Golden Helmet

[Old Saint]

The original Golden Helmet match races were always held before the meeting started. I can remember that they caused a lot of excitement part of which was due, I think, to the fact that they were only held once a month and therefore held a great deal of prestige for the riders and the track holding the event.

[tomcat]

The original Golden Helmet match races were always held before the meeting started. I can remember that they caused a lot of excitement part of which was due, I think, to the fact that they were only held once a month and therefore held a great deal of prestige for the riders and the track holding the event.

 

Exactly Old Saint, my sentiments to a tee.

What I want to say doesn't always come out well on these

forums...

 

Just thinking back to those match races brings back some

cracking memories.

[Old Saint]

Exactly Old Saint, my sentiments to a tee.

What I want to say doesn't always come out well on these

forums...

 

Just thinking back to those match races brings back some

cracking memories.

 

My memories of the Golden Helmet go back to the 50s and 60s I never saw any in the 70s so I cannot comment.

 

Certainly in the 50s and 60s, a Golden Helmet challenge was regarded as something special and was definitely looked forward to by supporters.

[tomcat]

My memories of the Golden Helmet go back to the 50s and 60s I never saw any in the 70s so I cannot comment.

 

Certainly in the 50s and 60s, a Golden Helmet challenge was regarded as something special and was definitely looked forward to by supporters.

 

As it was in the 70's too. The competition still had a lot of prestige

for the riders and fans. What also made it special was that some

unfancied riders could come along and take the Helmet from a

more established rider.

Unfortunately, my era's for the Golden helmet are a complete

reverse of yours, I never saw the 50's or 60's as I didn't come

along until 1963, my first meeting was when Ipswich re-opened

in 1969. But I've heard many many stories about the way

speedway was back then.

I get called a dinosaur on here, but oh for those days back again.

[Old Saint]

.....

I get called a dinosaur on here, but oh for those days back again.

 

It may considered a trait of the old but I do not agree with the general idea that because something is old it is not as good as its modern equivalent. Personally I think that modern speedway could still learn a great deal from looking back and trying some of the things from "yesteryear".

[Trees]

It may considered a trait of the old but I do not agree with the general idea that because something is old it is not as good as its modern equivalent. Personally I think that modern speedway could still learn a great deal from looking back and trying some of the things from "yesteryear".

100% ....................... the old promoters were more inventive/intuitive were they not, as were the riders probably!

[Old Saint]

100% ....................... the old promoters were more inventive/intuitive were they not, as were the riders probably!

 

The promoters of old regarded speedway as being entertainment as well as sport and as promoters of such, they tried to entertain the public. Unfortunately speedway now suffers from the same affliction that has helped to ruin many another sport - "win at all costs".

[tomcat]

The promoters of old regarded speedway as being entertainment as well as sport and as promoters of such, they tried to entertain the public. Unfortunately speedway now suffers from the same affliction that has helped to ruin many another sport - "win at all costs".

 

Absolutely agree with your good self and Trees.

I laugh my socks off at some of the younger posters on here, they

think they know everything about speedway, but if they could have

seen how the sport was run in those past days, maybe they wouldn't

be so damn smug.

The trouble is, they see a couple of clips from past years on YouTube

and think thats it. There was so much more to our sport and unfortunately

the younger generation just will not see, or accept, that there is much to

be learn't from those Golden Days.

 

Mind you, its not just speedway thats a Money orientated, win at all

costs thing. I just had the best laugh in years this past weekend.

I run a small WW2 Living History group, we try to do many of our

shows for little or no fee. There is a former club of mine, who charge

ridiculous amounts for even the smallest show, but they came unstuck

this time. Approached the Royal British Legion, who have their 90th

Anniversary next year, to do a show for them. The Legion Secretary

asked how much they charge, when told the figure, which I am reliably

told was near £2,000 for an afternoon, they were politely told where to

get off. We have been contacted by the same guy at the Legion, our fee?

Absolutely 100% free. The whole point of what we do is to honour those

that fought in any conflict, although our particular area of interest is WW2.

How on earth the other lot can justify charging our Veterans that amount

is beyond me and also disrespects the memory of those that have fallen.

 

Sorry, that was off topic, but I had to share that with someone, as it made

my day.

[Bavarian]

The original Golden Helmet match races were always held before the meeting started. I can remember that they caused a lot of excitement part of which was due, I think, to the fact that they were only held once a month and therefore held a great deal of prestige for the riders and the track holding the event.

 

THE match race championship, which was rewarded with the golden helmet, used to be one of the highest prizes to be won in British speedway. That's why it was such a draw with the crowd in the old days. I think it all began in 1930, and was initially designed as the world match race championship, but since the ACU would not sanction such an ambitious title, it reverted to become the British match race championship.

 

This used to be a contest similar to how boxing world championships are decided, the champ defends his title against a nominated challenger.

 

Speedway and Boxing have some similarities, not least that both sports/businesses are run by promoters.

 

The old system of monthly challenges for the Golden Helmet Match Race Championship was far better than the inflated version they had in the sixties or seventies, when the holder had to defend the helmet and weekly challenges, somtimes within 24 hours after he had won it. This was simply too much and people, as well as the media, got an overdose and did no longer give it as much attention as it used to get when there were only monthly challenges.

 

In the old days, the media had time to preview and build up such events and people used to know who would be challenging for the helmet, as it was raced for monthly on a home-and-away basis at the holder and challenger's track, with a neutral track decider if neccessary. And to make it lucrative for the riders, there was money for the holder as long as he kept it, even through the winter.

 

For example, in 1949 at Birmingham, some 44,000 people turned up to see the match between Graham Warren and Jack Parker. It was promoted just like a big boxing bout. Those were the days.

[Wolfsbane]

<!--quoteo(post=1583626:date=Aug 31 2009, 03:21 PM:name=T.N.T.)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (T.N.T. @ Aug 31 2009, 03:21 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1583626"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->The Golden Helmet was always a good extra to a meeting but these days riders finish heat 15, get showered and then off to the next meeting. They don't need any extra ware and tear on equipment and would want paying for these extra rides.

 

Although it would be nice, I cant see it happening but maybe another idea would be to include heat 15 results in a competition.

 

At the end of the season, the top two riders with the most race points from each track would then be selected for the ELRC (bottom two as reserves) where the trophy could be the Golden Helmet.

 

Otherwise, you could have the top rider at each track go forward to a Golden Helmet meeting held at say Cardiff (on the Sunday) or even alongside the Silver Helmet with the meeting held at a central track like Birmingham, Coventry or Wolves.

 

You would then have 9 top EL riders competing in three groups of three for the Golden Helmet and 14 top PL riders competing in groups. All races would be match races with the meeting lasting about 40 heats of two riders.If you could get on average 100 fans from each track, thats a pretty good crowd and help pay for the prize money as well as making it a charity meeting for injured riders.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

 

 

that has to be the most deluded confusing suggestion ever contrieved.

 

That's our TNT for you

 

He's a harmless old cove really and where speedway is concerned his heart's in the right place

 

Just has a problem with the grey matter sometimes

[BritPete]

This was a huge event in it's time, but that time has now passed. Even in the 1960s, riders' had problems fitting the meetings in, and often would over-run into the next month. Imagine the problems there would be now! It's best left to rest in peace.

[Bruiser McHuge]

the 70's and 80's best of 3 home and away Golden Helmet monthly challenges were fantastic and really prestigious to hold...i know Peter Collins rates holding the Golden Helmet for a whole season as one of his best achievements..that's how prestigious it was at the time..

The challenges actually resulted in incresed attendances and riders were willing to travel, even if they were not actually involved in the following meeting...amazing really...it just wouldn't happen these days..

My memories are that i loved the Golden Helmet and really looked forward to the monthly challenges...i was lucky in that Peter Collins and later Chris Morton both held the Helmet for lengthy periods so i got to see plenty of challenges and there was something different about a Match Race, especially ones that riders took so seriously.

i remember Dave Jessup coming to Hyde Road to challenge Peter Collins and having both races in the bag only to break down in both when well in front and losing 2-0....typical DJ !!

I also remember Chris Morton going to Kings Lynn to race Jessup after winning the Hyde Road races...the local Piccadilly Radio actually sent a reporter to report live on the match races, even though Belle Vue were not in the following meeting..Morton won and i remember listening to it on the radio.....that's how big the thing was at the time

Sadly those days have gone..it saddens me to see the number of stars no longer racing in Britain and those who are left would never travel to a meeting for 2 match races, and even if they did they would want a huge guarantee to do so.....so it will never come back and the after meeting race never had any impact for me...it was a pale shadow of the true Golden Helmet that i was brought up with.

[stratton]

Be great to get the helmet match races back, would be brilliant I have seen Ashby v Jansson, Crump v Penhall Collins and Lee S Moran v Lee great days.

[BritPete]

The old monthly challenge really was something special. During the era of the "big five" most of the match races featured them and on several occasions a new track record would be set up. Even in those days though, there were problems in getting the races completed within the month, and I distinctly remember Ove Fundin having to forfeit his title (against Peter Craven, maybe?) because of his fixtures in Sweden. My opinion is, that this once highly prestigious championship, should be confined to the memory.

[Mixy230]

How come Holder gets to race in every Golden helmet race? He will get tired!!!!!!

[P T Preece]

I remember a great one between Hans Nielsen(Birmingham) and Bruce Penhall(cradley) at perry barr, the yank was all over Hans but couldent find away past him, on the closest races Ive ever seen, good old days indeed.

[A ORLOV]

There were two or three great races at Swindon with Phil Crump being the holder or contender.

[John Ernest Holland]

dangle a big fat pay cheque for the holder and the riders nominated would find the time proof those riders who race in the russian league nightmare for travel even today but are paid big money for it

[stratton]

There were two or three great races at Swindon with Phil Crump being the holder or contender.

Great occasions against Collins ( stadium packed) Mike Lee, Bruce Penhall, did he race against the mighty Shawn Moran? i think so?

[EnglishRoundabout]

I seem to recall John Louis against Martin Ashby at Blunsdon. 'Tiger' was in his prime so it must have been around 1975. I remember a fantastic tense atmosphere but with Louis coming out on top.