Activities per year
Abstract
For a century, speedway has operated on a transnational basis. Its riders, competitions and machinery regularly traverse national and continental borders. The imposition of the Cold War's Iron Curtain did little to impede its growth. This article focuses on one of speedway's far-flung and diverse provincial heartlands to show how the sport generated frequent transnational and transsystemic interactions and forged deep relationships that often stood in contrast to the prevailing trends of international politics. As one of speedway's ‘entangled peripheries’, rural East Anglia owes a debt of gratitude to Australasian pioneers. From the 1950s—decades before imported talent became commonplace in football—the region welcomed Scandinavian and Eastern Bloc riders and hosted visiting clubs and national representations from across the continent. Later, East Anglia became a bridgehead for the successful assault of communist-built machinery on the Western market. These bold endeavours were not without controversy, as British riders voiced objections to foreign men and machines deemed a threat to their livelihoods. The Cold War's end accelerated existing trends and also created exciting new opportunities for itinerant East Anglians abroad. Archival material, conversations with the sport's foreign trailblazers and fans, Swedish and Czechoslovak sources, photographs and official publications serve to demonstrate speedway's enduring ability to forge unexpected ties and give voice to regions at the so-called margins of twentieth-century history.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 335-366 |
Number of pages | 32 |
Journal | History - The Journal of the Historical Association |
Volume | 109 |
Issue number | 386-387 |
Early online date | 1 Aug 2024 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Sep 2024 |
Keywords
- Motorsport
- Cold War
- Entangled Peripheries
- Labour Migration
- East Anglia
- Scandinavia
- Eastern Bloc
- Trade
Activities
- 4 Other
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'Racing in the East' at Diss heritage Transport Festival
Richard Mills (Organiser)
22 Sep 2024Activity: Other activity types › Other
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'Racing in the East' at King's Lynn Stars Speedway Club
Richard Mills (Organiser)
2 Sep 2024Activity: Other activity types › Other
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'Racing in the East' at Ipswich Witches Speedway Club
Richard Mills (Organiser)
29 Aug 2024Activity: Other activity types › Other
Press/Media
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'Russian Revolution', Speedway Star - Article on East Anglian and Eastern Bloc speedway
5/10/24
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Media Coverage or Contribution
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BBC Local Radio - 'Racing in the East' Exhibition Interview
25/08/24
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Media Coverage or Contribution
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Exhibition explores East Anglia's international impact through speedway
22/08/24 → 23/08/24
3 items of Media coverage
Press/Media: Media Coverage or Contribution