Roy Dook
{{Short description|British speedway rider}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2024}}
{{Infobox Speedway rider
| name = Roy Dook
| image =
| caption =
| nationality = British (English)
| birth_date = {{birth date|1907|8|23|df=y}}
| birth_place = West Ham, London, England
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1980|6||1907|8|23|df=y}}
| death_place = Waltham Forest, Greater London, England
| career1 = Lea Bridge
| years1 = 1929, 1931
| career2 = West Ham Hammers
| years2 = 1930
| career3 = Coventry Bees
| years3 = 1932–1933
| career4 = New Cross Lambs/Tamers
| years4 = 1934–1936
| career5 = Bristol Bulldogs
| years5 = 1936–1939
| career6 = Birmingham Brummies
| years6 = 1946–1948
| career7 = Newcastle Diamonds
| years7 = 1951
| indivyear1 =
| indivhonour1 =
| teamyear1 = 1937
| teamhonour1 = League champion (tier 2)
| teamyear2 = 1948
| teamhonour2= National Trophy (tier 2)
| teamyear3 = 1934
| teamhonour3= London Cup
| teamyear4 = 1948
| teamhonour4= Anniversary Cup
}}
John Roy Dook (23 August 1907 – June 1980) was an English motorcycle speedway rider.{{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 October 2024}}
Biography
Dook, born in West Ham, London, began his British leagues career riding for Lea Bridge during the 1929 Speedway Southern League season.{{cite news |title=The Speedway |work=Exeter and Plymouth Gazette |date=27 April 1929 |access-date=17 October 2024|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000511/19290427/006/0002 | via = British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription }} He was a pioneer rider appearing during the first season of league racing in Britain.{{cite web|url=https://www.speedwayresearcher.org.uk/1929record.pdf |title=1929 season |website=Speedway Researcher |access-date=17 October 2024}}
The following season in 1930, he was signed by his home town club West Ham Hammers but struggled to cement a place in the team{{cite news |title=Some of the Boys |work=The People |date=30 March 1930 |access-date=17 October 2024|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000729/19300330/218/0019 | via = British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription }} and returned to ride for Lea Bridge in 1931.{{cite news |title=Exeter Speedway |work=Western Morning News |date=30 June 1931 |access-date=17 October 2024|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000329/19310630/104/0012 | via = British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription }}
After impressing around the Lythalls Lane Stadium at the end of the 1932 season, he was duly signed by Coventry,{{cite news |title=Speedway Notes |work=Coventry Evening Telegraph |date=7 May 1932 |access-date=17 October 2024|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000337/19320507/084/0005 | via = British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription }} where he spent two seasons averaging a solid 6.18 and 6.19 respectively.{{cite web|url=https://www.speedwayresearcher.org.uk/specialfeaturesrideraverages.pdf |title=Rider averages 1929 to 2009 |website=Speedway Researcher |access-date=17 October 2024}} His career stalled somewhat after joining New Cross Lambs in 1934, although he did win his first team honours when the Lambs won the London Cup.{{cite news |title=New Cross win London Cup |work=Daily Herald |date=26 September 1934 |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000681/19340926/312/0018 | via = British Newspaper Archive| access-date=16 September 2023 |url-access=subscription }}
In 1935, his season was interrupted by a dislocated shoulder and a significant muscle injury and while with New Cross in 1936, he doubled up for Bristol Bulldogs to race in the 1936 Provincial Speedway League. It was at Bristol that he gained most of his success, helping the team to become the 1937 Provincial league champions.{{cite book|last=Rogers|first=Martin|title=The Illustrated History of Speedway|year=1978 |publisher=Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd|isbn=0-904584-45-3}} Dook averaged an impressive 9.01 from 41 matches.
Dook continued to ride for Bristol until the outbreak of World War II and would not return to racing until 1946, riding with the Birmingham Brummies.{{cite news |title=Mystery Solved |work=Birmingham Daily Gazette |date=8 June 1946 |access-date=17 October 2024|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000669/19460608/010/0002 | via = British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription }} In his final season with Birmingham in 1948, he contributed towards the Brummies winning both the National Trophy and Anniversary Cup for division 2 teams.
Dook gave up riding and in 1950 took over as manager of Shelbourne Park in Dublin. He had previously performed the same role at Leicester.{{cite news |title=Roy Dook takes over Dublin |work=Leicester Daily Mercury |date=4 March 1950 |access-date=17 October 2024|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000760/19500304/088/0009 | via = British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription }} In 1951, he became manager of the Newcastle Diamonds and made several appearances for the club.{{cite news |title=Chance to be second |work=Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette |date=7 May 1951 |access-date=17 October 2024|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000640/19510507/131/0009 | via = British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription }}