fatface

Thanks. Certainly some valid points here and some fair insight on the plight of modern day promoters. My point over moving to a weekend model could admittedly been described as simplistic...and - taken in isolation - it is. There is a whole load of things that need to change for British speedway to ever get back towards being both a viable and credible proposition. Scheduling is just one. As others have highlighted the biggest issue of the product itself not being strong enough. It's unpalatable for a lot us, but people outside the sport see speedway as a Mickey Mouse sport. The whole sport needs a proper strategy starting with a blank piece of paper....finding out what the British public want from a regular motorsport outing and delivering that. And no, that doesn't mean pandering to the shrinking, ageing die-hards, much as they might whinge. Carrying on as it is will do nothing more than guarantee the sport's slow, inevitable death.

I'm sure I've made this point before, but I'll keep on like a broken record anyway. Speedway has to tailor itself for a family day out....it can do that on a Bank Holiday or Weekend afternoon, it simply cannot on a school night....and will end up with the same shrinking ageing hard-core. It has to reach out to a wider demographic...like football, cricket, rugby, horse racing, basketball, netball all do. Imagine a restaurant running its business only on a midweek night because its staff were in Poland, Sweden etc at the weekend?! That's what British speedway does. It's Einstein's definition of insanity. Plymouth is my local track now. It's a 40mins drive. Am I going to take my 8 year old kids on a Tuesday night, rushing there and back for £50 minimum? No chance. The weekend is different, we are time rich and looking for something to do as a family. Are there any matches at the weekend? There's nowt. Quite simply, they won't see me and thousands of other families this year.

Bright spark then?

You could still get really close to the fence in the 1990s at Exeter. Not the biggest star, but David Steen was exciting to watch around the County Ground. If you picked the right spot coming out of the fourth bend, he would drift and straighten up right at the last second before whistling past inches from you.

I'd have him as my top NL star. If you are going off the top riders to race National League then it's the Crumps, Louis etc of the world. But if its long term quality service to a single club its Steve Lawson all the way for me. It was also his level. He tried the BL with Belle Vue, wasn't quite up to it, but found his level at NL and was an incredible servant. There are others for who the NL was a stepping stone to the top and there are others - and I would have Joe Owen in this bracket - who spent a few years taking easier pickings when they probably should or could have been in the BL. Lawson was at his level and was an excellent servant. He was also 100% committed and could stretch himself for the cause at times. I think it was in the early 90s when Arena had a ridiculous team for the NL with Bo Petersen and Brian Karger at the helm - they were world class riders! But Lawson got Glasgow a replay in the KO Cup Final by beating them at Purfleet. Really, those guys were a cut above him, so to get that win spoke volumes.

Not strictly speedway...but pleased to see this one re-appear on YouTube. Went to this one back in the day...what a cracking day the Aces of Aces was.

I do quite like the Olympic Park and Westfield. But again, it doesn't have the authentic city atmosphere. I don't think I'm alone in saying I've necked a pint in one of the surrounding Cardiff city centre pubs five mins before the first race and not missed a second of action.

Agree. Plus the support from the Welsh Government is a huge enabler for a GP to take place in Cardiff. That wouldn't happen in London - its not a place that EVER goes short on visitors, so there wouldn't be any state support. Personally, I love Cardiff...I can accept that sometimes the racing has not been great. But you can say that for 95% of tracks can't you? In recent years 2019's racing was poor, but I thought there was some great stuff in 2017/2018. The city centre carnival atmosphere is unique in the speedway calendar, Cardiff is pretty accessible for most via air, rail or car and it's always a city well worth visiting. Another gripe seems to be hotel prices..well, if you are creative, you can still find a bargain. Though I'm not going to reveal my sources here! I find people's desire for Wembley to be misplaced romanticism. The surrounding area of Brent is a world away from Cardiff City Centre in atmosphere and amenities. It would be another temporary track...so the same issues at Cardiff. Plus if you think accommodation in Cardiff is pricey....wait til you get to London on your over priced transport! Finally, I honestly don't think Wembley has the atmosphere of the Principality. It's a very sterile place and whatever history and magic there might have once been under the Twin Towers has long, long gone. I'm very open minded to change, but I think all in all, Cardiff is a good as it could ever get for the British GP. I'd be hard pressed to name another stadium or city that could deliver a comparable all round package. Odsal? Well, I hope it comes back. There were some standout moments at the 85 and 90 finals. But it's another place that seems to get over romanticised. I found it quite cavernous and lacking in prestige. I preferred the more compact Shay for domestic speedway and for top level speedway, Odsal was a step down from the old Wembley, Cardiff or many of the overseas venues that have hosted World Championship or GP speedway.

I'm not sure if you've been to the new Wembley in recent years? Sadly, I don't think the present reality matches the name. If there was ever a magic about the place, then I think it's long gone or I am seriously missing something. I've been to a midweek England game there and an FA Cup semi final and both times, it was very underwhelming. You'd be hard pressed to find a worse part of London for a drink or a bite to eat and the stadium itself is pretty soulless...it reminds me of an airport terminal. I'm sure there was a time when Wembley was the greatest stadium in the world. Now, I'd say there were at least five better sporting venues in London alone...Olympic Stadium, Twickenham, The Emirates, Lord's and Wimbledon (haven't been to the new Spurs ground!)

Ha! I must pick up a copy and refresh my memory :-)

Yes, that's an odd one and doesn't reflect well on the culture at the time. I too have read about that there's the strong suggestion that Biggs' opponents in his last ride wanted to punish him for NOT bribing them!

You know, I've had no great problem with some of the favours that occasionally went on. I think Penhall took a pasting in 1982 because he was the sport's highest profile rider, it was so blatant and made a bad miscalculation by wheelie-ing at the back. In short, he took the p***. The other one with the Danes was a situation where as it stood on the last lap with PC miles in front, Olsen Gundersen and Petersen were all going to be eliminated. Olsen waved Petersen through and gave him a chance in the run-off. Similarly in 1980, in Mike Lee's last ride he had John Davis and Chris Morton in his last heat to win the title. The Sunday People made a fuss if it in later years and even in the commentary Dave Lanning talks of them looking out for him. It certainly looked to me that Davis obligingly let him through on the last lap. But I wouldn't consider anything like this fixing...it's team mates helping each other when they have nothing to gain. I'm sure there are other instances where international opponents were possibly paid off, but there is nothing in the King, Moran, Gundersen race that looks anything but genuine.

In some ways, it reminds me of athletics where some records just hold more sway that others. For example, Scott Autrey's Exeter record lasted 17 years and was Beamon-esque!

Great piece of work. Just so I'm clear, the above calculation relates to the number of times they broke a track record on any track, at any time? So John Louis for example, might have broken the Ipswich record 43 times?

Yep. Very familiar with how the race unfolded. Actually I would say that Gundersen's move started on the previous turn when he took the widest line and generated the speed to enable the overtake on the next turn. We could all do screen grabs of riders making mistakes in World Finals...there are hundreds of them. It's what separates the winners from the also-rans. Why didn't Malcolm Simmons close the door on Peter Collins in 1976? Why did Bruce Penhall leave a gap for Michael Lee in 1980? Why didn't Kenny Carter clamp down on Bruce Penhall in 1982? The riders that make mistakes don't win World Finals....and the riders that get it right do win World Finals. It really is that simple. And that's why Erik Gundersen is a three-times champion and Lance King and Shawn Moran are not. I just don't see anything amiss in this race at all...it's as authentic a race as you ever likely to see. Passing, repassing, a momentary mistake and a brilliantly executed killer move from an all-time great. Why would Gundersen risk his neck in the deep dirt if his two opponents were paid off? And why would they make it difficult by outgating and passing him? It just doesn't stack up. And if the best evidence is that some bloke on the terracing at Halifax said it....well, what I would say to that is that he wouldn't be the first bloke in Yorkshire to bluff and bluster on and pretend he knows more than he does about something. Furthermore, if Gundersen was the type to pay off or seek the help of others, why then did his long--time teammate Jan O Pedersen deny him a maximum and an outright win in their last heat at the 1988 World Final and force him into a run-off with Nielsen? That was ripe for collusion, but it didn't happen. So, let's not spend much more time questioning Gundersen's integrity, he was as genuine a winner as any of us could ever hope for in a world final.

Thanks for the heads up! I'll take a look. It may well be that he wasn't a big fan of Ermolenko. But that still doesn't mean the race was thrown. I just don't see any moment where King clamped down - he was never in front to do so. I don't see any moment where King or Moran held back either. They just made the mistake of not venturing out into the really grippy line that Gundersen found.

Yes of course. I've no doubt it went on a aplenty... Aside from the obvious Penhall episode with his fellow yanks at the 1982 Overseas, there were plenty of questionable episodes. In the previous year's Overseas Final, the high flying Dave Jessup and Larry Ross flunked their last race beaten by the hitherto struggling team-mates Mike Lee and Ivan Mauger who finish 1st and 2nd to scrape through. It happened and when it did, it was pretty obvious.

Again, I just can't buy that. Regardless of whether some bloke on a terracing said it or not. Too much happened in the race and too many risks were taken for it to be anything but legit. Plus Gundersen's fist pumping celebration at the race conclusion is not that of a man who knew the race was in his pocket already.

Thanks Steve. Hasn't changed my mind though. I think Ermolenko is hinting at something that's without merit there. As an add on, King was so put out on being dropped by Cradley after 1984 in favour of Erik (due to averages) that he missed the UK altogether...and never went back to Dudley Wood. I don't think he was out for doing Erik or Cradley any favours in 85.

I was working behind a hotel bar in Edinburgh as a student in the 1990s and the band Mud came in after a gig. The lead singer (Les?) was chatting away and I told him that Tiger Feet was number 1 when I was born. I thought it was a nice thing to say, but he physically deflated! I suppose in his eyes, he was still a hip rock star.

Interesting. Not a theory I've heard before. I'd question whether it has much credibility. If King wanted to stay out of Erik's way, then he wouldn't have passed him on the first bend. I can't buy into the idea that it was fixed. It's a some fix if the script was for Moran to outgate Gundersen, King to pass him on the turn, team ride him out with Moran on the inside and King on the outside, then let him get past them both. I think that's a stretch. For me, there was a minor error on King's part and Gundersen took advantage with a brilliant bit of opportunism. I think it's one of THE great world final rides. Only Gundersen, Nielsen, Ermolenko and Niemi seemed to have the track properly weighed up that afternoon.

I have his speedway scrap-book...but there is so much more he could share. It's hard to think of another person who has a life so intertwined with every aspect of the sport. Raw beginner from minnow nation to world-beater, promoter of his own track, national team manager, mentor, track curator, international official. His relationships with Mauger, Nielsen Gundersen, Rickardsson, Ochiltree, Adams...there's a rare old story to tell.

Haven't read it and sorry to say, but I don't think I'll be buying it. Good rider, but not one who ever really got the juices flowing. The obvious gaps in speedway autobiographies are Ole Olsen and Peter Collins. They would be must-reads.

The sign of a true competitor He has a point though, Andy Smith was a very raw 16 year old to be thrown into a cup final at the time.

As much as people like to retreat to the extremes, things are rarely black and white. The truth is usually somewhere in the middle. Kenny Carter lost the plot. I think we can all agree that. What he did was horrific and unimaginable. Even in his crazed state of mind, he knew that and took his own life. Tony MacDonald's excellent book "Tragedy" gives a fine insight into what led to his mental deterioration and the traumatic childhood that preceded it. Nothing could ever excuse what he did, but there are good reasons why he wasn't of sound mind. He was also a brilliant speedway rider. Unless you were a big follower of the sport in the early 1980s, it is difficult to understand just how much of a part he played in the scene around that time. He was genuine box office, the rider fans of every other club loved to hate. He was the go-to speedway rider in the national media, on breakfast TV, national newspapers, Question of Sport, teenage magazines. In pure speedway terms, there has been no-one like him since. Try articulating that in a tweet. It will always been a minefield discussing his life and legacy, ever likely to offend some. No-one would suggest there should be a statue. But that doesn't mean he should be airbrushed from history, he was too significant of a figure to be perpetually ignored.