282:. In 1950 he rode in all five test matches, scoring 6, 8, 0, 9, and 5. He was not selected in 1951 but returned for the fourth test at New Cross in 1952, scoring 5 points. At retirement he had earned 10 international caps for England.
234:
in 1946. He scored nine points in his first match for New Cross, and established himself as a regular team member during the 1946 season, scoring at an average of 5.10.
497:
502:
463:
278:
team in the 1949 test series against
Australia, scoring 3 points in the third test at New Cross and 7 points in the fourth test at
512:
492:
146:
522:
275:
188:
257:
517:
507:
141:
137:
211:
racing in 1935, winning several trophies. While grasstrack racing in 1938 he was spotted by former
Wimbledon rider
423:
238:
101:
242:
215:, who arranged for French to try out for the Dons, and he was taken on as a junior. In 1939, he rode in the
199:
Born in
Ireland, French moved with his parents to England before he was one year old. The family settled in
156:
17:
369:
246:
167:
487:
482:
262:
184:
302:
230:
during the war, and did not race again until 1945. After practising at Rye House, he signed for
459:
231:
91:
111:
397:
216:
81:
476:
121:
253:
220:
357:
Know Your Rider: Facts
Figures and Fotos - a Complete Record of the 1946 Season
212:
208:
279:
227:
200:
204:
241:
from 1953 to 1956, winning the 1953 league title and the 1954
266:, for which the racing scenes were shot at New Cross.
260:
in 1949 after a run-off. He appeared in the 1949 film
219:
team at reserve, before his career was interrupted by
183:(4 August 1913 – 17 February 1974) was an Irish-born
187:rider, in the 1930s and 1940s, and represented the
163:
152:
136:
131:
117:
107:
97:
87:
77:
72:
64:
50:
33:
422:
8:
28:
27:
450:
448:
446:
338:
336:
334:
332:
330:
328:
326:
226:French worked at an aircraft factory in
291:
439:– via British Newspaper Archive.
359:, R. Verney Baker, Salford, p. 12-13
297:
295:
7:
14:
303:"ULTIMATE RIDER INDEX, 1929-2022"
23:British motorcycle speedway rider
16:For the American economist, see
456:A History of the Speedway Ashes
189:England national speedway team
1:
370:"Rider averages 1929 to 2009"
252:French finished runner-up to
466:, p. 95, 97, 105-110, 133-4
258:London Riders' Championship
539:
15:
498:English motorcycle racers
424:"Eric French was unlucky"
237:He spent four years with
174:
127:
503:New Cross Rangers riders
147:National League Champion
513:Rayleigh Rockets riders
493:British speedway riders
18:Eric French (economist)
346:, Sport-in-Print, p. 4
523:Wimbledon Dons riders
454:Foster, Peter (2005)
429:Lewisham Borough News
342:Storey, Basil (1947)
518:Wembley Lions riders
508:Poole Pirates riders
263:Once a Jolly Swagman
402:Speedway Researcher
377:Speedway Researcher
355:Hart, A. S. (1946)
344:Speedway Favourites
274:French rode in the
185:motorcycle speedway
30:
232:New Cross Rangers
191:in test matches.
178:
177:
92:New Cross Rangers
530:
467:
452:
441:
440:
438:
436:
426:
419:
413:
412:
410:
408:
394:
388:
387:
385:
383:
374:
366:
360:
353:
347:
340:
321:
320:
318:
316:
310:British Speedway
307:
299:
112:Rayleigh Rockets
57:
54:17 February 1974
43:
41:
31:
538:
537:
533:
532:
531:
529:
528:
527:
473:
472:
471:
470:
453:
444:
434:
432:
421:
420:
416:
406:
404:
396:
395:
391:
381:
379:
372:
368:
367:
363:
354:
350:
341:
324:
314:
312:
305:
301:
300:
293:
288:
272:
243:National Trophy
197:
157:National Trophy
60:Surrey, England
59:
55:
45:
39:
37:
24:
21:
12:
11:
5:
536:
534:
526:
525:
520:
515:
510:
505:
500:
495:
490:
485:
475:
474:
469:
468:
442:
431:. 26 July 1949
414:
398:"Year by Year"
389:
361:
348:
322:
290:
289:
287:
284:
271:
268:
217:Wimbledon Dons
196:
193:
176:
175:
172:
171:
165:
161:
160:
154:
150:
149:
144:
134:
133:
129:
128:
125:
124:
119:
115:
114:
109:
105:
104:
99:
95:
94:
89:
85:
84:
82:Wimbledon Dons
79:
75:
74:
73:Career history
70:
69:
66:
62:
61:
58:(aged 60)
52:
48:
47:
35:
22:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
535:
524:
521:
519:
516:
514:
511:
509:
506:
504:
501:
499:
496:
494:
491:
489:
486:
484:
481:
480:
478:
465:
464:0-7524-3468-3
461:
457:
451:
449:
447:
443:
430:
425:
418:
415:
403:
399:
393:
390:
378:
371:
365:
362:
358:
352:
349:
345:
339:
337:
335:
333:
331:
329:
327:
323:
311:
304:
298:
296:
292:
285:
283:
281:
277:
269:
267:
265:
264:
259:
255:
250:
248:
244:
240:
239:Wembley Lions
235:
233:
229:
224:
222:
218:
214:
210:
206:
202:
194:
192:
190:
186:
182:
173:
169:
166:
162:
158:
155:
151:
148:
145:
143:
139:
135:
130:
126:
123:
122:Poole Pirates
120:
116:
113:
110:
106:
103:
102:Wembley Lions
100:
96:
93:
90:
86:
83:
80:
76:
71:
68:British/Irish
67:
63:
53:
49:
46:Cork, Ireland
44:4 August 1913
36:
32:
26:
19:
455:
435:21 September
433:. Retrieved
428:
417:
405:. Retrieved
401:
392:
380:. Retrieved
376:
364:
356:
351:
343:
313:. Retrieved
309:
273:
261:
254:Alec Statham
251:
236:
225:
221:World War II
198:
180:
179:
132:Team honours
56:(1974-02-17)
25:
488:1974 deaths
483:1913 births
407:25 November
382:25 November
270:Test career
207:. He began
181:Eric French
65:Nationality
29:Eric French
477:Categories
458:, Tempus,
286:References
247:London Cup
213:Claude Rye
209:grasstrack
168:London Cup
164:1947, 1954
40:1913-08-04
280:Harringay
228:Weybridge
195:Biography
98:1953-1956
88:1946-1953
78:1938-1939
249:double.
201:Tadworth
315:19 July
276:England
256:in the
462:
205:Surrey
170:winner
159:winner
373:(PDF)
306:(PDF)
460:ISBN
437:2024
409:2023
384:2023
317:2023
245:and
153:1954
142:1953
138:1948
118:1958
108:1957
51:Died
34:Born
223:.
479::
445:^
427:.
400:.
375:.
325:^
308:.
294:^
203:,
140:,
411:.
386:.
319:.
42:)
38:(
20:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.