Corradine, Malcolm –  Local boy was speedway ace

Malcolm Corradine (b1953)

HEAVY plant and equipment at Alyson Hire and driving the digger in the creation of Woodland Waters at Ancaster, which he now runs, aren’t Grantham businessman Malcolm Corradine’s only links to machinery.

While most local people associate him with those two well-known enterprises –  fewer realise the impact he made in sporting circles – or speedway tracks to be precise.

The former Aveling-Barford apprentice, who played football with Grantham St Anne’s, was an international rider at both speedway and long track.

He rode for Great Britain at long track, against The Rest of The World. The Rest included giants of the sport such as world champions Ivan Mauger (New Zealand), Anders Michanek (Sweden), Ole Olsen (Denmark), Barry Briggs (New Zealand) and Egon Muller (Germany).

Highly regarded at whichever club he rode, Malc was a top speedway rider throughout the 1970s.

He began his racing career at with Doncaster in the 1969-70 season, competing in Division Two of the National league.

The 16-year-old from Grantham made a big impression and after one season was signed by Birmingham, where he rode for the next two seasons, also in Division Two, before making the top flight with Cradley Heath for four years.

He returned to Division Two and rode for Long Eaton, Stoke, Middlesbrough, Oxford and Weymouth.

His best years were with Cradley Heath, Middlesbrough and Weymouth, and he also rode speedway for England, winning two caps.

The first was against Australia in 1977, when he was 24, the second was against Scotland two years later. He was also a big name on the European scene, and also competed in speedway-mad Czechoslovakia, where he had victories at the Czech’s favourite sport, long track.

And he won the biggest meeting in France, the Marmande, as well riding to victories in West Germany and Denmark.

It all started when he was 12, and his first bike was a 250cc Cotton.

Ropsley rider Maurice Arden spotted him and took him under his wing, and at 14 Malcolm was riding at motocross meetings all over the Midlands, although he had to lie about his age as riders had to be 16 and over.