1930s Speedway / Grass-Track trophies coming to auction

Our 17th March Music, Film & Sport Memorabilia auction includes a collection of early Speedway / Grass-Track Racing trophies and badges awarded to Roland Albert Scott a.k.a. “No.69”

The majority of these trophies date from the early 1930s and include races put on by the North London Motor Club and staged at Barnet Speedway. This grass and cinders track was used from 1929 until 1936 and attracted thousands of spectators and competitors during the early boom years of Grass-Track Speedway.

Speedway took off as a competitive sport in the UK after the First World War when technological advances and mass production led to increased availability of motorcycles to the general public.

When the Auto Cycle Union banned racing on public roads in 1925, many riders clubbed together to hire privately-owned grass fields (after the harvest had been collected), which naturally led to dedicated clubs and racetracks being established in the late 1920s.

Roland Albert Scott was a keen amateur competitor from these early beginnings – and was clearly very successful. The collection (lots 1246-1260) comprises 30 trophies and 15 medals - including this silver star awarded to racers of the Brands Hatch Combine who won a race at over 50mph.

Early Speedway racers became stars in their own right and were commemorated on cigarette cards, while championships were reported on in the National press. Despite ebbs and flows in the popularity of the races, it is now a major competitive sport with many branches of contests and an annual Speedway World Cup.