DATE OF BIRTH: 31 October 1920, Bristol. BRITISH CAREER: (1950-56) Swindon.
CAREER RECORD WITH SWINDON: Meetings: 264 (179 League; 26 National Trophy; 4 Autumn Cup; 5 Festival of Britain Trophy; 2 Queen’s Cup; 10 Southern Shield; 1 Inter-Divisional Tournament; 34 Challenge; 3 Four-Team Tournament) Rides: 1,064  Points: 1,532 Bonus: 175 Total: 1,707 Average: 6.42  Maximums: 9 (7 full and 2 paid)
CLUB DEBUT: 25 March 1950 versus Cradley Heath (Home) Challenge; 6+1 points (4 rides).
FOR many years, Malone was incorrectly thought to have been born on 31 October 1921 but, in fact, he was born exactly twelve months prior to that. Although his full name was Dennis Henry Malone, he acquired the moniker of Danny, which proved popular and stuck. He was a good all-round motorcyclist, being proficient at grass-track, scrambles and particularly trials – at which he won national events against works riders – before he took up speedway with some second-half outings at Bristol.
Having seem him ride at Knowle, ex-Bulldogs’ boss Reg Witcomb signed the former Merchant Navy seaman for Swindon in 1950 and this turned out to be a stroke of genius, as Malone was to remain with the Robins for seven seasons, giving solid service before injury forced his early retirement in 1956.
His club debut occurred at Blunsdon on 25 March 1950, when Swindon faced Cradley Heath in a challenge match. Riding at No. 6, he ran a last in his opening heat, but recovered well to record a victory second time out, prior to completing the meeting with a paid 7-point tally.
Given his lack of experience, some of Malone’s early showings were quite remarkable, with a return of 8+2 points in the opening home league match against Poole being followed up with a sensational paid maximum (11+1 points) versus visiting Liverpool on 8 April. Although there was to be no repeat of that full-house performance, he proved to be a most reliable team man and was extremely popular with the supporters as he racked up a season’s total of 121 league points for a satisfactory 5.98 average.
After such a fine first season, it was a great surprise to the Swindon fans when Danny wasn’t included in the team at the start of the 1951 season, but that quickly changed when he was brought back for the Robins’ second challenge match at Exeter on 26 March.
Obviously glad to have been reinstated, he celebrated his return three evenings later with a 16-point wonder-show in a National Trophy tie at Long Eaton. Aside from a couple of minor injuries, he held onto his place thereafter and posted several double-figure returns, including full 12-point maximums in home league encounters with Aldershot and Wolverhampton.
The Swindon side didn’t possess any superstars, but they did have five solid 7-point men in Buster Brown, Alex Gray, Hugh Geddes and Frank Evans, with the other of course being Malone, who increased his league figure to 7.35, having netted 226 points. During the year, his form was recognized internationally, when he was capped at England ‘C’ level in a three-match tour of Sweden.
Unfortunately, the Control Board underestimated the strength of the Swedes, only sending a team of second-string Third Division riders, plus Jeff Lloyd from Division One Harringay. Despite the fact that the English were dealt three real pastings, one success of the tour was Danny Malone, and in the final match at Arlöv, he top scored with 11 points out of the side’s total of 37.
He continued to be a stalwart of the Swindon team in 1952, the highlights including a fabulous 12-point maximum at Exeter of all places, in a league fixture on 6 August. A total of 193 race points yielded an almost identical league average to the season before of 7.37, as Malone filled second spot in the side’s end-of-season statistics.
The 1953 campaign was to be his big year in the sport, with a string of tall scores not only giving him an 8.15 average, but also the role of third heat-leader behind Ian Williams and late-season acquisition Mick Holland. Three maximums were plundered along the way in home clashes versus St Austell (twice) and Ipswich, while he again showed a penchant for the sweeping Exeter circuit, with scores of 9 and 10 points in the Robins’ two league visits.
Danny was unable to maintain such a high level of consistency in 1954, due mainly to ligament damage to his left knee that was sustained on a deeply rutted Blunsdon racing strip following the introduction of midget car racing that year. Despite the injury, he manfully continued to plug away and in fact only missed a couple of Southern Shield matches out of the Robins’ programme of forty-five meetings, including challenge matches.
That was testament to his strength of character although, as a result of his knee trouble, his league average dropped back to 6.32 which, under the circumstances was nonetheless a fine achievement. Just once was he able to put four rides together in a meeting, when notching a paid full-house (10+2 points) in a home Southern Shield match against Plymouth on 19 June but, ironically, this was later deleted from the records when the Devon outfit closed prematurely in July.
Still bothered by his troublesome knee, Malone’s scoring was to further tail-off in 1955, when he was only able to post an average of 4.93, having remained ever-present throughout the 32-match league programme. There were the odd flashes of brilliance, like when he raced to a paid 13 points as Swindon entertained Oxford in the Supporters’ Club Cup on 11 June but, by and large, any sort of consistency regrettably eluded him.
Malone again lined-up for the Robins in 1956 but – in only the sixth league match of the season – at home against Oxford on 12 May, he broke a wrist in a nasty crash and, coupled with his ongoing knee ligament problem, called it a day. He had been an excellent servant to the Swindon cause and was fondly remembered by many old-time supporters of his era.
Throughout his time in the saddle, Danny always did his own engine tuning and also made his own frames. After his retirement from racing, he returned to his normal work as a tool maker. He did maintain an interest in the sport, though, and went along to watch the re-formed Bristol Bulldogs – accompanied by his son, Terry – when they had a two-year stint at Eastville in 1977 and 1978.
He passed away in March 2001, aged 80, and in 2009, Malone’s son was happy to dispel the myth – which had perpetuated for many years – that Reg Witcomb had signed Danny for Swindon after seeing him practice in a nearby field. Indeed, Terry explained that the story always caused his father to chuckle.
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DATE OF BIRTH: 31 October 1920, Bristol.
He continued to be a stalwart of the Swindon team in 1952, the highlights including a fabulous 12-point maximum at Exeter of all places, in a league fixture on 6 August. A total of 193 race points yielded an almost identical league average to the season before of 7.37, as Malone filled second spot in the side’s end-of-season statistics.
Throughout his time in the saddle, Danny always did his own engine tuning and also made his own frames. After his retirement from racing, he returned to his normal work as a tool maker. He did maintain an interest in the sport, though, and went along to watch the re-formed Bristol Bulldogs – accompanied by his son, Terry – when they had a two-year stint at Eastville in 1977 and 1978.
