Clem Mitchell
Born3 February 1908 (1908-02-03)
Blyth, South Australia, Australia
Died28 February 1995(1995-02-28) (aged 87)
Victoria, Australia
NationalityAustralian
Career history
1930Birmingham
1930, 1932Crystal Palace
1932Plymouth
1937Harringay
1938New Cross
1948–1952Edinburgh
Team honours
1938League champion

Clement Walter Mitchell (3 February 1908 – 28 February 1995) was an international motorcycle speedway rider from Australia. He earned 29 international caps for the Australia national speedway team.[1]

Biography

Mitchell, born in Blyth, South Australia, was brought over to the UK in 1930 by Roger Frogley,[2] before he started his British leagues career racing a couple of times for Birmingham Perry Barr. The Birmingham team folded, leaving Mitchell to join the Crystal Palace Glaziers during the 1930 Speedway Southern League season.[3] He was named in the Crystal Palace team for 1931 but he chose to stay in Australia for the season.[4]

In 1932, the northern and southern leagues merged to form the National League and Mitchell returned to UK shores arriving to race for Crystal Palace again. He failed to make it out of the reserves and joined Plymouth Tigers mid-season.[5] Mitchell raced in Australia from 1933 to 1936 and was instrumental in setting up the debut's of Jack Milne and Cordy Milne in British speedway.[6] Mitchell returned himself for the 1937 season, signing on with the Harringay Tigers before moving to New Cross Rangers the following season.[7] He won the league title with New Cross in 1938.[8]

After World War II, he joined Edinburgh Monarchs and spent fours seasons with the Scottish club from 1948 to 1952, before becoming their team manager.[9]

Family

His brother Lindsay Gordon Mitchell also rode professional speedway.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 "ULTIMATE RIDER INDEX, 1929-2022" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  2. ↑ "Motor Dirt-Track Thrills". Evening Despatch. 14 April 1930. Retrieved 3 January 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  3. ↑ "1930 season" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  4. ↑ "The World of Sport". Norwood News. 29 January 1932. Retrieved 3 January 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. ↑ "Speedway competition". Western Morning News. 5 July 1932. Retrieved 3 January 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. ↑ "It's worth a note that...". Lewisham Borough News. 24 March 1936. Retrieved 3 January 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. ↑ "Rider averages 1929 to 2009" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  8. ↑ Oakes, Peter (1978). 1978 Speedway Yearbook. Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd. ISBN 978-0904584509.
  9. ↑ "Young Jams £4,000 move". Daily News (London). 23 January 1952. Retrieved 3 January 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
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