The Know Posted April 6, 2012 Report Share Posted April 6, 2012 THE parade of ex World Champions in Germany in 2007 was part of a celebration of the 100th SGP. The 150th will be in Gorzow in June. was presented with a lovely framed photo at this meeting of all the past world champions and signed by them, must be a collectors piece anyone want to buy it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iris123 Posted April 6, 2012 Report Share Posted April 6, 2012 was presented with a lovely framed photo at this meeting of all the past world champions and signed by them, must be a collectors piece anyone want to buy it I just remember a German fan asking me what Freddie Williams looked like/could i point him out.I had to admit i didn't know,as i hadn't seen a photo of him since the 70s and mainly pics from the 50s.I did recognise Bert Harkins though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spiegal Posted April 6, 2012 Report Share Posted April 6, 2012 Ok Andy...Pm me..how much ??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stratton Posted April 6, 2012 Report Share Posted April 6, 2012 (edited) The history of the sport is indeed important, to people who are interested in it, and even then at the right place and time. A GP is not the place for these kind of things. We had it at Wembley in 1978, although that was done so badly as to be an embarrassment, we had it at Germany in 07. To a large chunk of the crowd they were merely old men who,s names they may have heard in passing. I go to a GP for the here and now, not for a history lesson A page in the programme is a more acceptable way of honouring past stars achievements This was a unique occasion in N.Z all i am saying is 5 minutes of time not hours? is that to much to ask.I find it strange that people have a problem with that, would Sir Matt at Utd Shanks at liverpool go there and not be made a fuss of a big NO and rightly so.Ronnie, ivan, Briggo would not exspect much of a fuss a few minutes thats all anyway the event and meeting was very good which was the main thing. Bit of a cheap shot, sidney, and also a bit off-topic. We're talking 2012 here: I'm sure all of us share your respect for our heroes of the past, but why should they intrude on the GP programme just because they live in the host country? ....and do you tell them how to run their show too? I don;t know how much BSI/IMG pay for satellite time, but if you're willing to contribute towards their running costs I'm sure they'd be more than happy to take your money/suggestions on board. Know not a cheapshot didnt mean it like that Dave, am sorry you are as big a speedway supporter as anybody.You are right, yes i am not paying the bills they can do what they want when i watched it live all i wanted was for it to be a success and it was a great advert and Bill Buckley fair play to him. Edited April 6, 2012 by sidney Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trees Posted April 6, 2012 Report Share Posted April 6, 2012 Perhaps you'd like to explain your reasoning for those poor misguided simpletons among us who actually attend and enjoy GPs and obviously aren't as clever as you, rather than responding with a snide remark? I shouldn't need to. Forget about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCB Posted April 6, 2012 Report Share Posted April 6, 2012 The history of the sport is very important, why do you always have a dig at the past.Riders you are seing now, they will be in the past at some stage would it of hurt to make a fuss of the old stars that were there.I care about those riders,you talk some sense but when you are negative and posts like this i just dont see your logic in your negativity. Weirdly, I have quite an interest in old speedway, I love reading the (auto)biographies of the older dudes (I've bought a few for my dad and had a read before he got a chance - I read in a book in a few days, my dad spends months so I had to get in before him ) and I enjoy reading the days gone by section of this forum and the arguments about the greatest ever XXX. But there's a time and a place. I just don't think that's at a GP. in much the same way as I love to drive and I love to drink but I'm not so keen on mixing the two I don't think most people care too much at all about listening to older guys natter on or having the older guys driven around in an open top car and waving at them - Frankly I don't think most people give two hoots about the parade of the riders in the meeting - we all just politely clap as they ride/drive past, it's an utterly pointless concept IMO. A speedway meeting should be about the racing, now and by all means have a quick chat with Ivan or someone in a break but they should be an extra and not an expectation or something that is made out as a big thing as it ruins the flow of the actual meeting. The one things the GP's do well is the 4 heats banged out in reasonable time (but giving the geeks that we speedway fans are enough time to fill in a programme!) and then the break every 4th heat for the rider who is doing 2 in a row to have a breather but also us fans to all run to get a beer and/or have a wee. I'm not sure why the need an interval though, I guess it's so the track staff can head off for a wee and a cuppa. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stratton Posted April 6, 2012 Report Share Posted April 6, 2012 Weirdly, I have quite an interest in old speedway, I love reading the (auto)biographies of the older dudes (I've bought a few for my dad and had a read before he got a chance - I read in a book in a few days, my dad spends months so I had to get in before him ) and I enjoy reading the days gone by section of this forum and the arguments about the greatest ever XXX. But there's a time and a place. I just don't think that's at a GP. in much the same way as I love to drive and I love to drink but I'm not so keen on mixing the two I don't think most people care too much at all about listening to older guys natter on or having the older guys driven around in an open top car and waving at them - Frankly I don't think most people give two hoots about the parade of the riders in the meeting - we all just politely clap as they ride/drive past, it's an utterly pointless concept IMO. A speedway meeting should be about the racing, now and by all means have a quick chat with Ivan or someone in a break but they should be an extra and not an expectation or something that is made out as a big thing as it ruins the flow of the actual meeting. The one things the GP's do well is the 4 heats banged out in reasonable time (but giving the geeks that we speedway fans are enough time to fill in a programme!) and then the break every 4th heat for the rider who is doing 2 in a row to have a breather but also us fans to all run to get a beer and/or have a wee. I'm not sure why the need an interval though, I guess it's so the track staff can head off for a wee and a cuppa. I went last night too the abbey and got home at 10.40, the referee a woman had a mare did drag on a wee bit.Has made me think we have to start cracking on with the meetings maybe i am way off beam on this but delays and stoppages and dire music must put youngsters off.Say for example 18 or 19 year olds thought maybe i will go to speedway then go to a club after leaving at 10.30 would put them off.I think it should be a prompt as possible 7.30 start crack on with the action straight through with it. Maybe one little interval only last night it didnt matter so much because it was a great meeting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigFatDave Posted April 7, 2012 Report Share Posted April 7, 2012 I shouldn't need to. Forget about it. So you're not going to back up your latest remarks slagging off this GP and the people who attended, I take it? Maybe not everyone can follow your train of thought, Trees. Nothing new there, eh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haza Posted April 7, 2012 Report Share Posted April 7, 2012 So you're not going to back up your latest remarks slagging off this GP and the people who attended, I take it? Maybe not everyone can follow your train of thought, TreEes. Nothing new there, eh? Dave she moans about any aspect of the Gps any little thing try attending a few trees you never know you may just enjoy it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trees Posted April 7, 2012 Report Share Posted April 7, 2012 Dave she moans about any aspect of the Gps any little thing try attending a few trees you never know you may just enjoy it This wasn't my "moan" haha, twas my husbands, it wasn't a moan either, just an expression of surprise. I did attend the first two Cardiff meetings and a few WTC meetings, got caught up in the hype, before I thought about it all properly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Humphrey Appleby Posted April 7, 2012 Report Share Posted April 7, 2012 The one things the GP's do well is the 4 heats banged out in reasonable time They have to because of television considerations, although an individual meeting is much more straightforward to run as the line-ups for the first 20 heats are largely known in advance. League meetings have reserve substitutions, R/R and nominated heats to take into consideration. This said, it's still ridiculous how long it can take to run 15 heats these days, but then everyone would be going home after little more than an hour... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manchesterpaul Posted April 7, 2012 Report Share Posted April 7, 2012 This said, it's still ridiculous how long it can take to run 15 heats these days, but then everyone would be going home after little more than an hour... Then again that should allow for much needed extra heats to hold for the benefit of young riders etc. It would be interesting to let them go out first and get them to roughen up the track for the experienced riders. We all know throughout the history of Speedway one often gets little passing in the first few heats. Would be good for any televised meeting to see 'racing' underway from the first heats of a league meeting. Presently, newcomers to the sport, be it the Grand Prix or Elite League, tune in see no passing in the early races and change channels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Know Posted April 8, 2012 Report Share Posted April 8, 2012 Ok Andy...Pm me..how much ??? only joking about selling it might raffle it for charity along with all the signed bike front covers from the sgp when i get 5 mins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldace Posted April 8, 2012 Report Share Posted April 8, 2012 They have to because of television considerations, although an individual meeting is much more straightforward to run as the line-ups for the first 20 heats are largely known in advance. League meetings have reserve substitutions, R/R and nominated heats to take into consideration. This said, it's still ridiculous how long it can take to run 15 heats these days, but then everyone would be going home after little more than an hour... None of that is relevant to how long a meeting is dragged out for. Rarely does a league match have a two on the trot situation and any changes should not slow the programme down. A 23 heat GP has up to 6 two on the trot situations and even allowing for a lengthy interval, which for those present at the event isn't just dead time, is usually done in around 2.5 hours. A 15 heat League match often takes longer. in reality it should not require more than 5 mins per heat, barring bad accidents and a 15 heat match should be done and dusted in 1.5 hours allowing a 15 minute interval. The public are not fooled into thinking its better value by stringing it out for 2.5 hours Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Humphrey Appleby Posted April 8, 2012 Report Share Posted April 8, 2012 The public are not fooled into thinking its better value by stringing it out for 2.5 hours I completely agree. Stringing out 15 heats over a longer period doesn't make it better value for money and the indeterminable delays are I think one of the contributory reasons as to why fans have drifted away. My point though, was that the heat lineups are more predictable in a GP. Yes, 4 riders have two on the trot, but those races are known in advance and track grading is scheduled in-between. Whilst league meetings don't have riders programmed for two on the trot, it can and often does happen with reserve substitutions and R/R in operation. It should still be possible to run 10 heats per hour though, which would mean a 15-heat match could be concluded in 1.5 hours. And yes.. there should be extra support races as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
severnsider Posted April 8, 2012 Report Share Posted April 8, 2012 Personally I think most of the delay is caused by the way the two minutes work. Riders spend an age gardening before the start of each race. Can't see why the British leagues can't use a two minute clock in the same way as the gps and the league in Poland. Think they also use in Saeden but a long time since I have been to a meeting in Sweden to be sure Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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