Hundreds of spectators flocked to Bagshot Heath in Surrey on March 24, 2024, to witness the centenary of the first ‘scramble’ organised by Camberley and District Motorcycle Club in 1924. Unknown to the pioneers 100 years ago, the ‘scramble’ sparked the introduction and development of motocross and enduro events across the world which are now enjoyed by millions of motorcyclists.
Jonathan Parry and Paul Gander researched the history of the first event using old press reports, Mortons Archive and local history sources.
The history
In 1923, the age-old debate whether the North or South of England produced the best motorcyclists reared its head. The North had their toughest event, The Scott Trial, but there was nothing with this level of challenge in the South. So Camberley DMCC decided to organise their own ‘tough’ event to test the motorcyclists. They decided not to have too many rules, and no penalties for crashing or falling off – the winner would simply be the rider who reached the finish first. They called it the ‘Southern Scott Scramble’ and found the most challenging piece of land they knew as the location to run the event. It was reputed to be a 25-mile course over Army land around the north and east of Camberley. Riders had to complete two laps with a
