The White Knight Posted February 4, 2014 Report Share Posted February 4, 2014 SO you are saying that those riders who boycott the UK do so because of the GPs? Nothing to do with the money on offer in Poland and, to a lesser extent, Sweden and elsewhere. Not that many riders simply do not wish to commute to the UK to race when there is plenty of alternative employment. Riders like Bjerre, Iversen, Ward, Woffinden, and Zagar prove that if the mind is willing the GPs do not stand in the way of the top riders racing here. Don't accept that the annual crowd at Cardiff is on a downward spiral and, frankly, the attendance is quite impressive given that it is probably about the same figure, if not higher, than the number of people who attend speedway in the UK on a regular basis. ................................... not as impressive as the 'One Off' World Final used to be. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinMills Posted February 4, 2014 Report Share Posted February 4, 2014 you had more people go to overseas final, intercontintal finals than you get in at least 3 gps..far better cut throat racing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BWitcher Posted February 4, 2014 Report Share Posted February 4, 2014 Oh come off it, the World Championship always has been and always will be a different ball game to league racing as far as attracting crowds goes. As a meeting though they do nothing different to league promoters! Lmao. Oh dear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waiheke1 Posted February 4, 2014 Report Share Posted February 4, 2014 you had more people go to overseas final, intercontintal finals than you get in at least 3 gps..far better cut throat racingReally? What do u reckon was the attendance at those meetings in yhe the late 80s and early 90s.I dont dispute the quality, used to love those meetings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BWitcher Posted February 4, 2014 Report Share Posted February 4, 2014 ................................... not as impressive as the 'One Off' World Final used to be. Which one? 1994 in Vojens? 1993 in Pocking? How about the last one in England, 1990 at Bradford? The World Final was dying, crowds were tumbling. You have to go a long way back to get to crowds being as big as Cardiff. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waiheke1 Posted February 4, 2014 Report Share Posted February 4, 2014 ................................... not as impressive as the 'One Off' World Final used to be. Which of say the last ten world finals do u reckon had a bigger attendsnce than cardiff 2013? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BWitcher Posted February 4, 2014 Report Share Posted February 4, 2014 you had more people go to overseas final, intercontintal finals than you get in at least 3 gps..far better cut throat racing No you didn't and no the racing wasn't more cut throat. They weren't poor, I used to love them, the same as I love GP's now. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waiheke1 Posted February 4, 2014 Report Share Posted February 4, 2014 Which one? 1994 in Vojens? 1993 in Pocking? How about the last one in England, 1990 at Bradford? The World Final was dying, crowds were tumbling. You have to go a long way back to get to crowds being as big as Cardiff. Exactly. LA in 82 would be my guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BWitcher Posted February 4, 2014 Report Share Posted February 4, 2014 Next we'll be hearing about the much better racing in World Finals of years gone by.. It's been interesting reading the reports of the World Finals of yesteryear in the British World Champ features in the Speedway Star, those finals in the late 40's and 50's.. race after race won from the gate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinMills Posted February 4, 2014 Report Share Posted February 4, 2014 the ones I witnessed WERE more cut throat, Italian gp figures, croation, Gothenburg, prague even, nothing special attendance wise, with tv coverage, I recall bein in Gothenburg in 1991, no tv coverage in uk and was far larger crowd..but hey,if you like the closed shop gps, you enjoy them, but don't think everyone think the gps are a step forward.. Next we'll be hearing about the much better racing in World Finals of years gone by.. It's been interesting reading the reports of the World Finals of yesteryear in the British World Champ features in the Speedway Star, those finals in the late 40's and 50's.. race after race won from the gat awful comment.....you just picking out world finals, the qualifyers were brilliant rounds, you talk as tho every gp is top draw!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BWitcher Posted February 4, 2014 Report Share Posted February 4, 2014 the ones I witnessed WERE more cut throat, Italian gp figures, croation, Gothenburg, prague even, nothing special attendance wise, with tv coverage, I recall bein in Gothenburg in 1991, no tv coverage in uk and was far larger crowd..but hey,if you like the closed shop gps, you enjoy them, but don't think everyone think the gps are a step forward.. No they weren't. In fact once qualification was assured, many riders would ease up and cruise through the meeting, unless they had a shot at winning it. Some would let fellow countryman score points to progress too. There was some great racing, there was some poor racing, just like most speedway meetings down the years. Now you're resorting to picking and choosing the GP's you want to compare too. You're comparing a World Final in Sweden, to a GP in Italy.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinMills Posted February 4, 2014 Report Share Posted February 4, 2014 think we could exchange views all nite on this one, and still not agree..you prefer gps, I prefer a world title where everyone gets there chance over 5 rides..i don't like wildcard system where you put back just because the organisers want a rider because of nationality over talent Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BWitcher Posted February 4, 2014 Report Share Posted February 4, 2014 think we could exchange views all nite on this one, and still not agree..you prefer gps, I prefer a world title where everyone gets there chance over 5 rides..i don't like wildcard system where you put back just because the organisers want a rider because of nationality over talent I've not said anything about preferring gp's or world finals. You have though, thus revealing the biased nature of your argument. For what it's worth I prefer a world championship where everyone gets a chance over at least 60 rides. That doesn't mean I slag off the racing under the old system, or claim the racing is much better in the current one. The old world finals and qualifying rounds were great in their day. The gp's are great now. They're both speedway. They're both great. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinMills Posted February 4, 2014 Report Share Posted February 4, 2014 I've not said anything about preferring gp's or world finals. You have though, thus revealing the biased nature of your argument. For what it's worth I prefer a world championship where everyone gets a chance over at least 60 rides. That doesn't mean I slag off the racing under the old system, or claim the racing is much better in the current one. The old world finals and qualifying rounds were great in their day. The gp's are great now. They're both speedway. They're both great. you clearly stated the racing in 40s/50s were from the gate just 2 messages up, it wasn't me slagging it off!!...and what do you mean when you say you prefer EVERYONE getting a chance over 60 rides? EVERYONE meaning just 15 riders??? hal of the gp field wouldn't even make the final under the old system....would harris of made all those finals? chris Louis couldn't buy his way past the overseas rounds time after time, yet once these riders get in the gps, theres no getting rid of them! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BWitcher Posted February 4, 2014 Report Share Posted February 4, 2014 you clearly stated the racing in 40s/50s were from the gate just 2 messages up, it wasn't me slagging it off!!...and what do you mean when you say you prefer EVERYONE getting a chance over 60 rides? EVERYONE meaning just 15 riders???hal of the gp field wouldn't even make the final under the old system....would harris of made all those finals? chris Louis couldn't buy his way past the overseas rounds time after time, yet once these riders get in the gps, theres no getting rid of them! You're making yourself look more silly with every post. My reference to the old world finals was in relation to the fallacy that is always put forward, which you are now doing yourself, that the racing was so much better in bygone days. It wasn't. You had many gate and go races then just as you do today. That's not slagging off, that is reality. Your true colors are now shining through, you're throwing out inaccurate statement after inaccurate statement simply because you are yearning for a bygone era that is gone and isn't coming back. Everyone has the chance to qualify for the gps. It's strange though, those that qualify tend to struggle mightily, yet you are claiming existing gp riders aren't up to the job.... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinMills Posted February 4, 2014 Report Share Posted February 4, 2014 bonkers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BWitcher Posted February 4, 2014 Report Share Posted February 4, 2014 bonkers! Glad you've finally realized your problem, now the thread can back on track 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinMills Posted February 4, 2014 Report Share Posted February 4, 2014 Britain has been given wildcard year on year, simply to have a brit in the field..Sweden, Poland, Denmark are the major speedway countries, the organisers will always sprinkle riders in from these countries simply because the venues are staged in these places.. its a closed shop.....smith/harris/Louis/nicholls all handed wildcards as couldn't make it themselves..farcical Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BWitcher Posted February 4, 2014 Report Share Posted February 4, 2014 (edited) Britain has been given wildcard year on year, simply to have a brit in the field..Sweden, Poland, Denmark are the major speedway countries, the organisers will always sprinkle riders in from these countries simply because the venues are staged in these places.. its a closed shop.....smith/harris/Louis/nicholls all handed wildcards as couldn't make it themselves..farcical Once again you are inventing things to suit your argument. Andy smith qualified from the gp challenge meeting a number of years running. You have claimed half of the current gp field wouldn't have made a world final if we were using the old system. Now this claim either means you think the old system was very poor as we ended up with a final missing many of the top riders, or you actually believe that the riders currently in the gp (half of them) are not the best riders in the world right now. I'll give you Chris Harris, let me know the others. Of course you can't pick the qualifiers like Smolinski either or you are defeating your own argument. Edited February 4, 2014 by BWitcher 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waiheke1 Posted February 4, 2014 Report Share Posted February 4, 2014 Britain has been given wildcard year on year, simply to have a brit in the field..Sweden, Poland, Denmark are the major speedway countries, the organisers will always sprinkle riders in from these countries simply because the venues are staged in these places.. its a closed shop.....smith/harris/Louis/nicholls all handed wildcards as couldn't make it themselves..farcical Can you name a year under the old world final system in which the host nation wasn't given at least one slot in the final? Or name one final in the 80s which didnt contain a number of sub standard finalists who qualified through virtue of their nstionality? Who would you say was better, starostin ondrssik, adjoran and kroeze or harris louis nicholls and lindgren? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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