John "Slider" Shuttleworth
| Born | 6 February 1895 Stockport, Cheshire, England |
|---|---|
| Died | December 1970 (aged 75) |
| Nationality | British (English) |
| Career history | |
| 1929–1930 | Leicester Stadium |
John Charles Starkie Shuttleworth (6 February 1895 – December 1970) better known as Slider Shuttleworth in speedway circles was a British motorcycle speedway rider.[1]
Career
[edit]Shuttleworth rode for the Leicester Stadium team in the pioneer years of the sport in Britain.
Shuttleworth rode in some of the earliest speedway races in Britain, including races at Audenshaw in 1928. The following year in 1929 he rode in various individual meetings[2] before joining the Leicester Stadium team during the 1929 Speedway English Dirt Track League season.[3][4]
In 1930 he only represented the team once, in a challenge match against Nottingham.[3] This was partly due to the fact that he received a suspension from the A.C.U. for riding on an unauthorised track.[5]
He was known for his practical jokes, one of which was to place a small balloon full of red ink inside his crash helmet, giving the appearance of blood should he fall and bang his head, which he would often do for dramatic effect if he was losing a race.[6][7] He earned the nickname the Darling of Cologne after breaking the track record at the German track.[8]
Shuttleworth retired from speedway in 1931 in order to find a steady job and to avoid risking his life riding bikes.[8]
References
[edit]- ^ "Ultimate rider index, 1929-2022" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
- ^ "Hanley Dirt Track Racing". Staffordshire Sentinel. 10 May 1929. Retrieved 6 October 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ a b Jones, Alan (2004) Speedway in Leicester: The Pre-War Years, Automedia, p. 187-8
- ^ "What To Do". Leicester Evening Mail. 30 August 1929. Retrieved 6 October 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "'Sliders' suspension". Leicester Evening Mail. 30 July 1930. Retrieved 6 October 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ Bamford, Robert (2003) Speedway: The Pre-War Years, Tempus, ISBN 0-7524-2749-0, p. 216-7
- ^ Chaplin, John (1990) "Slider Shuttleworth Superstar...and the Incredible Elastic Bike", in Speedway Special: The Classic Legends, Penrove Books, ISBN 0-9515857-0-3, p. 29-31
- ^ a b "A Steady Job". Manchester Evening News. 6 January 1931. Retrieved 6 October 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
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