**Garry Kenneth Sweet** — born 1967, Bethnal Green; grew up in Mitcham.

Speedway rider with family roots in the sport (father rode for West Ham). On bikes from age three; came to Wimbledon as a spectator from infancy before signing with the club at 17, then again at 20 after a wrist injury. Career spanned Wimbledon, Eastbourne, Reading (three years), Oxford, and a decade at Mildenhall in the lower league, before a final season back at Wimbledon, ending when he broke his wrist riding for the club at Sheffield.

**Career and training:** Skills built through junior grass track, training sessions at Hackney, Oxford, Sheffield and elsewhere. Regards dedication as absolute — no drinking or smoking, constant bike maintenance (often 12–24-hour garage sessions). Racing tuner was Peter Johns, now a leading speedway engineer. Costs ran to £20–30k a season for two bikes.

**Injuries:** Multiple — shattered teeth and broken jaw (first crash at Wimbledon), wrist broken several times, tibial and ligament damage requiring pinning and a year's rehabilitation, dislocated shoulder. Never considered quitting.

**On the sport:** Describes the racing buzz as the greatest feeling he knows, with tactics often redundant after the first bend. Notes significant "dark arts" around rider averages — being instructed by promoters to let higher-average teammates pass. References the Bruce Penhall/Dennis Sigalos World Championship incident as a notable example.

**Decline of speedway:** Saddened by the collapse of London tracks and poor domestic promotion, contrasting with Poland and Scandinavia's academy systems and large crowds. Credits John Stevens for sustaining the Wimbledon community.

**Stadium closure:** Deeply affected — collected a piece of the track for his late father, who had also attended as a child. Sees the closure as symptomatic of speedway's wider loss from British sporting life.

**Miscellany:** Worked variously at Borough Market, as a soft drinks delivery driver, and as a double-glazer (alongside Alan Pardew). His ex-wife occasionally pressured him to stop after bad crashes. Recalls American riders Kelly and Van as notable pranksters. Mentions Maxine Neal as one of the first women to ride in a speedway team (sharing the boys' changing rooms). Still recognised locally and considers the career one of the best things he has done.