Sidney the robin Posted June 19, 2017 Author Report Share Posted June 19, 2017 Have to agree with Falcao. To me: Funding and Rickardsson are clearly 1 and 2. Hard to see past knuttson and Michanek for 3 and 4. And per Jonsson I thought clearly number 5. World champion and had his career cut short while at his peak preventing him adding to it. And under a gp system may well have been a world champion, which couldn't be said of any of the others being mentioned for that spot. I'd have to assume it comes down to "era bias"? As much as i liked Per i dont think when he won it it was anywhere near as tough a era as some of the others named were in.The others named even 1970/76 Sweden were very very strong indeed saying that i do believe Jonsson would of won another title. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OveFundinFan Posted June 19, 2017 Report Share Posted June 19, 2017 Think you just have to look at someone like Peter Collins,maybe even Lee.You would have put money on it that they would once they got that first title have added to it......but they never did.I could speculate that Tommy would have gone on to be a multiple champ,but it is just that.Guess work Peter Collins could well have had 3 on the trot. 1975 could well have been a win had someone irresponsibly not watered the track. and in 1977 in Sweden was just a week after smashing his leg on a grid cover - I was there that night at BV and unusually I was stood on the bend where it happened. Sickening 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sidney the robin Posted June 20, 2017 Author Report Share Posted June 20, 2017 (edited) Collins often gets forgotten certainly the 1975 dustbowl at Wembley and in 77 he was very unlucky.Lee if you look he had chances in all of his six finals 1983 was the one that got away.One win two rostrum places and a fourth place from Lee was not bad when you look at Collins WF record now it looks like he underachieved .So false really because he was one hell of a rider in with Mauger,Olsen,Michanek as the best from 73 / 77. Edited June 20, 2017 by Sidney the robin 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billybikespeedway Posted June 21, 2017 Report Share Posted June 21, 2017 My top and Totally Biased 1 Ove Fundin 2Olle Nygren, 3 Gote Nordin 4 Tony Rickardsson 5 Toby Harrysson 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyMac Posted June 21, 2017 Report Share Posted June 21, 2017 (edited) When we interviewed Anders Michanek for Backtrack in 2004, we asked him where he thought he stood in the pantheon of Swedish speedway greats. This is what he said... Among Swedish legends WHERE does Anders Michanek stand in the all-time list of Swedish greats? Ove Fundin, with five individual world titles to his credit, is undoubtedly the King of Sweden. “Definitely, Ove has to be top,’’ agrees Anders. “He was so special, I don’t know how he could ride because he was so thin and his mind was more on arts and everything except the technical side of speedway. “We were riding in a Golden Greats meeting together. We were at the hotel, Fundin, Benga Jansson and me, but while Benga and myself wanted to take a look at the track, Ove said he would prefer to go and see the Black Knight appearing at some local castle! “I would be ever so happy to be ranked in third place among all the Swedes – behind Ove and (six times World Champion) Tony Rickardsson,” added Mich. “Tony actually had me sacked when I was the trainer at Rospigarna but I wasn’t too bothered. I’m not bitter. “Even if I don’t like the Grand Prix system much, I know that Tony is a very good rider. He’s still the best Swede today and, of course, I respect him.’’ Anders became a World Champion for the first time when he scored 10 points as the Swedes won the Team Cup at Wembley in 1970. He won the World Pairs title with two different partners over three consecutive seasons – the late Tommy Jansson (1973) and Soren Sjosten (1974 & ’75). Would Tommy have been individual World Champion had he lived? “Yes, I think so, definitely,’’ says Anders. “Once, in a qualifying round at Ullevi, I offered Tommy my bike when he had trouble with his. He won the race but afterwards he said: ‘How the hell can you ride a bike like that?’ I knew what he meant, because I bent my frame on purpose to give me more drive, but Tommy wasn’t used to it.’’ For what it's worth, my top 5 (in order of merit) would be: 1. FUNDIN 2. RICKARDSSON 3. MICHANEK 4. NYGREN 5. BENGT JANSSON I never saw Bjorn Knutson. Edited June 21, 2017 by tmc 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatface Posted June 21, 2017 Report Share Posted June 21, 2017 Collins often gets forgotten certainly the 1975 dustbowl at Wembley and in 77 he was very unlucky.Lee if you look he had chances in all of his six finals 1983 was the one that got away.One win two rostrum places and a fourth place from Lee was not bad when you look at Collins WF record now it looks like he underachieved .So false really because he was one hell of a rider in with Mauger,Olsen,Michanek as the best from 73 / 77. He would have also contended at the 1978 Final had his fuel not been spiked at the British Final. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The White Knight Posted June 21, 2017 Report Share Posted June 21, 2017 When we interviewed Anders Michanek for Backtrack in 2004, we asked him where he thought he stood in the pantheon of Swedish speedway greats. This is what he said... Among Swedish legends WHERE does Anders Michanek stand in the all-time list of Swedish greats? Ove Fundin, with five individual world titles to his credit, is undoubtedly the King of Sweden. “Definitely, Ove has to be top,’’ agrees Anders. “He was so special, I don’t know how he could ride because he was so thin and his mind was more on arts and everything except the technical side of speedway. “We were riding in a Golden Greats meeting together. We were at the hotel, Fundin, Benga Jansson and me, but while Benga and myself wanted to take a look at the track, Ove said he would prefer to go and see the Black Knight appearing at some local castle! “I would be ever so happy to be ranked in third place among all the Swedes – behind Ove and (six times World Champion) Tony Rickardsson,” added Mich. “Tony actually had me sacked when I was the trainer at Rospigarna but I wasn’t too bothered. I’m not bitter. “Even if I don’t like the Grand Prix system much, I know that Tony is a very good rider. He’s still the best Swede today and, of course, I respect him.’’ Anders became a World Champion for the first time when he scored 10 points as the Swedes won the Team Cup at Wembley in 1970. He won the World Pairs title with two different partners over three consecutive seasons – the late Tommy Jansson (1973) and Soren Sjosten (1974 & ’75). Would Tommy have been individual World Champion had he lived? “Yes, I think so, definitely,’’ says Anders. “Once, in a qualifying round at Ullevi, I offered Tommy my bike when he had trouble with his. He won the race but afterwards he said: ‘How the hell can you ride a bike like that?’ I knew what he meant, because I bent my frame on purpose to give me more drive, but Tommy wasn’t used to it.’’ For what it's worth, my top 5 (in order of merit) would be: 1. FUNDIN 2. RICKARDSSON 3. MICHANEK 4. NYGREN 5. BENGT JANSSON I never saw Bjorn Knutson. Whey hey!!! Michanek and myself have something in common. :approve: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OveFundinFan Posted June 21, 2017 Report Share Posted June 21, 2017 (edited) With reference to 1978 when Peter Collins fuel was tampered with. That was at Coventry if I remember right, and was it sugar they found in the fuel? Yep, I remember that. Did they ever find out who done it??? Whey hey!!! Michanek and myself have something in common. :approve: I took that to read that it was "tmc" top five. Edited June 21, 2017 by OveFundinFan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The White Knight Posted June 21, 2017 Report Share Posted June 21, 2017 With reference to 1978 when Peter Collins fuel was tampered with. That was at Coventry if I remember right, and was it sugar they found in the fuel? Yep, I remember that. Did they ever find out who done it??? I took that to read that it was "tmc" top five. If you see my highlighted bit in tmc's Post that I quoted OFF. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OveFundinFan Posted June 22, 2017 Report Share Posted June 22, 2017 Apologies, TWK, I took it the wrong way Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iris123 Posted June 22, 2017 Report Share Posted June 22, 2017 When we interviewed Anders Michanek for Backtrack in 2004, we asked him where he thought he stood in the pantheon of Swedish speedway greats. This is what he said... Among Swedish legends WHERE does Anders Michanek stand in the all-time list of Swedish greats? Ove Fundin, with five individual world titles to his credit, is undoubtedly the King of Sweden. “Definitely, Ove has to be top,’’ agrees Anders. “He was so special, I don’t know how he could ride because he was so thin and his mind was more on arts and everything except the technical side of speedway. Long time ago since i read this article,but from memory Anders wasn't a big fan of Olsen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The White Knight Posted June 22, 2017 Report Share Posted June 22, 2017 Apologies, TWK, I took it the wrong way Nothing to apologise for OFF. But thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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