Alf Bottoms
Born20 June 1918 (1918-06-20)
Kensington, London, England
Died2 May 1951(1951-05-02) (aged 32)
Luxembourg
NationalityBritish (English)
Career history
1946–1947, 1949–1950Wembley
1948Southampton
Team honours
1947, 1949, 1950League champion (tier 1)
1948National Trophy (tier 3)
1946, 1949, 1950London Cup

Alfred John Herbert Bottoms (20 June 1918 – 2 May 1951) was a motorcycle speedway rider from England.[1]

Biography

Bottoms, born in Kensington, London, began racing speedway in 1945, after appearing in various meetings.[2] His British leagues career began when he rode for Wembley Lions during the 1946 Speedway National League season.[3] He won the London Cup with Wembley in 1946.[4]

During the winter, Bottoms bred chickens for a living[5] and was due to ride for Wembley again in 1947 but had to go into hospital for two serious operations for internal problems. The operations were a success but he missed the entire season, with the exception of two matches.[6] He took consolation in the fact that Wembley won both the league title and the British Speedway Cup.[7]

In 1948, he joined Southampton Saints and had an impressive season, topping the division three league averages, with a remarkable 11.25 average and helped his club win the National Trophy.[8] In 1949, he returned to Wembley in exchange for Roy Craighead.[9] He won the league title and London Cup again with them during both the 1949 and 1950 seasons.[10]

Bottoms died on 2 May 1951, at the age of 32, in a Formula Three car racing accident in Luxembourg.[11]

References

  1. ↑ "ULTIMATE RIDER INDEX, 1929-2022" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  2. ↑ "Bill Kitchen wins speedway helmet". Newcastle Journal. 10 October 1945. Retrieved 5 January 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  3. ↑ "1946 season" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  4. ↑ "Wembley Win Cup Final". South Western Star. 30 August 1946. Retrieved 5 January 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. ↑ "When the speed motors are silent". Daily Mirror. 24 January 1947. Retrieved 5 January 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. ↑ "Thrill Aids recovery". Daily Mirror. 5 April 1947. Retrieved 5 January 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. ↑ Oakes, Peter (1978). 1978 Speedway Yearbook. Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd. ISBN 978-0904584509.
  8. ↑ "Rider averages 1929 to 2009" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  9. ↑ "Exchange of Riders". Daily Herald. 29 March 1949. Retrieved 5 January 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  10. ↑ "Year by Year". Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  11. ↑ "Racing Car driver killed". Daily News (London). 3 May 1951. Retrieved 5 January 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
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