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Cardiff 2019 Saturday September 21st


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Telegraph.co.uk

Some 472 miles away from the fairways of Carnoustie, there was another British sporting event being televised this weekend, but its dust, din and danger are about as far away from the hushed, tense, rarefied world of the Open golf as it is possible to imagine. 

The Speedway Grand Prix in Cardiff on Saturday was attended by more than 40,000, and shown live on BT Sport. The channel took the opportunity to release the latest of its invariably classy BT Sport Films: a documentary about the motor sport called True Grit. It will be reshown and is well worth a look.

Watching the live action at the Principality Stadium, one would conclude that speedway must be in rude health: tens of thousands of passionate, committed fans, plenty of drama, exciting sport, with races coming thick and fast.

Danger, characters, and a party atmosphere with lots of families. And in Tai Woffinden, a genuine star – covered in tattoos. Brilliant, uncompromising, he is a properly captivating, charismatic dark genius of the Ronnie O’Sullivan or Kevin Pietersen school. He came second on the night but accrued enough points to move closer to what would be his third world title.

But the story away from the showpiece event is more clapped out moped than gleaming Harley Davidson. The True Grit film introduced a cast of dedicated, driven and singular folk genuinely struggling to keep their heads above water and their sport going. The riders are only paid when they race, and live a gruelling existence of driving themselves to races, competing for a few quid in front of sparse crowds, then grinding on to the next event. Woffinden says in the film: “I don’t really see dangers in what I do. It is probably more dangerous getting on a flight than me doing four laps on a speedway bike. I have never got nervous, so I don’t know what that feels like.”

But there were nervous times on Saturday when Australia’s world champion, Jason Doyle, had a sickening crash, which culminated in his bike smashing into him as he hit the barrier, and a 30-minute delay in proceedings while he was taken to hospital. Fortunately, he has escaped with “just” minor fractures, but it was further evidence to back up True Grit’s point that this is a sport where danger and disaster lurk at every turn. Among its contributors is Garry Stead, who was a Premier League Speedway Champion before a 2007 accident left him paralysed from the waist down. It’s a powerful and sad story, bravely and unsentimentally told by the documentary.

Risk and danger, naturally, are part of the attraction of speedway, and its sound and spectacle make for good television and what looks like a top day out as well. Lots of families in the crowd, no trouble, generous to the riders apart from perhaps pantomime villain Nicki Pedersen. 

Like all smaller sports, speedway is in a constant battle for investment, for sponsorships, for eyeballs, and those who run it need to take some serious, creative action as a matter of urgency. If they wanted something to show potential customers and supporters, they could do a lot worse than wave BT Sport’s film under noses.

I enjoyed it and the live action at Cardiff and would watch again.

True Grit: Wednesday Aug 15, 10.30pm, BT Sport 2 and Monday Sept 3, 6.30pm. BT Sport 1

 

 

 

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8 minutes ago, racers and royals said:

Not for me it doesn`t

Just looked and either they've updated the page or as I'm using my phone which is being painfully slow maybe I had a ghost image so part of another page over the main page. Should've took a screenshot at the time. It definitely said 21st September at 19:00

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2 minutes ago, Triple.H. said:

Just looked and either they've updated the page or as I'm using my phone which is being painfully slow maybe I had a ghost image so part of another page over the main page. Should've took a screenshot at the time. It definitely said 21st September at 19:00

Ok thanks lets say 5pm as in recent years

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I hope it's because the stadium is not available and not other reasons (whatever they are).

Schools are back so my son won't be able to attend the pairs on Fri (if it's still night before) and would be a rush home on the Sunday.  

That along with the university unlikely to have many rooms available.  Means I won't be there and no doubt many others too. 

  

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Years ago BSI said they always wanted Cardiff towards end of the calendar but could never do it due to rugby fixtures, with the rugby world cup in Japan in September maybe they have taken the chance available to them.

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4 hours ago, noaksey said:

Hope Cardiff City aren't at home that day.

Exactly!

In any case a clash with the football season can't be good. I hope it won't affect attendance.

I know there are people on here that hate football and think speedway is the be all and end all but unfortunately for the sport they're a minority and there are going to be a lot including me with divided loyalties.

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5 minutes ago, AFCB Wildcat said:

Exactly!

In any case a clash with the football season can't be good. I hope it won't affect attendance.

I know there are people on here that hate football and think speedway is the be all and end all but unfortunately for the sport they're a minority and there are going to be a lot including me with divided loyalties.

You can watch Bournemouth 40 times a season but there is only 1 Cardiff GP.

Edited by Mark
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6 minutes ago, Mark said:

You can watch Bournemouth 40 times a season but there is only 1 Cardiff GP.

I do, and have done for over 40 years so it will be hard for me. Bournemouth have been my passion since childhood but my wife has no interest in football so Cardiff will win no doubt but it's a shame that so many will face a conflict of interests 

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12 minutes ago, AFCB Wildcat said:

I do, and have done for over 40 years so it will be hard for me. Bournemouth have been my passion since childhood but my wife has no interest in football so Cardiff will win no doubt but it's a shame that so many will face a conflict of interests 

Plus Cardiff isn't quite as nice on a bluebirds match day in my experience 

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7 minutes ago, noaksey said:

Plus Cardiff isn't quite as nice on a bluebirds match day in my experience 

Absolutely! Hopefully the powers that be will see to it that there's not a clash but we had to go to Liverpool on grand national weekend last season so I won't hold my breath. 

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Just now, AFCB Wildcat said:

Absolutely! Hopefully the powers that be will see to it that there's not a clash but we had to go to Liverpool on grand national weekend last season so I won't hold my breath. 

I'd imagine the Police will ensure there's no clash 

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