bomscot Posted November 7, 2007 Report Share Posted November 7, 2007 Hi what do people think about bringing back the golden helmet match race. top scorer from team races against holder for winner. used to be good in the old days. from bomscot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speedyguy Posted November 8, 2007 Report Share Posted November 8, 2007 (edited) Hi what do people think about bringing back the golden helmet match race. top scorer from team races against holder for winner. used to be good in the old days. from bomscot <{POST_SNAPBACK}>    Ah! Memories of Jack Parker, Bill Kitchen, Ron Johnson, Vic Duggan in contention for the Sunday Pictorial/Sunday Mirror golden helmet match race championship. Years and years ago. A golden helmet in speedway's golden days...1946 to the early 1950s (for me at least).  http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/oldtimespeedway Edited September 6, 2008 by speedyguy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
star ghost Posted November 9, 2007 Report Share Posted November 9, 2007 The real Golden Helmet was one challenge a month. The later effort of top scorer v holder every match was little more than a second-half race added to the normal programme of events, only one heat at that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speedyguy Posted November 10, 2007 Report Share Posted November 10, 2007 The real Golden Helmet was one challenge a month. The later effort of top scorer v holder every match was little more than a second-half race added to the normal programme of events, only one heat at that <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Â Â Â That's what took all the prestige out of the event. Â Â http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/oldtimespeedway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T.N.T. Posted November 11, 2007 Report Share Posted November 11, 2007 The Golden Helmet was raced with best of 3 home, best of 3 away and if needed the best of 3 at a neutral track. Â In those days, riders were free to travel from Wimbledon toi Belle Vue for possibly two heats but when riders starting riding more in Sweden, Poland etc each week it was changed to the holder takes on the top scorer of that match. Â This took the prestige off the event while sometimes the holder was missing due to World Championship meetings and there was no match race run at all. Â Maybe the helmet could go to the winner of heat 15 in each match the present holder rides in ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colincooke Posted November 12, 2007 Report Share Posted November 12, 2007 As i remember the Golden Helmet in the 70s & 80s the match races only occured when the holders team visited a particular track or that rider was racing a home fixture.It would be great to see it come back run on this basis & then there would be no extra travelling costs etc as the competitors will already be at the venue. The holder should race v the top scorer in the opposing team. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norbold Posted November 13, 2007 Report Share Posted November 13, 2007 Ah! Memories of Jack Parker, Bill Kitchen, Ron Johnson, Vic Duggan in contention for the Sunday Pictorial/Sunday Mirror golden helmet match race championship. Years and years ago. A golden helmet in speedway's golden days...1946 to the early 1950s (for me at least).  http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/oldtimespeedway <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I've just been going through Speedway News for 1948. Whenever there was a match race challenge it was really big news. Every month, there would be speculation on who would be nominated as the next challenger, when the nomination was made there was much editorialising over whether the right choice had been made, and then when the match races themselves took place, reporting on the races was always the front page lead. Can't see us ever getting back to those days... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speedyguy Posted November 13, 2007 Report Share Posted November 13, 2007 I've just been going through Speedway News for 1948. Whenever there was a match race challenge it was really big news. Every month, there would be speculation on who would be nominated as the next challenger, when the nomination was made there was much editorialising over whether the right choice had been made, and then when the match races themselves took place, reporting on the races was always the front page lead. Can't see us ever getting back to those days... <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Â Â Yes, how sad it is when we look back at those wonderful old days and then reflect on what we are presented with in so many instances in modern times. Â Â http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/oldtimespeedway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
star ghost Posted November 13, 2007 Report Share Posted November 13, 2007 In the old days it was possible to increase crowds by building up a match race during the previous weeks leading up to the event. With the highest scorer due to meet the holder you couldn't do this as the "holder" might have lost the title the night before, then you have no event to run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Know Posted December 21, 2007 Report Share Posted December 21, 2007 I thought this had been replaced with the purple helmet which was now contested by the elite promoters and won by most of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike9 Posted July 24, 2008 Report Share Posted July 24, 2008 Bring the Golden Helmet back that's what I say. It add's just that little bit more entertainment value to a meeting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomcat Posted August 25, 2008 Report Share Posted August 25, 2008 I would add my weight to that, bring back the Golden Helmet, as it used to be. Best of 3 home and away, with any decider on a neutral track.... I can still picture John Louis, who was a bit of a specialist in the Golden Helmet, when he smashed the track record at Foxhall, whilst beating Dave Jessup.... I'd kill to see that kind of thing again.... And people ridicule the old days... they don't know what they missed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrankieCot Posted August 30, 2009 Report Share Posted August 30, 2009 Hi what do people think about bringing back the golden helmet match race. top scorer from team races against holder for winner. used to be good in the old days. from bomscot Hi, The golden helmet returning I think is a great idea, for many years I was intrigued by this event. The rider in form usually managed to win even if he was on the away track. With the amount of great riders around today this would be very interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T.N.T. Posted August 31, 2009 Report Share Posted August 31, 2009 The Golden Helmet was always a good extra to a meeting but these days riders finish heat 15, get showered and then off to the next meeting. They don't need any extra ware and tear on equipment and would want paying for these extra rides. Â Although it would be nice, I cant see it happening but maybe another idea would be to include heat 15 results in a competition. Â At the end of the season, the top two riders with the most race points from each track would then be selected for the ELRC (bottom two as reserves) where the trophy could be the Golden Helmet. Â Otherwise, you could have the top rider at each track go forward to a Golden Helmet meeting held at say Cardiff (on the Sunday) or even alongside the Silver Helmet with the meeting held at a central track like Birmingham, Coventry or Wolves. Â You would then have 9 top EL riders competing in three groups of three for the Golden Helmet and 14 top PL riders competing in groups. All races would be match races with the meeting lasting about 40 heats of two riders.If you could get on average 100 fans from each track, thats a pretty good crowd and help pay for the prize money as well as making it a charity meeting for injured riders. Â Â Â Â Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirt Posted September 1, 2009 Report Share Posted September 1, 2009 The Golden Helmet was always a good extra to a meeting but these days riders finish heat 15, get showered and then off to the next meeting. They don't need any extra ware and tear on equipment and would want paying for these extra rides. Although it would be nice, I cant see it happening but maybe another idea would be to include heat 15 results in a competition.  At the end of the season, the top two riders with the most race points from each track would then be selected for the ELRC (bottom two as reserves) where the trophy could be the Golden Helmet.  Otherwise, you could have the top rider at each track go forward to a Golden Helmet meeting held at say Cardiff (on the Sunday) or even alongside the Silver Helmet with the meeting held at a central track like Birmingham, Coventry or Wolves.  You would then have 9 top EL riders competing in three groups of three for the Golden Helmet and 14 top PL riders competing in groups. All races would be match races with the meeting lasting about 40 heats of two riders.If you could get on average 100 fans from each track, thats a pretty good crowd and help pay for the prize money as well as making it a charity meeting for injured riders.   that has to be the most deluded confusing suggestion ever contrieved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T.N.T. Posted September 2, 2009 Report Share Posted September 2, 2009 (edited) that has to be the most deluded confusing suggestion ever contrieved. You would have Kasprzak, Harris, Watt, King, Richardson, Bjerre, Holder, Adams and Lindgren all meet up at a track, compete in three round robin groups to determine three group winners who would ride in the final. Â Thats 12 heats which if run alongside a meeting like an Under 18;s Test Match (England v Poland say) over 15 heats could create quite a bit of interest and a pretty good crowd. Edited September 2, 2009 by T.N.T. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midland Red Posted September 9, 2009 Report Share Posted September 9, 2009 I would add my weight to that, bring back the Golden Helmet, as it used to be. Best of 3 home and away, with any decider on a neutral track.... I can still picture John Louis, who was a bit of a specialist in the Golden Helmet, when he smashed the track record at Foxhall, whilst beating Dave Jessup.... I'd kill to see that kind of thing again.... And people ridicule the old days... they don't know what they missed. Â I can remember Nigel Boocock beating Ove Fundin and taking him to a decider on a neutral track Happy daze! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garry1603 Posted April 25, 2010 Report Share Posted April 25, 2010 Get Sky to rename it the 'Sky Golden Helmet Series' and you would have a winner! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
britmet Posted April 26, 2010 Report Share Posted April 26, 2010 (edited) Just recapped on this thread: One has to question if the past attraction was the trophy of a Golden Helmet, per se, or the Match Race itself. I must believe the later, be it the monthly H&A best of 3, or the single post-league race where the top scorer challenged the holder.  Of course the riders would want paying; yes, they want to get away after Ht.15 (except where the financial attraction appeals !) But in its heyday, it was the opening event, - before league racing commenced. Only in this format can it be 'promoted' heavily, in advance, to bring in add'l supporters to cover the prize money. I see no point in a full blown mtg with the Helmet as a prize, - too man riders dont bother now with such competitions, (i.e. the ELRC,) and changing a cup for a helmet wont appeal, especially if its polycarbonate full-face 21-century safety gear.  Reflecting on past winners, indeed John Louis had a good run in both formats in '73/'74 at the time of the transition, but Olsen's amazing 19 consecutive wins in ‘72/’73, (post-mtg single race format,) and Briggo and Peter Collins' 12 monthly successes, (H&A best-of-3 format,) stand out, post 1960. The master of the Match-Race however still remains Jack Parker and his 20 monthly successes between 1946 and 1951 with only 3 defeats in that 5-year period.  You can see all the detail on this website http://speedwaychampions.kk5.org/login/453...home/4538411176 - - "Golden Helmet/British MRC" page, plus pics of various Golden Helmets, old and new, and their holders. . Edited April 26, 2010 by britmet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomcat Posted April 28, 2010 Report Share Posted April 28, 2010 (edited) Hi BritMet, The best of 3, home and away, is the best format I ever saw. And having those match races opening a meeting, was and still is, the best buzz I got at speedway. Although the idea that your own top rider held the helmet was the tops, it was in fact the whole match race scenario that excited me on a personal level. Never ever liked or understood that daft one heat rubbish, after a meeting had finished either.... and at the end for an old Gauntlet, not a helmet, that had been badly painted with some cheap gold spray paint. Â It was a bit like two modern day Gladiators going into combat, where there could only be one winner. Apart from those magical series that John Louis was involved in, I also traveled to other tracks, just to see the Golden Helmet match races, involving other riders. There was just something very special about those races. Â We get the usual people that knock the past, but I believe that sometimes we need to go back to the past, regarding some aspects of speedway, as well as embracing modern idea's. A return to the Golden Helmet, in its 70's format, would IMHO, be a good thing. I understand the riders are over stretched, riding in so many different countries, but all the authorities have to do is look at the fixtures lists and make their nominations each month from those. So they would know who qualified to take part and who was available and when. Its not hard to do, if anyone really wanted to get this off the ground again and make it compulsary for a rider that is nominated to ride, or face a fine. All anyone has to do is look at the recent Troy Batchelor/Chris Harris fiasco. Troy was booked to guest for Coventry, only to find that Harris was at Poole and ready to race. No-one had bothered to inform Troy that Harris was there, so he travelled all that way for nothing. The point being, that riders are prepared to travel regardless, so it would work I feel. Its not rocket science to organise and who knows, it may even entice some former fans back again, as many don't go anymore, as things have changed way too much for them. Â As I said, sometimes a step back is a step forward. Edited April 28, 2010 by tomcat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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