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Speedway ends in South Africa

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The last club to stage dirt-track motorcycle speedway in South Africa has given up its lease on the Walkerville Showground oval, bringing to an end 90 years of speedway in S.Africa.
Operating as a true riders' club, - besides an annual subscription, members paid an entrance fee to participate in meetings - , retirements and work relocations meant that in recent years, as numbers diminished, it had been Flat Track and Quad bikes that have kept monthly meeting going, albeit spasmodically. Yet still the club struggled, with the only the odd speedway demonstration heat in the Sunday afternoon race programme. Even so, these alternatives have not been enough.


The Speedway-SA website, originally built for the WSRC (Walkerville Speedway Riders Club,) for result reporting and communication, has been re-built to serve as an historical archive for the 90 year history of speedway in the country, plus an additional supplement added to capture and record speedway elsewhere in the African continent during that time, from Egypt to Lesotho, via Kenya, Mozambique, and the Rhodesias, (today's Zambia and Zimbabwe.)
http://www.speedway-sa.com/

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www.speedway-sa.com

Edited by britmet
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Very sad - I am fortunate enough to have seen Speedway at Walkerville but when I went in 2017 it was clear that it was struggling to survive and that Flat Track and Quads were much more viable options. Unfortunately, it is a sign of the times with Speedway pretty much worldwide as the same could be said of Canada and even some European countries much closer to home.

I'm glad I went when I did as I don't anticipate be able to watch Speedway in South Africa again.

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There have been many items in regard to the history of speedway and its riders on this thread over the years. It now looks, on the basis of reading this thread, that the sport has finally died there.

It will be interesting to see some comments in regard to South Africa's speedway associations with the sport in Britain. Their riders were active in British speedway, albeit in small way, from the late 1920s.

Now the Bell Tolls it seems and there will be no more speedway in South Africa.

http://www.speedway-sa.com/history-border.php

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A very interesting thread was started a few days ago by our SA expert,Britmet

 

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How long before we also hear the Bell Toll in the UK? On present trends - loss of stadiums, dealing spectator support, decline in mainstream publicity - within 10 years looks IMO a reasonable estimate.

Edited by Guest

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While speedway is in the doldrums in South Africa, short circuit car racing aka stock cars is flourishing. Currently a European Naional Hot Rod team is touring the Republic.

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All the best,but this is all current stuff,in fact your prediction or question on the future of UK speedway is the future.Not sure what it has to do with years gone by,which is probably why britmet put his thread in another section!!

Edited by iris123

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5 minutes ago, iris123 said:

All the best,but this is all current stuff,in fact your prediction or question on the future of UK speedway is the future.Not sure what it has to do with years gone by,which is probably why britmet put his thread in another section!!

A valid point iris123. I merely made a comment to mark what appears to be the end of speedway racing in South Africa. My subsequent comments on the present issues in the Republic are not of genuine historical reference.

I had no idea that britmet had made a modernistic reference to the end of South African speedway elsewhere because I do not pay much attention to the other BSF sections. 

If I have more observations to make in regard to South Africa I will ensure they have historical significance and are not of a contemporary nature. 

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Quite strangely the original thread is now here rather than the subsequent thread joining in the international section!!!

Speedway in SA seemed to be on the wane even back in the 70s,But was still a winter destination for some riders.Think Autrey,Woods And McKnight toured before making their appearance on the UK In 73

Edited by iris123

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6 hours ago, iris123 said:

A very interesting thread was started a few days ago by our SA expert,Britmet

 

What is going on? I spent 10 minutes trying to follow up the thread I was guided to in regard to South Africa. It had vanished. Now it appears to be placed here but there is a block on me in regard to it. Not your fault I know iris123 - looks like either the BSF Mod or britmet have me blocked for some reason.

Edited by Guest
spelling error.

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Maybe you are over the limit on warning points?I think you have 7 and maybe the limo is 6?

Edited by iris123

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3 hours ago, iris123 said:

Maybe you are over the limit on warning points?I think you have 7 and maybe the limo is 6?

You are correct re warning points iris123. But the last was given several years ago - they are not new additions. Most of them go back to 'awards' made some five years ago. In most forums which have this archaic (IMO) system a so-called Award is terminated after some two years. 

On the matter of the message block I reported, that problem seems to have rescinded and I now view that thread.

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On 2/2/2019 at 12:46 PM, britmet said:

The last club to stage dirt-track motorcycle speedway in South Africa has given up its lease on the Walkerville Showground oval, bringing to an end 90 years of speedway in S.Africa.
Operating as a true riders' club, - besides an annual subscription, members paid an entrance fee to participate in meetings - , retirements and work relocations meant that in recent years, as numbers diminished, it had been Flat Track and Quad bikes that have kept monthly meeting going, albeit spasmodically. Yet still the club struggled, with the only the odd speedway demonstration heat in the Sunday afternoon race programme. Even so, these alternatives have not been enough.


The Speedway-SA website, originally built for the WSRC (Walkerville Speedway Riders Club,) for result reporting and communication, has been re-built to serve as an historical archive for the 90 year history of speedway in the country, plus an additional supplement added to capture and record speedway elsewhere in the African continent during that time, from Egypt to Lesotho, via Kenya, Mozambique, and the Rhodesias, (today's Zambia and Zimbabwe.)
http://www.speedway-sa.com/

title-banner.jpg

www.speedway-sa.com

Full viewing restored for me again! O the  (sometimes) wonder of BSF threads and Links.

Edited by Guest

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Interesting reading,that speedway SA site.I didn’t realize Byron Becker’s UK career was so long and interesting to see a few of the old Dons like Andy Galvin and Mike Ferreira there

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5 hours ago, iris123 said:

Quite strangely the original thread is now here rather than the subsequent thread joining in the international section!!!

A puzzle indeed. I put my post originally on the International section, as it is a statement, not of yesterday, but of today, . .about the current situation in SA, as of Jan. 2019 !
.
http://www.speedway-sa.com/

Edited by britmet
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