
Colours	Blue and White
Track size	342 metres
Major team honours
BL Div. 2 1973 BL Div. 2 KO Cup 1973 NL Pairs 1977 Conference League KO Cup 2000 Conference League Pairs 2007, 2008

The Boston Barracudas were a speedway team that competed from 1970 to 1987 and again from 2000 to 2008. the team were based at Boston Sports Stadium in New Hammond Beck Road, Boston, Lincolnshire.

History

Origins and 1970s

The Boston Barracudas were founded mid-season in 1970 by promoters Cyril Crane and Gordon Perkins. Planning permission was received to construct a track at the Boston Sports Stadium and the promoters bought the second tier team known as the King's Lynn Starlets from Maurice Littlechild. The Barracudas first home fixture was an inter-counties cup match against Peterborough Panthers on 16 August. The team fulfilled the remaining King's Lynn fixtures and finished the season in 13th place.

The team continued to compete in the second division and during the 1973 British League Division Two season completed the league and cup double by finishing 1st in the league table and winning the Knockout Cup. The team led by Arthur Price was backed up by Carl Glover, who had improved his average significantly to 9.62 and six other riders who posted averages from 8.42 to 6.88.

The remainder of the decade was less successful and from 1975 they competed in the National League (the new name for division 2). Also in 1975, the Barracudas signed 16-year-old Michael Lee on loan from King's Lynn. Lee would be a world champion just 5 years later. With no Price, Glover or Lee, the team could only record a best finish of 7th in 1977.

1980s

With riders such as David Gagen and Rob Hollingworth, Boston were consistent but were unable to challenge for honours. In late 1984 promoter Cyril Crane was unhappy over new rules and wanted to sell his promotion rights. Despite signing riders for 1985, the club withdrew from the league just days before the start of the season, when Crane relinquished his interests.

The team soon returned for the 1986 season, under a new promotion team of Richard Green, David Cox and Glen Norton. However, after just one season the team entered 1987 and suffered heavy defeats and financial issues. This resulted in the Barracudas withdrawing mid-season with the last fixture being a heavy home defeat to Eastbourne on 1 August 1987, the Barracudas results were expunged.

2000s

In 2000 the club was reformed and entered the third tier Conference League but riding at King's Lynn Stadium because the Boston Sports Stadium had closed in 1987. During the 2000 Speedway Conference League the team finished 4th and won the Conference League Knockout Cup defeating Rye House Rockets in the final.

The team won the 2003 Conference Trophy riding as the Boston Barracuda-Braves and competed up to the end of the 2008 Speedway Conference League season. The last honours for the club were two consecutive Pairs Championship wins in 2007, won by Paul Cooper and Simon Lambert and 2008, when won by James Cockle and Lambert.

Season summary

Notable riders

• James Cockle
• Paul Cooper
• David Gagen
• Carl Glover
• Rob Hollingworth
• Simon Lambert
• Michael Lee
• Arthur Price

See also

• Category:Boston Barracudas riders
• List of United Kingdom Speedway League Champions
• Knockout Cup (speedway)

References

1. "Boston Speedway". Defunct Speedway. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
2. "Battling Boston get the go-ahead". Sunday Mirror. 14 June 1970. Retrieved 29 September 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
3. "1970 season" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
4. Rogers, Martin (1978). The Illustrated History of Speedway. Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd. p. 129. ISBN 0-904584-45-3.
5. "British League Tables - British League Era (1965-1990)". Official British Speedway website. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
6. Oakes, P (2006). Speedway Star Almanac. Pinegen Ltd. ISBN 0-9552376-1-0.
7. "Rider averages 1929 to 2009" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
8. "Teenager joins 'Cudas". Lincolnshire Standard and Boston Guardian. 7 February 1975. Retrieved 29 September 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
9. "Speedway boss plans takeover talks". Lincolnshire Standard and Boston Guardian. 20 December 1984. Retrieved 29 September 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
10. "Cudas' future hangs in balance". Lincolnshire Standard and Boston Guardian. 28 February 1985. Retrieved 29 September 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
11. "Cudas back in action". Skegness Standard. 6 December 1985. Retrieved 29 September 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
12. "Year by Year". Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
13. "Speedway shutdown". Sleaford Standard. 13 August 1987. Retrieved 29 September 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
14. "Speedway". Shropshire Star. 24 October 2000. Retrieved 29 September 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
15. "Conference League Knockout Cup Winners". Speedway Archive.
16. "2007 fixtures & results" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
17. "2008 fixtures & results" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 3 July 2023.

v t e United Kingdom Speedway Seasons
Tier One League Top division	1929 1929 1930 1930 1931 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Tier Two League Second division	1934 1936 1937 1938 1939 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Tier Three League Third division	1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1994 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Champions	League champions Cup winners

• Speedway Conference League teams
• Sport in Boston, Lincolnshire
• Defunct speedway teams in the United Kingdom