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and knocked down, suffering a fractured skull. He also suffered a near fatal blood clot. This clot may have been jolted loose, thus saving his life, by one stretcher bearer who was walking out of step with the others when
Johnson was removed from the track. Doctors wanted Johnson to stay in hospital
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but scored just one point (plus one bonus point)in six matches and eventually returned to
Australia. There was further talk of him coming back in 1963 when New Cross entered the Provincial League and although he came back to Britain and settled near the track, the proposed comeback came to nothing,
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New Cross re-opened in 1959 and
Johnson decided to make another comeback attempt, at the age of fifty-two. However, he was unable to keep up even with the juniors. He captained the New Cross Colts in a match against Edinburgh and scored three points with a race win which showed flashes of his old
264:, which doubled as the speedway, was some 550 metres (600 yd) in length, while other Australian tracks of the day, usually showground tracks, ranged from 450 metres (490 yd) to 610 metres (670 yd) in length). In 1931, he won the British Match Race Championship, defeating
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After a couple of years
Johnson made a comeback the Claremont speedway in Perth, winning the West Australian Solo Championship title in the 1954–55 season. He wanted to return to New Cross but they had closed down, so he returned to the UK for an ill-fated spell with the
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It has been said that in 1968 Johnson was involved in a road accident and suffered serious injuries to leave him using a wheelchair for the rest of his life. This however is not true as he had recovered sufficiently and lived modestly in
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Up until 1949 he had lost a toe (after a crash at Exeter in 1929) and the tops of two of his fingers (after catching them in his chain in 1931) as results of track injuries. However, on 1 August 1949, he had a huge crash at
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Johnson attempted a comeback in 1950 but was nothing like the rider he was before the near-fatal accident. His form did not improve in 1951 so dropped down a division to ride for the
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425:, Western Australia, where his granddaughter visited from time to time and shared his love of motor bikes. He was still active and tinkering with his much loved
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but again failed to perform to anywhere near his pre-1949 levels. He returned home to
Australia after friends in the UK helped him with his fare.
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for a 5-1 heat win. Roger wobbled in front of him and
Johnson fell. As he got back onto his feet he was hit by Wimbledon rider
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suffer fatal head injuries at New Cross. Johnson had multiple lacerations to his arm which kept him from competing in the
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287:, with whom he retained connections throughout his career. During his time with New Cross, he lived at
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Johnson emigrated to
Australia with his parents when he was just a child. He started racing at the
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Johnson's career was beset with injuries. In 1935 he was involved in a crash which saw teammate
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This article is about the speedway rider. For other people with the same name, see
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and featured some of the leading riders in
Britain at the time including Johnson,
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although he did take to the track once more on 14 May that year, defeating
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final as reserve, but did not ride. He also qualified for the 1939
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Johnson is listed as number 21 of 50 in the 1930s Player's
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for six months but he discharged himself after a month.
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291:with his wife Ruby and lived an opulent lifestyle.
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302:final which was never held due to the outbreak of
769:Australian expatriate speedway riders in Scotland
596:Storey, Basil (1947) "Heart-Breaks Then Fame" in
228:in 1945 (unattached) and in 1946 whilst with the
754:Australian expatriate speedway riders in England
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395:brilliance. He then tried his luck with the
220:; 24 February 1907 – 4 February 1983) was a
436:Ron Johnson died in 1983 at the age of 75.
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34:
492:Bamford, R. & Stallworthy, D. (2003)
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404:2–1 in a second half match race series.
314:The speedway scenes from the 1933 film
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656:– via British Newspaper Archive.
693:from the original on 21 December 2021
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671:. 31 December 2022. pp. 38–41.
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13:
683:"Britannia Of Billingsgate (1933)"
309:
14:
800:
554:"ULTIMATE RIDER INDEX, 1929-2022"
362:. He was following his teammate
75:British (Scottish) and Australian
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256:in 1928 to start a career with
749:Crystal Palace Glaziers riders
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632:
546:
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494:Speedway – The Pre War Years
268:, retaining the title against
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496:, Stroud: Tempus Publishing.
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374:
21:Ron Johnson (disambiguation)
7:
341:
300:Speedway World Championship
296:Speedway World Championship
278:Speedway World Championship
226:London Riders' Championship
148:London Riders' Championship
10:
805:
744:Australian speedway riders
641:"Sporting talk of the day"
294:He qualified for the 1937
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759:Edinburgh Monarchs riders
585:The People Speedway Guide
460:- Event cancelled due to
352:Star Riders' Championship
316:Britannia of Billingsgate
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16:Australian speedway rider
774:New Cross Rangers riders
194:National League Champion
779:West Ham Hammers riders
618:Jacobs, Norman (2008).
600:, Sport-in-Print, p. 20
532:Jacobs, Norman (2001).
468:Players cigarette cards
440:World Final appearances
283:In 1934, he joined the
99:New Cross Lambs/Rangers
89:Crystal Palace Glaziers
717:Speedway Museum Online
667:"The resident racer".
512:Belton, Brian (2003).
417:
200:1931, 1934, 1937, 1947
764:Glasgow Tigers riders
620:Out of the Frying Pan
587:, Odhams Press, p. 76
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320:Hackney Wick Stadium
272:before losing it to
262:Claremont Showground
598:Speedway Favourites
583:Morgan, Tom (1947)
416:1937 cigarette card
55:Duntocher, Scotland
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648:. 23 February 1934
534:Speedway in London
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397:Edinburgh Monarchs
242:Claremont Speedway
224:rider who won the
139:Individual honours
129:Edinburgh Monarchs
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713:"Speedway Riders"
628:978-0-7524-4476-5
542:978-0-7524-2221-3
285:New Cross Rangers
230:New Cross Rangers
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168:WA State Champion
158:Scottish Champion
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689:. 21 June 2016.
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561:British Speedway
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408:After retirement
389:West Ham Hammers
338:and Claude Rye.
119:West Ham Hammers
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53:24 February 1907
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458:Wembley Stadium
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310:Film appearance
274:Tiger Stevenson
254:Johnnie Hoskins
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218:Ronald Johnston
109:Ashfield Giants
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63:4 February 1983
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258:Crystal Palace
252:with promoter
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80:Career history
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67:(aged 75)
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720:. Retrieved
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695:. Retrieved
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650:. Retrieved
646:Daily Mirror
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564:. Retrieved
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476:collection.
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462:World War II
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429:and his old
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324:Colin Watson
313:
304:World War II
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179:Team honours
65:(1983-02-04)
25:
789:1983 deaths
784:1907 births
402:Phil Bishop
368:Cyril Brine
364:Cyril Roger
348:Tom Farndon
336:Tom Farndon
270:Syd Jackson
214:Ron Johnson
72:Nationality
29:Ron Johnson
738:Categories
722:14 October
480:References
266:Claude Rye
203:London Cup
144:1945, 1946
49:1907-02-24
697:22 August
652:23 August
433:in 1981.
375:Comebacks
360:Wimbledon
105:1951–1952
95:1934–1951
85:1930–1933
691:Archived
456:London,
423:Thornlie
342:Injuries
332:Gus Kuhn
222:speedway
687:YouTube
427:Bentley
354:final.
626:
566:3 June
540:
520:
500:
236:Career
216:(born
170:(Aust)
557:(PDF)
246:Perth
724:2021
699:2021
654:2024
624:ISBN
568:2023
538:ISBN
518:ISBN
498:ISBN
446:1939
189:1948
185:1938
164:1956
154:1945
125:1960
115:1955
60:Died
43:Born
516:.
431:BSA
244:in
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715:.
685:.
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622:.
605:^
576:^
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536:.
448:-
334:,
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326:,
306:.
280:.
250:UK
232:.
187:,
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51:)
47:(
23:.
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