I learned that this man may have raced at the TT probably before the second world war. Wonder if anyone can confirm. He became a speedway and midget car competitor at Belle Vue, came to Australia for health reasons 50 years ago and died recently in North Queensland at 98.

No record of him on the iomtt database, but Elwyn might know?

The TT database, like the old Shell-BP History of the TT (& the Manx!) lists only those riders who actually started in a race.

Those who entered but non-started, even though they may have practised, do not feature.

Howvever, if we assume that Stanley was born in 1907, then we may look in the entry lists from, say, 1927 to 1939.

Sorry, I can't find him in any of these as published in the magazines of the time, so it looks as if he wasn't a TT rider.

There is an article from Manchester on-line on the link below about Acorn.
He also appeared on John Players cigarette cards of Speedway riders in 1937.
Hard to imagine he was as old as the TT.

<A HREF="http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk/news/s/138/138272_farewell_to_speedway_legend_dobson.html">http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk/news/s/138/138272_farewell_to_speedway_legend_dobson.html</A>

Is it possible that the man entered under a nom de plume or false name?
My old pal Bill Whittingham did just that in the IoM Manx GP, for reasons of privacy.
Sounds like a great character, Acorn!

Thanks everyone. The mystery deepens. Yes, I have known of a few speedway riders who used a different name when competing for various reasons. This could be a possibility.