50 Days of Speedway - Sunderland in 1964

As the revival of speedway racing in Britain gathered pace in the 1960s, two experienced promoters introduced the sport to Wearside for the first time. The Sunderland Saints speedway team was only on track for 50 days in 1964, from a wet opening night on Tuesday, 21st April, until a controversial closure was announced to a stunned crowd during the meeting on Tuesday, 9th June. This is an account of life in Sunderland at the time, with a focus on the short existence of the speedway team. The authors examine the reasons for closure and how it ultimately benefitted two other teams in the league which were under the same ownership and management as the Sunderland Saints. The book encompasses other sports in the town and reflects on the social and political landscape of the era as well as taking an in-depth look at speedway politics in the early 1960s.