Ken Middleditch

Ken Middleditch
Born (1925-10-05) 5 October 1925
Camberley, England
Nationality  United Kingdom
Current club information
Career status Retired
Career history
1948–1949 Hastings Saxons
1950–1956, 1958 Poole Pirates
1957 Swindon Robins
Individual honours
1951 Division Three Riders Champion
1954 Division Two Riders Champion
Team honours
1951 National League Div 3 Champion
1952, 1955 National League Div 2 Champion
1957 National League Champion
1961 Provincial League Champion

Kenneth Arthur Middleditch (born 5 October 1925 in Camberley, England) is a British retired motorcycle speedway rider.[1]

Career Summary

Middleditch served in the RAF in World War II as a rear gunner, and became interested in speedway while stationed in Egypt.[2]

Middleditch signed for Third Division team Hastings in 1948 after progressing through Eastbourne's speedway training school. By 1949 he had become Hastings top points scorer but at the end of that year Hastings were forced to close down and he signed for Poole.

Middleditch had a successful career at Poole, forming an effective pairing with Poole rider Tony Lewis, he eventually became the team captain and won four league titles with the club. Middleditch left Poole for the 1957 season when the club closed for a year and signed for Swindon. He returned to Poole for a further two stints before retiring in 1961.

Ken's son, Neil Middleditch, also had a successful career as a speedway rider and has been team manager of the Poole Pirates since 1998.

After retiring from the sport Ken set up a business, Middleditch Salvage, in Sturminster Marshall, Dorset.

References

  1. Bamford, Robert; Glynn Shailes (2004). 50 Poole Pirates Greats. Tempus Publishing. pp. 83–85. ISBN 0-7524-3257-5.
  2. Morgan, Tom (1949) Who's Who in Speedway, Sport-in-Print, p. 53


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