Crabtree rode in the
top two tiers of British Speedway from 1977 to 1996, riding for various clubs. In 1977, as a 16 year old, he made his
Newcastle Diamonds debut but suffered serious injuries after crashing in March. He was unconscious for five minutes and sustained a broken collarbone and three ribs and a pelvis injury. In 1984, he won the
National League Pairs, partnering
Tom Owen for the
Stoke Potters, during the
1984 National League season. In 1987, he finished runner-up in the
National League Riders' Championship. He was regarded as one of the leading National League riders at the time, consistently finishing in the top ten averages. In 1989, he won the
National League Pairs for the second time, partnering
Eric Monaghan for Stoke, during the
1989 National League season. == References ==