Joe Crowther
{{short description|English motorcycle speedway rider (1913–1991)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2016}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2016}}
{{Infobox Speedway rider
| image =
| name= Joe Crowther
| nationality = British (English)
| birth_date = {{birth date|df=y|1913|04|27}}
| birth_place = Stanley, County Durham, England
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|1991|02|22|1913|04|27}}
| death_place =
| years1 = 1939, 1946–1950
| career1 = Glasgow Tigers
| years2 = 1951–1953
| career2 = Motherwell Eagles
}}
Joseph Cameron Crowther (27 April 1913 – 22 February 1991) was an English motorcycle speedway rider who had his greatest success in the period immediately after World War II.{{cite web |url=https://britishspeedway.co.uk/docs/Ultimate_Index_1929-2022.pdf |title=ULTIMATE RIDER INDEX, 1929-2022 |website=British Speedway |access-date=10 August 2023}}
Career
Crowther was born in Stanley, County Durham on 27 April 1913.{{cite web |title=Ultimate Rider Index, 1929–2022 |url=https://britishspeedway.co.uk/docs/Ultimate_Index_1929-2022.pdf |website=British Speedway |access-date=24 February 2023}} After early ambitions of becoming a jockey, initially pursued a career as a footballer with Crook Town.Morgan, Tom (1949) Who's Who in Speedway 1949, Sport-in-Print, p. 18-19Storey, Basil (1947) "Saw Frank Hodgson and Became a Rider", in Speedway Favourites, Sport-in-Print, p. 10Jones, Alan (2004) Speedway in Leicester: The Hunters Era, Automedia, p. 149 His jobs before taking up speedway included a comedian in a travelling opera company and working for his father's butchery business. After first seeing speedway at Middlesbrough in 1937, where he was inspired by Frank Hodgson, he rode in grasstrack and junior speedway events at Newcastle, going on to ride for West Ham, Newcastle and Glasgow before the outbreak of war in 1939.{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000770/19390426/222/0011 |title=Joe Crowther's move |website=Daily Gazette for Middlesbrough |date=26 April 1939 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription |access-date=19 September 2024}}
Crowther returned to Glasgow after the war, progressing to become the team's second highest points scorer in the 1947 season. He continued his good form in 1948, scoring 440 points. He stayed with Glasgow until 1951, at which point he was the team captain, when he requested a transfer to Motherwell Eagles, going on to ride for Motherwell for a few seasons before retiring.{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002750/19520627/014/0002 |title=Not finished |website=Wishaw Press |date=27 June 1952 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription |access-date=19 September 2024}}"[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=2vhAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=86cMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5666,2371456&dq=joe-crowther+speedway&hl=en Tigers' Captain Asks to Join Motherwell]", The Bulletin and Scots Pictorial, 7 February 1951, p. 12, retrieved 2012-02-12 After retiring from racing he became team manager of the Leicester Hunters, also looking after the track at Leicester Stadium.
References
{{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Crowther, Joe}}
Category:British speedway riders
Category:English motorcycle racers
Category:Glasgow Tigers riders
Category:Motherwell Eagles riders
Category:English men's footballers
Category:Crook Town A.F.C. players
Category:Men's association football players not categorized by position