Red And Yellow

[Split]

The flag of Vietnam, or "red flag with a gold star", was designed in 1940 and used during an uprising against French rule in Southern Vietnam that year. It was officially adopted on November 30, 1955.

 

Wimbledon speedway operated from Plough Lane from 1929. Can anybody confirm that those famous red and yellow colours were in use in South London long before the Vietnamese adopted the insignia?

[norbold]

The yellow star on red was certainly used by Wimbledon in the 1930s.

[Ovalman]

Paul Weller displayed that flag years ago on stage, could have been a speedway fan, or someone in Nam could have followed the famous souf London club.

[cityrebel]

Give or take a year, I think the yellow star was first used by the dons on their race jackets in 1937.

[iris123]

The Soviet flag with the red background(to commemorate the red flag of Paris Commune,1971)and red star with gold border from 1923 was the inspiration for other communist countries flags i.e Vietnam,China and PR of Congo.But doubt anyone at Plough Lane was a Communist?

 

But in nearby Battersea North they did have a Communist MP from 1924-1929 and he was still active in the area into the 1930s

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shapurji_Saklatvala

Edited September 20, 2016 by iris123

[chunky]

Give or take a year, I think the yellow star was first used by the dons on their race jackets in 1937.

I have read elsewhere that 1937 was the first year, and certainly, there is clear evidence that the star was in use in 1937, In the famous set of John Player cigarette cards from that year, Eric Collins is pictured with the now familiar body-colour.

 

Steve

[cityrebel]

I have read elsewhere that 1937 was the first year, and certainly, there is clear evidence that the star was in use in 1937, In the famous set of John Player cigarette cards from that year, Eric Collins is pictured with the now familiar body-colour.

 

Steve

hi Steve, I'm going by my pre war postcard collection. I have several from 1937, prior to that I think the dons rode in a plain red jacket.

[norbold]

Yes, I have photos of Dons' teams and riders with the star in late 1930s photos. 1937 sounds right to me based on my own collection.

[BOBBATH]

Yes, its a little known fact of history that Ho Chi Minh was an early Dons fan-used to stand by the starting gate!!!!

[iris123]

Yes, its a little known fact of history that Ho Chi Minh was an early Dons fan-used to stand by the starting gate!!!!

Could well have popped into Plough Lane whilst visiting the Communist MP for Battersea North

 

Just a question of whether WJ Cearns,who was from the East End of London was a socialist and that is why the Dons rode with the racing version of the red flag.And was Ronnie Greene a Communist and went that step further and introduced the yellow star to the red flag? Let's not forget the times.....1936 and the Soviet Union had boycotted the Berlin Olympics an we had the Communist party organising the counter-protest against the facists in Cable Street.Then in early 1937 we had the Soviet Union getting involved in the Spanish Civil War and many British socialists and communists volunteering to fight against the facists and in Stepney the Communist Phil Piratin was elected onto the borough council

 

 

On the other hand Ronnie might have been a horse racing fan and taken a liking to a jockeys racing colours

[cityrebel]

Ronnie Greene's other club Bristol also had a star on their race jackets in the late 1930's.

[iris123]

Ronnie Greene's other club Bristol also had a star on their race jackets in the late 1930's.

And what about Shelbourne in Dublin? I know they had a shamrock on the race jackets,but there are also programmes with a star on them.Maybe they also had a star on the race jacket in 1951/52?

 

http://www.defunctspeedway.co.uk/Dublin%20Shelbourne%20Park.htm

[chunky]

hi Steve, I'm going by my pre war postcard collection. I have several from 1937, prior to that I think the dons rode in a plain red jacket.

Of course, that same set includes Vic Huxley, pictured in plain red, and he retired at the end of the 1936 season.

 

Steve