Tai Woffinden Misses Next Years El

[Pinny]

I tell you what doesnt make sense is woffy winning the title whilst spending a full season in the uk in 2013 then because he wasnt as good in 2014 he thinks dropping the el will do him good

 

Whats the betting he wants to ride in the el again before the seasons out? Should be told to naff off.

[OveFundinFan]

I would imagine the demands on him in 2014 as World Champion far exceeded that in 2013 when he started the season as a rank outsider.

Take into account the injuries he had during 2013 - that surely would add to his problems.

The human body can only stand so much, as was displayed by Tai in 2014, and other top riders were making similar noises about themselves.

For Tai to be doing Sunday, Monday, Tuesday in 3 different countries each with their travel logistics, then virtually every fortnight doing Fri/Sat for the GP must take its toll, and obviously did..

I think it was on the cards months ago that he had to drop something.

[magnificentseven]

After his performances in 2014 I have to admit that I'm not too disappointed about Tai giving England a miss.

 

I'd rather him give it a miss than approach it half heartedly as he did last year.

 

Wolfie

[Trees]

I would imagine the demands on him in 2014 as World Champion far exceeded that in 2013 when he started the season as a rank outsider.

Take into account the injuries he had during 2013 - that surely would add to his problems.

The human body can only stand so much, as was displayed by Tai in 2014, and other top riders were making similar noises about themselves.

For Tai to be doing Sunday, Monday, Tuesday in 3 different countries each with their travel logistics, then virtually every fortnight doing Fri/Sat for the GP must take its toll, and obviously did..

I think it was on the cards months ago that he had to drop something.

That's what he said he wanted a few weeks ago, every Monday .....

[Phil Silvers]

My guess is that Tai doesn't really give a flying FcKu who has a pop at him for not riding EL next year. British Speedway has a lot to blame IMO gradually reducing the quality of riders eligible to ride every year to a level where he have PL riders as EL heat leaders. Like wise the PL is now like the old NL.

 

Crap product end of.

 

Good luck Tai for 2015.

Edited November 28, 2014 by Phil Silvers

[1 valve]

Good luck Tai for 2015 - I think the promoters need to take a hard look at themselves and in particular how they organise the sport and ask why a top class british rider based in the UK prefers travel to mid week meetings in Sweden rather than plying his trade in the UK.

 

yes I know money will play a big part in it, but I visited a number of meeting last year where TW was racing and without exception the crowd levels were up on the norm. so I dont think there is the need to say UK speedway couldnt afford him....I think the larger issue is how the meetings are planned which causes difficulty in arranging sensible travel plans. and by sensible I mean avoiding time consuming muliple flights to and from the UK in the same week.

 

I just hope during 2015 the promoters come to their senses and realise that they need to run the sport on 2 nights back to back and not perm 4 from 7 otherwise, as other riders realise the benefits of giving the UK a miss, the sport will be saying bye bye to all world class riders very soon.

Edited November 29, 2014 by 1 valve

[Guest]

Good luck Tai for 2015 - I think the promoters need to take a hard look at themselves and in particular how they organise the sport and ask why a top class british rider based in the UK prefers travel to mid week meetings in Sweden rather than plying his trade in the UK.

 

yes I know money will play a big part in it, but I visited a number of meeting last year where TW was racing and without exception the crowd levels were up on the norm. so I dont think there is the need to say UK speedway couldnt afford him....I think the larger issue is how the meetings are planned which causes difficulty in arranging sensible travel plans. and by sensible I mean avoiding time consuming muliple flights to and from the UK in the same week.

 

I just hope during 2015 the promoters come to their senses and realise that they need to run the sport on 2 nights back to back and not perm 4 from 7 otherwise, as other riders realise the benefits of giving the UK a miss, the sport will be saying bye bye to all world class riders very soon.

Do you suggest then that British speedway needs to be set up just to meet the needs and demands of Tai Woffinden?

[Agrotron]

Do you suggest then that British speedway needs to be set up just to meet the needs and demands of Tai Woffinden?

 

 

Its looks that way lol

[B.V 72]

Good luck Tai for 2015 - I think the promoters need to take a hard look at themselves and in particular how they organise the sport and ask why a top class british rider based in the UK prefers travel to mid week meetings in Sweden rather than plying his trade in the UK.

 

yes I know money will play a big part in it, but I visited a number of meeting last year where TW was racing and without exception the crowd levels were up on the norm. so I dont think there is the need to say UK speedway couldnt afford him....I think the larger issue is how the meetings are planned which causes difficulty in arranging sensible travel plans. and by sensible I mean avoiding time consuming muliple flights to and from the UK in the same week.

 

I just hope during 2015 the promoters come to their senses and realise that they need to run the sport on 2 nights back to back and not perm 4 from 7 otherwise, as other riders realise the benefits of giving the UK a miss, the sport will be saying bye bye to all world class riders very soon.

All a bit of a puzzle really Woffinden and 6 other G P riders say the Elite league is all to much.Not all confirmed but it looks like the other 8 Jonsson,Harris Holder;Zagar,Batchelor,Iversen,Doyle and Janowski are all showing an interest in riding in the Elite league next year.Ward and Bjere also rode in the G Ps last year and also did the Elite league.So it looks like a good few of them don't think its all to much.Its a bit like most of us at work some want the overtime others either don't or can't hack it.The big difference is we dont get 5 months off every year to get over the overtime lol.

Edited November 29, 2014 by B.V 72

[SteveLyric2]

All a bit of a puzzle really Woffinden and 6 other G P riders say the Elite league is all to much.Not all confirmed but it looks like the other 8 Jonsson,Harris Holder;Zagar,Batchelor,Iversen,Doyle and Janowski are all showing an interest in riding in the Elite league next year.Ward and Bjere also rode in the G Ps last year and also did the Elite league.So it looks like a good few of them don't think its all to much.Its a bit like most of us at work some want the overtime others either don't or can't hack it.The big difference is we dont get 5 months off every year to get over the overtime lol.

 

 

Agree!!

 

Although in one case its longer than 5 months!!!

[B.V 72]

 

 

Agree!!

 

Although in one case its longer than 5 months!!!

Ouch lol

[SteveLyric2]

Ouch lol

Well it will be won't it!!

[ytsejam]

Sure it won't be much of a loss for Wolverhampton judging on his lacklustre performances for them for most of this season (which were normally followed a few days later by a GP semi-final/final/winning performace!!!.......strange that!!!)

[stevebrum]

Do you suggest then that British speedway needs to be set up just to meet the needs and demands of Tai Woffinden?

 

Think the suggestion is aimed at ALL the top guys that dip out season after season.

Unless you think an EL is Elite without the top guys in.

[1 valve]

Do you suggest then that British speedway needs to be set up just to meet the needs and demands of Tai Woffinden?

No, not at all - the promoters need to set up speedway at the Elite level without needless hurdles for the riders to deal with. One of which is that all top riders face the prospect of having multiple trips in and out of the UK each week to meet EL commitments. Not only is it tiring for the riders it is also very expensive for the promoters who have to pay the travel cost.

 

There is a win win situation be be had here and hence why I suggest that the promoters need to have a hard look at the way they set out the season, the objective being to attract the very best riders which goes way beyond setting up to meet the needs of one rider.

 

Think the suggestion is aimed at ALL the top guys that dip out season after season.

Unless you think an EL is Elite without the top guys in.

Exactly

[B.V 72]

Do you suggest then that British speedway needs to be set up just to meet the needs and demands of Tai Woffinden?

 

 

 

Think the suggestion is aimed at ALL the top guys that dip out season after season.

Unless you think an EL is Elite without the top guys in.

No its not Steve(as posted earlier)8 of this years G P riders are all showing interest in riding in the Elite league next year just the way it is plus Bjerre and Ward rode here while riding in the G Ps last year,and that is the reason that Woffinden is getting so much stick.If 10 of the best riders in the world can fit in the Elite league why can't our top British rider (lf he really gives a dam about the U K) manage to ride in the British league as well.If he was not British fans would not really be that bothered if he rode here or not.But he is and with gates down everywhere we need our top rider to be riding here.So fans feel let down with his all right jack i'm off attitude.

The other reason he gets stick is that alot of riders have left the Elite league but all have ridden to there average in their last season.Where Woffinden this year rode like a donkey in the Elite league and a world champion everywhere else. Its like now he has reached the top he could just not wait to walk away from a country that has been so good for him.Its all about opinions but this is how it comes across to me.

[1 valve]

Ok lets look at it another way. why is it that all GP riders ride in Poland & Sweden or DK but they do not ride in the UK (all of them) OK so maybe the other leagues pay more (why cant the UK do the same? - reason poor promotion = poor crowds = lack of money)

 

The other main reason - Too much travel to complete fixtures in UK. solution, promoters need to agree on two back to back days when tracks can have back to back meetings if they continue to insist on one home meeting each during most weeks of the season.

 

Promoters need to make the prospect for top speedway in the UK appealing to both fans and riders - then they will get the right quanity of both attending the meetings to make EL speedway worthy of the name

Edited November 29, 2014 by 1 valve

[SteveLyric2]

Ok lets look at it another way. why is it that all GP riders ride in Poland & Sweden or DK but they do not ride in the UK (all of them) OK so maybe the other leagues pay more (why cant the UK do the same? - reason poor promotion = poor crowds = lack of money)

 

The other main reason - Too much travel to complete fixtures in UK. solution, promoters need to agree on two back to back days when tracks can have back to back meetings if they continue to insist on one home meeting each during most weeks of the season.

 

Promoters need to make the prospect for top speedway in the UK appealing to both fans and riders - then they will get the right quanity of both attending the meetings to make EL speedway worthy of the name

Promoters can agree on anything they like - but it won't happen because they don't own their stadia and therefore cannot dictate to their landlords!!

Edited November 29, 2014 by Skidder1

[E I Addio]

Ok lets look at it another way. why is it that all GP riders ride in Poland & Sweden or DK but they do not ride in the UK (all of them) OK so maybe the other leagues pay more (why cant the UK do the same? - reason poor promotion = poor crowds = lack of money)

 

The other main reason - Too much travel to complete fixtures in UK. solution, promoters need to agree on two back to back days when tracks can have back to back meetings if they continue to insist on one home meeting each during most weeks of the season.

 

Promoters need to make the prospect for top speedway in the UK appealing to both fans and riders - then they will get the right quanity of both attending the meetings to make EL speedway worthy of the name

 

 

Your argument is based on assumptions.

 

Jon Cook said in Speedway Star recently that the promoters have looked at a single race night but it is not possible because they don't own their own stadiums and can't get all their stadiums at the same time, so unless you can tell us how they could all get their stadiums on back-to-back race nights, and back up what you say with a few facts then we have to accept that back-to-back race nights are not a possibility.

 

What the promoters did agree on at the AGM is that the fixture list is focussed on non GP weeks so for the most part the riders will only be flying in on alternate weeks.

 

As far as Tai is concerned, I am not surprised he is tired. He has had some pretty bad knocks in the last two years, been under the surgeons knife a few times, then had to get back on a bike almost immediately. Even he has admitted that he would have taken longer to recover if he had not been in with a chance of the world title. Pain is very tiring and its not surprising he feels drained. If he wants to concentrate on his continental commitments I wouldn't blame him at all and I don't go along with all this criticism that he somehow owes British speedway something. I respect his decision BUT, the plain fact is that a number of top riders such as AJ, Freddie, Zagar , probably Chris Holder and others years older than Tai, have decided that the planned fixture list is doable, so if Tai wants to cut down his commitments that's fine but don't complain its the reduced fixture that is at fault.

Edited November 29, 2014 by E I Addio

[1 valve]

 

Your argument is based on assumptions.

 

Jon Cook said in Speedway Star recently that the promoters have looked at a single race night but it is not possible because they don't own their own stadiums and can't get all their stadiums at the same time, so unless you can tell us how they could all get their stadiums on back-to-back race nights, and back up what you say with a few facts then we have to accept that back-to-back race nights are not a possibility.

 

 

FACT 1. I have suggested back to back race nights not a singular race night.

FACT 2. All existing EL stadiums could be made avaialble on either a Thursday or Friday. some on one night only others on both nights.

 

SUGGESTION. Maybe iin the near future, those speedway promotions who can't provide stadiums in support of a back to back approach need to consider if they should continue to belong in the EL as their inability to secure appropriate facilities prevent UK EL speedway moving with the times.

Edited November 30, 2014 by 1 valve