norbold

How did you come to hate it if you never touched it?

Well they do say there's no such thing as bad publicity....

Sorry, waihekeaces1, without looking it up I can't recall. But if the Grand Prix was in place from 1928 (in fact there was a similar system in operation in 1928 on A.J.Hunting's tracks, which included most of the top riders) to 1939, I'd say that there would have been three multiple world champs in Vic Huxley, Tom Farndon and Bluey Wilkinson. During the War is more difficult to say but maybe Vic Duggan, Aub Lawson, Tommy Price or Eric Chitty (but not all as obviously they couldn't all have won multiple times!).

What about the pre war world champs. Why are they not safe? Same barometer? Even looking post war, who includes Jack Young or Tommy Price these days? The other problem is that as time goes by naturally more and more riders come to the fore. Whatever video exists of the 1970s, in 20 years time, we'll have had another 4,5,6 "greats" and people really won't remember the 70s.

This question comes up time and time again and each time it does the "greatest" shift further and further forward in time because there is no-one around now (or hardly anyone) who can remember the likes of Vic Huxley, Tom Farndon, Bluey Wilkinson, Eric Langton and Jack Milne, all undoubted greats who should be in a top 20. Then we move on and the likes of Jack Parker, Vic Duggan and Jack Young also fall by the wayside. In 10 - 20 years time even the great period of Fundin, Briggs, Moore, Craven and Knutson will be forgotten. Then it'll be Mauger, Collins, Michanek, Olsen, Gundersen, Nielsen and Rickardsson who'll fade away. And there you are, that's 20 undoubted greats, all of whom could arguably be incuded in the Top 20 of all time, all of whom operated pre Grand Prix, (though, of course, two did win the World Championship in the Grand Prix era). Naming the Greatest 20 of all time is a mug's game! It all depends how old you are and how interested you are in the history of the sport and how on earth you compare riders of different eras.

In principle I agree with you TWK. You don't have to be a world champion to be classed as great.. Vic Huxley, Tom Farndon, Jack Parker and Vic Duggan spring to mind and, of course, there are different measures of greatness and you make a good point regarding Leigh Adams. Nigel Boocock would be another similar. I'm not sure I would class Darcy Ward as a great yet. He has done a lot in his 23 years, no doubt about it. But I really think he needs a few more years of winning major individual events to be classed as truly great.

Quite right, Doug. There are very few greats - hence the term! Not even every World Champion could be classed a great.

Would that be the same team that the Aussies ride for?

Must have been an old style WTC meeting....

Er....Denmark? But the point you make is correct with only GB and possibly Russia, if their best riders would actually be prepared to compete, worthy of including as possible challengers.

Yes. I saw it a long time ago. I thought it was a reasonable film. It's based on a 1902 horror story. Surprisingly the original novel didn't have any speedway in it. If I remember right, I believe Alfie Bass was the speedway promoter or manager or something.

Apparently, unbeknown to me, my publisher has done a deal with Saisbury's. It is now available nationwide in their shops. Can't be bad!

Up to no. 42 this morning, just one place behind Game of Thrones. I'm now waiting for the call to discuss making an epic TV series out of it.....

Thank you, RP. It's now up to no. 49. Must be your purchase that did it.

Still climbing. Up to no. 60 now!

It's up to 105 overall now!

Thanks everyone. The Kindle edition has just reached no. 156 in Amazon's paid Kindle book chart and is no. 1 in European Biography; no. 1 in UK History, no. 1 in London Cultural History and no. 1 in Historical Biography 1901 onwards.

You win, chr!

Or Trevor Hedge and Arthur Bush.

If a side can only find four riders I suggest they have no right being in the World Team Cup.

I can understand that. But, how about, r/r being used once the actual meeting has started if a rider is put out by a racing accident, like Hampel? Or, better still, what waihekeaces1 said. Just have a reserve available.

You'll be in trouble for that, pugwash!

I don't think you can say that Oxford would have beaten West Ham once and drawn with them twice instead of losing to them twice. Once Malcolm Simmons suddenly came good in August he moved up from an average second string to a fourth heat leader. It was at the same time that Tony Clarke came into the team to bolster up the lower order. West Ham were unbeaten by any team from August onwards. 1965 was the first year of the British League. All former National League teams were weakened so they could be evened up with the former Provincial League teams.

Don't be so childish. The FIM have made a ruling which is mandatory. All I was asking in my original post was what has happened about that ruling in this country.

I didn't want to get involved in a discussion over people's views on the ruling. It's immaterial what you think. The FIM ruling is that his points should be deducted, it's not open to discussion. So I was just wondering what, if anything, has been done to further this ruling in Britain.