stratton

Went to Norden got there at six in the morning ,was p.....g down thought the meeting would certainly be off.I liked the track it was not a great final but the turning points were when Lee had a bummer of a ride against Kenny and Sanders who gated Muller was not tough anough on him who would of thought that of Billy.

"Pandorum" i would agree with you to an extent, ,Jansson was a terrific rider an awesome riding style he certainly was one of the best riders i have ever seen.I only see him ride six times he beat Ashby for the helmet and i see him a few times at international level but i have often thought could he of pushed PC at Katowice in 76.?I think so that year he was riding so well, i always thought PC,Tommy,and Phil Crump were the ones who could push through the old rearguard of Briggo,Ivan, and Ole.It would be great to hear from people who see quite alot of Tommy ride i was lucky i at least see him ride half a dozen times. A really good read can't say i disagree with much of that, 83 i thought was a good year thinking back Olsen was then still riding at a really high level.

I can't dispute what you said about 82 eaces1" he did have a fine season i also thought he rode to a very high level in 83.My point i was trying to make really was that in my lifetime PC was the only undisputed Brit at one given time.Even me with my bias head on would admit i don't even think Lee ever was he had Jessup as a rival for a while and Mort and Carter that's what I meant really.Simmons at his true best and he was very good vintage at Poole and Lee really were the only two who really pushed PC at his peak.Maybe Lee could on been on par in 79, 77 he was good also, but Collins then was at his peak and riding like he could win two or three world titles.

The best up there with a few others over a period 82 to 85 also in the tests he was not all that great bang average at Wimbledon, and at Ipswich as i recall.Carter being amongst Lee,Morton, he was there no doubt but it was different to an era when we had Betts,Boocock bros , Louis,Ashby,Louis, Wilson, Simmons all outstanding.PETER COLLINS is the only Englishmen that for me was top dog for a period and by some way Carter comes knowhere near that.

I don't hate any of the riders, i admire them greatly for having the guts to ride a speedway bike.Riders i have not been overly keen on were Preben Eriksen,Tim Hunt,Nicki Pedersen to name a few.

But he never dominated even in the test matches v USA he was not always great, Morton,Lee( 82 his worst season) even PC past his best could still beat him i never ever see Carter go to King,s Lynn and beat Lee over a three race series.PC could and did and that was hard to do at Lynn, because he had his period where he was the best Brit full stop and it took even Lee from 76 onwards to even challenge him.Carter never had a spell where he was in and out Britains no 1 he was on par certainly in all of his World Final appearances i never believed he could win it mix it yes and he did and was unlucky but so have endless other riders.Lee,Sigalos,Sanders,S.Moran for me were the only riders who were capable of upstaging Nielsen and Gundersen in that spell.

Yes it was a great achievement his British Final wins, i saw both i also saw him ride in the Oxford semi as well.Certainly he was England,s no 1 in 85 in the (Wigg, Evitts,Doncaster,Tatum era the other years no way in my opinion.He was on par but not undisputed, certainly in 1983 i remember he had England,s no 1 on the side of his van. I remember Lee laughing at this then Lee going out and destroyed him 4.0 over two legs in the Helmet not in a month of Sundays was Carter no 1 in 1983.

I never said he couldn't pass,i just said myself personally he never really appealed to me as a rider.As Witcher said i couldn't rate him higher than Mauger,and Nielsen also he certainly would be behind Briggs,Fundin,Olsen in my opinion as you said though Gavan he was a great rider.

Betts,N.Boocock,Carter,Wigg were the ones who just missed out for me. Carter better than Ashby i don't think so,he might of been had he had a full career but apart from his BLRC wins and his win with PC he never actually did it.Also i would also say Carter was never ever obviously the best ever British rider at any given time in my book.Dont get me wrong i was a big Kenny fan i see his BLRC wins loved watching him ride was he the best TEAM man ever?i actually think he underachieved he failed at Wembley,Norden and the Coliseum.

A really good post, i thought it was just me? dont get me wrong i admired Rickardsson who wouldn't but unlike say a Olsen ,Briggo,i was never that excited to see him ride.Olsen for me was awesome i still believe he was a better rider than Ivan he was a good gater but he also was exciting from the back.In the mid seventies i would say that Olsen and Mauger were among a few who give PC a race at Hyde rd also Sjosten did ok but then he was getting on a bit.

This for me was the hardest thing to do,to pick the 12. greatest British riders of all time.Did not include Farndon ( ect)Just from Parker and Freddie onwards here goes no order. Craven, Parker,Freddie,PC, Lee,Loram,Simmons,Ray Wilson,Ashby,Louis,Morton,E.Boocock,

Good point, the idea in principle is commendable but it just has not been thought out properly.I would rather the idea had been used in the PL for this year and go from there.There could of still been chances for the likes of Lambert ,Ellis,Kerr,Garrity,Howarth (ect) in the EL.But like you said Matt the promoters are taking a massive chance ie) in a way taking the fans for granted.For ex) if you go to a restaurant and get a set menu say for 50 quid with a bottle of Champayne.Are you going to be happy if you go back a month later pay the same money but minus the bottle of champers.? I think the prices should of been dropped to at least 15 pounds a gesture in a way are people going to pick and choose they're meetings more.?

Prodons Mauger did have a aura about him,but a thing that always stuck out for me his starting technique he never reared at the start a great gater Killer Kilby and Mauger are the best gaters i have ever seen.

Rickardsson was a rider i never really took to,i don't know why out of all the great champs he was one of my least favourites.My memories of him were as a great starter not particularly great from the back mega quick though.

Mauger and Rickardsson have the best records no doubt about it,but for me both are not in the best 2 of all time.Certainly i know it is a subjective issue but god it is very difficult to choose between the greats of the past.

Crash was class his cv does not say so, that but he was.I think crash won the Victor Lodurum in 75 Norden not sure? He on that day was brilliant for a England 75 was his year was very good indeed the bloke was a quiet guy a very good team man but he really was a excellent rider certainly world class at the Abbey he used to sneak on through on the line.

Kennett?

I disagree i think he will do anough at home, Rossiter himself should remember he was no world beater with the sprockets he progressed because he was given a CHANCE.Darryl might struggle but he deserves the chance for me the reserves are a afterthought most are a bit of a muchness i am more worried about the top 5.

This year is a different playing field, alot of these riders will certainly at home try to beat riders of they're ability anything else would be a bonus.

But at reserve believe me forget the averages this year from last, Ritchings,s at home will beat alot of riders of his own ability.If he scores 3pts i will be happy to do that he has to beat people at his level anything else is a bonus.

Great video, heard today off of someone who knows more than me what is happening it looks like Doyle,Nelson,Douglas, will defo struggle to get permits.What a joke these blokes come over work pay tax and generally go home within ten months.

I see it Colin if it was the one i have seen with his Dad Harry he was great to watch. My memories of the 1982 British Final is mixed was gutted Malc Holloway got through his semi at Birmingham but was poor on the day remember WIggy did well as a NL. Representative Lee got eliminated which was a massive shock.

Not poor,i moan alot but i am really looking forward to March hopefully it stops P.....g down that might help.I do believe they're are some very good riders in all our leagues some very quick i would love England to have a upsurge in there fortunes.Imagine now if they had WiIson,Ashby,Louis,Simmons,Betts,E.Boocock,Bluey,Jessup, to pick from a different ball game.

Dougie ,WIlko, and Arnie Haley at his best.

Great news Matt will Morris average below 6.50 in your opinion.?