StevePark Posted June 7, 2017 Report Share Posted June 7, 2017 TRYING, is the important word there Very trying.... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balderdash&piffle Posted June 7, 2017 Report Share Posted June 7, 2017 Very trying.... Could also be TIRING, stop listening to him long before he jacked it in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topsoil Posted June 7, 2017 Report Share Posted June 7, 2017 Stop taking it all so seriously. All presenters are much the same. They are only trying to wind up visiting fans. Peter Waite used to get pelters up at Edinburgh, he would just laugh it off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobMcCaffery Posted June 7, 2017 Report Share Posted June 7, 2017 All presenters are much the same. They are only trying to wind up visiting fans. No not all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skodaman Posted June 8, 2017 Report Share Posted June 8, 2017 (edited) I remember Martin Rogers at Kings Lynn. He once announced that the "referee is an idiot" A recent character who was a team manager: Norrie Allan. He was fined several times for speaking his mind when at Leicester Edited June 8, 2017 by Fanmale 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The White Knight Posted June 9, 2017 Report Share Posted June 9, 2017 I remember Martin Rogers at Kings Lynn. He once announced that the "referee is an idiot" A recent character who was a team manager: Norrie Allan. He was fined several times for speaking his mind when at Leicester So I suppose that you can draw from this, that honesty is NOT the best policy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waiheke1 Posted June 10, 2017 Report Share Posted June 10, 2017 So I suppose that you can draw from this, that honesty is NOT the best policy.Seems to be the case given the amount of flak Penhall got for being honest about doing countrymen a favour compared to the many other riders who have done so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve roberts Posted June 10, 2017 Report Share Posted June 10, 2017 Seems to be the case given the amount of flak Penhall got for being honest about doing countrymen a favour compared to the many other riders who have done so. ...could have been more discrete and just faked an engine failure. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martinmauger Posted June 10, 2017 Report Share Posted June 10, 2017 ...could have been more discrete and just faked an engine failure. Exactly. Close throttle, pull over, look down at engine then watch the other 3 get on with it. But instead he did the other thing: big mistake, huge.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobMcCaffery Posted June 10, 2017 Report Share Posted June 10, 2017 Exactly. Close throttle, pull over, look down at engine then watch the other 3 get on with it. But instead he did the other thing: big mistake, huge.... He misunderstood the British fans and paid the price. Back home throwing the race to get fellow Americans through would have been seen as patriotic and celebrated. Here we have a different attitude. I was in the pits at Belle Vue once not far from Bruce and a certain ex-World Champion. The crowd was hostile, backing their own favourites rather than fawning over the Americans as at many other tracks. Penhall was clearly distressed. The ex-World Champion turned to his crew and observed "Interesting, he can't handle it". I think the retirement was on his mind from that day at White City. Yes discretion is important and if you are going to play to the crowd it's essential you understand them. I remember Martin Rogers at Kings Lynn. He once announced that the "referee is an idiot" A recent character who was a team manager: Norrie Allan. He was fined several times for speaking his mind when at Leicester Rogers was shrewd enough to know that the increased gate receipts would more than cover any fines. Allan's comments were in a different and far less tolerant era and while probably sincere were very unwise. The days of promoters/managers making protests very publicly from the centre green to get the crowd going are gone. There's a fine line between having a sober, disciplined sport and one where there's a bit of latitude to spice things up with a bit of controversy. That line is probably called 'malice'. We've squeezed the fun out. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Jones Posted June 10, 2017 Report Share Posted June 10, 2017 I popped up to Belle Vue last night. Spent a very enjoyable evening there watching a very good race meeting and being " entertained" by a very funny "Chase The Ace" , I'm just wondering how long it will be before someone gets upset by something he does whilst keeping the crowd entertained and he disappears from the scene. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iris123 Posted June 10, 2017 Report Share Posted June 10, 2017 In my early speedway visiting days of the late 1940s the mike man at New Cross was Cecil Smith - I am certain that promoter Fred Rockford use to describe him as "...the golden voice of speedway..."? Ha ha i guess that was in the "Rockford Files" no no i "Mock" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waiheke1 Posted June 10, 2017 Report Share Posted June 10, 2017 ...could have been more discrete and just faked an engine failure.Yrs but that's my point. He gets flak for being honest, not trying to hide it. And was honest with the press afterwards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starman2006 Posted June 10, 2017 Report Share Posted June 10, 2017 I popped up to Belle Vue last night. Spent a very enjoyable evening there watching a very good race meeting and being " entertained" by a very funny "Chase The Ace" , I'm just wondering how long it will be before someone gets upset by something he does whilst keeping the crowd entertained and he disappears from the scene. Anything is posible in this day and age.of political correctness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longlivefrankie Posted June 10, 2017 Report Share Posted June 10, 2017 He misunderstood the British fans and paid the price. Back home throwing the race to get fellow Americans through would have been seen as patriotic and celebrated. Here we have a different attitude. I was in the pits at Belle Vue once not far from Bruce and a certain ex-World Champion. The crowd was hostile, backing their own favourites rather than fawning over the Americans as at many other tracks. Penhall was clearly distressed. The ex-World Champion turned to his crew and observed "Interesting, he can't handle it". I think the retirement was on his mind from that day at White City. Yes discretion is important and if you are going to play to the crowd it's essential you understand them. Rogers was shrewd enough to know that the increased gate receipts would more than cover any fines. Allan's comments were in a different and far less tolerant era and while probably sincere were very unwise. The days of promoters/managers making protests very publicly from the centre green to get the crowd going are gone. There's a fine line between having a sober, disciplined sport and one where there's a bit of latitude to spice things up with a bit of controversy. That line is probably called 'malice'. We've squeezed the fun out. Totally agree I grew up watching speedway when it was a "sport & entertainment" now it is a "Sport" and tries to be like to be super professional I know which I prefer the one with characters, grudges, winding up, etc Re political correctness etc it is people at causes this to happen with complaints, claims etc if people didn't respond & be offended and expect compension etc by the whatver etc it would be much looser 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve roberts Posted June 10, 2017 Report Share Posted June 10, 2017 Yrs but that's my point. He gets flak for being honest, not trying to hide it. And was honest with the press afterwards. ...but was he being honest with the crowd when he was making those wheelie gestures? Grant you that he was being honest after the event but was naive to think that his actions would go unnoticed and mis-judged the mood of the public. In all my years following speedway I've never experienced anything so blatant although was suspicious on a few occasions that something was going on and I knew that points were being bought behind the scenes (personal experience) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner85 Posted June 10, 2017 Report Share Posted June 10, 2017 I popped up to Belle Vue last night. Spent a very enjoyable evening there watching a very good race meeting and being " entertained" by a very funny "Chase The Ace" , I'm just wondering how long it will be before someone gets upset by something he does whilst keeping the crowd entertained and he disappears from the scene. The kids love him and like doing high fives and having their photo taken with him. Long may he reign 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midland Red Posted June 10, 2017 Report Share Posted June 10, 2017 My top three - in no particular order Allen Walker John Earrey Ted Sear To mention Peter York in the same breath as any of the above should never, ever, be considered 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sidney the robin Posted June 11, 2017 Report Share Posted June 11, 2017 (edited) My favourite three Swindon announcers/commentators were Graham Guthrie,Bob Radford, John Sutton but Dave Lanning was the level/benchmark that no one ever reached . Edited June 11, 2017 by Sidney the robin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
micman Posted June 12, 2017 Report Share Posted June 12, 2017 Obviously Peter York was the mainstay at Cowley during Oxford's successful period during the eighties and I found him personally to be okay in style. Recall that he was replaced by Mike Bennett for the one season (Peter took on an administrative role within the BSPA...that's another story!) but for some reason the Cowley faithful didn't take to him (Mike's version of events) but, again, I felt that he was okay. Thanks Steve! When I finish my book you'll understand why it just didn't happen for me at Oxford :-) Remember when Mike made a comment on the mike after a race (on the instruction of Bernard Crapper apparently) regarding a racing incident which was directed at the referee and was fined for his efforts...but I think that Bernard paid the fine on his behalf. Certainly got the crowd going and added to the atmosphere! Oh yes, I remember it well Steve. Bernard used to encourage me to 'wind them up' and always paid the fines. . .of which there were many! :-) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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