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Robert Woffinden (27 March 1962 – 30 January 2010) was a motorcycle speedway rider from England.

Biography

Woffinden, born in Scunthorpe, started riding during the second half matches of the Scunthorpe Saints fixtures, at the Quibell Park Stadium as a 16-year old. He began his British leagues career, making an appearance for the Saints during the 1978 National League season.

The following season in 1979 he broke into the team (now called the Stags) more regularly and by the end of the 1981 season had improved his season average to 5.19. In 1982, he started for Scunthorpe before switching to the Middlesbrough Bears.

The following season in 1984, he re-joined the Stags and recorded season averages of 7.65 and 7.54 in 1984 and 1985 respectively. He captained the Stags in 1985 but picked up an injury and the team suffered heavy losses. The Stags promoter Tony Nicholls then revealed financial losses and the team were disbanded in May 1985. Woffienden saw out the season with Rye House Rockets.

Woffinden signed for Boston Barracudas in 1986 but moved on quickly to Birmingham Brummies. Woffinden continued his nomadic trend by riding for Berwick Bandits in 1987 and both Berwick and Edinburgh Monarchs in 1988.

Woffinden's form had dropped by the time he joined Stoke Potters for the 1989 National League season and after a poor season in 1990, he experienced a low when he was banned for two years by the Speedway Control Board after failing a drug's test.

He returned to the sport in 1993, riding for the Sheffield Tigers. He averaged over 5 but suffered a bad crash in July, breaking a wrist and fracturing his pelvis. He retired after one final season with Sheffield in 1994.

In 2010, he died after a long illness. Throughout the latter part of his speedway career he had ridden in Australia and set up a home there. The Rob Woffinden Classic is held every year in Australia in his memory.

Family

His son Tai Woffinden went on to become a three times world champion.

References

1. "Ultimate Rider Index, 1929-2022" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
2. "Birthday boy's race debut". Scunthorpe Evening Telegraph. 30 March 1959. Retrieved 3 May 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
3. "1978 season" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
4. "Rider averages 1929 to 2009" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
5. "Speedway". Hartlepool Northern Daily Mail. 28 July 1982. Retrieved 3 May 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
6. "New crisis for speedway". Scunthorpe Evening Telegraph. 9 May 1985. Retrieved 3 May 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
7. "British League Tables - British League Era (1965-1990)". Official British Speedway website. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
8. "1985 fixtures and results" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
9. "Woffinden joins Cudas". Spalding Guardian. 24 January 1986. Retrieved 3 May 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
10. "Brummies boy". Birmingham Mail. 21 July 1986. Retrieved 3 May 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
11. "Rob Woffinden". WWOS backup. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
12. "Speedway star gets two year ban". Scunthorpe Evening Telegraph. 14 February 1991. Retrieved 3 May 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
13. "Speedway". Torbay Express and South Devon Echo. 10 July 1993. Retrieved 3 May 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
14. "Rob Woffinden loses the fight". Edinburgh Speedway. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
15. "Tai Woffinden back racing in the Rob Woffinden Classic at Pinjar in honour of his late father". Perth Now. 31 January 2024. Retrieved 3 May 2024.

• 1962 births
• 2010 deaths
• British speedway riders
• Berwick Bandits riders
• Birmingham Brummies riders
• Boston Barracudas riders
• Edinburgh Monarchs riders
• Middlesbrough Bears riders
• Rye House Rockets riders
• Scunthorpe Scorpions riders
• Sheffield Tigers riders
• Stoke Potters riders