Team GB

[HenryW]

16 minutes ago, False dawn said:

Are you serious? I can easily believe Fraser Bowes, but surely Jason hasn't ridden for 7 years. And didn't he retire due to issues with his back?

Jason has done the occasional meeting in Australia since his retirement from European racing.

[Bavarian]

[Sidney the robin]

On 1/14/2020 at 10:41 AM, False dawn said:

Are you serious? I can easily believe Fraser Bowes, but surely Jason hasn't ridden for 7 years. And didn't he retire due to issues with his back?

I thought Jason  retired because of those bad burns that he got racing a great rider and he must put a few on the gate.Since his retirement he has done some laps testing and at a guess???  i recon he has done at least six meeting's Darcy Ward's being one of them.

[False dawn]

On 1/14/2020 at 10:41 AM, False dawn said:

Are you serious? I can easily believe Fraser Bowes, but surely Jason hasn't ridden for 7 years. And didn't he retire due to issues with his back?

I wish I'd never posted this.  I was just a bit surprised that Crumpy suddenly agreed to ride in a test match, albeit a "friendly". That's all.

[Guest]

A passing thought! And nothing more (maybe) but I wonder how either of these so-called thought of 'national' teams would fare in a match against full-strength Poland or Sweden teams as examples?

Edited January 19, 2020 by Guest

[Wee Eck]

38 minutes ago, gustix said:

A passing thought! And nothing more (maybe) but I wonder how either of these so-called thought of 'national' teams would fare in a match against full-strength Poland or Sweden teams as examples?

I think you miss the point. This was a friendly match between a few Australians and a bunch of young Brits (all under 21 I think) wintering in Australia (plus Tai Woffinden). It was not a representative test match and neither country would put up teams like that if it had been. 
What should be taken out of it is, after so many years in the doldrums, how positive the future looks for GB with Bewley, Edwards, Flint, Kemp and a whole load of others all coming through. 

[Welwyn]

1 hour ago, Wee Eck said:

I think you miss the point. This was a friendly match between a few Australians and a bunch of young Brits (all under 21 I think) wintering in Australia (plus Tai Woffinden). It was not a representative test match and neither country would put up teams like that if it had been. 
What should be taken out of it is, after so many years in the doldrums, how positive the future looks for GB with Bewley, Edwards, Flint, Kemp and a whole load of others all coming through. 

Also, with some proactivity to at least have some kind of proper competitive action for them as they develop.

[Guest]

2 hours ago, Wee Eck said:

I think you miss the point. This was a friendly match between a few Australians and a bunch of young Brits (all under 21 I think) wintering in Australia (plus Tai Woffinden). It was not a representative test match and neither country would put up teams like that if it had been. 
What should be taken out of it is, after so many years in the doldrums, how positive the future looks for GB with Bewley, Edwards, Flint, Kemp and a whole load of others all coming through. 

 

41 minutes ago, Welwyn said:

Also, with some proactivity to at least have some kind of proper competitive action for them as they develop.

I appreciate you comments and now understand the reason for the match. My sincere apologies for the misunderstanding on my part.

[Wee Eck]

13 minutes ago, gustix said:

 

I appreciate you comments and now understand the reason for the match. My sincere apologies for the misunderstanding on my part.

Not a problem. I know you’re now a tv fan but, if that and this forum are your main sources of information, it’s easy to get the wrong idea. The former is full of hype and fake enthusiasm, the latter, doom and gloom. 
As with much in life, the truth lies somewhere in between. 
For all it’s ills, British Speedway is producing far more good young riders than Sweden, Denmark and the USA combined. I’d also contend that we’ve got far more promising riders than Australia. Although I would concede that, if you had a full GB vs Australia test match this month, the Aussies with their top end power of Doyle, Fricke, Batchelor and the Holders would be the likely winners, give it a couple of years and I think GB would win, simply because there are far fewer Australian riders following on behind them, than there are up and coming Brits. 
It’s taken ages to get anything going in this country, mostly because promoters adopted a “what’s in it for us?” approach, but a great start has been made in recent years by Neil Vatcher with the British Youth Championship, and this is now supported by others.

You should try to get to one of the 2020 Championship rounds and see for yourself the raw talent and enthusiasm on display. There are already 34 riders registered across the three classes and no doubt more will follow. 

[Gunner85]

This was a great opportunity for our young Brits to get experience riding in Australia.

I agree that it was a friendly and not fully representative of a true test match... that does not matter

Even more pleasing is that Tai is encouraging them to make this an annual event

All adds to the development of out young guns

[dontforgetthefueltapsbruv]

1 hour ago, Gunner85 said:

This was a great opportunity for our young Brits to get experience riding in Australia.

I agree that it was a friendly and not fully representative of a true test match... that does not matter

Even more pleasing is that Tai is encouraging them to make this an annual event

All adds to the development of out young guns

Not only on track experience but also a good life lesson being away from home and taking care of themselves and their equipment

No doubt there has also been plenty of 'holiday' time too but valuable none the less

Edited January 19, 2020 by dontforgetthefueltapsbruv

[steve roberts]

56 minutes ago, dontforgetthefueltapsbruv said:

Not only on track experience but also a good life lesson being away from home and taking care of themselves and their equipment

No doubt there has also been plenty of 'holiday' time too but valuable none the less

The old British Lions Tours of the seventies used to bring riders on...one such rider to benefit hugely was Gordon Kennett.

[Wee Eck]

47 minutes ago, steve roberts said:

The old British Lions Tours of the seventies used to bring riders on...one such rider to benefit hugely was Gordon Kennett.

I think this winter has benefited Dan Bewley hugely. No “proper” test matches but plenty of competitive action. I expect there to be a fight for the number one race jacket at BV between him and Jaimon Lidsey 

[SharpenRake]

Surprised no one has mentioned that GB are in action against a Rest of the World team at Glasgow on Saturday 18 April 2020. 

[f-s-p]

On 1/19/2020 at 5:36 PM, Wee Eck said:

For all it’s ills, British Speedway is producing far more good young riders than Sweden, Denmark and the USA combined.

 OOOOHH COME ON!!!

Jokes have a thread of their own in another section.

[Wee Eck]

5 hours ago, f-s-p said:

 OOOOHH COME ON!!!

Jokes have a thread of their own in another section.

Who was the last decent young Swedish rider? And how many under 21s are there? Indeed, how many licensed Swedish riders are there in total? The last I heard it was between 20 and 30. 
The US has produced a few reasonable riders in recent years but no one of World class potential since Hancock and Hamill. Until now. Luke Becker has great potential, Broc Nichol too maybe. Denmark has produced plenty of journeymen, but they all seem to get so far and no further. 
Mikkel Michelsen has, for me, the best potential, but those ahead of him in age (with the obvious exception of Leon Madsen) seem to have hit their ceiling. 
In GB, there are now three different strands directly creating opportunities for British riders - the commercial set up of Poultec, the hugely succesful British Youth Championship, and the elite development of No Limits. 
I can’t predict the future any more than anyone else, but I can have an opinion. And my opinion is that, outside Poland, the best development programmes for domestic riders, are happening in Britain right now. And that will lead to far more British riders appearing on the international stage in due course.

[f-s-p]

9 hours ago, Wee Eck said:

Who was the last decent young Swedish rider? And how many under 21s are there? Indeed, how many licensed Swedish riders are there in total? The last I heard it was between 20 and 30. 
The US has produced a few reasonable riders in recent years but no one of World class potential since Hancock and Hamill. Until now. Luke Becker has great potential, Broc Nichol too maybe. Denmark has produced plenty of journeymen, but they all seem to get so far and no further. 
Mikkel Michelsen has, for me, the best potential, but those ahead of him in age (with the obvious exception of Leon Madsen) seem to have hit their ceiling. 
In GB, there are now three different strands directly creating opportunities for British riders - the commercial set up of Poultec, the hugely succesful British Youth Championship, and the elite development of No Limits. 
I can’t predict the future any more than anyone else, but I can have an opinion. And my opinion is that, outside Poland, the best development programmes for domestic riders, are happening in Britain right now. And that will lead to far more British riders appearing on the international stage in due course.

Okay, this post is quite reasonable compared to the one before. Still it lacks names and is producing is not the same as will lead.

And also, the good ones need to ride on the continent or all them programs will mount to nothing. That is if you want to produce international riders at the top, not championship heat leaders.

[Wee Eck]

4 hours ago, f-s-p said:

Okay, this post is quite reasonable compared to the one before. Still it lacks names and is producing is not the same as will lead.

And also, the good ones need to ride on the continent or all them programs will mount to nothing. That is if you want to produce international riders at the top, not championship heat leaders.

I certainly agree with your last point, but at least we have a clutch of young riders coming through. None are guaranteed success but the hope has to be the greater the number of riders, the greater is the chance of them becoming internationals. 
The young riders who I see as having great potential, and who are all riding in this year’s Championship include Leon Flint, Jack Thomas, Tom Brennan, Drew Kemp, Jason Edwards, Dan and Joe Thompson, Connor Mountain, Jordan Jenkins, Jordan Palin and Anders Rowe. 
I’m not sure about Kyle Bickley, and unfortunately, am a tad negative about Jack Smith. Other British riders that could go much further are Dan Bewley, of course, and James Shanes if he chooses to concentrate on speedway rather than grasstrack and longtrack (which I doubt). 
The most important point about all of these riders is that, unlike Tai, they have largely learnt the basics of their trade in UK. 
My view is that British Speedway needs to replace many of the imported riders with home grown if it wants to regrow the fan base. But with a 12 team Championship - is that now the largest league there is? - and opportunities to ride in other domestic leagues, then I’m positive about the future. 
In due course, if they want to continue developing their skills, Europe will beckon, and they’ll probably leave UK behind, but that should just create vacancies for the next wave of Brits. 

[IronScorpion]

On ‎2‎/‎1‎/‎2020 at 11:57 AM, Wee Eck said:

I certainly agree with your last point, but at least we have a clutch of young riders coming through. None are guaranteed success but the hope has to be the greater the number of riders, the greater is the chance of them becoming internationals. 
The young riders who I see as having great potential, and who are all riding in this year’s Championship include Leon Flint, Jack Thomas, Tom Brennan, Drew Kemp, Jason Edwards, Dan and Joe Thompson, Connor Mountain, Jordan Jenkins, Jordan Palin and Anders Rowe. 
I’m not sure about Kyle Bickley, and unfortunately, am a tad negative about Jack Smith. Other British riders that could go much further are Dan Bewley, of course, and James Shanes if he chooses to concentrate on speedway rather than grasstrack and longtrack (which I doubt). 
The most important point about all of these riders is that, unlike Tai, they have largely learnt the basics of their trade in UK. 
My view is that British Speedway needs to replace many of the imported riders with home grown if it wants to regrow the fan base. But with a 12 team Championship - is that now the largest league there is? - and opportunities to ride in other domestic leagues, then I’m positive about the future. 
In due course, if they want to continue developing their skills, Europe will beckon, and they’ll probably leave UK behind, but that should just create vacancies for the next wave of Brits. 

When Tai came back to Britain in 2005, his dad took him to a lot of after meeting practices to see how he fared riding different shaped tracks. He then spent 2 years riding for Scunthorpe in the Conference before moving to Rye House & later Wolverhampton, so he DID spend a lot of time learning the basics in the UK.

Edited February 2, 2020 by IronScorpion

[Wee Eck]

6 hours ago, IronScorpion said:

When Tai came back to Britain in 2005, his dad took him to a lot of after meeting practices to see how he fared riding different shaped tracks. He then spent 2 years riding for Scunthorpe in the Conference before moving to Rye House & later Wolverhampton, so he DID spend a lot of time learning the basics in the UK.

I agree he learnt the next steps in his career in Britain, that’s why Rob uprooted the family to move back. But he was already an established junior rider in Australia, and a successful one too, especially round Pinjar Park which Rob helped to build. That’s really where Tai learnt the basics.
I don’t think GB can really claim him as “home grown” but riding in GB moved him from “promising junior” to “established winner”