John Berry

William John Berry (16 October 1944 – 3 August 2012), better known as John Berry, was a speedway promoter, team manager, and writer who revived the Ipswich Witches in 1969 and managed the England national speedway team during three spells, from 1975 to 1976, 1977 to 1978 and again from 1984 to 1985.

Biography Berry was born in Westminster Hospital in 1944 and grew up in Edmonton. He was educated at the Edmonton County Grammar School before studying for a degree in Food Technology. Their application for a licence to compete in the second division of the British League was initially turned down by fellow promoters as they were considered to lack sufficient experience, but later accepted, and Ipswich joined the top division in 1972, taking the place of West Ham Hammers. In the mid-1980s he was considered for a position in overall charge of the British speedway, but did not get the full support of fellow promoters. He was instrumental in introducing Billy Sanders to British speedway in 1972, and after Sanders' death in 1985, Berry retired from his position as Ipswich promoter.

Publications Confessions of a Speedway Promoter (2004) More Confessions (2004) Sliding into Hell (2005) (fiction)