The White Knight

Sadly nowadays there does not seem to be a will to produce really good British Speedway Riders any more. The reasons for this, to my mind are: i) Lack of Training Facilities from a National Acadamy to local Training Schools. I know there are a few Tracks out there doing their best to bring on new Riders. There is, however, NO National Strategy for Training. This should be set up and run by the Promoters (could not be done under the current Financial Crisis) and should have been done years ago. ii) Too many other distractions, a lot of young folk these days would rather stay in and go on the PC/Games/Internet or watch Television. The youth today seem to be a bit of a sedentary lot. You no longer see kids out in the Street playing Football and getting Excercise like you used to. iii) Finally - I know this has been mentioned before but EXPENSE does come in to it too. Speedway is still a very expensive Sport to start from scratch.

That was my guess too............................................. :unsure:

In other words, I think you are saying, the Sport needs to be PROMOTED better. I agree. All of the things you mention plus Play Offs, Double Points, Joker (SWC), GPs. ALL of these things are, in my opinion, detrimental to Speedway - folk have gone on about one or other of these subjects for ages - but - NOBODY LISTENS at the Top Table (the Promoters). I totally agree though - I will keep on going as long as I can - and - NOTHING can spoil the thrill of four Riders hurtling around the Track - they can't change that. .......................or can they???

Well put Humphrey - on BOTH points. :approve:

The beauty of Cardiff is that it located in the City Centre more or less. The same cannot be said of London - which is part of the reason it cannot compete. Perhaps they could clear that lot out of the House of Commons and the House of Lords - demolish Westminster and build a Speedway Track. Now that would be central - and might do us all a bit of good as well.

Personally I think Cardiff is the ideal venue for the British Grand Prix. The MOST important factor as stressed by Philip Rising is the Roof. You are not going to get a rained off Meeting. The Stadium is nice and handy for the City Centre. There seem (I don't drink) to be plenty of local Hostelries around and the people a very welcoming. I'm sorry but I just don't see London competing against Cardiff at any level. Perhaps the Olympic Stadium could be used to bring League Speedway back to London itself but as THE main GP Centre - I don't think so.............................

I had TWO Hog Roasts £3 Each or TWO for a Fiver. you just had to have TWO - I did anyway. Loverly Jubberly!!! :approve:

I enjoyed the 'Hog Roast' at the Pairs Meeting a couple of years ago. BEST I've ever had. :approve:

Exactly!! When you are an automatic 'Pick' you can become complacent, happy just to be there. If EVERYONE had to Qualify - that would NOT be the case.

Charming. I didn't think us Speedway Supporters were like that.

'One Off' World Final for me. I won't put reasons, been there, done that, got the T-Shirt!

Glad to see Fisher has got a place at last. The Premier League need Riders like Ryan - he creates talking points and is a character in a Sport that is becoming blander by the Season. Good luck Ryan, I, for one, hope that you do well.

Never in a million years. As sidney says - Bast would not make my top fifty.

Mike Bast never came over here for a prolonged spell. He NEVER pitted himself against the BEST in the World on a regular basis. In fact his Record over here was distinctly AVERAGE to be kind. He MAY have developed in to an 'All Time Great' had he been prepared to sacrifice the money and the sunshine in America. Had he come over here to Race full time - who knows??? He didn't therefore he CAN be classed as a 'great' in the U.S.A. BUT an 'ALL TIME GREAT' - - - - NEVER!!!! The reason he would have had to come over to the U.K. to prove his 'greatness' is because that, at the time, you basically needed to be riding in Europe in order to put yourself up against the BEST in the World...... Mike Bast never did that.

Hear, hear!!! :approve: Gone a bit off Thread on this. No - I don't think Mike Bast would have been a World Champion.

I remember that the 'Daily Mail' was also involved. I seem to remember a huge Silver Trophy of a Speedway Rider. Must have cost a fortune in those days. Anyone else remember?? - Over to you Norbold.

Good to hear that a Rider I have only heard about and read about is still around. VERY BEST WISHES to him. It really is good to hear about the 'old boys' of our wonderful Sport. Thank you for telling us about this writernick. :approve:

We will have to agree to differ. My 'mmmm' comment was sort of tongue in cheek - not totally if I'm honest. Regarding the 'Pilsner' - if we ever meet up - I will buy you one. I watch my Speedway at Brough Park by the way - if you are ever up there - look for the bloke in the Aussie Hat. Ian

To answer your question. 2000 - The World Championship was won by the most CONSISTANT Rider in the Series - certainly not the BEST. Mark Loram. As for my being bitter and stuck in the past - well I am sorry but I think my Post regarding how I would like to see the GP System work was actually VERY positive. It was also FAIR which is more than the System is today. As folk have said - the 'old' System had it's problems too, which is very true - I agree. I have outlined what I consider to be a FAIRER and BETTER System FOR THE GP SERIES and you accuse me of being stuck in the Past. I don't think so!!! As regards BITTER - mines a Pint.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. :unsure:

.............................and that would have been very sad. Everybody likes the underdog to win once in a while. It adds to the spice of the Competition. Hence my previous Post on this Thread.

Sidney - I don't pretend to be an expert. I DO however HATE unfairness. To answer your question directly. I would like the GP Series to be run in the same format as at present but with the Rider with MOST Points from five Rides being the Winner. I would have NO Semi Finals or Final. If a Rider has achieved a fifteen Point Maximum - he deserves to win the GP without having to Race off for it. Again it's down to FAIRNESS. I don't care about extra Races - again this is NOT what the Championship should be about. The BEST Rider should win and not be prevented from doing so by an engine failure, fall etc. If he has has scored the MOST Points on the night - then - self evidently, he IS the best Rider. After that it is REALLY simple. Instead of all these 'GIFTED' places - I would like to see NO, ZERO, ZILCH places awarded. I would like to see Qualifying Rounds for all Riders - no exclusions from that. If Greg Hancock failed to qualify - hard luck. He wouldn't be World Champion that year. Same for Crump, Gollob et al. The WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP should mean something - not just having, more or less, the 'same old, same old' Riders EVERY year. If someone has a bad night - and they don't qualify for the Series, again tough - BUT - THAT is Sport - THAT is Competition. The Championship should be about beating ALL IN SUNDRY to reach the ultimate goal which is WORLD CHAMPION. You did ask sidney....................................................................

Why don't they just take it in turns to give the Championship to one of the top eight on a Rota basis? :angry:

I will be honest Rob - off hand - I can't answer your question. THAT though is NOT the point. The point is, who is to say , had there been Qualifying Meetings for EVERY Rider, someone COULD have come through and surprised everyone. I am not saying that it WOULD happen - but - only that it COULD. Remember Mark Loram won a World Championship without winning a GP. All my surprise entrant would need to be is the most consistant performer. Remember 'Wild Cards' HAVE won GPs. Who's to say that if Dugard had been in the Series the year that he WON a GP that he would not have been good enough to maintain enough consistancy to finish at the top of the pile? I casn't answer that - and - neither can you. Had there been PROPER Qualifying Rounds for ALL Riders - WHO KNOWS what could have happened over the GP years? Perhaps the results would have been the same and we would have had the same World Champions - but then again - PERHAPS NOT!!!

Perhaps I didn't make it plain - I mean't that they MIGHT beat them in the QUALIFIERS for a place the GPs - if everyone had a chance.