Dave Jessup

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title: "Dave Jessup" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1953-births", "living-people", "british-speedway-riders", "english-motorcycle-racers", "british-speedway-championship-winners", "sportspeople-from-ipswich", "eastbourne-eagles-riders", "king's-lynn-stars-riders", "leicester-lions-riders", "mildenhall-fen-tigers-riders", "reading-racers-riders", "wembley-lions-riders", "wimbledon-dons-riders", "speedway-world-pairs-champions", "20th-century-english-sportsmen"] description: "British motorcycle speedway rider" topic_path: "science/astronomy" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Jessup" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary British motorcycle speedway rider ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox speedway rider"]

Field	Value
name	Dave Jessup
image	Dave Jessup.jpg
nationality	British (English)
birth_date
birth_place	Ipswich, England
years1	1969
career1	Eastbourne Eagles
years2	1970
career2	West Ham Hammers
years3	1970-1971
career3	Wembley Lions
years4	1972-1975
career4	Leicester Lions
years5	1976-1978
career5	Reading Racers
years6	1979-1981, 1984-1985
career6	King's Lynn Stars
years7	1982-1983
career7	Wimbledon Dons
years8	1986-1987
career8	Mildenhall Fen Tigers
indivhonour1	British Champion
indivyear1	1980
indivhonour2	Commonwealth Champion
indivyear2	1980
indivhonour3	Overseas Champion
indivyear3	1981, 1982
indivhonour4	British League Div 2 Riders Champion
indivyear4	1970
indivhonour5	Midland Riders' Championship
indivyear5	1974
indivhonour6	The Laurels
indivyear6	1974
indivhonour7	Littlechild Trophy
indivyear7	1974, 1980
indivhonour8	London Riders' Championship
indivyear8	1975, 1983
indivhonour9	Yorkshire Television Trophy
indivyear9	1976
indivhonour10	Spring Classic
indivyear10	1976, 1981
indivhonour11	Superama
indivyear11	1976, 1980
indivhonour12	Pride of the East
indivyear12	1979, 1980
indivhonour13	Brandonapolis
indivyear13	1979
indivhonour14	Blue Riband
indivyear14	1980
indivhonour15	Internationale
indivyear15	1980
indivhonour16	South African Champion
indivyear16	1983, 1984
teamhonour1	Speedway World Pairs Championship
teamyear1	1980
teamhonour2	World Team Cup
teamyear2	1974, 1977, 1980
teamhonour3	Midland Cup
teamyear3	1972, 1974
teamhonour4	Spring Gold Cup
teamyear4	1977
teamhonour5	Gauntlet Gold Cup
teamyear5	1980
teamyear6	1987
teamhonour6	Pairs Championship winner
teamyear7	1987
teamhonour7	Fours Championship winner
::

| name = Dave Jessup | image = Dave Jessup.jpg | nationality = British (English) | birth_date = | birth_place = Ipswich, England

| years1 = 1969 | career1 = Eastbourne Eagles | years2 = 1970 | career2 = West Ham Hammers | years3 = 1970-1971 | career3 = Wembley Lions | years4 = 1972-1975 | career4 = Leicester Lions | years5 = 1976-1978 | career5 = Reading Racers | years6 = 1979-1981, 1984-1985 | career6 = King's Lynn Stars | years7 = 1982-1983 | career7 = Wimbledon Dons | years8 = 1986-1987 | career8 = Mildenhall Fen Tigers | indivhonour1 = British Champion | indivyear1 = 1980 | indivhonour2 = Commonwealth Champion | indivyear2 = 1980 | indivhonour3 = Overseas Champion | indivyear3 = 1981, 1982 | indivhonour4 = British League Div 2 Riders Champion | indivyear4 = 1970 | indivhonour5 = Midland Riders' Championship | indivyear5 = 1974 | indivhonour6 = The Laurels | indivyear6 = 1974 | indivhonour7 = Littlechild Trophy | indivyear7 = 1974, 1980 | indivhonour8 = London Riders' Championship | indivyear8 = 1975, 1983 | indivhonour9 = Yorkshire Television Trophy | indivyear9 = 1976 | indivhonour10 = Spring Classic | indivyear10 = 1976, 1981 | indivhonour11 = Superama | indivyear11 = 1976, 1980 | indivhonour12 = Pride of the East | indivyear12 = 1979, 1980 | indivhonour13 = Brandonapolis | indivyear13 = 1979 | indivhonour14 = Blue Riband | indivyear14 = 1980 | indivhonour15 = Internationale | indivyear15 = 1980 | indivhonour16 = South African Champion | indivyear16 = 1983, 1984 | teamhonour1 = Speedway World Pairs Championship

| teamyear1 = 1980 | teamhonour2 = World Team Cup | teamyear2 = 1974, 1977, 1980 | teamhonour3 = Midland Cup | teamyear3 = 1972, 1974 | teamhonour4 = Spring Gold Cup | teamyear4 = 1977 | teamhonour5 = Gauntlet Gold Cup | teamyear5 = 1980 | teamyear6 = 1987 | teamhonour6 = Pairs Championship winner | teamyear7 = 1987 | teamhonour7 = Fours Championship winner

David John Jessup (born 7 March 1953) is an English former motorcycle speedway rider. He was a world championship runner-up, world pairs champion, world cup winner and British champion. He earned 97 international caps for the England national speedway team.

Career

Jessup commenced his speedway career in 1969, when he rode for Eastbourne Eagles recording 6.62 average during the 1969 British League Division Two season. The following season, he won the British League Division Two Riders Championship, held at Hackney Wick Stadium on 25 September 1970. Jessup was aged just 17 at the time. He also rode for Wembley Lions in the British League.

In 1972, he joined Leicester Lions and spent four years with the Midlands club. In 1974, he won the first of three World Team Cups with the England national speedway team and in 1975, he won the London Riders' Championship in 1975, despite being in his fourth and final season with Leicester. He recorded an average of 10.45 in his last season with Leicester.

In 1976, he joined Reading Racers and was their top rider for three seasons. In 1977, he helped England win the World Cup to earn a second winners medal. In 1977 and 1978, Jessup finished second in the British Speedway Championship to Michael Lee and the following year finished third behind Peter Collins and Michael Lee.

In 1979, he switched to King's Lynn Stars after rejecting a new deal with Reading and joined up with Michael Lee as a teammate.

In 1980, Jessup completed his best ever season. He finished runner-up in the Speedway World Championship to fellow countryman Michael Lee. The same season he won the World Pairs Championship with Peter Collins, the World Cup with England and became British Speedway champion.

He continued to perform at the highest level in 1981 and moved to join Wimbledon Dons for the 1982 British League season, where he topped the London team's averages for both 1982 and 1983. He returned to King's Lynn for the 1984 British League season but struggled to retain the form he had for the previous decade.

In 1986, he dropped a division to join the Mildenhall Fen Tigers after leaving the Stars. The following year in 1987, he won the National League Pairs, partnering Melvyn Taylor for Mildenhall, during the 1987 National League season. He also helped Mildenhall win the Fours Championship during the 1987 season.

When Jessup retired in 1988 he had earned a remarkable 97 England caps and had reached six world finals.

World final appearances

Individual World Championship

• 1974 – SWE Gothenburg, Ullevi - 13th - 5pts
• 1978 – ENG London, Wembley Stadium - 4th - 11pts + 2pts
• 1979 – POL Chorzów, Silesian Stadium - 8th - 8pts
• 1980 – SWE Gothenburg, Ullevi - 2nd - 12pts + 3pts
• 1981 – ENG London, Wembley Stadium - 8th - 7pts
• 1982 – USA Los Angeles, Memorial Coliseum - 6th - 8pts

World Pairs Championship

• 1974 – ENG Manchester, Hyde Road (with Peter Collins) - 4th - 20pts (8)
• 1980 – YUG Krško, Matija Gubec Stadium (with Peter Collins) - Winner - 29pts (15)
• 1981 – POL Chorzów, Silesian Stadium (with Chris Morton) - 6th - 17pts (7)

World Team Cup

• 1974 – POL Chorzów, Silesian Stadium (with Peter Collins / John Louis / Malcolm Simmons) - Winner - 42pts (10)
• 1977 – POL Wrocław, Olympic Stadium (with Peter Collins / Michael Lee / John Davis / Malcolm Simmons) - Winner - 37pts (9)
• 1978 – FRG Landshut, Stadion Ellermühle (with Malcolm Simmons / Peter Collins / Gordon Kennett / Michael Lee) - 2nd - 27pts (5)
• 1980 – POL Wrocław, Olympic Stadium (with Peter Collins / Chris Morton / Michael Lee]) - Winner - 40pts (8)
• 1981 – FRG Olching, Olching Speedwaybahn (with Chris Morton / Kenny Carter / John Davis / Gordon Kennett) - 2nd - 29pts (3)
• 1983 – DEN Vojens, Speedway Center (with Kenny Carter / Michael Lee / Chris Morton / Peter Collins) - 2nd 29pts (2)

References

References

1. "Dave Jessup".
2. Oakes, Peter. (1981). "1981 Speedway Yearbook, rider profile Dave Jessup". Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd.
3. "ULTIMATE RIDER INDEX, 1929-2022".
4. (26 September 1970). "Jessup roars in". Daily Mirror.
5. "Dave Jessup".
6. "1974 WORLD TEAM CUP".
7. Matthews/Morrison, Peter/Ian. (1987). "The Guinness Encyclopaedia of Sports Records and Results". Guinness Superlatives.
8. "British Final Roll of Honour". BSPA.
9. (18 January 1979). "Jessup to smash transfer fee records".
10. Bamford, R. & Shailes, G. (2002). ''A History of the World Speedway Championship''. Stroud: Tempus Publishing. {{ISBN. 0-7524-2402-5
11. Bott, Richard. (1980). "The Peter Collins Speedway Book No.4". Stanley Paul & Co Ltd.
12. (14 February 1986). "jessup and Jolly may quit stars".
13. (27 July 1987). "Tigers triumph". Cambridge Daily News.
14. (31 October 1987). "Fantastic Fours!". Cambridge Daily News.

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