stratton

Oldace you have knocked it on the head for me, Speedway like i said before is miles behind Snooker and darts for progression.Stuck in the dark ages . Now you are on a roll,can you tell me why theyre should be more than the top 8 who automatically Qualify for the series.Keep 2 spots open therefore that leaves 6 places up for grabs for the bottom 8 of the gp and 8 others who are chosen. Is this fairer in your opinion?no commercial reasons no seeding through a straight battle for 6 places which will maybe give fresh blood a chance if deserving.

Your post is rather muddled you have lost me on a few points .I was wrong not a problem with that, Moore i dont think would of won over 11 rounds also Knutsson as well.Also as great as Nielsen was would he of got the better of Penhall? and the best version of Lee ?over 11 rounds who Knows.

What a shock, i watch darts thats the sort of money that should be in speedway surely are product is better than theres?

Was the prize money for the final between them 200 ,000 or was that wrong? nearly collapsed who fronted the money from whom.

Dosent matter Iris does it, enjoyed being wrong which i am frequently have learned something .As much as i liked the old way FINALS how many titles would of Nielsen WON in the g.p series 10? i might and to reconsider where i place him now in the all time greats?

I did a compete run down on years from 1955 to 1983 how i thought the champions would of been in a g.p. format .I have to eat humble pie and was wrong oh well and it is only my opinion on memory imformation i have on those years league form [ect]individual meetings 1955 Craven 56 Fundin 57 Briggs 58 Fundin 59 Fundin 60 Fundin 61 Fundin 62 Craven 63 Briggs 64 Briggs 65 Briggs 66 Briggs 67 Briggs 68 Mauger 69 Mauger 70 Mauger 71 Mauger 72 Olsen 73 Mauger 74 Mauger 75 Mauger 76 Collins 77 Collins 78 Olsen 79 Mauger 80 Penhall 81 Penhall 82 Penhall 83 Lee TOTAL titles Mauger 8 Olsen 2 Briggs 6 Fundin 5 Collins 2 Craven 2 Penhall 3 Lee 1 The years debatable were in (55 )Briggs and Moore close) (56 )Moore and Craven close) (65 ) Plechanov and Knutsson close) (72) Olsen and Mauger close (73) Mauger and Michanek close) (78) Olsen and Autrey close ) (79) Mauger, Lee, Autrey banned? close) (80) Jessup and Penhall close ) (83)Lee and Nielsen close)

Yo You have misunderstood his point and i agree with him 5 rides each over 11rounds no semi finals or finals simple.If good anough a fall or ef wont matter.Semi and finals i dont like if someone gets 15 why should he lose a final to someone who scores 7.Speedway is a simple sport if Jason Crump a ex] scores 10 pts in 11 rounds his total is 110 simple outsiders as you say will never win at this system.

I dont know what Parsloes ideals are, i myself are thinking about NOW am not thinking about the past how it worked . I am thinking about now how it could be better and fairer and when you name the riders you did it shows me the strength of talent now is nowhere near as high.Therefore you shouldnt have many hard luck stories there.8 qualify because they were the best over that year 1 place left injury or unfortunate ok i will be generous leave another spot open.That leaves 6 spots for others to go for no seeding no excuses about commercial issues.And if Bjerre, Lindgren, Lindback, Pedersen,Harris qualify year after year they deserve it not given to them on a plate.

Yes you are quite right it does REWARD and as much as i loved the old format my favourites maybe would not of won world titles. [ex] Lee 80 Jonsson 92 MAYBE Gundersen his 3 Titles .Because we all know how consistent Hans was i was not a fan but he would of won more titles.I am not AGAINST the series as you say it rewards i am against who gets in and how.

What is SO difficult of the 8 top riders in that year QUALIFYING for the next year it is not rocket science is it ?.1 spot left for injury/ or someone unlucky which would leave 7 spots.Forget seeding putting riders [ ECT] through it is nearly like you are hand picking riders through is that a WC?no certainly not if it stays the way it is now i think it is UNFAIRER.The old way was brutal but Fairer in my opinion and stats show the best riders still generally won it apart from 73 and 83 not to bad was it?Have a gp series by all means but dont say it is BETTER and FAIRER because it isnt.

I think the Osullivan issue is that there being more tournaments ,means the bread and butter salary is better for all the lower ranked players .But in another way players like Osullivan will even have to qualify for the W.C. A s someone else said on a post ok leave a place for a injury/illness [ect] that would leave 7 spots up for grabs i would abolish the qualifying of getting into the g.ps not great in my opinion.That would leave maybe having 2 meetings 8 lowest gp riders against 8 of the RIDERS over the year or period who have impressed in leagues and events who want to enter also maybe the u21 champion.Therefore the most deserving will get in the 7 spots and over 2 meetings have a real chance of qualifying.I also think this would be great for speedway what a carrot for riders to aim for i really think this could work.If say Pedersen Lindgren have to go in the 2 meetings the cream over 2 meetings will get there anyway but having 7 spots what an incentive for a young and hungry rider trying to further his ambitsions.[ WONT HAPPEN THOUGH.]

Great debate and is very hard to call without really thinking off my head. my view for what its worth 1973 Mauger 1974 Mauger 1975 i agree 76.Collins 77.Collins 78,Mauger Olsen or Autrey 79,Mauger 80.Penhall or Jessup 83.Lee Nielsen These were the few i picked that if had been the gp format thats how i felt it would of gone the only doubt is Michanek maybe in 73.

Basically in affect no real changes from you i dont agree on the wildcards that needs to change if no english man is at Cardiff so be it.On Osullivan he will drop out of the top 16 because he dosent play and want to play every tournament now there are about 2 every month he will not pick up ranking points.That was my point Osullivan is box office and fills out every hall he plays in yet Hearn has said things are changing because this is FAIRER for everyone and everyone has a chance of qualfying for every event,Also you are wrong about The White Knight he made that comment in jest and tonge in cheek.I feel the same as him and i am not bitter and not progressive he is the same i think.Your posts are good but there is no real change in your outlook its like you havent even acknowledged there could be changes which might be for the better.But your opinion and i respect that.

I just think OLDACE it is like chalk and cheese the one offs and the gps as they are now.As you said they won there titles within a 23 year span i think riding as it is now those three would of won more titles exspecially Mauger.I believe the gps would of been right up his alley and his professional outlook would of served him even better now.A great rider and for me very consistent.

I agree on everything TWK , five rides as well i am happy with that also My biggest disappointment in speedway was when Malc Holloway was eliminated from the 1982 British Final at Coventry i was gutted but as you reminded me TWK that is sport and COMPETITION and that is what makes sport so great.

Thats the whole point ghostwalker, like you said just being given the chance thats all it is. Both of those rders you named i like if he is 9th onwards he has to qualify for his next chance. How would you like it to be run TWK ? you have a strong view but havent said how you would like it run?

Thats fine and as you said maybe the young uns wont get through.I like all the 3 old uns if they are good anough at 50 thats not a problem.Laguta to me is a example of getting a chance and he will come back stronger set ups ect aquipment and i believe he is a good talent.

Janowski Sundstrom [ex] are they sub standard ? is Pedersen ect always going to be in the series until he is 45?Top 8 thats fair surely the other 8 spots contest bottom 8 of series against another 8 riders who have consistently ridden well in events league racing.The qualifying system now is a joke Ward didnt even qualify as people harp on about yet we know he is in the top 8 riders in the world.The way it is now only 5 spots available is that FAIR do i want to see the likes of Pedersen ride from the age of 22 till aged 40.Yes i dont mind if he is out of top 8 but Qualifies on merit that is fine.

Wouldnt be 4 would it? top 8 qualify 8 places up for grabs is that fair?No wildcards bottom 8 in the series against the best of the rest qualify for the right.Therefore it wouldnt matter if you were Gollob or Laguta maybe you are right the young riders wouldnt qualify they would have more of a chance though.

Some good points and nearly all are right but Fair well a different matter in my opinion.Snooker which i have harped on about is the model Speedway should copy.Outside the top 8 QUALIFY for the right that then that would make up for some of the series shortcomings.Mauger Fundin Briggs Three of my examples of how it is easier to win now than then. ..If say they had 55 chances between them at this format DO YOU BELIEVE they would of only won 15 titles between them?Why they would win more is they would know every october they had the safety valve of qualifying for the next year.Basically 3 or 4 months of preparing for a 11 round haul much more easier than actually quaifying .

It is a FACT riders now dont get the same chances, Woffinden because he was British got one generally 9 out of 10 wont if they do it will only be the odd round.Yanowski Sundstrom 2 ex[] they might be aged 22 ,23 before they are a fully fledged member even older the point is getting the chance at the EARLIEST chance possible.Therefore the chance to compete against the best and gain the top class exsperience in the pressured envireoment of the g.ps.Speedway keep the same old faces in generally ,look at snooker Ronnie Osullivan is COMMERCIALLY and is probably the best player in the world.When he plays he sells venues out but Hearn and co say he will have to Qualify for every event now because he has dropped out of the top 16.A FAIRER system for EVERYONE Hearn says the sport is evolving and it needs NEW stars speedway should be the same every year you have to earn the right.Top 8 fine after that you have to QUALIFY then the opportunity of drip feeding new talent emerges.

Autrey wasnt so well known as Bast he was my favourite american you are right Bast did ok in Australia sydney and other tracks there are massive .Shame now about the usa talent dried up Bast Gerd Riss Karl Maier and american Alan Christian are riders if full time would of done well in speedway i think world wide.

I often thought though i dont know if Bast could of got around Belle vue, Sheffield Swindon Exeter Halifax .Costa mesa and technical tracks were his forte really and there were not many little tracks in England then . Eastbourne were in div 2 the littlest ,great riding style talented and Briggo and Ivan rated him always wondered if he would of been lost around hyde rd Belle vue.?

Always wondered could Mike Bast have been a force in world speedway? See him at White City in 1977 and i think that year him and Penhall didnt get the practice they were promised.Did think Wimbledon were going to sign him never happened could he of mastered the big tracks and been a star outside of USA? what do people think.

Really good post i am really surprised Rob you said only 6 qualify which i think is positive and you are right.Again you said no one outside rnd 6-11 who could of won it is true.But i think that shows you the strength in depth the quality is not there unlike YESTERYEAR.I think what you said riders who did not qualify one off finals and it was a shock but that to me gave someone else a chance to progress.Unlike now [ ex] are you going to keep PEDERSEN a 3 time champion a place every year on what he,s done in the past.The difference is years ago you had a chance from the start NOW it is not in your control you hope you get a chance by then your PEAK might be gone.MY point getting a chance when you are fearless ambitious and chomping at the bit to prove yourself .