His first attempt at speedway, in 1963, was thwarted when his bike was stolen and he did not resume the sport until 1966. In 1967, he signed for Exeter Falcons and managed three appearances for them in that season. A good season for Rayleigh resulted in a full-time contract for Hackney.
Crayford held a Testimonial Season for Etheridge in 1982,
His last race was at Newcastle for Canterbury in 1983.
Post-speedway, he worked in Industrial Plumbing and Central Heating.
He was a Crayford regular for 8 years, achieving nearly 300 league and cup appearances as a Kestrel. Notable performances: England v Russia (1974) National League Riders Champion (1975) National League series Great Britain v Denmark (1978) - there was also a series against Australia National League Four Team Tournament (1980) Testimonial Year Crayford Kestrels v England (1982) In the 1975 National League Riders Championship at Wimbledon, the final race was between him and Brian Collins (speedway rider) where Collins came off in the first lap and Etheridge rode a solitary four laps to be crowned champion.
