customhouseregular Posted June 11, 2015 Report Share Posted June 11, 2015 I was looking over the field for Monday's British Final, largely made up of PL and d/u riders and harking back 50 years to the 1965 British Final, held at my long-lost West Ham. The field on that day included Nigel Boocock, Mike Broadbank, Barry Briggs, Ivan Mauger, Brian Brett, Charlie Monk, Trevor Hedge and Ken McKinlay, to name but a few. How times have changed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foreverblue Posted June 11, 2015 Report Share Posted June 11, 2015 If scott nicholls thinks he has any chance he must be mad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Star Lady Posted June 11, 2015 Report Share Posted June 11, 2015 Think I may have worked out why Robert Lambert hasn't got a wildcard. If he had, he would be odds on to be the highest placed non GP rider and hence get the wildcard for Cardiff. He would probably put some bums on seats, no disrespect but doubt any of the others would. The BSPA obviously don't want to make any money for BSI Well it's the only half rational reason I can come up with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluPanther Posted June 11, 2015 Report Share Posted June 11, 2015 Think I may have worked out why Robert Lambert hasn't got a wildcard. If he had, he would be odds on to be the highest placed non GP rider and hence get the wildcard for Cardiff. He would probably put some bums on seats, no disrespect but doubt any of the others would. The BSPA obviously don't want to make any money for BSI Well it's the only half rational reason I can come up with. The reason is that the BSPA are a bunch of ignorant self obsessed idiots... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Star Lady Posted June 11, 2015 Report Share Posted June 11, 2015 The reason is that the BSPA are a bunch of ignorant self obsessed idiots... I would have said that but I'm a lady 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haza Posted June 12, 2015 Report Share Posted June 12, 2015 If I was Robert I'd ride in the German championship Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCB Posted June 12, 2015 Report Share Posted June 12, 2015 If I was Robert I'd ride in the German championship Why? It's ok him doing that but when it comes to GP qualifier places and U21 place will the Germans give him a place? He needs to get rid of the German license, take out a British one and the BSPA also need to get him into the GB final by whatever means. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spanner47 Posted June 12, 2015 Report Share Posted June 12, 2015 I originally felt sorry for Robert, but if he cant be bothered to ride for Peterborough tonight, when Danny and Gino can, then maybe the decision makers have a point about him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BWitcher Posted June 12, 2015 Report Share Posted June 12, 2015 I was looking over the field for Monday's British Final, largely made up of PL and d/u riders and harking back 50 years to the 1965 British Final, held at my long-lost West Ham. The field on that day included Nigel Boocock, Mike Broadbank, Barry Briggs, Ivan Mauger, Brian Brett, Charlie Monk, Trevor Hedge and Ken McKinlay, to name but a few. How times have changed. I take your point, but you could have given much better examples than quoting 3 non British riders? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacques Posted June 12, 2015 Report Share Posted June 12, 2015 If scott nicholls thinks he has any chance he must be mad You really have a problem with him don't you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woz01 Posted June 13, 2015 Report Share Posted June 13, 2015 Scott will be favourite to get the wildcard spot! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
customhouseregular Posted June 13, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 13, 2015 I take your point, but you could have given much better examples than quoting 3 non British riders? I was commenting on the strength of the field and as Aus/NZ riders competed as British they were good examples Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BWitcher Posted June 13, 2015 Report Share Posted June 13, 2015 I was commenting on the strength of the field and as Aus/NZ riders competed as British they were good examples So it has no comparison to now then, meaning your point is redundant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
customhouseregular Posted June 13, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 13, 2015 OK...for the pedants amongst us. Take out the Antipodeans and promote the reserves from 1965, or just compare the British riders from 1965. My point is the British Final on Monday does not compare with 50 years ago. Am I right or am I right?. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
van wolfswinkel Posted June 13, 2015 Report Share Posted June 13, 2015 (edited) I was looking over the field for Monday's British Final, largely made up of PL and d/u riders and harking back 50 years to the 1965 British Final, held at my long-lost West Ham. The field on that day included Nigel Boocock, Mike Broadbank, Barry Briggs, Ivan Mauger, Brian Brett, Charlie Monk, Trevor Hedge and Ken McKinlay, to name but a few. How times have changed. Briggo was fortunate to win that after Blueboy Booey had an engine failure from what I can remember, Briggo for me was a class apart in the mid 60s. Monkey was just behind Briggo and Booey in the averages and I think he won the Internationale that year at Wimbledon, beating the likes of Briggo, Booey, Fundin, Nordin, and Bjorn Knutson of The Ammers. Remember Hedger, Nygren, Luckhurst at Plough Lane, and Knutson, Harrfeldt, McKinlay at West Am, not forgetting the legend Squibbo at New Cross in 63, the year I started watching the sport, and unfortunately the year it finished in sarf-east London. We moved from London to Swindon in 68 where Briggo and Broady were riding. I suppose Custom House is part of the City Airport complex now? Edited June 13, 2015 by Ronnie Conkerman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HenryW Posted June 13, 2015 Report Share Posted June 13, 2015 (edited) I suppose Custom House is part of the City Airport complex now?The stadium location was just North of where the Excel Arena is now. Several of the residential streets that were built on the site were named after speedway riders, such as Young Road and Wilkinson Road. If you have the desktop version of Google Earth you can view aerial imagery from 1945, showing the stadium, with the current streets overlayed on it. Edited June 13, 2015 by HenryW 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
van wolfswinkel Posted June 13, 2015 Report Share Posted June 13, 2015 The stadium location was just North of where the Excel Arena is now. Several of the residential streets that were built on the site were named after speedway riders, such as Young Road and Wilkinson Road. If you have the desktop version of Google Earth you can view aerial imagery from 1945, showing the stadium, with the current streets overlayed on it. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E I Addio Posted June 14, 2015 Report Share Posted June 14, 2015 OK...for the pedants amongst us. Take out the Antipodeans and promote the reserves from 1965, or just compare the British riders from 1965. My point is the British Final on Monday does not compare with 50 years ago. Am I right or am I right?. You are right but Bwitcher raised an interesting point that led me to do a bit of research on the excellent speedway.org site. You are correct to say that the inclusion of the Antipodeans enhanced the quality of the meeting just as the present day British Final would be enhanced by the inclusion of Holder, Doyle etc. but let's focus on the British riders for a moment In those days of course there were qualifying rounds at every BL track, every rider rode in three rounds and the 32 top scorers went into the two semis. Every single rider in each of the two semis was a genuine heat-leader, which is far removed from the situation today, BUT (and this is the point), none of them with the possible exemption of Nigel Boocok made much of an impression at World Final level, and those that did qualilfy didn't do it consistently, again with the arguable exception of Bocock. Having thought about it I don't think that Tai Bomber and Scott would have been out of place in the British Final of 50 years ago, and could well have managed a high enough finish to go on to the world final. Even Danny King and Craig Cook with their standard of gating probably would not be disgraced. So I would say that the average standard of riders in the British Final of 50 years ago was far higher than today, but I don't think the best Brits then were necessarily better than the best today. It's just that there were more of them then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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