Springburn Virtual Museum

Community life

Speedway programme, Ashfield Stadium, Jun 1950

There was a craze for the new sport of speedway in the 1950s, inspired by stars such as Ken le Breton, Merv Harding and Jackie Gates. The usual venue for this sport of dirt-track motorbike racing was the Ashfield Stadium in Hawthorn Street, and the team based there was the Ashfield Giants.

This programme is for a derby clash with their Glasgow rivals, the Glasgow Tigers, who were based at White City, near Ibrox. On this occasion the Giants lost 52-56. The Giants' next tie was against Sheffield in the second round of the National Trophy. Admission to this was three shillings and sixpence.

Ashfield Stadium is also a greyhound racing venue, where betting is certainly permitted. An extremely successful social club, which once housed a dance hall called the Lorne, is attached to the sports stadium.

Source: Glasgow City Archives