Will We Ever Have A British World Champ Again

[sully1202]

hey all just wondering do u think we will ever have anthoer english world champion, the last one i remember is mark loram but i dont hink that we really have any1 that threats to be among the best in the world,

 

what does every1 else think on this?????????????????????

 

sully

[AndyM]

Here's the complete list of British (rather than just English) World Champions:

 

1949 - Tommy Price

1950/53 - Freddie Williams

1955/62 - Peter Craven

1976 - Peter Collins

1980 - Mike Lee

1992 - Gary Havelock

2000 - Mark Loram (who didn't win a single GP round!)

 

In other words, 9 championships out of 59 years in which it's been run. This year will make that 9 out of 60, or 15%. In the same period, Sweden will have won 14 (including this year), Denmark 12 (since 1971), New Zealand 12, USA 6 & Australia 5. Since we're supposed to have been the founding fathers of this sport, 9 is a pretty pathetic return and ought to shame somebody into addressing the issue since we're nowhere near getting our current crop of riders up to the standard required to win another championship, let alone dominating it like some nations have done for periods (eg. Denmark's 6 in a row.)

 

If Middlo is supposed to be the National Coach in his role as England Team Manager, he should be taking charge of every aspect of preparation for the GPs to ensure we've prepared the riders thoroughly with absolute attention to detail, taking no chances whatsoever. And he should be working on a 20-year strategy to get Brits to the top. But, like so much in British life, it's fallen the way of apathy. So to answer the question, probably not for some time. And if we do, it might be a bit of a fluke like Loram's championship without GP victories. Sad - we could do so much more.

Edited July 7, 2005 by AndyM

[SammyR]

No sign of a British world champion on the horizon. I'd give Scott Nicholls about the same chance as Hans Andersen or Bjarne Pedersen, but think the next generation of champion is more likely to come from the likes of Andreas Jonsson, Jarek Hampel or Toni Lindback.

Considering that our lads ride in "the best league in the world" against the best in the world, on the most varied size and shape of tracks, the opportunity to reach the top of the tree is there, isn't it?

[pugwash]

Assuming that the championship does not return to a one off final. which so long as BSI have control it wont. Then for the next 5 years the Champion is unlikely to come from outside Trick, Crumpy, Nicki. For the following 5 years you would expect contenders to be showing some sort of class now, so, mix in the young guns :- Jarek, Hans, Antonnio, Kasper, Bjerre, Lindgren. After that who knows.

With some serious sponsorship behind him and if he stays away from the beer, stick Eddie Kennett in with the young guns.

[AndyM]

That was the point, pugwash. We've got as many promising youngsters as every other nation, but we don't groom them for success by managing their development up to the top levels. We leave them to sink or swim. If I were Eddie Kennett I'd kill to get a programme of coaching activity from the likes of PC and Havvy (and ex-champs of other nationalities?) to understand what you have to do to win a championship, plus fitness coaches, dieticians, the best mechanics and tuners, a sports psychologist and/or motivational coach - anything which improves my development.

[Col]

No sign of a British world champion on the horizon. I'd give Scott Nicholls about the same chance as Hans Andersen or Bjarne Pedersen.

 

Andersen is a few years yunger than Nicholls & B Pedersen. Still think he has time to become World Champion. I don't think Scotty is quite going to manage it, perhaps his best chance was a few years ago. Although I thought the same of Loram before 2000.

[Sotonian]

Since we're supposed to have been the founding fathers of this sport,

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

We weren't - it was 'invented' in Australia by an Australian - Johnny Hoskins.

And if we do, it might be a bit of a fluke like Loram's championship without GP victories. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No fluke - he scored the most points over the series. Had it been a one-off meeting your argument would be stronger (but I still wouldn't agree).

Edited July 7, 2005 by Sotonian

[AndyM]

Sotonian - yes, we know it was invented in Aussie, but it only became a major popular sport because of exploitation in the UK. Aussies were the pioneers, we were the innovators who established speedway on the world stage. Johnny Hoskins was instrumental, but he certainly wasn't alone in growing the sport. Maybe we're also responsible for its terminal decline, too?

 

As for Loram, he was the most consistent rider in 2000 and became world champ because nobody dominated the other meetings, but in my view the winner is the one who wins meetings! Perhaps I'm alone, but I can't see that result ever being repeated.

Edited July 7, 2005 by AndyM

[Splatty]

Maybe we're also responsible for its terminal decline, too?

 

In our own country - what's other countries excuses? USA, Oz, NZ, even Denmark - where are their thriving leagues?

 

we will be fine for another world champion if the current push at U15 level continues right up through the ranks but while promoters and fans alike think the structure is fine and dandy (and that rider from timbuctoo looks good as an asset to replace our improving Brit) we will wait longer than the 12 years between Michael Lee and Gary Havelock

 

we have complicated rules enough in British speedway but extra restrictions have to start being seen when it comes to teambuilding

[AndyM]

Doesn't affect them - they can use and abuse ours and other leagues. At the moment ours doesn't seem that attractive to the best, but we still line our teams wall-to-wall with low-to-mid ranking foreigners.

 

You've got it right about the under-15s, Splatty - providing we continue to support them afterwards. But as you say, that won't give us a championship for 6-12 years, in all probability. What are we going to do up to that point?

[Steve_R]

Yes Britian will have another World Champion one day, so long as Young riders get enough sponsership and backing to progress up through the three leagues.

 

It may not happen for a little while though.

 

Out of the current young British riders, who has the ability to make it to GP's?

Simon Stead? Chris Harris?

[SammyR]

Andy's comments re lining our teams wall-to-wall with low-to-mid ranking foreigners has got to be the most worrying aspect of the situation.

I know that a Dane, or even a Hungarian, has as much right to work in this country as a Brit (as we would in theirs) but, until the best young Brits are given incentives to move up to the Elite League which they can't refuse, too many are just treading water.

The promoters should have an unwritten agreement that they fill EL reserve berths with young home-bred doubling-up riders.

I reckon there are 15 British riders, plus a handful more doubling up in the EL; as there are over 70 places up for grabs, it's a worrying statistic that's been getting worse year by year.

[stevebrum]

Scottie still the only genuine contender at the moment - maybe the likes of Auty as the next generation maybe?

[AndyM]

With no disrespect to Scott, he's a good heat leader at league level, but he's not crossed the class gap to top bracket GP status. He might eventually win a GP, but can you ever see him winning a series without a major improvement? Sorry to say this, but he looks like he's being overtaken by the likes of Lindback this season.

[stevebrum]

scottie has the talent tho and is just a corner away from making it consistently i believe

[AndyM]

People have been saying he's on the verge of a breakthrough for several seasons. Looks to me that he's plateaued and found his level, much as Leigh Adams seems to have done - nearly but not quite.

 

As I've said before, the difference is probably little to do with track craft or machinery and everything to do with the rider's psychology and motivation. Who is managing Scott's affairs at present? Does he have someone to take care of all his finance and logistics, for example?

[Harry Krishna]

I don't know of any Brits riding right now who have enough of the killer instinct to become world champ.

[spin king]

We will get a World Champion, but I don't think it will be from the current crop, ie. Nicholls and Richardson, Nicholls is not very tactically aware, witnessed at the recent Grand Prix, when he fell he got straight back on his bike, instead of staying down, and seeing what happens.

Before anybody gets upset, that is what Tony Rickardsson does, and I noticed that Hans Anderssen followed him.

The best chance of a World Champion in my opinion is the current crop from the under 15's, this because they are been nurtured and given support, and they obviously have the talent, this is what they have been doing in Denmark and Swedan for many years.

Yes we are behind these nations but we are and will catch up with them, as long as we are patient with these youngsters and don't put them under pressure.

I also think that the promoters especially are to short sight in taking foreign imported riders instead of using youngster from this country, maybe I don't know the rules need to be change where each team must consist of a least 2 British riders.

[Subedei]

Considering that our lads ride in "the best league in the world" against the best in the world, on the most varied size and shape of tracks, the opportunity to reach the top of the tree is there, isn't it?

 

You have a valid point about the variety of tracks in this country. But is it an advantage when we open our league to all-comers?

Look at Poland. After the fall of the Berlin Wall the Polish clubs attracted the best riders in the world, but over the years the authorities there have ensured that the number of foreigners has been whittled away. Now, Polish clubs have 1 or 2 foreign riders, and only 1 rides in a given meeting (unless the other rides under a Polish licence). The initial influx has served its purpose. The sport is popular and young riders are coming through the ranks like no tomorrow. The Polish clubs now want the best, but not the rest, yet we have foreign riders on 4, 5 and 6 point averages.

Why aren't we doing as well? Probably because we don't care enough. And we love having Poles, Danes and Swedes riding in the league. Hell, we probably cheer for them in the GPs.

Edited July 7, 2005 by Subedei

[AndyM]

Used to be the best of the best in our leagues. Don't think you can say that now - a lot of top riders not here, but lots of middling ones using the experience to overtake the very slow development pace among our own locally-bred talent.