Terry Posted September 27, 2020 Report Share Posted September 27, 2020 7 hours ago, HenryW said: I'm wondering whether I am the only person that thinks that Lee wasted his own talent and all the excuses and claims of victimisation are just that....excuses. What would the British speedway authorities have to gain from victimising a British World champ? For me, the defining memory of him wasn't a world title win in 1980, it was his dummy spitting effort at Ipswich in the 1984 test match at Ipswich. The man couldn't accept the change to starting procedures and so spat the dummy and huffed off, got talked into coming back but did nothing other than pootle around acting like a victim...Pathetic. An absolute embarassment to his Nation that day and, if I remember rightly, on national live (or close to live) TV as well... Personally, I just have him down as another one of the riders that disappeared from the top level when drug testing came in properly around that time... I couldn't agree more. I'm finding all this "oh Michael was so hard done by" rather nauseating. He brought it all on himself and that test match display was pathetic..Ebdon told the riders beforehand exactly what would happen if they touched the tapes and they all abided by it except Lee who, as you say spat his dummy out and let down his team mates, not to mention the fans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sidney the robin Posted September 27, 2020 Report Share Posted September 27, 2020 (edited) 9 hours ago, Terry said: I couldn't agree more. I'm finding all this "oh Michael was so hard done by" rather nauseating. He brought it all on himself and that test match display was pathetic..Ebdon told the riders beforehand exactly what would happen if they touched the tapes and they all abided by it except Lee who, as you say spat his dummy out and let down his team mates, not to mention the fans. Really not to worry i, am sure you would give some other poor sod the benefit of the doubt because it is Mike Lee NO. Edited September 27, 2020 by Sidney the robin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Posted September 27, 2020 Report Share Posted September 27, 2020 2 hours ago, Sidney the robin said: Really not to worry i, am sure you would give some other poor sod the benefit of the doubt because it is Mike Lee NO. But there is no benefit of the doubt. Lee just wasn't interested in abiding by the new tape touching rule whereas every other rider accepted it. Erik Gundersen for example, struggled big time with the new starting procedure, but he worked at it like the true professional that he was, and ended up as one of the best starters in the sport. Michael Lee just sulked and complained instead of adopting a professional approach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g13webb Posted September 28, 2020 Report Share Posted September 28, 2020 It really is interesting reading differing opinions and the conclusions each have, some more obvious then others.. Following Lee from the beginning, it was amazing to see him develop from an utter novice into the world class performer he was. those first years were unbelievable, each week beating established stars and breaking new ground.. The effect of his inclusion at saddlebow road was said to add at least 1000 on the gate each meeting... He must have been a promoters dream when considering the amount of appearances he was able to fix into a heavy schedule. Winning the world title 1980 should have been the start of a new chapter, where he would go from strength to strength. But unfortunately it wasn't the way it turned out. We must remember this was also the time when the presence of his dad, Andy stood down from being ever present thus allowing Michael to be his own man and do as he thought best.... Thinking as World Champion he would be earning big bucks, he became disillusioned with the sport when he was force to ride in nothing meetings in this country when he could have been earning lucrative contracts abroad had he been able to do so. He became unhappy with the way the sport was run especially when he was being expected to ride for little earnings... It was during this unhappy time he mixed with the wrong sort that did him no favours at all. As a fan and a friend , I could see the effect this was having on his behaviour . His mentality may have changed but fortunately his riding was usually unaffected... The issues that been stated about Ipswich and the Poole meeting were laughable, if they weren't sad. They were both bourn out of personable grievances from a certain referee that got out of hand. It was a situation Mike was always going to lose. Sadly it was the fans who lost out the most... I feel very privilege to have witnessed those amazing early years . It was such a pity there faded away so quickly.... 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatface Posted September 28, 2020 Report Share Posted September 28, 2020 On 9/9/2020 at 10:45 AM, Terry said: After beating Chris Morton after a great battle (which included the only ever dead-heat of the competition) at the end of 1980, after a great year for Bo and the Hawks, We were eagerly anticipating his first defence against Lee. Michael was phenomenal and was crossing the finishing line while Bo was still coming out of the fourth bend for an easy 2-0 win..He also set the two fastest times of the season. He could've been the greatest ever if only etc...He was certainly the most naturally talented rider I've ever seen. The only other rider who came close was Darcy Ward imo. Anorak question coming... According to the records for that Golden Helmet, Petersen won the first race from Morton, the second was a dead-heat and no third race? Don't understand why...at 1.5 and 0.5, the third race is not dead rubber, is it? Mike Lee? One the the most talented riders ever. I think everyone on this forum has a story about him visiting their track and wiping the floor with the home hero. But from the outside, seems quite an immature character, with a life littered with personal and professional fall outs with the world apparently all against him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Posted September 28, 2020 Report Share Posted September 28, 2020 8 minutes ago, falcace said: Anorak question coming... According to the records for that Golden Helmet, Petersen won the first race from Morton, the second was a dead-heat and no third race? Don't understand why...at 1.5 and 0.5, the third race is not dead rubber, is it? The first race was the dead-heat with Bo winning the second race. You're right though, if Mort had won a third race it would have been 1.5 each, and as he'd already beaten Bo 2-0 at Belle Vue he would've been the winter holder. I'd honestly never thought about that before. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BL65 Posted September 28, 2020 Report Share Posted September 28, 2020 51 minutes ago, falcace said: Anorak question coming... According to the records for that Golden Helmet, Petersen won the first race from Morton, the second was a dead-heat and no third race? Don't understand why...at 1.5 and 0.5, the third race is not dead rubber, is it? The regulations provided that a decider would be raced if the riders were level after two heats, but in this case they were not level, the score was 1.5-0.5, so there was a clear winner. 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatface Posted September 28, 2020 Report Share Posted September 28, 2020 53 minutes ago, Terry said: The first race was the dead-heat with Bo winning the second race. You're right though, if Mort had won a third race it would have been 1.5 each, and as he'd already beaten Bo 2-0 at Belle Vue he would've been the winter holder. I'd honestly never thought about that before. 18 minutes ago, BL65 said: The regulations provided that a decider would be raced if the riders were level after two heats, but in this case they were not level, the score was 1.5-0.5, so there was a clear winner. Thanks both. Really appreciate the response and the rule explanation. Still seems an oddity with Petersen declared winner after only winning one race. still, 40 years on, I haven't lost any sleep over it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post markyb Posted September 28, 2020 Popular Post Report Share Posted September 28, 2020 Not posted on Speedway-forum for a few years (apart from a couple in the last half hour re British Final 2020.) but saw the subject about Michael Lee and 40 years on for him being world champion in 1980. Holy Moly I happened to be at the meeting in Ullevi, Sweden on that FRIDAY night. Me and my Coventry teenage mates had booked a Tee-Mill tours trip ( a coach journey from Birmingham And back) essentially to watch our Ole Olsen bring another world championship - alas we also SAW Ole fail to make the world finals - albeit was just a reserve - in his demise at the inter-continental final at White City. en-route to the final we had heard that Finn Thomsen (Wolverhampton) had crashed in practice, broken a leg, and Ole was in. Total bullsh**. So our support had to be moved elsewhere and the next best was to watch Michael win the evening. I so remember walking out of the stadium towards the ‘town’ and hearing Lee-o, Lee-o, Lee-o being sung by the Other English contingent. A spectacular evening with thousands in attendance - beaten I must add to the 2 finals I attended at Wembley By Olsen and Penhall (the Penhall win not the best for a Coventry supporter !) This era was fantastic for a fan of the sport, so many GREATS with many being English - Kenny Carter, Peter Collins, Malcolm Simmons, Dave Jessup, John Louis, of course Michael Lee, Sorry to bore the living daylights out of your all with my memories, but tonight I have enjoyed reliving the good times, this rather than enduring the grief we all encountering with the never ending COVID episode. Stay strong all and stay safe. 11 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warriors Posted October 31, 2020 Report Share Posted October 31, 2020 On 9/27/2020 at 11:04 AM, Terry said: I couldn't agree more. I'm finding all this "oh Michael was so hard done by" rather nauseating. He brought it all on himself and that test match display was pathetic..Ebdon told the riders beforehand exactly what would happen if they touched the tapes and they all abided by it except Lee who, as you say spat his dummy out and let down his team mates, not to mention the fans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warriors Posted October 31, 2020 Report Share Posted October 31, 2020 Absolutely and all the times people who traveled miles to watch their team only to find out the waster couldn't be bothered to turn up co's he couldn't be arsed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g13webb Posted November 8, 2020 Report Share Posted November 8, 2020 On 9/27/2020 at 2:59 AM, HenryW said: I'm wondering whether I am the only person that thinks that Lee wasted his own talent and all the excuses and claims of victimisation are just that....excuses. What would the British speedway authorities have to gain from victimising a British World champ? For me, the defining memory of him wasn't a world title win in 1980, it was his dummy spitting effort at Ipswich in the 1984 test match at Ipswich. The man couldn't accept the change to starting procedures and so spat the dummy and huffed off, got talked into coming back but did nothing other than pootle around acting like a victim...Pathetic. An absolute embarassment to his Nation that day and, if I remember rightly, on national live (or close to live) TV as well... Personally, I just have him down as another one of the riders that disappeared from the top level when drug testing came in properly around that time... Such a pity that your lasting memory of one of Britain's greatest riders was that fiasco at Ipswich. You seem to forget the role of Ebdon played, A referee with a personal vendetta, created all those problems. No, Lee didn't like the new starting rules but it should be noticed Mike had no trouble with any other referees . The incident at Ipswich was so extreme that Ebdon took his personal vendetta to penalise Lee at every opportunity. this day he stopped the race at the end of the second lap to exclude Lee, even though the offence had been committed before to the start of the race. Surely had Lee been in the wrong he should have excluded him immediately instead of waiting till Lee hit the front before putting on the red light. This wasn't the first time he had experience problems with Ebdon. They had clashed 3 times earlier in the year. Lee was wrong to withdrew his services, but this short fuse reacted without thinking. What should have been a brilliant meeting was spoilt for all the wrong reasons. I am not blind to see the all the wrongs Lee actually committed, but to remember him for that afternoon is very short sighted. There were far more good and bad times, than that day in question.. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goldhawk Posted November 9, 2020 Report Share Posted November 9, 2020 Lets leave out the negative and remember the talent. In the 50 years I have followed sport for me Micheal could have been our greatest ever English rider. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garry1603 Posted November 9, 2020 Report Share Posted November 9, 2020 Some riders never quite achieved what they could have done. The bar was so high with Michael though. The fact that Michael Lee became world champion and, in most people's opinion, was an amazing talent, but still we think of "what might have been" shows to me that he could have been one of the greatest riders ever instead of a one off world speedway champion. I'm sure that he's thought that himself many times. I support Belle Vue and can't pretend that I liked the guy for his off the track troubles and the bad publicity it brought he sport, but I was never in doubt when I saw him ride that I was watching a unique talent. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goldhawk Posted November 13, 2020 Report Share Posted November 13, 2020 (edited) I support Belle Vue and can't pretend that I liked the guy for his off the track troubles and the bad publicity it brought he sport, but I was never in doubt when I saw him ride that I was watching a unique talent. Absolutely . I supported Hackney but this guy was a very special Speedway rider and English. Its all what ifs but without doubt he had the potential to have been up there with Mauger and Rickardson. Edited November 13, 2020 by Goldhawk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nickcat0 Posted November 19, 2020 Report Share Posted November 19, 2020 A very talented rider no doubt, and with an individual World title and a couple of Team World Cups, he had a good career. However, the feeling persists that it could have been so much better. Personally, I think it's not correct to say he was the most talented Brit ever, and therefore the best. Part of a top sportsman's job is to take his talent, and combine it with a tough mental approach and strong work ethic, in order to produce the best possible results. That's why although acknowledging Lee's talent as a rider, I'd place him behind Tai and PC in my "best Brits I've seen" ranking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehone Posted December 28, 2020 Report Share Posted December 28, 2020 brilliant rider and to be able to win the Longtrack title in '81 showed his talent on a bike 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
semion Posted December 30, 2020 Report Share Posted December 30, 2020 Not to mention in his workshop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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