  1933 - 1945 |
Bill Kitchen, was one of the rare breed of new rider, who took riding the speedways as though he was already a seasoned campaigner. The then Belle Vue manager, E.O. Spence, was equally amazed at Bill’s quality of riding. Kitchen was not the only trainee to impress Spence and it would be unfair to compare them with Kitchen. Previously, the bulk of his riding had been on the grass tracks, where he met with considerable success. However, speedway racing had not been totally new to him. Kitchen had raced on the dirt tracks in the north of England. Barrow (Little Park), Workington (Lonsdale Park), Preston and Burnley, had figured amongst the tracks he gained some experience. Bill had wanted to continue with his racing, but the family garage at Galgate, Lancaster, prevented this from happening earlier. Spence was quick to realise the potential and earmarked Bill for the warm up match for the 1933 season. Here he had a rider, whom he felt could help fill the massive void left by star man, Max Grosskreutz, who opted to take a season out and race in Hamburg, Germany; a situation that did not last long. Spence’s faith was repaid, when Bill won his three rides, albeit a practice event; During the season, Bill also managed to participate in the Isle of Man TT races and, in the process, mis Bill’s learning curve continued, as he developed into an England international and became a pivotal member of the Aces’ team. When he arrived in Manchester, I doubt that even he could have envisaged the list of honours that he would come his way. Naturally, he wanted to test himself in differing conditions. His first trip to Australia, where he performed to the high standards achieved in England, endeared him the Australian spectators. The impact Kitchen made, prompted the promoters to invite him to return the following year, which he did. Eventually, Belle Vue’s dominance had to end, with Bill having to assume an even more responsible role, after Max Grosskreutz announced his retirement. His contribution to the cause was superb, however, it was a pity that the overall level of performance failed to back Kitchen. At last, he made
The outbreak of hostilities failed to dim the lights in Manchester. Racing took place throughout the war, with an impressive total of 176 meetings taking place, with none being cancelled. Kitchen’s appearances did become limited due to his war service. However, he did manage to arrange to change his location by mutual exchange. Being stationed in the south prevented him travelling for regular racing; any rider in service suffered in similar ways. Luckily for him, a fellow serviceman stationed in the north, preferred to return south. As both men did the same job, it was easy to arrange the move. Being stationed in north-west, made access to Manchester easier, where Bill was still a firm favourite with the public. His efforts were rewarded with a variety of trophy wins, with his greatest honour being the British Individual Champion in 1945. After the war, when riders were chosen from the pool, Kitchen found himself moving to the Wembley Lions, after Belle Vue opted for Jack Parker as their first choice. The Lions’ took a strangle hold on the championship, with Bill being involved in more trophy gathering. Individually, his best performance came in the 1946 British Riders Championship, where he finished second with 13 points, to fellow Lion, Tommy Price. Bill Kitchen’s impressive medal haul is shown below
National League Championship Winner by Trevor James |
