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Wobblers


secsy1

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On many threads the term wobbler is used.

 

Many people complain about wobblers and say they should not have to pay to watch meaningless races that have wobblers in them.

 

Can the term wobbler be justified and who are they?

 

Be carefull as all the so called wobblers have to start somewhere and are not worthy of the vitriolic retoric that is placed on them.

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On many threads the term wobbler is used.

 

Many people complain about wobblers and say they should not have to pay to watch meaningless races that have wobblers in them.

 

Can the term wobbler be justified and who are they?

 

Be carefull as all the so called wobblers have to start somewhere and are not worthy of the vitriolic retoric that is placed on them.

 

What are you wobbling on about?

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Be carefull as all the so called wobblers have to start somewhere and are not worthy of the vitriolic retoric that is placed on them.

Yeah, amateur meetings. Maybe you'd be happy to go to your dentist, pay £5 less but have a 15 year old still in school give you a filling?

 

And no, not all NL rider are wobblers and one of my favourite heats ever was between Jon Armstrong and Scott Peglar in a NL (then CL) meeting.

 

Also, the term wobbler doesn't literally mean wobbler, it just a way of describing a newer, less experienced rider.

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I have yet to see a "wobbler" in the NL since 2010 when Dudley started in it! I did tho' when I used to go to Buxton/Wolves CL way back between 1998 to 2002! The present day really inexperienced riders are probably in the MDL or the Amateur racing which I do not see at all. Then again, everybody has to start somewhere and yes I would not mind if these guys were used today at #7 instead of the ringers that appear scoring 21/21 until they get a proper average. Just might find the next Brit to get a World title that way as even Woofy and Bomber had to wobble and get in the way when they started out way back.

 

I have yet to see a "wobbler" in the NL since 2010 when Dudley started in it! I did tho' when I used to go to Buxton/Wolves CL way back between 1998 to 2002! The present day really inexperienced riders are probably in the MDL or the Amateur racing which I do not see at all. Then again, everybody has to start somewhere and yes I would not mind if these guys were used today at #7 instead of the ringers that appear scoring 21/21 until they get a proper average. Just might find the next Brit to get a World title that way as even Woofy and Bomber had to wobble and get in the way when they started out way back.

Thinking back into pre history, the gent I loved to watch as he was learning (wobbler as we called him at Cradley as a term of endearment more than anything else) was Lyndon Brown! He had at least a half lap start round Dudley Wood, remained upright and normally came last. He used to bring the house down! Great guy, Jamaican I think, but he had the nerve to get on a 500cc JAP speedway bike and give it a go in front of the Heathens hoards that watched the second half, no matter how bad he was...............and I would not!

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Thinking back into pre history, the gent I loved to watch as he was learning (wobbler as we called him at Cradley as a term of endearment more than anything else) was Lyndon Brown! He had at least a half lap start round Dudley Wood, remained upright and normally came last. He used to bring the house down! Great guy, Jamaican I think, but he had the nerve to get on a 500cc JAP speedway bike and give it a go in front of the Heathens hoards that watched the second half, no matter how bad he was...............and I would not!

 

Usually if i remember correctly he was last by the end of the 2nd lap, but yes he certainly entertained us.

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Just might find the next Brit to get a World title that way as even Woofy and Bomber had to wobble and get in the way when they started out way back.
Except thast just not true. On Woffys CL/NL debut he dropped 2 points at Newport. The closest he got to wobbling was when Billy Legg wobbled in front of him and cause Woffy to avoid running into him and got picked off by Sam Hurst as a result.
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I have said this before - ANYONE who sticks their leg over a Speedway Bike and rides it has my utmost admiration. I think (hope) that the term 'wobbler' is an affectionate rather than an insulting one to indicate a complete novice.

 

As has been said - EVERYONE has to start somewhere.

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I have said this before - ANYONE who sticks their leg over a Speedway Bike and rides it has my utmost admiration. I think (hope) that the term 'wobbler' is an affectionate rather than an insulting one to indicate a complete novice.

 

As has been said - EVERYONE has to start somewhere.

When i first started going there were scratch races in the second halves and the fans loved them.You often had a favourite who was maybe not the best but improved and maybe went on and have a career.Anybody who has the guts to ride has my full admiration i would love those sort of races to comeback again.
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Depends how it's used I think. You do read that somebody won't pay to watch a load of 'wobblers' when they are talking about NL racing. Clearly they haven't watched NL. However when referring affectionately to real novice racers it seems fair enough.

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Except thast just not true. On Woffys CL/NL debut he dropped 2 points at Newport. The closest he got to wobbling was when Billy Legg wobbled in front of him and cause Woffy to avoid running into him and got picked off by Sam Hurst as a result.

He probably was when his dad, the late Rob W, put him on a bike BEFORE he took a plane and came back home to Scunthorpe and tried him in the CL! But, then I was not lucky enough to see Woofys faltering steps astride a speedway bike before he left Australia to find fame and fortune at Scunny, Rye House & Wolverhampton! As I say there must be a similar product waiting to be let loose at Speedway track somewhere in the UK to rise to the top!

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When i first started going there were scratch races in the second halves and the fans loved them.You often had a favourite who was maybe not the best but improved and maybe went on and have a career.Anybody who has the guts to ride has my full admiration i would love those sort of races to comeback again.

absolutely. when i started going i think these races at Hyde rd were referred to as "bubble and bounce". entertaining though no doubt nerve wracking for friends and family of the riders as they often looked at least a tad out of control.

 

Wobblers in this context is definitely an affectionate term.

 

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absolutely. when i started going i think these races at Hyde rd were referred to as "bubble and bounce". entertaining though no doubt nerve wracking for friends and family of the riders as they often looked at least a tad out of control.

 

Wobblers in this context is definitely an affectionate term.

Going back to that era,Bernie Collier belle Vue ( ect ) and before that if a junior won his race he went in with the big boys.I always felt this brought some on quickly obviously some were out of there depth.But those races added something to the night especially when the junior mixed it with the big boys and give it a go.
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  • 3 weeks later...

When I first started going to Blackbird Rd in the very, very early 70's, there was the 13 heat match, a second half of the "star of the night" a couple of reserves only races and a 3 ht junior match... then, after the rakers and start line staff had left the arena, "The Learners" came out..... black leathers, battered old jap/jawa and all hell would bresk lose!!! It only ended with the lights being turned off or a "Learner" wrecking the fence!!

They are what I would have classed as "Wobblers'!

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