Message from David Howe

DAVID HOWE, Scunthorpe’s all-time leading points scorer and former skipper, has posted the following on his Facebook page today, and has given permission to us to reproduce here. Good luck for the future, David, from all your friends at Scunthorpe Speedway.

I have been debating whether to write this or not, as if my life has any consequence to other people’s, but in the end I decided that some people may be interested and also it may be good for myself.

I have come to the difficult decision to finish my racing career, there are a couple of reasons for this and I will do my best to explain.

As many know I have been carrying injuries to both shoulders for a few years now but the initial injury to my right shoulder has gradually been getting worse. To be honest, the rider that went down at Worcester that day never made it off the track, I have never been the same since and physically I cannot do the things on a bike that I used to be able to do. I have tried to get back to where I was but unfortunately that goal hasn’t been achieved.

I am now at a stage where I am fed up of being in pain. I have sat back and watched so many riders suffering severe injuries and I keep asking myself do I want to get hurt again? The answer, I know, always no.

A few years ago I started to stress about what I would do when I stopped racing, it has been all I have ever known so we started to prepare for the day that it would come, I just didn’t plan on it being so soon.

Some riders are lucky enough to make good money from racing, most however scrape a living and break even, I fall into the later. I am one of the lucky ones that has found something away from racing that I enjoy and pays the bills, many riders carry on because it is all they know, in this regard I feel lucky that I now have a job that I enjoy, so the transition hasn’t been too difficult. I didn’t want to be that rider who carries on just because it’s all I have ever know, slowly slipping down the ranks, I can bow out with a small amount of dignity and self-respect.

I could write a book about all my experiences throughout my career, on and off track, it’s been an amazing ride. I have been fortunate that my three “main” clubs have been well run and a pleasure to ride for.

Peterborough, I was taken under Peter Oakes wing and he helped me not only as a rider but as a person, for his help early on in my career was amazing and for this I will be ever grateful. If Peter hadn’t left Peterborough I imagine I would still have been there now.

I had many good years at Wolves, even though I had a love/hate relationship with the crowd at times, those years were mostly great and ’07 will always be a special time for me.

Then onto Scunthorpe Speedway, I loved it there, my home. Rob and Gail Godfrey are two of the greatest people I have met and I hope, certainly in the first three years I did you proud. One of the hardest things I have ever had to do was race against Scunthorpe but I hope you and all the fans understand that I needed to have one last go.

Just a quick thank you to all at Glasgow speedway, we knew I wasn’t fit but not to the extent, thank for making me feel so welcome and sorry it didn’t work out. Also to another guy, Aaron Lanney, a tough year at Oxford Cheetahs but a great guy and I’m pleased to have ridden for you.

Racing has taken me all over the world, in the last few years I have enjoyed my time doing grass and long track, going to some of the iconic tracks had been amazing.

I have met some great people through the sport, if it hadn’t been for racing I wouldn’t have met Jaye Stevens, who even though he lives in Oz, we are still close mates.

I met Joanne Howe at Wolves but I suppose things can’t always be good.

Lastly thank you to my mum Janet Howe and to my dad, without both of you none of this would have been possible, and dad we started this together and we finished it together.

I now move on to a new chapter in life but I am actively seeking a role in the sport and thanks to Tracey Cossar I hope I can give something back to the sport via the ACU and maybe the FIM, who knows.

Anyone who knows me well knows I’m not that emotional so the fact this is hard to write says how much the sport has meant to me. I know I have never been the best or a world champion but I hope people will remember me for giving all to my clubs and whenever I have represented GB and one day I think I will look back and be proud of my achievements.

This does feel like I am writing an obituary, which I suppose I am as I’m laying my career to rest but as a great man once wrote, it’s better to burn out than fade away…….