View source for Mick McKeon (speedway rider)

{{Short description|Australian speedway rider}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2023}}
{{Infobox Speedway rider
| name = Mick McKeon
| image =
| nationality = Australian
| birth_date = {{birth-date and age|4 March 1954}}
| birth_place = Perth, Australia
| death_date =
| death_place =
| career1 = [[Glasgow Tigers (speedway)|Coatbridge/Glasgow Tigers]]
| years1 = 1975–1977
| career2 = [[Ellesmere Port Gunners]]
| years2 = 1975
| career3 = [[Halifax Dukes]]
| years3 = 1977–1980
| indivyear1 = [[1978 Australasian Individual Speedway Championship|1978]]
| indivhonour1 = [[Australasian Individual Speedway Championship|Australasian Championship]] silver medal
| indivyear2 = 1977, 1978, 1979, 1981, 1985, 1986
| indivhonour2 = [[Western Australian Individual Speedway Championship|Western Australian champion]]
| teamyear1 = 1980
| teamhonour1 = Northern Trophy
}}
'''Michael John McKeon''' (born 4 March 1954) is an Australian former [[motorcycle speedway]] rider.<ref>{{cite book |last=Oakes |first=Peter |title=1978 Speedway Yearbook, Rider Bio Mick McKeon |year=1978 |page= |publisher=Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd |isbn=978-0904584509}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Oakes |first=Peter |title=1981 Speedway Yearbook |year=1981 |page= |publisher=Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd |isbn=0-86215-017-5}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Oakes |first=Peter |title=Speedway Yearbook 1990, Rider Bio Mick McKeon |year=1990 |page= |publisher=Front Page Books |isbn=0-948882-15-8}}</ref><ref name=SP>{{cite web |url=https://www.speedwaypast.com/stories/mick-mckeon |title=Mick McKeon |website=Speedway Past |access-date=28 April 2023}}</ref>
== Career ==
McKeon made his British leagues debut during the [[1975 New National League season]], where he rode for [[Glasgow Tigers (speedway)|Coatbridge Tigers]] and [[Ellesmere Port Gunners]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000271/19750619/560/0020 |title=Gunners step in to sign Aussie rider |website=Liverpool Echo  |date=19 June 1975
|via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=23 August 2024}}</ref> He continued to ride for Coatbridge during the 1976 and 1977 seasons, improving his average to 7.95.<ref name=WWOS>{{cite web |url=https://wwosbackup.proboards.com/thread/1931/mick-mckeon |title=Mick McKeon |website=WWOS Backup |access-date=28 April 2023}}</ref>
It was also in 1977 that McKeon won the first of his six [[Western Australian Individual Speedway Championship|Western Australian titles]] and he was signed by [[Halifax Dukes]] for the [[1977 British League season]].<ref name=URI>{{cite web |url=https://britishspeedway.co.uk/docs/Ultimate_Index_1929-2022.pdf |title=Ultimate Rider Index |website=British Speedway |access-date=28 April 2023}}</ref>
In 1978, he represented the [[Australia national speedway team]] during the [[1978 Speedway World Team Cup]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.internationalspeedway.co.uk/wtc78.htm |title=1978 Speedway World Team Cup |website=International Speedway |access-date=28 April 2023}}</ref> and won the silver medal at the [[1978 Australasian Individual Speedway Championship]]. He rode again for Australia in the [[1980 Speedway World Team Cup]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.internationalspeedway.co.uk/wtc80.htm |title=1980 Speedway World Team Cup |website=International Speedway |access-date=28 April 2023}}</ref> and would ride for Australia eleven times in total.<ref name=URI/>
He suffered a serious crash at [[Belle Vue Stadium]], which left him with a fractured skull, leg and ribs. Although he did ride again the injury ultimately led to him quitting British speedway. He retired in 1987.<ref name=SP/>
== References ==
{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:McKeon, Mick}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1954 births]]
[[Category:Australian speedway riders]]
[[Category:Ellesmere Port Gunners riders]]
[[Category:Halifax Dukes riders]]
[[Category:Australian expatriate speedway riders in England]]
[[Category:Glasgow Tigers riders]]
[[Category:Australian expatriate speedway riders in Scotland]]