Historic Speedway Trophy Finds New Home at National Museum

The Daily Mail National Speedway Trophy, a significant artifact in the sport's history, will now be accessible to the public after being loaned to the National Speedway Museum in Broxbourne, Hertfordshire. The trophy, which was last contested in 1964, has been in storage for years.

Daily Mail chairman Lord Rothermere presented the trophy to Bert Harkins, chairman of the World Speedway Riders’ Association, at the company’s London offices on Tuesday. The trophy itself is a detailed silver and pewter model depicting a rider cornering with their foot out.

"It does not belong in my cupboard," Lord Rothermere stated. "It belongs to speedway and to people who compete in the sport and love the sport." The trophy was previously displayed in the reception area of the Daily Mail’s former printworks at Surrey Quays.

Graham Read, a speedway enthusiast and fundraiser, expressed hope that the trophy's public display could inspire a new Champions League-style competition with the trophy as the prize. The Daily Mail National Speedway Trophy was awarded to leading speedway teams between 1931 and 1964, with Oxford being the final winners.

The Daily Mail National Speedway Trophy is recognized as one of sport's iconic prizes, placing it alongside other notable trophies such as the Stanley Cup, The Ashes, the Wanamaker Trophy, The Claret Jug, the Champions League trophy, the Vince Lombardi Trophy, the FIFA World Cup, the Gentleman’s Singles Trophy at Wimbledon, and the Calcutta Cup.