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Which Is Best: The Old ‘one-off’ World Final Or Sgp.


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Screaming for Bernie Persson to beat Ivan Mauger?

How could you have done that after he had knocked Briggo off in Heat 5 and caused Grigori Chlinovski or Valeri Goreev to take his index finger off!!!? Briggo had, incidentally, beaten Mauger by a country mile in his first race. I always say he would have added a further title to his name that night!

 

See it here:-

 

 

September 16th 1972-I remember it because there was nowhere on this earth I wanted to be except Wembley that night on my 21st birthday! Instead, I spent it with my then girlfriend in the Rifleman's, Swindon (a Berni Inn in those days) Prawn Cocktail, Rump steak, followed by Black Forest Gateau. Ahhhh! the 70's what an era!

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How could you have done that after he had knocked Briggo off in Heat 5 and caused Grigori Chlinovski or Valeri Goreev to take his index finger off!!!? Briggo had, incidentally, beaten Mauger by a country mile in his first race. I always say he would have added a further title to his name that night! See it here:-
September 16th 1972-I remember it because there was nowhere on this earth I wanted to be except Wembley that night on my 21st birthday! Instead, I spent it with my then girlfriend in the Rifleman's, Swindon (a Berni Inn in those days) Prawn Cocktail, Rump steak, followed by Black Forest Gateau. Ahhhh! the 70's what an era!

 

 

Chalkie, I did say when I got home I realised I didn't like Bernie Perssons but liked Mauger even less. My cousin was a BIG Mauger fan and every time Ivan won anything we would never hear the end of it. At that time I wanted anybody to beat him. Thats the effect the one off finals had that the GPs don't. Do agree with you about Briggo though, he would have won it that night if not for that crash.

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September 16th 1972-I remember it because there was nowhere on this earth I wanted to be except Wembley that night on my 21st birthday! Instead, I spent it with my then girlfriend in the Rifleman's, Swindon (a Berni Inn in those days) Prawn Cocktail, Rump steak, followed by Black Forest Gateau. Ahhhh! the 70's what an era!

 

Ah, bloody girlfriends.. I had a ticket for 1981 World Final (the last one at Wembley and often described as the best) but my squeeze at the time booked us a holiday to Malta flying out that same night so I had to give it up...

Should've given up the GF instead and gone to the WF!!

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Ah, bloody girlfriends.. I had a ticket for 1981 World Final (the last one at Wembley and often described as the best) but my squeeze at the time booked us a holiday to Malta flying out that same night so I had to give it up...

Should've given up the GF instead and gone to the WF!!

 

At least by then I had ditched the 1972 GF and managed to attend the last ever Wembley World Final, which was amazing. 90,000 attendance, you could taste the gas from the airhorns, full of drama!

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Aware this subject has been discussed before, so i apologise for any repeats from the past, but my original thoughts when I posted this were based on the fact that each year the SGP gets longer, so I apologise again in that I never made it clear.

 

If the SGP continue in the same vane, by the year 2020 there could be 20 rounds per year.

 

I feel 12 is far to many now, I believe they don't do the sport any good by having this amount, The the only concern of BSI is to generate as much money as possible. I am of the impression, although a large sum goes to the FIM, non of this money generated goes back into speedway.

 

?

Edited by GRW123
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At first I would have said the GPs give you a true world champion, but if you look back over the years how many times was the 1 off final won by a non deserving rider ... I would say only when Jerzy & Egon won it ... most of the time the rider was one of the top 5 in the world at the time :neutral:

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Maybe it's worth adding an extra section on the forum for topics that constantly keep popping up?

 

we could add in:

  • Which is better, the Grand Prix or the One Off World Final?
  • The New Silencers are rubbish and we all hate them
  • Nigel Pearson is a terrible commentator and probably an awful person
  • The Elite League is too weak nowadays
  • Charlie Webster - Which would you prefer, eye candy or informed interviewer?

If anyone has any other suggestions, answers on a postcard.

 

NB: None of the suggestions above are of my own opinion, but from what I've noticed on these forums .

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At least by then I had ditched the 1972 GF and managed to attend the last ever Wembley World Final, which was amazing. 90,000 attendance, you could taste the gas from the airhorns, full of drama!

 

Wembley 1981 was attended by 72,000 fans. 90,00 is the myth that developed aided by the box offices skills in "dressing the house" to make it look that way

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Wembley 1981 was attended by 72,000 fans. 90,00 is the myth that developed aided by the box offices skills in "dressing the house" to make it look that way

 

Not knowing the exact attendance figures of Wembley 81 , I am surprised you say there was only 72K.

 

I remember that night well. We had great difficult in acquiring tickets and the place was packed to the rafters. Ticket touts were charging 2 and 3 x the going rate and they wouldn't have been able to do that if there were tickets to spare?

 

Aware that Wembley held 100k for fottie matches I would have thought 90k was nearer the mark.

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Not knowing the exact attendance figures of Wembley 81 , I am surprised you say there was only 72K.

 

I remember that night well. We had great difficult in acquiring tickets and the place was packed to the rafters. Ticket touts were charging 2 and 3 x the going rate and they wouldn't have been able to do that if there were tickets to spare?

 

Aware that Wembley held 100k for fottie matches I would have thought 90k was nearer the mark.

 

72,000 was the official attendence, whatever it looked like or what the touts were charging

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Not knowing the exact attendance figures of Wembley 81 , I am surprised you say there was only 72K.

 

I remember that night well. We had great difficult in acquiring tickets and the place was packed to the rafters. Ticket touts were charging 2 and 3 x the going rate and they wouldn't have been able to do that if there were tickets to spare?

 

Aware that Wembley held 100k for fottie matches I would have thought 90k was nearer the mark.

I agree was chocker block ,i cant remember many gaps i have articles for the meeting and 92,000 was never disputed. It is only the last 10 years it has been put into question1975 was also a good gate coaches galore outside remember nearly losing me dad.
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Aware this subject has been discussed before, so i apologise for any repeats from the past, but my original thoughts when I posted this were based on the fact that each year the SGP gets longer, so I apologise again in that I never made it clear.

 

If the SGP continue in the same vane, by the year 2020 there could be 20 rounds per year.

 

I feel 12 is far to many now, I believe they don't do the sport any good by having this amount, The the only concern of BSI is to generate as much money as possible. I am of the impression, although a large sum goes to the FIM, non of this money generated goes back into speedway.

 

?

Personally I think 10-12 is about right. That said, you could add an Australian and a US GP to the start of the season without any impacts on domestic leagues (note: I woould expect in future years the NZ GP to be run earlier than this year's.) I'm guessing that this year will see some negotiating between BSI and the POles to see the one GP rider dropped - possibly the outcome of that would determine whether long terms there is an increase or decrease in the number of GPs. Also, I think you are oversstating the rate of increase - in 2002 there were 10 GPs - in 2012 there will be 12. If the series increases by another two events over the next 10 years I don't see a major issue, especially if these are accomodated before the domestic seasons start.

 

 

Maybe it's worth adding an extra section on the forum for topics that constantly keep popping up?

 

we could add in:

  • Which is better, the Grand Prix or the One Off World Final?
  • The New Silencers are rubbish and we all hate them
  • Nigel Pearson is a terrible commentator and probably an awful person
  • The Elite League is too weak nowadays
  • Charlie Webster - Which would you prefer, eye candy or informed interviewer?

If anyone has any other suggestions, answers on a postcard.

 

NB: None of the suggestions above are of my own opinion, but from what I've noticed on these forums .

 

Elite league play-offs - for them or against them, please discuss.

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Its a much better way of finding a true World Champion so obviously the GP is the best.

 

Im amazed this thread was even started. Its not like no one has ever mentioned it before! :P

 

It's winter time. That means wheeling out the same old boring topics to make some forum chatter. No matter how much ranting and raving there is on here. it's an FIM sanctioned event.

The FIM governs world motorcycle sport and run GPs for other motorcycle formulas. These are accepted by followers of these disciplines but sadly British speedway followers like to live in the past, so they want to revert to something that was born in 1936.

Then, the world championship as primarily designed for British supporter consumption and British-based riders. Speedway has come a long way since then. It's worldwide. I doubt if there are many complaints in other countries about the GPs.

The present chatter on here about one-off world finals typifies the insular attitude that bedevils not only speedway but most other sports with which this country is linked internationally.

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There are two sides to sport though, speedyguy...: not just the way governing bodies organise things but also what fans find exciting and gets numbers through the gates. Funny enough it's THAT side of things which has led Sky and the Elite League promoters to decide there should be the play-offs (effectively like a 'one-off' Final) to decide the league title; and yes, this does produce great excitement and large crowds.

 

My (well-documented!) support for a one-off World Final is, in truth, based purely on that too...: that the old World Final was an amazingly exciting sporting event. I've been to many big events (FA Cup Finals, Internationals in several sports, World Cup Final in Rugby League etc.) but nothing to me has ever matched the excitement of the Speedway World Final.

 

So yes, I accept all the points about the SGP system producing a fair winner over a season long set of rounds (am NOT going into the qualification system again as that row's been done to death!) but to me, it can NEVER replicate that excitement and THAT'S what's lacking.

 

This is only my opinion but I do have to say that the reason sport is popular is generally more to do with excitement than consistency!!

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