Definite future world champions - or not!

[*JJ]

Adam Roynon. When he rode for Birmingham in 2009, he was obviously going to the top; he was faster than Jason Lyons, and not many were that! But then he got injured .. again and again ...

[arnieg]

20 hours ago, bluebee said:

 

Also was David Howe that highly rated when he was young? Rated as a good prospect but a world  champion? Maybe I'm wrong.  Saw him at Cardiff and was well off the pace.

His Conference League debut season as a 15 year old compares very favourably with Woffinden and Ward's first seasons, so yes he was very highly rated.

[Gambo]

Showing my age, I know, but I seem to recall a young Sean Wilson being on TV, (Blue Peter?) and being suggested as a future Champion.

[SpeedwayTShirts]

Brian Andersen when he won a youngsters meeting at Cov and he almost got there, managed a GP win at Bradford from memory.

[Chewbacca]

Joe Owen before his first big injury at Hull. Whilst he was a solid second heat leader in the BL and NL #1 afterwards he wasn’t quite the rider he had been.

1976 the year before his accident and aged 19

NNL avg 11.54 inc 28 full maximums in 39 matches

BL avg 8.86 inc 2 full maximums in 10 matches (bearing mind how strong the BL was in those days

Edited December 9, 2021 by Chewbacca

[fatface]

Joe Screen was dynamite and had the ability
Henrik Gustafson looked a stronger prospect than Tony Rickardsson at first

 

[LagutaRacingFan]

Hans Andersen

He would have won the 2006 series if he took part from the start. Crump got very lucky that year.

[King Jamie]

Of those mentioned in this thread, the likes of Fisher, THJ and Daniel Andersson all rode for the Monarchs. Fisher won two league titles during his time at sunny Armadale, while THJ won one.

That they all dropped off so soon after leaving 'Cardiff without a roof' just proves that bearing the famous crown on your race jacket is deemed the pinnacle of one's career and future World title ambitions pale into insignificance.

[enotian]

mid 80's when I first got into speedway Havelock, Dugard and Silver were the future of British/World speedway. All had great debut seasons in the old National League (Div 2 for newbies) averaging 7 ish in a fairly strong league with the likes of Kennett, Jessup and Collins in it you'd been World Finalists not to long before.

I'd have said Dugard would have been the one to become a World Champ.  World Final debut at Bradford in 1990? Must have been in his early 20's at most.  Seemed to freeze in the spotlight and scored nothing or next to nothing. Don't ever recall him doing anything on an international stage thereafter apart from the wildcard (at Brandon?). Superb domestically for a long time, against all the top guys in the World.

 

[steve roberts]

14 minutes ago, enotian said:

mid 80's when I first got into speedway Havelock, Dugard and Silver were the future of British/World speedway. All had great debut seasons in the old National League (Div 2 for newbies) averaging 7 ish in a fairly strong league with the likes of Kennett, Jessup and Collins in it you'd been World Finalists not to long before.

I'd have said Dugard would have been the one to become a World Champ.  World Final debut at Bradford in 1990? Must have been in his early 20's at most.  Seemed to freeze in the spotlight and scored nothing or next to nothing. Don't ever recall him doing anything on an international stage thereafter apart from the wildcard (at Brandon?). Superb domestically for a long time, against all the top guys in the World.

 

Having watched Martin develop as a rider at Cowley he showed great potential. Personally I thought moving back to Eastbourne was a mistake and as Gordon Kennett was once quoted he should had taken himself off to "Aussie" during the British close season to help his development both as a rider and a person.

[Wee Eck]

13 hours ago, King Jamie said:

Of those mentioned in this thread, the likes of Fisher, THJ and Daniel Andersson all rode for the Monarchs. Fisher won two league titles during his time at sunny Armadale, while THJ won one.

That they all dropped off so soon after leaving 'Cardiff without a roof' just proves that bearing the famous crown on your race jacket is deemed the pinnacle of one's career and future World title ambitions pale into insignificance.

Was THJ the same rider that Glasgow supporters called RR?

[IainB]

11 hours ago, enotian said:

mid 80's when I first got into speedway Havelock, Dugard and Silver were the future of British/World speedway. All had great debut seasons in the old National League (Div 2 for newbies) averaging 7 ish in a fairly strong league with the likes of Kennett, Jessup and Collins in it you'd been World Finalists not to long before.

I'd have said Dugard would have been the one to become a World Champ.  World Final debut at Bradford in 1990? Must have been in his early 20's at most.  Seemed to freeze in the spotlight and scored nothing or next to nothing. Don't ever recall him doing anything on an international stage thereafter apart from the wildcard (at Brandon?). Superb domestically for a long time, against all the top guys in the World.

 

 

10 hours ago, steve roberts said:

Having watched Martin develop as a rider at Cowley he showed great potential. Personally I thought moving back to Eastbourne was a mistake and as Gordon Kennett was once quoted he should had taken himself off to "Aussie" during the British close season to help his development both as a rider and a person.

There's a couple of podcasts out in the ether with Martin being interviewed, they make for very interesting listening

[fatface]

1 hour ago, iainb said:

 

There's a couple of podcasts out in the ether with Martin being interviewed, they make for very interesting listening

Agreed. Very honest and self-aware. He had a lot in his favour. A speedway family, great role model team mates like Hans Nielsen, talented. He should have joined a big track and got away from Eastbourne. Truth is Dugard, Barker and Norris should all have done better and as three likely lads together, probably held each other back.

In all sport though, you can never really say who is going to make it to the top until they actually get in that environment and see how they react. It's not always the most talented who make it. For example, not many of us would have seen Jason Doyle becoming a World Champion.

[IainB]

2 hours ago, falcace said:

Agreed. Very honest and self-aware. He had a lot in his favour. A speedway family, great role model team mates like Hans Nielsen, talented. He should have joined a big track and got away from Eastbourne. Truth is Dugard, Barker and Norris should all have done better and as three likely lads together, probably held each other back.

In all sport though, you can never really say who is going to make it to the top until they actually get in that environment and see how they react. It's not always the most talented who make it. For example, not many of us would have seen Jason Doyle becoming a World Champion.

Or Artem Laguta for that matter...

[King Jamie]

4 hours ago, Wee Eck said:

Was THJ the same rider that Glasgow supporters called RR?

The very same one!

[steve roberts]

On 12/8/2021 at 7:42 PM, Sidney the robin said:

Graham Warren , Dave Jessup ( never rated him) Dennis Sigalos, Billy Sanders,  Tommy Jansson  he would of certainly won a title.

I've just re-read the book on Tommy Jansson. An excellent, if somewhat poignant, read with many references from different sources. It's clear that many of his rivals held him in high esteem. The likes of Briggs, Mauger, Michanek, Persson, Nordin and Collins all thought that he could have reached the very top. Ivan summed it up perfectly when he was quoted as saying "...that Tommy had everything but luck!" How true.

Edited December 11, 2021 by steve roberts

[Sidney the robin]

On 12/11/2021 at 7:23 PM, steve roberts said:

I've just re-read the book on Tommy Jansson. An excellent, if somewhat poignant, read with many references from different sources. It's clear that many of his rivals held him in high esteem. The likes of Briggs, Mauger, Michanek, Persson, Nordin and Collins all thought that he could have reached the very top. Ivan summed it up perfectly when he was quoted as saying "...that Tommy had everything but luck!" How true.

If he had of been given the chance would of been approaching his peak Steve tackling the likes of Lee, Penhall, Nielsen , Gundersen, Carter,.For me had a great chance of winning world championships but only my humble view he was a great ambassador of the game to a humble bloke stylish classy rider.