1957 Warning - Is Speedway Failing?

[Guest]

A warning about the pending failure of speedway. 'The Motor Cycle' October 3, 1957:

item forward by Gary Tong:

Edited September 11, 2017 by Guest

[foamfence 2,917]

And?

[Guest]

 

A warning about the pending failure of speedway. 'The Motor Cycle' October 3, 1957:

item forward by Gary Tong:

 

 

 

And?

 

????? The quoted article now 60 years old has been proved very wrong.

Edited September 12, 2017 by Guest

[foamfence 2,917]

 

 

 

????? The quoted article now 60 years old has been proved very wrong.

I would think 'slightly' instead of 'very' might be nearer the mark. There are currently several clubs that are running at a loss, it's only funding from other sources that keeps them going. I imagine there are more, so if they all go under, who knows what will happen?

[Guest]

 

 

 

????? The quoted article now 60 years old has been proved very wrong.

 

 

I would think 'slightly' instead of 'very' might be nearer the mark. There are currently several clubs that are running at a loss, it's only funding from other sources that keeps them going. I imagine there are more, so if they all go under, who knows what will happen?

 

 

I concede to your extremely valid observation foamfence. I did consider placing the Post under Speedway News and Discussions in the thread How Many Of Us Are Losing Interest.? but felt as there was an historical aspect that it might be better placed on this Forum. I am not so sure now.

Edited September 12, 2017 by Guest

[Chadster 221]

Seems a valid original posting to me. Quite a few posts suggest that speedway is currently at its lowest ebb, but things were a lot worse in the late 50s/early 60s. Maybe the solutions then might be valid now. It's also worth pointing out that 10 years after the article was published, the second division was established and fuelled a great boom in British speedway. So things can change dramatically over a relatively short period of time.

[waiheke1 4,295]

I think it's a very interesting post. Wish Gustix posted more of this kind of thing.

Seems to be recirrring theme that speedway is in decline.

Certainly in the 80s there were. Pmplsints aboutctooany foreign riders, rules too complicated, decreasing crowds, bikes getting faster and racing getting worse etc etc. basically the same complaints as today.

So I guess this article proves that speedway has been in decline for 6o+ years, but is still going. The GP series to me showcases speedway better than anything in my lifetime anyway (exception I will grant the 81wprkd final, even if the racing was not as good as you see in most GPS, though the penhall races were exceptional). And the Poole meeting last night shows how good donestic speedway can be, albeit in front of much smaller crowds than 60 years ago.

[norbold 7,106]

I think it is true that speedway was at its lowest ebb in 1957 and 58 after Wembley closed at the end of 1956. The revival began in 1959 and then in 1960 with the return of New Cross to the capital under Johnnie Hoskins and the formation of the Provincial League, thanks mainly to Mike Parker and Reg Fearman. I know TWK won't agree with this but maybe what the sport needs now are characters with the drive and determination like Hoskins and Parker.

[Sotonian 610]

Those revivals wouldn't be so easy now though.

They were possible due to a raft of suitable venues, either previously dormant or e.g existing greyhound stadia, being available.

[Guest]

This was a period when the sport saw magazines like 'Monthly Speedway World', 'Monthly Speedway Star,' 'Speedway Reporter,' 'Monthly Speedway Reporter,' 'Broadsider' and 'Speedway Gazette' cease publication.

'Speedway News' was bought by 'Speedway Star' and led for some years to a composite 'Speedway Star & News' title, although subsequently the 'News' linked vanished and 'Speedway Star' continued in its own right.

'Speedway World' continued for some years but linked its attention also to stock car racing and was, as I recall, until it ceased publication in the early 1960s was known as 'Speedway and Stock Car World.'

[25yearfan 476]

Those revivals wouldn't be so easy now though.

They were possible due to a raft of suitable venues, either previously dormant or e.g existing greyhound stadia, being available.

And also financing a rider wanting to try his/her luck at speedway racing is much more expensive now than what it was in the late 50's.

 

A revival is not impossible but very, very difficult in this modern age of many other attractions and kids nowadays more interested in looking at screens!