{{Short description|British motorcycle speedway rider}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2016}} {{Use British English|date=July 2016}} {{Infobox Speedway rider | name = Mike Broadbank | image = Mike Broadbank.jpg | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1934|9|23}} | death_date = | birth_place = [[Hoddesdon]], England | nationality = British (English)

| years1 = 1955 | career1 = [[Rye House Rockets|Rye House Roosters]] | years2 = 1956 | career2 = [[Wembley Lions (speedway)|Wembley Lions]] | years3 = 1957–1972 | career3 = [[Swindon Robins]] | years4 = 1973–1974 | career4 = [[Stoke Potters|Chesterton/Stoke Potters]] | years5 = 1973, 1975 | career5 = [[Hackney Hawks]] | years6 = 1973 | career6 = [[Reading Racers]] | years7 = 1973 | career7 = [[Poole Pirates]] | years8 = 1973 | career8 = [[Oxford Cheetahs|Oxford Rebels]] | years10 = 1976 | career10 = [[Crayford Kestrels]] | years11 = 1977 | career11 = [[Newport Wasps|Newport Dragons]] | indivyear1 = 1963 | indivhonour1 = [[Australian Individual Speedway Championship|Australian Champion]] | indivyear2 = 1964 | indivhonour2 = [[London Riders' Championship|London Riders' Champion]] | indivyear3 = 1955 | indivhonour3 = [[Southern Area League Riders' Championship]] | teamyear1 = 1955 | teamhonour1 = [[Southern Area League|Southern Area League Champion]] | teamyear2 = 1957 | teamhonour2 = [[National League (1932-1964)|National League Champion]] | teamyear3 = 1967 | teamhonour3 = [[Speedway British League|British League Champion]] | teamyear4 = 1967, 1968 | teamhonour4 = [[Midland Cup (speedway)|Midland Cup]] }} '''Michael John Broadbank''' (also known as Broadbanks) (born 23 September 1934 in [[Hoddesdon]]) is an English former international [[motorcycle speedway]] rider who made 560 appearances for the [[Swindon Robins]], scoring over 4,200 points.<ref>{{cite book|last=Montague|first=Trevor|title=The A-Z of Sport|year=2004|page=515|publisher=Little, Brown|isbn=0-316-72645-1}}</ref><ref name=URI>{{cite web |url=https://britishspeedway.co.uk/docs/Ultimate_Index_1929-2022.pdf |title=ULTIMATE RIDER INDEX, 1929-2022 |website=British Speedway |access-date=17 June 2023}}</ref>

== Career == Broadbank was first discovered at the [[Rye House Stadium|Rye House track]] after working there as a young boy. He won the [[Southern Area League Riders' Championship]], held at [[Rye House Stadium]] on 25 September 1955.<ref>{{cite news |title=Trophy ends the Speedway season |work=Eastbourne Gazette |date=5 October 1955 |access-date=10 June 2023 |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001928/19551005/210/0022 | via = [[British Newspaper Archive]]|url-access=subscription }}</ref> After impressing at Rye House he managed to get a full-time ride with the [[Wembley Lions (speedway)|Wembley Lions]] in 1956.

In 1960, the Rye House speedway track was rebuilt by Mike Broadbank, along with his father Alfred.<ref>{{cite news |title=Red Devils enter a new era |work=Hertford Mercury and Reformer |date=26 August 1960 |access-date=24 May 2024|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000756/19600826/184/0014 | via = [[British Newspaper Archive]]|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Broadbank ran the speedway team known as the '''Red Devils''' who raced in challenge matches from 1960 unil 1966.<ref name="Rye House">{{cite book | last = Jacobs | first = Norman | title = 70 Years of Rye House Speedway | publisher = NPI Media Group | year = 2007 | isbn = 978-07524-4162-7}}</ref> The name Red Devils related to the red leathers worn by Broadbank, when almost all riders wore black.<ref name="Rye House"/>

He then started his long association with Robins before moving on to the [[Hackney Hawks]], [[Reading Racers]] and the [[Stoke Potters]]. Whilst with Robins he captained the side to the British League title in 1967. He reached the final of the [[Speedway World Championship]] on five occasions.

Broadbank was also a regular visitor to Australia and won the [[Australian Individual Speedway Championship]] at the [[Rockhampton Speedway]] in 1963, to date the last time a rider from England won the Australian title. Broadbank defeated Queensland rider Keith Gurtner, and a rising star from New Zealand named [[Ivan Mauger]], to win the title.

At retirement he had earned 28 international caps for the [[England national speedway team]] and 8 caps for Great Britain.<ref name=URI/>

In 2006, Broadbank was awarded a belated testimonial for sixteen years of service with Swindon.<ref name="SwinAd">{{cite web |last = Eaton |first = Dave |title= Broady’s big night |publisher= Swindon Advertiser |date= 28 September 2006 |url = http://www.thisisswindon.co.uk/display.var.942292.0..php |access-date = 2007-10-29|url-status = dead |archive-url = https://archive.today/20070718231018/http://www.thisisswindon.co.uk/display.var.942292.0..php |archive-date = 18 July 2007 |df= dmy-all}}</ref>

==World Final Appearances== * [[1958 Individual Speedway World Championship|1958]] - {{Flagicon|ENG}} London, [[Wembley Stadium (1923)|Wembley Stadium]] - 12th - 5pts * [[1961 Individual Speedway World Championship|1961]] - {{Flagicon|SWE}} [[Malmö]], [[Malmö Stadion]] - 16th - 2pts * [[1962 Individual Speedway World Championship|1962]] - {{Flagicon|ENG}} London, Wembley Stadium - 15th - 2pts * [[1964 Individual Speedway World Championship|1964]] - {{Flagicon|SWE}} [[Gothenburg]], [[Ullevi]] - 9th - 6pts * [[1965 Individual Speedway World Championship|1965]] - {{Flagicon|ENG}} London, Wembley Stadium - Reserve - Did not ride * [[1966 Individual Speedway World Championship|1966]] - {{Flagicon|SWE}} Göteborg, Ullevi - 13th - 4pts * [[1967 Individual Speedway World Championship|1967]] - {{Flagicon|ENG}} London, Wembley Stadium - Reserve - Did not ride

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Broadbank, Mike}} [[Category:1934 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:British speedway riders]] [[Category:English motorcycle racers]] [[Category:Swindon Robins riders]] [[Category:Hackney Hawks riders]] [[Category:Wembley Lions riders]] [[Category:Stoke Potters riders]] [[Category:Rye House Rockets riders]] [[Category:Oxford Cheetahs riders]] [[Category:Reading Racers riders]] [[Category:Crayford Kestrels riders]] [[Category:Newport Wasps riders]] [[Category:Poole Pirates riders]] [[Category:People from Hoddesdon]] [[Category:20th-century English sportsmen]]