stratton Posted August 29, 2012 Report Share Posted August 29, 2012 After watching Barker at birmingham this year he has sometimes won the meetings on his own, He has been scoring very heavily and getting win in heat 15 against some very very good riders in the EL! I think he is our best prospect, Auty has struggled at number 2 which is not to much of a suprise and needs to make a step up with his equipment to leave being a double up rider! Tai needs to be given a shot at it next year, he is still very young but he can cut it in all the leagues! With him being 22 i think putting him in now wont do him any harm at all! He nearly won the british title he was gone and left the rest for dust in the first start of the final only to suffer in the re run! Barker has also been very poor as well, I know Auty has been at reserve but he hasn't done too bad at no 2.When I've seen them ride on tv and Swindon Barker was poor once Auty for me has looked the better rider.Out of all the names named Barker is the one I think won't make the step up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fullbore Posted August 29, 2012 Report Share Posted August 29, 2012 I was hoping our Coventry fan would answer Niamh 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Panda Posted August 29, 2012 Report Share Posted August 29, 2012 i have to ask why some people keep mentioning the likes of Barker, Cook, Auty as none of these riders appear to ride in the top 2 leagues in the world in Poland and Sweden. Barker is a rider who decided to drop down a level to PL instead, hardly world championship material Is it a necessity to ride abroad though to do well in the GP's..................yes a lot of GP riders ride in more than one league but look at the current top GB riders.............riding in foreign leagues has not necessarily helped them................. Some of the youngsters coming through will ride abroad eventually............but that does not mean they cannot compete with the big guns now............. RP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DougieD Posted August 29, 2012 Report Share Posted August 29, 2012 I think Tai woffinden should be in the GP's next year . cleaning Chris Harris' bikes True they do pick up a lot of dirt following the other 3 riders round 5 times a night The series should be the top riders in the world regardless of which country they come from. There is NO british rider currently worthy of a place in the gp.There are far better riders to choose from abroad as has been proved time and again. You missed the "Nowt" off the end of your name Who the hell is Colin Cook??? Ooops sorry showing my age their, Colin Cook was a great little rider who rode for Ipswich, Leicester & Exeter between 1978 & 1992 .... I suppose the real question is "who the hell is Craig Cook" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
comebackkings Posted August 29, 2012 Report Share Posted August 29, 2012 I have to laugh at some of the posts on here. Do you think that there would ever be a point where Danish, Swedish or Polish fans would ever post on a forum for the GP to go ahead without one of their riders in the 15 riders at every GP? It may make me a Little Englander, but there has to be a British rider in the GP's. Just watch Sky's subscriptions drop without one and we all know that they won't let that happen. This is a minority forum following a minority sport and until there is a major overall of the way the sport is run in this country that's all it will be. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DougieD Posted August 29, 2012 Report Share Posted August 29, 2012 I have to laugh at some of the posts on here. Do you think that there would ever be a point where Danish, Swedish or Polish fans would ever post on a forum for the GP to go ahead without one of their riders in the 15 riders at every GP? It may make me a Little Englander, but there has to be a British rider in the GP's. Just watch Sky's subscriptions drop without one and we all know that they won't let that happen. This is a minority forum following a minority sport and until there is a major overall of the way the sport is run in this country that's all it will be. Its the British way, they do it with all sports football etc. I AM a little Englander ... there will be a brit in next season because thats the way it is Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iris123 Posted August 29, 2012 Report Share Posted August 29, 2012 (edited) I have to laugh at some of the posts on here. Do you think that there would ever be a point where Danish, Swedish or Polish fans would ever post on a forum for the GP to go ahead without one of their riders in the 15 riders at every GP? It may make me a Little Englander, but there has to be a British rider in the GP's. Just watch Sky's subscriptions drop without one and we all know that they won't let that happen. This is a minority forum following a minority sport and until there is a major overall of the way the sport is run in this country that's all it will be. I wonder how much difference it would really make if no Brit was in the series.British speedway fans are fairly notorious in supporting foreign riders that ride for their team rather than British riders.And as you say it is only a minority sport.So i doubt a great number of Sky subscribers have been re-subscribing over the past few seasons with the hope of seeing a Brit winning GPs and challenging for the title.So if there happened to be none aprt from a Cardiff wildcard i doubt it would affect Sky's subscriptions too much British speedway fans are a strange phenomenon.I don't know of any other sport where fans support another country or another countries rider/sportsperson over their own country/rider.I don't even see it within our sport in other countries.I don't see danish speedway fans walking around with American or Australian flags etc....nor Polish fans or Swedish fans.So i really don't see that it matters much,but maybe Sky don't realise this phenomenon and expect speedway fans to behave like other sports fans Edited August 29, 2012 by iris123 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Know Posted September 3, 2012 Report Share Posted September 3, 2012 True they do pick up a lot of dirt following the other 3 riders round 5 times a night You missed the "Nowt" off the end of your name Does that mean you missed the ick off yours :-) Ooops sorry showing my age their, Colin Cook was a great little rider who rode for Ipswich, Leicester & Exeter between 1978 & 1992 .... I suppose the real question is "who the hell is Craig Cook" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPEEDY69 Posted September 3, 2012 Report Share Posted September 3, 2012 In answer to the question posed on this thread: Has he qualified? Is he the National Champion? Is he a Champion at another event e.g. World U21? Is he in the current GP's top 11? As the answer is no to the above then in my opionion it has to be no overall. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JT Posted September 3, 2012 Report Share Posted September 3, 2012 (edited) In answer to the question posed on this thread: Has he qualified? Is he the National Champion? Is he a Champion at another event e.g. World U21? Is he in the current GP's top 11? As the answer is no to the above then in my opionion it has to be no overall. Why top 11? Given two of the riders directly below 10th and 11th place have missed 5 GP's each (Vaculik and Hampel) and are still only 7 points behind 10th, surely only a top 9 finish will put a rider in contention for a wild card next season? JT. Edited September 3, 2012 by JT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pandorum Posted September 3, 2012 Report Share Posted September 3, 2012 I have to laugh at some of the posts on here. Do you think that there would ever be a point where Danish, Swedish or Polish fans would ever post on a forum for the GP to go ahead without one of their riders in the 15 riders at every GP? It may make me a Little Englander, but there has to be a British rider in the GP's. Just watch Sky's subscriptions drop without one and we all know that they won't let that happen. This is a minority forum following a minority sport and until there is a major overall of the way the sport is run in this country that's all it will be. The important difference is that those 3 countries have riders who can compete for the top places in the GP and even go via the GP challenge route and qualify. Russia and Slovakia have someone who can do both these things but we don't have anyone who can do either. Harris could not even qualify on his home track. Our riders know they will get a pick regardless as to how badly they perform. That surely is the problem! I doubt very much if the inclusion of Chris Harris made that much difference to the viewing figures here other than for the Cardiff event. You hardly even know he is there anyway Hell I would love a Brit to win the bloody thing but watching them stink out the competetion saddens me more than anything else. Let's see us deserve a place first. Tai is the obvious hope for us but even he does not deserve a pick. Harris getting another start would be an absolute disgrace and I am a fan of the bloke. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THE DEAN MACHINE Posted September 3, 2012 Report Share Posted September 3, 2012 i would give the wild card spot to jason garrity , get him some good machinery ,he wouldnt really have a great chance of winning but i give it 2 rounds before he clashed with nicki pedersen and it would be like penhall and carter all over again for the rest of the series :lol: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPEEDY69 Posted September 4, 2012 Report Share Posted September 4, 2012 Why top 11? Given two of the riders directly below 10th and 11th place have missed 5 GP's each (Vaculik and Hampel) and are still only 7 points behind 10th, surely only a top 9 finish will put a rider in contention for a wild card next season? JT. Simply because the three riders who finish outside the 'automatic' qualification places are usually considered for wild card picks, along with other candidates - no other reason really. The wild card picks are still a bit of a mystery to me but there are obviously commercial considerations as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fromafar Posted September 4, 2012 Report Share Posted September 4, 2012 I think Woffinden has stagnated in the past 2 seasons he is not GP material yet in my book.Have seen many riders younger than him perform better.Does there really have be a Brit ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HasseHolmqvist Posted September 4, 2012 Report Share Posted September 4, 2012 i would give the wild card spot to jason garrity , get him some good machinery ,he wouldnt really have a great chance of winning but i give it 2 rounds before he clashed with nicki pedersen and it would be like penhall and carter all over again for the rest of the series :lol: To "Clash" with Nicki Pedersen you actually need to be on the same side of the track as him, Jason would be just entering the back straight as Nicki was crossing the finishing line I think Woffinden has stagnated in the past 2 seasons he is not GP material yet in my book.Have seen many riders younger than him perform better.Does there really have be a Brit ? Yes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THE DEAN MACHINE Posted September 4, 2012 Report Share Posted September 4, 2012 To "Clash" with Nicki Pedersen you actually need to be on the same side of the track as him, Jason would be just entering the back straight as Nicki was crossing the finishing line and that very thing happend a belle vue last season when he lead NP untill he was shoved out of the way ,and jason said later i will be ready for him next time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JCookie Posted September 4, 2012 Report Share Posted September 4, 2012 Dean how about you if you were asked to enter, I remember a young Dean at Berwick with an all action, pulse-racing style on them top bends, really thought you had 'it'. Best wishes Dean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THE DEAN MACHINE Posted September 4, 2012 Report Share Posted September 4, 2012 Dean how about you if you were asked to enter, I remember a young Dean at Berwick with an all action, pulse-racing style on them top bends, really thought you had 'it'. Best wishes Dean. id know speedway had really lost the plot then Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waiheke1 Posted September 6, 2012 Report Share Posted September 6, 2012 Personally, I think Tai should be in the field next year. GB (or specifically England) is still one of the top 5 speedway nations in the world when you take into account riding strngth, riding numbers, domestic league strength and commercial considerations (e.g crowds attending the GP, and presumably also televised viewing figures). Therefore, I believe they deserve one spot, just as I'd support a Wildcard for a Dane or a Swede in the not impossible event that they failed to have a qualifier for a season (next year for example, it would be possible to see a t op8 of say Gollob Hampel, Emil, Darcy, Holder, Crump, Hancock, and one of Jonsson/Vaculi/Pedersen). Over the years lots of much smaller speedway nations than England have been granted world final spots, and with riders that were utterly uncompetitive - Tai and Harris may not be in the top 10 riders in the world, but they would certainly be in the top 30, and not out of their depth. So, if we are having one British spot then in my view it has to go either to Harris (arguaby still the best Brit) or Tai (arguably the Brit with most potential that would eb competitive at this stage). Harris, with all due respect to both riders, is a poor man's Chris Morton- and the mighty Mort never finished better than 8th in a World Final. At his peak (83/84) he could have challenged for a rosutrum spot undr a GP format - but the fact is that both Chris's gating ws simply not good enough at the highest evel, and it is hard to see Harris ever making the top8 again over a season, let alone a rostrum spot. Tai I think by 2015 could potentially be making the top 8 on merit,and by the end of the decade be callenging for a rostrum spot - so to my mind he has to be the number one option for the British GP spot for next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunty Posted September 18, 2012 Report Share Posted September 18, 2012 Tai has just tweeted that he is thinking of doing the same as Darcy Ward and giving the UK a miss next year! Tai Woffinden @woffinden108 im thinking same as darky dono weather to give the uk a miss next year..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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