# Ginger Lees

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**Harry Riley Lees** (28 January 1905 – 26 January 1982)[2] was a former international [motorcycle speedway](/source/Motorcycle_speedway) rider who rode in the first ever Speedway World Championship final in [1936](/source/1936_Individual_Speedway_World_Championship). He earned 22 international caps for the [England national speedway team](/source/England_national_speedway_team).[3]

## Career

Lees, born in [Bury](/source/Bury,_Greater_Manchester), raced in the first recognised speedway meeting held in Manchester on 3 March 1928. When the league competitions started he joined Burnley. He then moved onto [Liverpool](/source/Liverpool_Chads) in 1930. In 1931, Lees moved onto Preston and was selected to ride for [England](/source/Great_Britain_national_speedway_team) against [Australia](/source/Australia_national_speedway_team) in the third test match at Wembley. He impressed so much that he was signed up to ride for the [Wembley Lions](/source/Wembley_Lions_(speedway)) in 1932 when he won the inaugural [National League](/source/National_League_(1932%E2%80%931964)).[2]

He twice won the [London Cup](/source/London_Cup_(speedway)) with Wembley in 1932 and 1933.[4][5]

Lees was a regular England rider until 1934, the year he finished third in the [Star Riders' Championship](/source/Star_Riders'_Championship), the forerunner of the [Speedway World Championship](/source/Speedway_World_Championship). During 1935, Lees suffered a serious injury and missed most of the 1935 season.[6]

Lees qualified for the finals of the World Championship in 1936 and 1937, before he retired at the end of 1937.[7]

Lees also appeared in the 1933 British film [Money for Speed](/source/Money_for_Speed) which starred [John Loder](/source/John_Loder_(actor)), [Ida Lupino](/source/Ida_Lupino), [Cyril McLaglen](/source/Cyril_McLaglen) and [Moore Marriott](/source/Moore_Marriott). [Lionel van Praag](/source/Lionel_van_Praag), [Frank Varey](/source/Frank_Varey) and speedway promoter [Johnnie Hoskins](/source/Johnnie_Hoskins) also featured.[8]

## World Final appearances

- [1936](/source/1936_Individual_Speedway_World_Championship) - London, [Wembley Stadium](/source/Wembley_Stadium_(1923)) - 15th - 11pts
- [1937](/source/1937_Individual_Speedway_World_Championship) - London, Wembley Stadium - 5th - 19pts

## Players cigarette cards

Lees is listed as number 28 of 50 in the 1930s Player's [cigarette card](/source/Cigarette_card) collection.[9]

## References

1. ["Index entry"](https://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?cite=hW5TR%2BI1KYnkBvvu2VH1zw&scan=1). *FreeBMD*. ONS. Retrieved 14 October 2021.

1. Jacobs, N & Lipscombe, P (2005). *Wembley Speedway : The Pre-War Years*. Stroud: Tempus Publishing ISBN 0-7524-3750-X

1. ["ULTIMATE RIDER INDEX, 1929-2022"](https://britishspeedway.co.uk/docs/Ultimate_Index_1929-2022.pdf). *British Speedway*. Retrieved 21 December 2023.

1. ["London Speedway Cup"](https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003214/19320930/275/0015). *Daily News (London)*. 30 September 1932. Retrieved 16 September 2023. – via [British Newspaper Archive](/source/British_Newspaper_Archive)

1. ["1933 season results"](https://www.speedwayresearcher.org.uk/1933record.pdf). *Speedway Researcher*. Retrieved 16 September 2023.

1. ["Ginger Lees to ride again"](https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000729/19360412/018/0018). *The People*. 12 April 1936. Retrieved 24 May 2024. – via [British Newspaper Archive](/source/British_Newspaper_Archive)

1. Bamford, R. & Shailes, G. (2002). *A History of the World Speedway Championship*. Stroud: Tempus Publishing. ISBN 0-7524-2402-5

1. ["Money for Speed (1933)"](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0024346/). The Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 2008-10-01.

1. ["Speedway Riders"](http://www.speedwaymuseumonline.co.uk/playerscigarettecards6.html). *Speedway Museum Online*. Retrieved 14 October 2021.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Ginger Lees](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ginger_Lees) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ginger_Lees?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.