When Did Speedway Stop Being As Good As It Used To Be…

[Sidney the robin]

you right, the package was better, the uk held all the cards, we are down the pecking order now, so its taking some adjusting.

Orion to be honest is in total cookoo land,England was the bees knees riders had to come here to be world class.Now we are an afterthought a bit of pocket money for riders before riders had to come here to improve.

[orion]

Orion to be honest is in total cookoo land,England was the bees knees riders had to come here to be world class.Now we are an afterthought a bit of pocket money for riders before riders had to come here to improve.

? when did I say otherwise .

[Sidney the robin]

? when did I say otherwise .

You said the racing has not changed really from 1972 i say in 1972 most clubs had a in/out no 1 and a couple of good heat leaders have we that now? let you decide.

[orion]

You said the racing has not changed really from 1972 i say in 1972 most clubs had a in/out no 1 and a couple of good heat leaders have we that now? let you decide.

in terms of good and bad races it's the same ..that was the point made and most people agree with that ...it had nothing to do with heat leaders or how strong teams were ..

[Sidney the robin]

in terms of good and bad races it's the same ..that was the point made and most people agree with that ...it had nothing to do with heat leaders or how strong teams were ..

The racing has changed since 1972 bigtime do i see better racing now than then for me a big No.

[robert72]

I would say early 90's it lost its way.

 

Now i can take it or leave it, more the latter as it's such a poor product to what it once was and its not cheap to go now.

[Woz01]

I've seen some excellent racing at Brandon this season to be honest even though the team isnt great. I can't be having the GPs being at fault of British Speedways problems, how many years have British Speedway had to adapt? Still haven't done it.

[BWitcher]

Yep, 1972, when Ivan Mauger was World Champion. Every race he used to miss the gate every time and have to fight through from last to first. Makes us wonder how he ever got a reputation as a gater. Must be people fooling themselves about what it was really like.

 

 

How very true.

 

Me thinks White Knight has totally misunderstood your post E I.

[E I Addio]

Me thinks White Knight has totally misunderstood your post E I.

I think so too !

think you will find he applied the rules of the times..

That really underlines the point. People forget that before they changed the rules about touching the tapes riders, especially Mauger would be rolling backwards and forwards trying to anticipate the the the start, because then, as now, a half decent rider who gets a flyer has a better than evens chance of winning the race, hence there were just as many ftg wins in the past as there are are today.

[sparkafag]

I've seen some excellent racing at Brandon this season to be honest even though the team isnt great. I can't be having the GPs being at fault of British Speedways problems, how many years have British Speedway had to adapt? Still haven't done it.

 

 

I agree, the GP should be an enhancement to the product rather than the hindrance it is often referenced as.

 

It affords the sport and many performers in the EL peak sports coverage on a Saturday night. It i’s the kind of thing speedway in this country should have learned to work around by now, more so given how early the GP calendar is published.

Edited May 16, 2016 by The Mockingjay

[ColinMills]

I think so too !

 

That really underlines the point. People forget that before they changed the rules about touching the tapes riders, especially Mauger would be rolling backwards and forwards trying to anticipate the the the start, because then, as now, a half decent rider who gets a flyer has a better than evens chance of winning the race, hence there were just as many ftg wins in the past as there are are today.

WAS ALSO the free picking of gates, where Olsen constantly went off gate 1

[Gresham]

Whenever there is a conversation about Speedway in the past compared to now, it seems people who say it's the same, only concentrate on the fact that riders were strung out, just as much as they are today in a majority of races.

 

I'd agree...you got races strung out...and you also have/had close racing.

 

It's exciting in different ways.

 

But there is much more to speedway racing, than just how close riders are racing together.

 

No one is looking back through rose tinted glasses.

 

Speedway racing was aesthetically pleasing...it was a completely different animal too today.

 

The same as F1 was different.

 

There are just as many F1 fans who think racing was better in the days of Hunt, Lauda etc...and races were just as strung out as they are now.

 

It's the whole visual package and sensory overload of the past that's different today.

 

Just putting it out there, so certain people realise, it's not just about how close races were and are.

Edited May 16, 2016 by Gresham

[BWitcher]

Whenever there is a conversation about Speedway in the past compared to now, it seems people who say it's the same, only concentrate on the fact that riders were strung out, just as much as they are today in a majority of races.

 

I'd agree...you got races strung out...and you also have/had close racing.

 

It's exciting in different ways.

 

But there is much more to speedway racing, than just how close riders are racing together.

 

No one is looking back through rose tinted glasses.

 

Speedway racing was aesthetically pleasing...it was a completely different animal too today.

 

The same as F1 was different.

 

There are just as many F1 fans who think racing was better in the days of Hunt, Lauda etc...and races were just as strung out as they are now.

 

It's the whole visual package and sensory overload of the past that's different today.

 

Just putting it out there, so certain people realise, it's not just about how close races were and are.

 

It's about rose tinted glasses predominantly.

 

And has been explained to you multiple times, but you refused to accept it to the point of placing me on ignore, it's to do with ATMOSPHERE.

 

More people attended meetings, it was a better atmosphere, everything seemed better.

 

Nothing to do with the 'visual package' which is better now.

 

Just the same as watching Phil Taylor v MVG seems so much better in the Premier League with 8,000 people that it would in your local pub with 50 people.

[ColinMills]

 

It's about rose tinted glasses predominantly.

 

And has been explained to you multiple times, but you refused to accept it to the point of placing me on ignore, it's to do with ATMOSPHERE.

 

More people attended meetings, it was a better atmosphere, everything seemed better.

 

Nothing to do with the 'visual package' which is better now.

 

Just the same as watching Phil Taylor v MVG seems so much better in the Premier League with 8,000 people that it would in your local pub with 50 people.

agree with all but one sentence...visual package isn't better now....atmosphere yes, definitely correct. visually seeing the likes of olsen, mauger, briggs definitely better than todays offerings. the sports the same, rules are worse, d/u is stupid, but it is definitely down to atmosphere. play offs prove that

[sparkafag]

Whenever there is a conversation about Speedway in the past compared to now, it seems people who say it's the same, only concentrate on the fact that riders were strung out, just as much as they are today in a majority of races.

 

Just putting it out there, so certain people realise, it's not just about how close races were and are.

 

 

You wouldn’t mark your neck with a blow torch…you chuck a tantrum every time you are supposedly misquoted or misinterpreted and then proceed to post about people who only concentrate on strung out races…. A person who doesn’t even exist and a comment no one has even made.

[Trees]

agree with all but one sentence...visual package isn't better now....atmosphere yes, definitely correct. visually seeing the likes of olsen, mauger, briggs definitely better than todays offerings. the sports the same, rules are worse, d/u is stupid, but it is definitely down to atmosphere. play offs prove that

In your opinion Colin, I've loved watching all sorts of different riders over the years and still do, for lots of different reasons, not all about the top boys either ....

Edited May 17, 2016 by Trees

[Daniel Smith]

I've been off work on the sick for over a month and over that time my opinion has changed.

 

I've watch s#!+ loads of old clips on youtube & Pathé in that time & it all seems very much the same as it is today.

 

So, when did speedway stop being as good as it use to be?

 

It hasn't, I've got older and because of that the focus in life changes. Just a natural process.

Crowds are smaller because people have found better things to do with their entrance fee's because they've simply become bored.

Smaller crowds have made meetings more boring regardless of the racing.

 

It's as simple as that

[Trees]

I've been off work on the sick for over a month and over that time my opinion has changed.

 

I've watch s#!+ loads of old clips on youtube & Pathé in that time & it all seems very much the same as it is today.

 

So, when did speedway stop being as good as it use to be?

 

It hasn't, I've got older and because of that the focus in life changes. Just a natural process.

Crowds are smaller because people have found better things to do with their entrance fee's because they've simply become bored.

Smaller crowds have made meetings more boring regardless of the racing.

 

It's as simple as that

At last, someone who agrees with me, why don't people just admit to losing their enthusiasm as they get older instead of blaming the sport .......

[BWitcher]

I've been off work on the sick for over a month and over that time my opinion has changed.

 

I've watch s#!+ loads of old clips on youtube & Pathé in that time & it all seems very much the same as it is today.

 

So, when did speedway stop being as good as it use to be?

 

It hasn't, I've got older and because of that the focus in life changes. Just a natural process.

Crowds are smaller because people have found better things to do with their entrance fee's because they've simply become bored.

Smaller crowds have made meetings more boring regardless of the racing.

 

It's as simple as that

 

Precisely, which is what I explained at the start of this thread.

 

ALL sports suffer the same churn of fans. I know many who were season ticket holders at football for years and now don't go anymore.

 

The difference is those fans were replaced and that is where speedway has failed.

[waiheke1]

So many of the old brigade lament what has changed in speedway as the cause if the decline. Whereas in reality it is the failure to change - to effectively use the media, to modernise facilities , to provide modern between heats entertainment, to appreciate that a modern audience don't want to spend 2 and a half hours watching an event that should Take 90 minute etc.