Don Cuppleditch
{{Short description|British motorcycle speedway rider}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox Speedway rider
| name = Don Cuppleditch
| image =
| caption =
| nationality = British (English)
| birth_date = {{birth date text|25 October 1923}}
| birth_place = Leeds, England
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2018|12|20|1923|10|25|df=y}}
| death_place = Australia
| career1 = Edinburgh Monarchs
| years1 = 1948–1954
| career2 = Belle Vue Aces
| years2 = 1954–1955
| teamyear1 = 1951
| teamhonour1 = Northern Shield
| teamyear2 = 1951
| teamhonour2 = Scottish Cup
}}
Donald Dearnley Cuppleditch (25 October 1923 – 20 December 2018) was a motorcycle speedway rider from England.{{cite web |url=https://britishspeedway.co.uk/docs/Ultimate_Index_1929-2022.pdf |title=ULTIMATE RIDER INDEX, 1929-2022 |website=British Speedway |access-date=12 January 2024}}
Biography
Cuppleditch, born in Leeds, was first noticed riding a form of speedway in early 1947, when attached to the Royal Lincolnshire Regiment and taking part in makeshift events overseas.{{cite news |title=Speedway racing by the Dead Sea |work=The Sphere |date=1 February 1947 |access-date=12 January 2024 |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001861/19470201/013/0009 | via = British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription }} He began his British leagues career riding for Edinburgh Monarchs during the 1948 Speedway National League Division Two season.{{cite web|url=https://www.speedwayresearcher.org.uk/1948.html |title=1948 season |website=Speedway Researcher |access-date=9 January 2024}}
The following season he improved as a rider and became an important part of the Scottish club's plans. He would ride for Edinburgh for seven years from 1948 to 1954 and recorded some impressive season averages including 9.54 in 1952 and 10.36 in 1953, the latter being the second best average in the entire division.{{cite web|url=https://www.speedwayresearcher.org.uk/specialfeaturesrideraverages.pdf |title=Rider averages 1929 to 2009 |website=Speedway Researcher |access-date=12 January 2024}} In-between, he reached the Championship round of the 1952 Individual Speedway World Championship and 1953 Individual Speedway World Championship and won the International round meeting at Old Meadowbank on 18 July 1953.{{cite news |title=World Speedway Championship, Edinburgh rider wins qualifying round |work=The Scotsman |date=20 July 1953 |access-date=12 January 2024 |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000540/19530720/078/0004 | via = British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription }}
Mid-way through the 1954 season, his form attracted interest from the division one teams and West Ham Hammers failed in a bid to sign him before Belle Vue Aces were successful. Edinburgh withdrew from the league shortly afterwards due to the loss of their two best riders.{{cite news |title=Monarchs bid for help went unheeded |work=Edinburgh Evening News |date=1 July 1954 |access-date=12 January 2024|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000452/19540701/297/0009 | via = British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription }} He remained at Belle Vue until the end of the 1955 season.{{cite web|url=https://www.speedwayresearcher.org.uk/yearbyyear.html |title=Year by Year |website=Speedway Researcher |access-date=12 January 2024}}
After speedway he would later emigrate to Australia.
References
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Category:British speedway riders