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Which British League Two/National League Team Produced The Most Riders For British League One?


steve roberts

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Following on from a similar thread it got me pondering which team in the lower league produced the most riders for the upper or at least started their careers at that track as loanees?

Eastbourne would take some beating - Dave Jessup, the Kennett Brothers, Malcolm Ballard, Bobby McNeil, Roger Johns, Trevor Geer, Paul Gachet, Neil Middleditch, Steve Weatherley, Colin Richardson, Martin Dugard , Hugh Saunders, Paul Woods.

Boston/King's Lynn II - Michael Lee (Mildenhall?), David Gagen, Ray Bales, Carl Glover, Arthur Price, Ian Turner, Russell Osborne, Keith Bloxsome, Derek Harrison, Tony Featherstone

Rochdale/Belle Vue II - Peter Collins, Alan Wilkinson, Eric Broadbelt, Graham Drury, Paul Tyrer, Ken Eyre

Mildenhall - Melvyn Taylor, Kevin Jolly, Richard Knight.

Peterborough - Richard Greer, John Davis, Frank Smith, Kevin Hawkins, Ian Clark, Nigel Flatman, Tim Hunt

I'm sure there are many more examples - Rye House, Rayleigh, Canterbury etc etc.

 

Edited by steve roberts
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On 4/19/2020 at 7:47 AM, steve roberts said:

Canterbury - Barry Crowson, Barry Thomas, Dave Gooderham, Trevor Jones, Ted Hubbard, Les Rumsey, Dave Mullett

Crewe - Keith White, Ian Cartwright, Dave Morton, Les Collins, Chris Turner

Birmingham - Mick Hines, Mike Lanham, the Graham Brothers

Ipswich - John Louis, Tony Davey, Ted Howgego, John Harrhy, Pete Bailey

Long Eaton - Malcolm Shakespeare, Geoff Bouchard, Alan Molyneux

Middlesbrough - Graham Plant, Tom Leadbitter, Frank Auffret, Alan Emerson, Gary Havelock, Martin Dixon

Rayleigh - Geoff Maloney, Laurie Etheridge

Rye House - Bob Garrod, Ashley Pullen, Marvyn Cox, Kevin Smith, Andrew Silver, Alastair Stevens

Ellesmere Port - Chris Morton, Phil Collins, the Carr Brothers, Eric Monaghan, Geoff Pusey

 

 

Edited by steve roberts
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Just now, steve roberts said:

Crumbs yes! I remember his formative years at Reading (1985?) when he used to double up.

He never achieved what he should have done, but he was a very capable rider, and I always liked him.

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Just now, chunky said:

Jamie never established himself in the top division; that's why I didn't mention him.

Yes you're right...I seem to remember he doubled up for a short while at Ipswich?

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2 minutes ago, chunky said:

Jamie never established himself in the top division; that's why I didn't mention him.

Yes, you are right. Tbh I actually have him better in my memory as he actually was, or at least achieved

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1 minute ago, iris123 said:

Yes, you are right. Tbh I actually have him better in my memory as he actually was, or at least achieved

He was another waste of talent, and he pulled that "God" stunt to give himself the publicity!

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Oxford - Simon Cross (until he 'fell out' with Ashley Pullen), John Grahame

Barrow - Joe Owen, Mark Courtenay

Sunderland - Vic Harding

Weymouth - Tony Lomas, Simon Wigg, Steve Schofield

Stoke - Steve Bastable, Brian Woodward, Martin Yeates

Scunthorpe - Phil White, Colin Cook

Workington - Mitch Graham

Reading - Mick Bell, Richard May, Bernie Leigh

Plymouth - Mike Cake, Bob Coles

Newcastle - Kenny Carter, Martin Scarisbrick

Glasgow - the McKinna Brothers

Romford - Mike Sampson, Kevin Holden

Doncaster - Doug Wyer, Reg Wilson

 

Edited by steve roberts
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1 hour ago, steve roberts said:

Of course if you were to add riders who appeared as number eights or occasional cover the likes of Tom Owen, John Jackson & Steve Lawson would be included.

Yes     Owen, Jackson, Sampson, Lawson, ( Perks was he one of the first to ever go full time without any other league experience??) were all great cover.There was always that saying of being a big fish at a lower level but all those riders were BL riders in there own right.

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31 minutes ago, Sidney the robin said:

Yes     Owen, Jackson, Sampson, Lawson, ( Perks was he one of the first to ever go full time without any other league experience??) were all great cover.There was always that saying of being a big fish at a lower level but all those riders were BL riders in there own right.

Yes Dave Perks (a very classy rider at Oxford for a couple of years) ignored the opportunity of plying his trade in the old Second Division (although I think that he had a few rides for Scunthorpe?) preferring to concentrate on riding in the Division One. Others who instantly come to mind were Jeremy Doncaster, Kelvin Tatum, Andy Smith, Joe Screen and Sean Wilson ( alhough he did replace Peter McNamara as Sheffield's compulsory junior in 1986 if I remember?)

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2 hours ago, steve roberts said:

Oxford - Simon Cross (until he 'fell out' with Ashley Pullen), John Grahame

Barrow - Joe Owen, Mark Courtenay

Sunderland - Vic Harding

Weymouth - Tony Lomas, Simon Wigg, Steve Schofield

Stoke - Steve Bastable, Brian Woodward, Martin Yeates

Scunthorpe - Phil White, Colin Cook

Workington - Mitch Graham

Reading - Mick Bell, Richard May, Bernie Leigh

Plymouth - Mike Cake, Bob Coles

Newcastle - Kenny Carter, Martin Scarisbrick

Glasgow - the McKinna Brothers

West Ham - Alan Sage, Mike Sampson, Kevin Holden

Doncaster - Doug Wyer, Reg Wilson

 

Firstly, I know it's YOUR thread, so you make the rules, but are we now including all riders who just made an appearance in the top division, rather than ones who actually established themselves at the higher level?

Secondly, you have already listed Martin Yeates as Eastbourne.

Thirdly, Kevin Holden started his career at Romford, not West Ham.

Edited by chunky
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6 hours ago, chunky said:

Firstly, I know it's YOUR thread, so you make the rules, but are we now including all riders who just made an appearance in the top division, rather than ones who actually established themselves at the higher level?

Secondly, you have already listed Martin Yeates as Eastbourne.

Thirdly, Kevin Holden started his career at Romford, not West Ham.

I had removed Martin Yeates from Eastbourne however the list is subjective and I'm going from memory which is not always reliable which is why I'm constantly re-editing my original lists.

However most of the riders I listed rode at least one full season in the upper with a few exceptions. Derek Harrison for example moved up from Milton Keynes to ride full-time at King's Lynn but it only lasted for a few matches before he returned to the National League (my local team as it happens). Mike Sampson was another who moved up to Exeter full-time but reverted back to Eastbourne when things didn't work out plus Les Rumsey.

Riders who made apearances as recognise number eights there are a bundle of examples which is an altogether different criteria.

As regards riders who just made an appearance in the top divison that was a diversionary observation based on Sid's post. Of course many riders began/finished their careers in the upper league under the compulsory junior ruling which operated for three (?) seasons.

Edited by steve roberts
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1 hour ago, steve roberts said:

Yes Dave Perks (a very classy rider at Oxford for a couple of years) ignored the opportunity of plying his trade in the old Second Division (although I think that he had a few rides for Scunthorpe?) preferring to concentrate on riding in the Division One. Others who instantly come to mind were Jeremy Doncaster, Kelvin Tatum, Andy Smith, Joe Screen and Sean Wilson ( alhough he did replace Peter McNamara as Sheffield's compulsory junior in 1986 if I remember?)

Others that i can remember just going straight into the BL  Rob Foy, Graves,  Eccles( useful was he a promoted junior??) 

Edited by Sidney the robin
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