Ipswich Witches

Foxhall Stadium was purpose-built for speedway in 1950 and following the cancellation of a meeting on 24 March 1951, the venue first hosted speedway on 14 May 1951, when Ipswich competed against Yarmouth in a challenge match.{{cite web|url=https://www.speedwayresearcher.org.uk/1951fixtures.pdf|title=1951 fixtures|website=Speedway Researcher|access-date=10 December 2021}}{{cite news |title=Ipswich Speedway Foxhall Heath |work=Bury Free Press |date=11 May 1951 |access-date=10 December 2021 |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000762/19510511/152/0006| via = British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription }} The inaugural league season was the 1952 Speedway Southern League, where the team finished 8th. The team adopted the nickname the 'Witches' because of the town's history, for their inaugural season.{{cite book|last=Rogers|first=Martin|title=The Illustrated History of Speedway|year=1978|page=129|publisher=Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd|isbn=0-904584-45-3}}

The early stars of Ipswich speedway were Junior Bainbridge and Bert Edwards.{{cite news |title=Speedway Gossip |work=Bury Free Press |date=14 May 1954 |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000762/19540514/194/0008 | via = British Newspaper Archive| access-date=15 September 2023 |url-access=subscription }} Attendances approached 20,000 but the team remained in the second division until the merger of the National league in 1957. Despite signing riders such as Peter Moore the team struggled and dropped down to the 1959 Southern Area League.

The Witches moved back up to the highest division for 1960 and 1961 and led by Peter Moore, finished fourth and sixth respectively. However, after ten seasons of league speedway the team withdrew from the 1962 Speedway National League mid-season due to financial issues.{{cite news |title=Close-Down at Ipswich |work=Daily Mirror |date=27 July 1962 |access-date=1 January 2024 |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000560/19620727/166/0023 | via = British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription }}{{cite web |url=https://www.speedwaygb.co.uk/history/leaguetables1946-1964|title=BRITISH LEAGUE TABLES - POST-WAR ERA (1946-1964)|website=Official British Speedway website|access-date=27 August 2021}} The 1962 season was the worst in the history of the club, they lost their new signing Olle Nygren to ill-health before the season even started and then Jack Unstead was killed in the first recorded fatal crash at Foxhall Stadium on 13 April 1962.{{cite news |title=Rider killed in Speedway crash |work=Birmingham Daily Post |date=14 April 1962 |access-date=1 January 2024 |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002134/19620414/692/0024 | via = British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription }}

After very little action, except for some junior matches the club returned under the promotion of Joe Thorley and John Berry in 1969.{{cite news |title=Ranger's Fingers Crossed as Speedway Returns |work=Stapleford & Sandiacre News |date=11 April 1969 |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003304/19690411/228/0016 | via = British Newspaper Archive| access-date=15 September 2023 |url-access=subscription }} Berry built a new smaller track inside the stock car circuit.

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After signing John Harrhy and John Louis, the team won their first honours in 1970, winning the Knockout Cup. They repeated the success in 1971, before John Berry applied for membership of the British League in 1972. The Witches established their place in the league over the next three seasons and then won consecutive British League Championships in 1975 and 1976 and two Knock-Out Cup wins in 1976 and 1978.{{cite web |url=https://www.speedwayresearcher.org.uk/yearbyyear.html|title=Year by Year|website=Speedway Researcher|access-date=27 August 2021}}{{cite web|url=https://www.speedwaygb.co.uk/history/leaguetables1965-1990|title=British League Tables - British League Era (1965-1990)|website=Official British Speedway website|access-date=27 August 2021|archive-date=25 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210825113627/https://www.speedwaygb.co.uk/history/leaguetables1965-1990|url-status=dead}} The 1975 title saw Ipswich defeat Belle Vue Aces by a solitary point. John Louis and Billy Sanders scored heavily throughout the season for Ipswich. The following year in 1976, during Ipswich's second consecutive title, the team was once again headed by John Louis and Billy Sanders but this time Tony Davey also scored well with an average of 8.37, resulting in a comfortable league title success for the Suffolk team. The team then went on to claim the double on 28 October by winning the Knockout Cup.

File:Jeremy Doncaster.jpg

The team enjoyed a successful period during the early 1980s, winning the Knockout Cup again in 1981 and then securing the league and cup double again during the 1984 British League season, despite losing their leading rider Dennis Sigalos and Dane Preben Eriksen after the 1983 season. Australian Sanders remained one of the team's main scorers and he was supported by strong season scoring from American showman John Cook, Finn Kai Niemi and the English international pair of Jeremy Doncaster and Richard Knight.{{cite web|url=http://www.speedwaygb.co/history/leaguetables1984.php|title=1984 league tables|publisher=Speedway GB}}{{cite news |title=Racers sent reeling |work=Reading Evening Post |date=24 October 1984 |access-date=17 April 2024|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002471/19841024/171/0016 | via = British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription }}

Just three matches into the 1985 season Sanders killed himself on 23 April. The news shocked the club and the wider speedway world.{{cite web |url=https://amcn.com.au/editorial/17877/|title=NOT FORGOTTEN – BILLY SANDERS|website=AMCN|access-date=30 July 2021}} Following the death Billy Sanders in 1985 and Berry's subsequent decision to quit, the club struggled and almost closed before being saved by a consortium which included former rider John Louis but they dropped to the National League in 1989.

During the National League seasons of 1989 and 1990, Chris Louis (the son of John Louis) emerged as the club's new star. When the Witches returned to the top tier for the 1991 British League season, Louis and Tony Rickardsson headed the team before Rickardsson left after the 1993 season and then returned in 1997 for the renamed Elite League.

For the 1998 Elite League speedway season, Ipswich signed Tomasz Gollob and along with Rickardsson, Louis and Scott Nicholls the team dominated British speedway, winning the Elite League, the Knock-Out Cup and the end of season Craven Shield tournament.{{Cite web|url=https://ipswichwitches.co/club/honours/|title=Honours|website=Ipswich Witches Speedway|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-12-30}} In addition, Rickardsson won his second World title, Louis was British champion and Nicholls was British Under-21 champion.[http://www.ipswichwitches.co/about-us Ipswich Speedway | About Us]{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

File:2007 Oxford v Ipswich speedway.jpg

The team spent the entire decade in the Elite League finishing third in 2000 and 2004 (the latter resulting in elimination in the play off semi finals). In 2008, they finished fourth and once again were eliminated in the play off semi finals.

The early part of the decade saw Scott Nicholls as their leading rider alongside Louis, with other notable seasons from Mark Loram, Jarosław Hampel and Hans Andersen. Chris Louis remained an ever present for 19 seasons from 1989 to 2008, with the exception of missing the 2003 season with a back injury.{{cite web |url=https://www.ipswichstar.co.uk/sport/21988551.louis-mulls-speedway-future/ |title=Louis mulls over speedway future |website=Ipswich Star |access-date=15 September 2023}}

In November 2010, the Witches moved down to the Premier League (second tier).{{cite news |title=British Speedway AGM - Key Points |url=http://www.speedwaygb.com/news.php?extend.9586|publisher=BSPA |date=2010-11-21 |access-date=2010-11-22}} In 2011, the Witches finished in third place in the final Premier League table and won the Premier League Four-Team Championship staged at Leicester. During 2012 Premier League speedway season, Director of Speedway Chris Louis steered the through to team to the Knockout Cup final, finishing runner-up.

For 2013, a new number one rider, Ben Barker, with the team managing a second-place finish.{{Cite web|url=http://www.britishspeedway.co.uk/news.php?extend.18509|title=BARKER JOINS WITCHES - British Speedway Official Website|website=www.britishspeedway.co.uk|access-date=2019-12-30}}{{Dead link|date=September 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} behind Somerset Rebels. The following season in 2014, Richie Worrall joined as the new number one.{{Cite web|url=http://www.britishspeedway.co.uk/news.php?extend.23385|title=WITCHES GO FOR GINO - British Speedway Official Website|website=www.britishspeedway.co.uk|access-date=2019-12-30}}{{Dead link|date=September 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} The Witches finished third in the Premier League and reached the Knockout Cup final.

The Witches finished seventh in the Premier League in 2015 but won the pairs with Danny King and Rohan Tungate.{{Cite web|url=http://www.britishspeedway.co.uk/premierleaguetable15|title=British Speedway Official Website|website=www.britishspeedway.co.uk|access-date=2019-12-30|archive-date=30 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191230143945/http://www.britishspeedway.co.uk/premierleaguetable15|url-status=dead}} In 2017, the team reached the play off final losing to Peterborough Panthers.{{Cite web|url=http://www.britishspeedway.co.uk/premierleaguetable17|title=British Speedway Official Website|website=www.britishspeedway.co.uk|access-date=2019-12-30|archive-date=30 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191230143940/http://www.britishspeedway.co.uk/premierleaguetable17|url-status=dead}} Shortly before 2019, Ipswich decided to move back to the top division of British speedway, reaching the play off final of the SGB Premiership 2019 season.{{Cite web|url=http://speedwaygb.co.uk/premiershiptable19|title=British Speedway Official Website|website=speedwaygb.co.uk|access-date=2019-12-26}}{{Cite web|url=http://speedwaygb.co.uk/news.php?extend.35806|title=WITCHES MOVING UP - British Speedway Official Website|website=speedwaygb.co.uk|access-date=2019-12-26}}

The 2020 season was cancelled in July 2020 as a result of the restrictions placed on sporting events by the COVID-19 pandemic rules, set by the UK Government{{Cite web|url=http://www.speedwaygb.co.uk/news.php?extend.38162|title=BRITISH SPEEDWAY AGM STATEMENT|website=Official British Speedway website|access-date=2020-07-22}} and in 2021, the Witches finished fifth in the SGB Premiership{{Cite web|url=http://www.speedwaygb.co.uk/premiershiptable21|title=British Speedway Official Website|website=www.britishspeedway.co.uk|access-date=2021-09-26}}

The Witches signed Jason Doyle in 2022 and he spearheaded the team when they won the 2022 Pairs championship{{cite web |url=https://britishspeedway.co.uk/premiership/witches-win-premiership-pairs/ |title=Witches win Premiership Pairs |website=British Speedway |access-date=5 November 2022}} and finished second in the SGB Premiership 2022, losing in the play-off semi final. The resurgence continued in 2023, when Ipswich won the Knockout Cup (top division) for the sixth time. Led by Doyle, Danny King and Russian signing Emil Sayfutdinov they also reached the play offs.

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2022 teams{{cite web | url=https://ipswichwitches.co/team/ | title=Team }}

• {{player||AUS|Troy Batchelor}}
• {{player||AUS|Jason Doyle}}
• {{player||GBR|Danny King}} (C)
• {{player||GER|Erik Riss}}
• {{player||GBR|Paul Starke}}
• {{player||AUS|Aaron Summers}}
• {{player||GBR|Anders Rowe}} (Rising Star)
• {{player||GBR|Danyon Hume}} (Number 8)

Also rode:

• {{player||AUS|Cameron Heeps}}
• {{player||GBR|Ben Barker}}
• {{player||AUS|Rohan Tungate}}

Juniors:

Premiership Junior League (PJL) - South

• {{player||GBR|Jacob Clouting}}
• {{player||GBR|Alex Spooner}}
• {{player||GBR|Josh Warren}}
• {{player||GBR|Sam Woods}}

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• {{player||DEN|Hans Andersen}}
• {{player||AUS|Junior Bainbridge}}
• {{player||USA|John Cook}}
• {{player||AUS|Ray Cresp}}
• {{player||ENG|Tony Davey}}
• {{player||ENG|Jeremy Doncaster}}
• {{player||AUS|Jason Doyle}}
• {{player||ENG|Bert Edwards}}
• {{player||DEN|Preben Eriksen}}
• {{player||POL|Tomasz Gollob}}
• {{player||POL|Jarek Hampel}}
• {{player||ENG|Danny King}}
• {{player||ENG|Mark Loram}}
• {{player||ENG|Chris Louis}}
• {{player||ENG|John Louis}}
• {{player||AUS|Peter Moore}}
• {{player||ENG|Scott Nicholls}}
• {{player||SWE|Olle Nygren}}
• {{player||SWE|Tony Rickardsson}}
• {{player||AUS|Billy Sanders}}
• {{player||RUS|Emil Sayfutdinov}}
• {{player||AUS|Bob Sharp}}
• {{player||AUS|Rory Schlein}}
• {{player||USA|Dennis Sigalos}}

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{{Reflist}}

• {{cite book|author=Dave Feakes & Colin Barber|title=Ipswich Speedway the first 50 years|year=2002}}

• [http://www.ipswichwitches.co Ipswich Witches official website]
• [http://speedwaygb.co British Speedway official website]

{{SGB Premiership}}

Category:SGB Premiership teams

Category:SGB Championship teams

Category:Sport in Ipswich