TRIBUTES have been paid to a much-loved former Hull speedway rider.
Tony Childs died at the age of 71 after a glittering career with Hull Vikings.
His daughter Lyndsey used Hull Viking's Facebook page to inform the fans of her father's death.
She posted: "I am very sad to announce that my dad Tony Childs has peacefully passed away at home.
"His best days were spent as a Viking and he always had a story to tell. He will be sadly missed."
Former Vikings promoter Dave McCoy said he was shocked and saddened to hear Mr Childs had died on Friday.
"Tony was a very entertaining and very talented rider who put everything into every race," he said.
"He was one of the best riders to compete in the sport and, not only that, he was one of the sport's best characters.
"He will be sorely missed by a lot of people."
Mr McCoy, 52, of east Hull, rode alongside Mr Childs in the Scunthorpe speedway team and said he was a fierce competitor both on and off the track.
"He didn't take any prisoners and was a very hard rider," he said.
"He was nicknamed 'Spear Childs' because he used to dive underneath other riders into the first corner and force other competitors wide.
"Tony was a special rider and he was always very popular with the fans because of his riding style but, it's fair to say, his opponents weren't his biggest fans.
"He once aggravated the fans at Workington so much that he had to get a police escort out of the town."
Mr Childs raced for the Vikings from 1971 until 1974 and was a regular visitor to the team's new home at Craven Park after it moved from the Boulevard.
Trevor Nicholson was a regular visitor to the Boulevard to watch Tony in action. He said: "He will long be remembered for his on-track tussles and controversial incidents, which provided the fans with constant entertainment week after week at the Boulevard.
"My best memory of Tony, and there are many, was when we rode against Boston and one of their riders had tried to have a go at Tony during the race, so when they had crossed the finish line Tony carried on racing for a lap and a half chasing Carl Glover before putting him in the fence on turn one only to find out after the race that it was Jim Ryman that had tried to do the same to Tony during the race."
No funeral arrangements have been announced yet.
