June Briggs, devoted wife of former Southampton Speedway legend Barry, has lost her six-month battle against cancer.

Junie, who was regarded by fans, riders and promoters as Speedway's "First Lady", died at home in Los Angeles.

Junie moved to Bitterne with husband Barry and two young boys Gary and Tony in the early 1960s when Briggo, as his thousands of adoring fans came to know him, became a star overnight at the then famous Banister Court Stadium, situated near Stag Gates off the Avenue in Southampton.

Junie, along with many other riders wives, was a regular face in the Grandstand at Banister Court on a Tuesday night, when as many as 17,000 people would pack the stadium.

"It took a very special kind of guy to be a speedway rider and it took a very special kind of girl that wanted to be married to one," said friend David Croucher.

"Junie was one of those special ladies and her warmth and generous nature earned her the respect of fans at speedway tracks all over the world."

For a period of well over 40 years, Junie watched husband Barry race on every continent.

Rarely was there a season that went by when there wasn't a fatality in the sport, and serious injuries were a regular occurrence.

Junie watched in horror at the 1973 World Final at Wembley as Barry was involved in a horrendous crash and suffered very serious hand injuries.

These injuries subsequently resulted in the loss of his index finger on his left hand.

Barry announced his retirement twice towards the latter part of his career, but was coerced into racing again by both Wimbledon and Hull.

Junie not only had to worry about her husband during his racing career, but also Tony, who followed in his father's footsteps as soon as he was old enough and took to the track for the Reading Racers in 1980.

Tony's illustrious but short career never blossomed into the "like father like son" fairy tale that it could have been. As the speedway world woke up to the idea that Tony could be as great as his father, tragedy struck the Briggs family and Tony suffered near fatal injuries when he broke his neck in a racing accident.

Barry Briggs had helped take the Saints speedway team to the National League title in 1962.

Amongst other notable achievements, which include being awarded an MBE in 1973 for his services to sport, Briggs notched up an amazing string of World Final appearances and won the World Speedway Individual Riders' Championship four times.

He appeared in every World Final from 1955 to 1970, finishing in the top three ten times over the period.

With Junie by his side, Barry, now aged 68, competed from the early 50s until as recently as 2002 when he staged, with the help of sons Tony and Gary, the last of the World famous "Briggo's Golden Greats".

Junie was cremated in the USA and a memorial service is planned in the UK in the early part of the new year.