The Buildbase British Final.

[Sprog1]

Excellent post...my memories go back to the days of Swindon's Barry Briggs, and his 6 title wins in the 60s. Was untouchable at times.

 

I saw Briggo win the last of his British titles at West Ham. As you say, absolutely untouchable. The number 2 gate wasn't working that night and every rider in the field including Ivan Mauger was either third or last off of it. Then Briggo came off no2 gate and completed a 15 point maximum. Fantastic stuff.

Incidently there were three World Champions in the field that nigh, including Briggo, which rather puts last nights Mickey-Mouse episode into perspective.

 

Congratulations to Scott though. Six British Championships in any era is some achievement.

 

 

 

[orion]

I saw Briggo win the last of his British titles at West Ham. As you say, absolutely untouchable. The number 2 gate wasn't working that night and every rider in the field including Ivan Mauger was either third or last off of it. Then Briggo came off no2 gate and completed a 15 point maximum. Fantastic stuff.

Incidently there were three World Champions in the field that nigh, including Briggo, which rather puts last nights Mickey-Mouse episode into perspective.

 

Congratulations to Scott though. Six British Championships in any era is some achievement.

 

 

 

 

 

I would say Mickey Mouse is having riders not from Britain in the final .

[SCB]

I saw Briggo win the last of his British titles at West Ham. As you say, absolutely untouchable. The number 2 gate wasn't working that night and every rider in the field including Ivan Mauger was either third or last off of it. Then Briggo came off no2 gate and completed a 15 point maximum. Fantastic stuff.

Incidently there were three World Champions in the field that nigh, including Briggo, which rather puts last nights Mickey-Mouse episode into perspective.

 

Congratulations to Scott though. Six British Championships in any era is some achievement.

Yeah, because rolling out World Champion Gary Havelock in place of Tai Woffinden would have made Scotts achievements even better

 

Lee Richardson has a World Title.

[Sprog1]

I would say Mickey Mouse is having riders not from Britain in the final .

I think it was to do with licensing in those days.Australian and New Zealand riders had to do their W.C quaifiers in Britain . Bit like Rune Holta on a Polish licence, except they had no choice. If I remember correctly in later years some riders (I think Marvyn Cox was One ) went abroad to try to qualify because the standard was too high over here. you can hardly call it a genuinely competitive meeting last night when half the field are hardly even capable of setting the PL alight.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Sprog1]

 

Lee Richardson has a World Title.

 

Don't mention that or you'll send stevebrum into one.

 

 

 

[Humphrey Appleby]

I think it was to do with licensing in those days.Australian and New Zealand riders had to do their W.C quaifiers in Britain . Bit like Rune Holta on a Polish licence, except they had no choice.

 

I believe it was actually because the ACU covered most of the Commonwealth in those days. Australia didn't get its own federation until about 1976 and New Zealand not until 1984.

 

The British Final was therefore really the Commonwealth Final.

[orion]

I think it was to do with licensing in those days.Australian and New Zealand riders had to do their W.C quaifiers in Britain . Bit like Rune Holta on a Polish licence, except they had no choice. If I remember correctly in later years some riders (I think Marvyn Cox was One ) went abroad to try to qualify because the standard was too high over here. you can hardly call it a genuinely competitive meeting last night when half the field are hardly even capable of setting the PL alight.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think nearly all fans last night found the meeting very competitive and many were saying it was the best final in many a year ,what league the riders are in has nothing to with it .

[SCB]

I think nearly all fans last night found the meeting very competitive and many were saying it was the best final in many a year ,what league the riders are in has nothing to with it .

If every speedway meeting was as good as last nights British Final the sport would be in a much better condition than it is now. It was a brilliant meeting.

 

If the racing is like that I don't really care what level of speedway I'm watching. Robbo is a PL rider but he was a joy to watch last night, once again. Even PL'er Leigh Lanham who I'd normally have down as being a bit boring was in the thick of things a few times too. On the other hand, Tai was pretty boring, despite being bloody good.

Edited June 7, 2011 by SCB

[BigFatDave]

If every speedway meeting was as good as last nights British Final the sport would be in a much better condition than it is now. It was a brilliant meeting.

 

If the racing is like that I don't really care what level of speedway I'm watching.

Yet most of youse Poms reckon you prefer Team meetings to Individual meetings; I seem to remember a lively debate on the subject earlier this year when Us Mob who have a decided liking for Individual meetings were shouted down.

 

Have to agree but; it was a great evening's entertainment. I just couldn't understand why it wasn't top three straight into the A Main and 4 - 7 into the Repêchage.

Edited June 8, 2011 by BigFatDave

[stevebrum]

Don't mention that or you'll send stevebrum into one.

 

 

I can appreciate a good joke.

[Sprog1]

If every speedway meeting was as good as last nights British Final the sport would be in a much better condition than it is now. It was a brilliant meeting.

 

If the racing is like that I don't really care what level of speedway I'm watching. Robbo is a PL rider but he was a joy to watch last night, once again. Even PL'er Leigh Lanham who I'd normally have down as being a bit boring was in the thick of things a few times too. On the other hand, Tai was pretty boring, despite being bloody good.

 

As a meeting it did produce some good racing and I think we can agree that you can, for example sometimes get boring racing at GP level and sometimes get good racing at PL level, but the quality of the racing is not the same as the quality of the field.

 

My original comment (which was partly tongue in cheek) was directed at the quality of the line-up, not the quality of the racing. Notwithstanding the quality of the racing it is still a sad reflection on the state of British speedway that in the British Championship, which by definition, should consist of the best riders in the country, approximately half the field consisted of riders who are not only unable to hold to a regular place in the top league, but most of them appear to have no realistic prospect of ever improving to genuine EL standard

 

I think stevebrum hit the nail on the head when he pointed out that Lee Richardson collected 11 points yet never really looked like winning the meeting. Apart from the top few there was nobody good enough to hold him off even when he got some bad starts on a track he didn't like, and really there should have been.

 

If we had three or four more riders of say Eddie Kennet's standard and still in there early 20's with time to improve it would be very encouraging, but in terms of the overall calibre of British riders the cupboard is pretty bare. The fact that there was some reasonable racing cannot conceal the failure of the BSPA as a body to develop home-grown talent .