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Has There Ever Been A Spanish Speedway Rider?


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Benji Compton of Kent Kings was born in Tenerife, Spain.

 

That does not qualify him as Spanish under Spanish law. His parents were British and his birth would have been registered as such at the British Consulate there.

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I love the top motor cyclists like Jorge Lorenzo, in Moto GP. A format the Spanish dominate at this moment in time. Given the spaniards prowess on motor bikes, has there ever been a Spanish speedway rider?

 

Four Spanish riders rode at West Ham and Wembley in 1931.It's doubtful if they were former bullfighters, as a publicity blurb of that time claimed.

Two of the Spanish riders were the brothers Poto Primo and Poto Segundo. Both were still riding in 1948 and 1949 when meetings took place at the Metropolitan Stadium in Madrid - according to Stenner's annual for those years.

At West Ham on September 1 1931, Spanish rider Angel Arche defeated both Arthur Atkinson and Tiger Stevenson in match races. I do not have any results for the other riders or the results at Wembley.

The last active Spanish rider I know of is Alberto Sirvan who raced in France in the late 1950s,

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Four Spanish riders rode at West Ham and Wembley in 1931.It's doubtful if they were former bullfighters, as a publicity blurb of that time claimed.

Two of the Spanish riders were the brothers Poto Primo and Poto Segundo. Both were still riding in 1948 and 1949 when meetings took place at the Metropolitan Stadium in Madrid - according to Stenner's annual for those years.

At West Ham on September 1 1931, Spanish rider Angel Arche defeated both Arthur Atkinson and Tiger Stevenson in match races. I do not have any results for the other riders or the results at Wembley.

The last active Spanish rider I know of is Alberto Sirvan who raced in France in the late 1950s,

 

It seems that just about ANY Query can be answered on the BSF. :approve:

 

Great bit if research gustix. Thank you for that. :t:

 

Angel Arche must have been a pretty good Rider. Tiger Stephenson and Arthur Atkinson were no slouches at Speedway.

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Benji Compton of Kent Kings was born in Tenerife, Spain.

 

Tenerife isn't Spain, it's closer to Africa than anywhere but they do speak Spanish.

 

 

There was a rider from Madrid who had an Italian father from Venice, Italy ..... Juan Corneto !!!

 

Then there was the Spaniard who tried his luck at Speedway but decide on a trip over here that his future was in football and joined a London team ad his signing was on the back of The Sun ..... JUAN NIL to the Arsenal !!!

Edited by T.N.T.
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Tenerife isn't Spain, it's closer to Africa than anywhere but they do speak Spanish.

 

 

It is part of Spain, part of the autonomous community of the Canary Islands within the Spanish state and has been since it fell to the Nationalists during the Spanish Civil War..

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Tenerife isn't Spain, it's closer to Africa than anywhere but they do speak Spanish.

 

It is part of Spain, part of the autonomous community of the Canary Islands within the Spanish state and has been since it fell to the Nationalists during the Spanish Civil War..

 

Perhaps this why they speak Spanish: source Wikipedia:

The Canary Islands (English /kəˈnɛəri ˈləndz/; Spanish: Islas Canarias [ˈizlas kaˈnaɾjas], locally: [ˈiɦlah kaˈnaɾjah]), also known as the Canaries (Spanish: Canarias), are a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are one of Spain's 17 autonomous communities and an outermost region of theEuropean Union. The islands include (from largest to smallest): Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria,Lanzarote, La Palma, La Gomera, El Hierro, La Graciosa, Alegranza, Isla de Lobos, Montaña Clara,Roque del Este and Roque del Oeste.

 

So far as Spanish speedway riders are concerned, there were two Spanish starters in the British-staged 1936 World Championship qualifying rounds. Juan Vinals and Jose Vinals failed to score in the qualifying round at Hackney Wick on June 19, 1936,

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It is part of Spain, part of the autonomous community of the Canary Islands within the Spanish state and has been since it fell to the Nationalists during the Spanish Civil War..

 

That's right - the Canary Islands are not independent and politically is part of Spain.

 

Wikipedia says this of the former CL Pairs & Indiv champ and current Kent CTA Fire King, Benji:

"is a Spanish-British motorcycle speedway rider....Compton is the first speedway rider with Spanish citizenship to have signed a contract with a Polish club (Polonia Piła for the 2009 season)

 

So that would suggest he has dual nationality...

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That's right - the Canary Islands are not independent and politically is part of Spain.

 

Wikipedia says this of the former CL Pairs & Indiv champ and current Kent CTA Fire King, Benji:

"is a Spanish-British motorcycle speedway rider....Compton is the first speedway rider with Spanish citizenship to have signed a contract with a Polish club (Polonia Piła for the 2009 season)

 

So that would suggest he has dual nationality...

 

Not according to the link and the extract. As I said previously, Benji Compton would have been born in the Canary Islands of British parents with his birth registered consequently at the British Consulate, thus making him British.

 

http://www.dlgimmigration.com/united-states-citizenship/list-of-countries-that-allow-or-disallow-dual-citizenship/

Dual Citizenships Allowed:

Australia, Barbados, Belgium, Bangladesh, Canada, Cyprus, United States, United Kingdom, Switzerland, South Korea, South Africa (requires permission) , Egypt(requires prior permission), Greece, France, Finland, Germany (requires prior permission), Iraq, Italy, Israel, Ireland, Hungary, Iceland, Sweden, Slovenia, Syria, Serbia, Armenia, Lebanon, Malta, Spain ( allows only with certain Latin american countries), Tonga, Phillipines, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka (by retention), Pakistan (accepts only with 16 countries), Portual, Turkey (requires permission)

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That's right - the Canary Islands are not independent and politically is part of Spain.

 

Wikipedia says this of the former CL Pairs & Indiv champ and current Kent CTA Fire King, Benji:

"is a Spanish-British motorcycle speedway rider....Compton is the first speedway rider with Spanish citizenship to have signed a contract with a Polish club (Polonia Piła for the 2009 season)

 

So that would suggest he has dual nationality...

 

Further to my previous comment, these links do in fact indicate a Spanish heritage for Benji Compton.

http://en.wikipedia....torcycle_racers

http://en.wikipedia....i/Benji_Compton

The crux perhaps are his parents Spanish? That would then indicate he was born and registered as Spanish, but then has taken British citizenship but also not released his Spanish citizenship?

What an intriguing scenario this is.

One other point - Benji is the younger brother of Andre Compton. Wikipedia identifies Andre as being British - obviously when Andre's place of birth is noted - Dewsbury, Yorkshire, 15 May 1977.

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The crux perhaps are his parents Spanish? That would then indicate he was born and registered as Spanish, but then has taken British citizenship but also not released his Spanish citizenship?

What an intriguing scenario this is.

One other point - Benji is the younger brother of Andre Compton. Wikipedia identifies Andre as being British - obviously when Andre's place of birth is noted - Dewsbury, Yorkshire, 15 May 1977.

 

Well the three brothers are Andre, Benji and Road-racing star Dijon so some interesting naming going on there for a Yorkshire family!!!

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Well the three brothers are Andre, Benji and Road-racing star Dijon so some interesting naming going on there for a Yorkshire family!!!

 

What country does Dijon Compton represent in motorcycling, from where does Press coverage for example racognise him - the UK or Spain? This really is intriguing.

Dijon is not actually recognised as a Spanish name

http://www.behindthe...s/usage/spanish

but it does come to light as a region in France - and also as a type of mustard!

Nor do Andre and Benji come forward as Spanish names!

Compton is a well known British surname.

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Hi, interesting reading!! As far as Im aware Benji has a spanish birth cert along with a English passport. Im not sure what this makes him but if I do recall Benji told me he was eligible to race as a Tenerife racer. As for Andre and myself yes we are fully English both born in Dewsbury with just strange names.

Regards

Dijon

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I thought Havvy was Spanish!

 

Why? Read this.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Havelock

 

Hi, interesting reading!! As far as Im aware Benji has a spanish birth cert along with a English passport. Im not sure what this makes him but if I do recall Benji told me he was eligible to race as a Tenerife racer. As for Andre and myself yes we are fully English both born in Dewsbury with just strange names.

Regards

Dijon

 

It must be a BRITISH passport? no such thing as an ENGLISH passport. I think the Spanish authorities might be interested in this - the situation MAY violate their law in regard to dual nationality.

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Also I maybe wrong but the Spanish thing for Havvy maybe on his mother side...??

 

That would make him British - the line of the father counts in international law.

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