Tommy Roper

{{Short description|British speedway rider}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Use British English|date=December 2023}}

{{Infobox Speedway rider

| name = Tommy Roper

| image =

| nationality = British (English)

| birth_date = {{birth-date and age|6 July 1940}}

| birth_place = Bradford, England

| death_date =

| death_place =

| career1 = Bradford Panthers

| years1 = 1960, 1962

| career2 = Middlesbrough Bears

| years2 = 1961

| career3 = Sheffield Tigers

| years3 = 1962–1965

| career4 = Long Eaton Archers

| years4 = 1965

| career5 = Halifax Dukes

| years5 = 1965–1966, 1972

| career6 = Belle Vue Aces

| years6 = 1967–1971

| career7 = Oxford Cheetahs

| years7 = 1971

| career8 = Hull Vikings

| years8 = 1974

| indivyear1 =

| indivhonour1 =

| indivyear2 =

| indivhonour2 =

| teamyear1 = 1966, 1970

| teamhonour1 = British League Champion

| teamyear2 = 1966

| teamhonour2 = British League Knockout Cup Winner

| teamyear3 = 1966

| teamhonour3 = Northern Cup Winner

| teamyear4 = 1963, 1964

| teamhonour4 = Provincial Northern League Champion

}}

Thomas Roper (born 6 July 1940) is a former motorcycle speedway rider from England.{{cite web |url=https://wwosbackup.proboards.com/thread/2466/tommy-roper|title=Speedway riders, history and results|website=wwosbackup|access-date=28 July 2021}}{{cite web |url=http://www.defunctspeedway.co.uk/Bradford%20Greenfield.htm|title=Bradford Speedway (Greenfield)|website=Defunct Speedway|access-date=28 July 2021}} He earned four international caps for the England national speedway team.{{cite web |url=https://britishspeedway.co.uk/docs/Ultimate_Index_1929-2022.pdf |title=ULTIMATE RIDER INDEX, 1929-2022 |website=British Speedway |access-date=28 December 2023}}

Speedway career

Roper rode in the top tier of British Speedway from 1965 to 1974, riding for various clubs.{{cite web |url=https://www.speedwaygb.co.uk/historyarchive|title=History Archive|website=British Speedway|access-date=27 July 2021}}

Roper switched from Middlesbrough Bears to Sheffield Tigers in 1962 and would spend four seasons with the South Yorkshire club.{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003295/19640515/306/0016 |title=Tommy Roper carried off |website=Halifax Evening Courier |date=15 May 1964 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription |access-date=5 October 2024 }}

Roper left Sheffield to join Halifax Dukes in 1965 and was an integral part of the Halifax Dukes team that won the double during the 1966 British League season,{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0005231/19660801/017/0002 |title=Tommy Roper top scorer |website=Halifax Evening Courier |date=1 August 1966 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription |access-date=5 October 2024 }} scoring a season average of 7.54.{{cite web|url=https://www.speedwayresearcher.org.uk/specialfeaturesrideraverages.pdf |title=Rider averages 1929 to 2009 |website=Speedway Researcher |access-date=4 October 2024}} In 1967 he moved to Belle Vue Aces and was a member of the 1970 title winning team.

References