PHILIPRISING Posted June 27, 2015 Report Share Posted June 27, 2015 Adams was a great! AGREE with that ... as was Tommy Knudsen who didn't win a individual World title either. And Chris Morton for that matter... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iris123 Posted June 27, 2015 Report Share Posted June 27, 2015 AGREE with that ... as was Tommy Knudsen who didn't win a individual World title either. And Chris Morton for that matter... We go along this route and half the world was a "great" including Simmo,Jessup,Autrey,Crutcher,Harrfeldt,Walosek.Was Schwartz a great or not and does Harris qualify having ridden in more world championship "finals" than most? 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norbold Posted June 27, 2015 Report Share Posted June 27, 2015 Quite right, Doug. There are very few greats - hence the term! Not even every World Champion could be classed a great. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sommelier Posted June 27, 2015 Report Share Posted June 27, 2015 He's a good rider but won't be great until he wins something of note. Wins something of note ? What is he, 23ish, 2X WORLD u 21 champion, won a GP, won the prestigious Golden helmet. I've seen a lot worse CV!!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The White Knight Posted June 27, 2015 Report Share Posted June 27, 2015 He's a good rider but won't be great until he wins something of note. You don't have to be a World Champion to be great. Leigh Adams qualifies as a great, just in my opinion, because of the way he conducted himself, gave everything for his Team, was a superb Ambassador for Speedway and also seemed, to me at least, to be a very 'Sporting' person as regards giving credit to others. Greatness comes in many forms and a Rider I will always remember with a great deal of pleasure, for his actions both 'on' and 'off the Track, would be Leigh Adams. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sommelier Posted June 27, 2015 Report Share Posted June 27, 2015 You don't have to be a World Champion to be great. Leigh Adams qualifies as a great, just in my opinion, because of the way he conducted himself, gave everything for his Team, was a superb Ambassador for Speedway and also seemed, to me at least, to be a very 'Sporting' person as regards giving credit to others. Greatness comes in many forms and a Rider I will always remember with a great deal of pleasure, for his actions both 'on' and 'off the Track, would be Leigh Adams. Totally agree with you 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacksback Posted June 27, 2015 Report Share Posted June 27, 2015 (edited) Talk about great...how about the greatest to date...Darcy Ward is without doubt the most talented rider ever to throw his leg over a speedway bike. I have been watching speedway for nearly 60 years and have never seen a rider with so much time on a bike ...just as well he cannot gate otherwise it would be boring !!! Edited June 27, 2015 by jacksback 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norbold Posted June 27, 2015 Report Share Posted June 27, 2015 In principle I agree with you TWK. You don't have to be a world champion to be classed as great.. Vic Huxley, Tom Farndon, Jack Parker and Vic Duggan spring to mind and, of course, there are different measures of greatness and you make a good point regarding Leigh Adams. Nigel Boocock would be another similar. I'm not sure I would class Darcy Ward as a great yet. He has done a lot in his 23 years, no doubt about it. But I really think he needs a few more years of winning major individual events to be classed as truly great. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stratton Posted June 27, 2015 Report Share Posted June 27, 2015 Alot of judging a riders greatness is usually impaired by your own bias, i think alot of us do that.Out of all the Champions Pedersen who is a three time world champion for me he would not get in my all time top twenty.Alot would disagree but i would have Olsen,Gundersen,Lee,Nielsen,Sigalos,Adams,Gollob, all ahead of him mainly because of there ability and conduct.To name a all time top twenty it would be interesting to see how many of the GP stars got in it.? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The White Knight Posted June 27, 2015 Report Share Posted June 27, 2015 Alot of judging a riders greatness is usually impaired by your own bias, i think alot of us do that.Out of all the Champions Pedersen who is a three time world champion for me he would not get in my all time top twenty.Alot would disagree but i would have Olsen,Gundersen,Lee,Nielsen,Sigalos,Adams,Gollob, all ahead of him mainly because of there ability and conduct.To name a all time top twenty it would be interesting to see how many of the GP stars got in it.? I wouldn't think that many sidney. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waiheke1 Posted June 27, 2015 Report Share Posted June 27, 2015 Alot of judging a riders greatness is usually impaired by your own bias, i think alot of us do that.Out of all the Champions Pedersen who is a three time world champion for me he would not get in my all time top twenty.Alot would disagree but i would have Olsen,Gundersen,Lee,Nielsen,Sigalos,Adams,Gollob, all ahead of him mainly because of there ability and conduct.To name a all time top twenty it would be interesting to see how many of the GP stars got in it.?T Rick and crump would be top 10. Greg Nicki and gollob top 20. If tai wins this year I'd add him to the list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCB Posted June 27, 2015 Report Share Posted June 27, 2015 The GPs have been going 20 years, there were 60-ish years of speedway before that. It suggests if you're naming a top 20 that the GP era should have about 5 riders. We have had Trick, Crump, Nicki and Greg who would all make top 20 and Hans Nielsen ride 5 seasons of GPs too. By the end of next season Woffy may have won 3 world titles by the age of 25 and in 5 attempts putting him in the top 5! Who would you say are the top 20 overall? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waiheke1 Posted June 27, 2015 Report Share Posted June 27, 2015 My 20 would be (not in order): Briggs mauger Moore Collins Lee craven funding michanek knuttson t Rick Hancock penhall gollob Nielsen gundersen Olsen n pedersen j crump young duggan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foreverblue Posted June 27, 2015 Report Share Posted June 27, 2015 The GPs have been going 20 years, there were 60-ish years of speedway before that. It suggests if you're naming a top 20 that the GP era should have about 5 riders. We have had Trick, Crump, Nicki and Greg who would all make top 20 and Hans Nielsen ride 5 seasons of GPs too. By the end of next season Woffy may have won 3 world titles by the age of 25 and in 5 attempts putting him in the top 5! Who would you say are the top 20 overall? I may be biased but i would say TRick is the best of those.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sotonian Posted June 27, 2015 Report Share Posted June 27, 2015 Wins something of note ? What is he, 23ish, 2X WORLD u 21 champion, won a GP, won the prestigious Golden helmet. I've seen a lot worse CV!!! So that's 1 GP, 2 junior titles and an open meeting. Not my definition of great. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norbold Posted June 27, 2015 Report Share Posted June 27, 2015 (edited) This question comes up time and time again and each time it does the "greatest" shift further and further forward in time because there is no-one around now (or hardly anyone) who can remember the likes of Vic Huxley, Tom Farndon, Bluey Wilkinson, Eric Langton and Jack Milne, all undoubted greats who should be in a top 20. Then we move on and the likes of Jack Parker, Vic Duggan and Jack Young also fall by the wayside. In 10 - 20 years time even the great period of Fundin, Briggs, Moore, Craven and Knutson will be forgotten. Then it'll be Mauger, Collins, Michanek, Olsen, Gundersen, Nielsen and Rickardsson who'll fade away. And there you are, that's 20 undoubted greats, all of whom could arguably be incuded in the Top 20 of all time, all of whom operated pre Grand Prix, (though, of course, two did win the World Championship in the Grand Prix era). Naming the Greatest 20 of all time is a mug's game! It all depends how old you are and how interested you are in the history of the sport and how on earth you compare riders of different eras. Edited June 27, 2015 by norbold 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waiheke1 Posted June 27, 2015 Report Share Posted June 27, 2015 (edited) Norbold - I think the ones who won world champs post war are "safe" as the world championship is really the barometer of success. So I think the likes of fundin should remain safe, just as say pele will always remain on the list of football greats. And certainly those from 70s on should have no issues, as decent video footage exists. Edited June 27, 2015 by waihekeaces1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest GiveusaB Posted June 27, 2015 Report Share Posted June 27, 2015 GRAHAM WARREN!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The White Knight Posted June 27, 2015 Report Share Posted June 27, 2015 T Rick and crump would be top 10. Greg Nicki and gollob top 20. If tai wins this year I'd add him to the list. What about Leigh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sotonian Posted June 27, 2015 Report Share Posted June 27, 2015 Nowhere near. Nice guy, solid league scorer but lacking at the very highest level. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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