Name.......CAKE, MIKE.
Seasons....1967/68/69.
Others.....Plymouth,Poole.
Mike was to play a big part in Exeter's challenge for honours during the late
sixties scoring 311pts from his 80 appearances in the Green and White of
Exeter. Had begun as a junior before doubling up with the second division
side Plymouth along with another prospect of that time Chris Bass. They
were to score so freely for the Plymouth side that it led to much grumbling
among certain promoters about the validity of the Exeter riders being allowed
to turn out for them.
Name.......CAMPBELL, ANDY.
Seasons....1981/82,1984.
Others.....Reading,Poole,Belle Vue,Glasgow,K.Lynn,Wimbledon,Berwick.
Born in Surrey on 3.10.63, Andy was to sign for Exeter from Reading for a
reported sum of five hundred pounds and he was soon to prove just what a
bargain that had been notching up an average of seven points in his first
six meetings.Had been selected to ride for the N.League test squad in 1982 and in that same
year he was chosen to ride for the Scottish team against England which they won with a 62-46
score. His selection for the Scots had been possible, because of the fact that his parents
were from North of the border. Andy had risen through the ranks so well, that he was to
switch to British league racing for the 1993 season with neighbours Poole, returning back to
Exeter on their return to the senior league. But the ill fated return saw the Devon side back
in the National League for the 1985 campaign and despite great efforts to keep Andy at the
County Ground he was to be signed up by the Belle Vue camp. He retired from Speedway in 1991
to build a Design and Printing business, but he was to continue racing on Ice and in 1992 he
was picked for an England Select Team and scored 10pts. They were to beat an Overseas side by
52-25 and Falcon Richard Green also made his debut managing just a single point.
Name.......CANN, FRANCIS.
Seasons....1955,1961/62/63.
Others.....
Little is known of where Francis was when not riding at the County Ground
though he was to score some 268pts from his 60 matches for the Falcons. He
actually retired from racing midway through the 63 season though he was a
familiar figure in the pits for some years after supplying the riders with fuels, oils and spares.
Name.......CARR, LOUIS.
Seasons....1984.
Others.....Wolverhampton,Ellesmere Port,Ipswich,Stoke,Belle Vue
Sheffield.
Born in Preston on January 28th, 1960, Louis had been brought to Exeter
from Wolverhampton in an effort to salvage their poor start to 1984 return
to British League racing. He showed early promise for the Falcons, with a
paid nine against Oxford, but was soon to be sidelined with a busted ankle
and it wasn't until the closing part of the season that he managed to find
any kind of early form. He had actually guested for Exeter on a couple of
occasions back in the late seventies whilst with Ellesmere Port, where he
teamed up with another former Falcon,John Williams.
Name.......CARTER, ROB.
Seasons....1983.
Rob was to break into the full side in 1983 when he had four meetings
for Exeter and scored 3pts from his total of ten rides.
Name.......CHAMBERS, ALAN.
Seasons....1947.
Others.....
Alan rode for Exeter in their first ever season in league racing that was
then the National League division 3 and scored a total of 156 points from
his 28 outings for the Falcons.
Name.......CLAY, NORMAN.
Seasons....1948/49.
Others.....
Norman had ridden two seasons for Exeter when tragedy struck on January 20th
1950 in Australia.Norman was riding in his native homeland during the winter
months, and it was during a meeting at the Sydney Sports Ground that he was
involved in a bad spill with Ray Duggan who rode for Harringay. Both riders
suffered bad injuries on that fatal day and were both to die as a result.
During his spell at Exeter, Norman was to average over 8pts with a total of
648pts from 80 matches for the Falcons before his untimely death.
Name.......COFFIN, LEW.
Seasons....
Others.....Bristol,Yarnmouth,Norwich.
Lew was still to be found on the Grass circuits at the ripe age of 57 during
the early eighties, and apart from being the Pit Marshall at Weymouth in 75,
he was well noted for his training school that he operated out of the Dorset
circuit for many Years. Lew was riding the shale during the mid-forties but
his real love was on the grass.
Name.......COLES, BOB.
Seasons....1970/71/72/73/1981/82/83/84/85.
Others.....Barrow,Plymouth,Romford,Bristol,W.Ham,Mildenhall,Newport
Weymouth.
Born in Exeter on 12th Feb, 1944, Bob was
one of those riders that always seemed to appear in the programme in one
capacity or another, even if only to help out with a visiting side's shortage of riders. He had
begun his racing at neighbouring Plymouth back in 1968 before making the switch to Exeter in 1970.
During his long connection with the "Falcons", Bob doubled up with several clubs that included
Romford in 1971 and on their closure in 72, he was to appear at West Ham and Barrow. It was during
the 1972 season that Bob was to finish third in the Second Division Rider's Championship, and in
the early seventies he was to make several appearances for his country at International meetings.
Bob had returned full time to Exeter in 1973, the year that he was to win the Speedway Mail's
Best Pairs Trophy along with Ray Wilson, who was then at Leicester but was to switch to Newport in
1974 where he was to double up as both rider and coach at the Mildenhall track. Bristol was to be
the next stop for Bob where he could be found during the 1977/78 seasons while in 1979 and 1980 he
was riding for the Weymouth outfit. He finally returned to the County Ground in 1981 and he was to
appear in the Green and White many times.
Name.......COLES, MIKE.
Seasons....1982/83/1985/86/87,1996/97/98/99
Others.....Weymouth,Mildenhall,Edingburgh,Belle Vue
Born in Exeter on August 11th, 1965 and son of Exeter rider Bob Coles,
it was perhaps inevitable that Mike was to one day appear in the Green
and White of Exeter.First tried his hand around the County ground in 1981
before joining the side in 1982 and apart from a season at Weymouth in 84,
while the "Falcons" were attempt in their comeback in the senior division,
Mike was to remain at Exeter until he moved to Mildenhall for the start of
the 1988 campaign before a return in '96. Under the guidance of Simon Wigg
and Marc Loram, Mike was to improve greatly and became the Exeter No.1 with
the emergence of the Elite League in 97 when Exeter had a successful year
winning the Young Shield. He was an automatic choice to lead the Falcons
again in 1998. On Saturday, 12th June 1999 in a Cup match at Workington,
Mike notched up his 258th appearance for Exeter which equaled Don Hardy's
long standing record as well as becoming Exeter's highest ever points scorer
Name.......COLLIER, BERNIE.
Seasons....1985.
Bernie had a couple of matches for Exeter in 1985 during their re-adjustment
period on returning to the National League. From his ten rides he was to end
on an average of four points.
Name.......COOK, COLIN.
Seasons....1985/86/87/88/89/90/91/92.
Others.....Scunthorpe,Leciester,Ipswich,Boston.
Born on 29th August, 1954, Colin had first moved to the County Ground from
the then defunct Boston in 1985, for a fee of £6,500, but was to briefly return there
when they re-opened the gates in 1986. This short stay was to last but a few weeks before
Colin was to return to Exeter for a long campaign as a Falcon that ended in 1992, with a
well deserved testimonial meeting in his honour. A young Colin was to be found racing at
Scunthorpe back in 1975 before moving to Ipswich and then Leicester in 1979. He had ridden
for the British Lions team in 1981.
Name.......COWLAND, ALAN.
Seasons....1962/63/64/65/1969
Others.....Wolverhamptom,Hull,Wimbledon,Leicester
Workington,Newport.
Alan had first tried his hand at speedway at the age of sixteen at Rye House
and was a well known figure around the circuits back in the sixties with his famous all white
leathers and boots that matched his handsome looks and cavalier style. His career was to
span many years with various clubs and it was Alan, along with Roy Trigg of Hackney, who was
involved in the first ever dead-heat in the British League. Whilst at Exeter, he was to score
a total of 750.5pts from his 131 outings. In 1966 he switched to Wolverhampton in an exchange
deal with Tommy Sweetman and the following year saw him at Wimbledon where in his two seasons,
Alan was to collect 264pts from a total of 68 matches for the Dons. he was to re-appear at
Exeter in 1969 but was soon on the move again, this time to Leicester, where between 1970-72,
Alan scored some 314pts for the Lions from his 131 outings. During the 1972 campaign, Alan was
also trying his hand in the new West German League before he was to join the Hull Vikings in 1973.
Alan is doing well now and still keeps in good contact with a lot of the other
ex-riders. He now owns his own business, Alan Cowland BMW spares in
Northamptonshire and shall be retiring in a few years to come.
Name.......COX, CLIFF.
Seasons....1963/64/65.
Others.....Plymouth,Bristol,Southampton,Oxford.
Cliff was signed by Exeter from the Plymouth track that had closed at the end
of 1962, for a fee of £130, and was to line up alongside his former team mate
Eric Howe, who had ridden with Cliff back in 1960 on the Bristol circuit.
During his spell at Plymouth between 1961-62, Cliff was to nearly average
9pts, with a total of 361pts from his 42 appearances and was to only drop slightly during
his spell at Exeter, with a sum of 231pts from 34 matches in the Green and White. Cliff
had hoped to make his comeback in 1968 when Plymouth rejoined the new second division but
failed to do so due to illness. He was to rejoin Bristol however in 1977 as an advisor to the
Junior riders.
Name.......CRANE, DAVID.
Seasons....1964.
Others.....Norwich, King's Lynn.
Had a short spell at Exeter and was to leave at the beginning of July '84
for Norwich and his place was taken over by Maurice McDermott. Later he was
at King's Lynn during the '68 season where he averaged 5.10.
Name.......CRIBB, BRUCE.
Seasons....1970/71/72 1986/87/88.
Others.....Cradley Heath,Wolves,Poole.
This New Zealander made his debut in British speedway back in 1965
with the Poole Pirates. He made the move to Exeter in 1970 which
proved to be his best year for the "Falcons", averaging a near 9.5
points.Bruce was to play a part in the New Zealand team that won
the World Cup during the 1979 season. After three seasons at the County Ground he
was to move on before returning once again in 1986. A bad injury in 1987 kept him
out for most of the season but the start of the 1988 campaign saw Bruce reach the
finals of the World Ice Championship, where he was plagued by his injuries, and
only managed to make only joint fourteenth. These re-occurring problems, were to
finally bring down the curtain on his long, conventional racing career in 1988,
following his request for a months rest following a meeting with Arena Essex.
Name.......CRUTCHER, TOM.
Seasons....1947.
Tom had been in the line up upon Exeter's first League season in the
National league Division 3, and was to score 63 points.
Name.......CURNOCK, TIM.
Seasons....1978.
Tim was a junior who managed to ride for the full team in 1978 after having
had broken a leg in his first ever Nat.League meeting in 1977, and had come
to Exeter under the recommendation of Former Falcon Peter Prinsloo.
