Nigel Boocock -world Champion?

[BOBBATH]

Thinking of the old one-off World Finals-when it was held at Wembley the home track riders had a definite advantage- I am thinking here of Fred Williams -World Champ in 1950 and 1953. Would Fred have become World Champ on an away track-certainly not if a one off World Final had been held at Belle Vue one of Fred's least favourite tracks. So then I thought who could have been  a World Champ if held as a one-off at another track. Came up with two- Nigel Boocock if it had been held at Coventry, Graham Warren if held at Birmingham. Also maybe Tommy Miller at Glasgow White City-any other thoughts on this??

[Kryten]

Chris Morton if it was held at Hyde Road.

[E I Addio]

Barry Briggs once said that to be World Champion you had to string 5 decent starts together. Mort and Booey were lucky if they could string two or three good starts together. It didn’t show at league level because most riders were average gaters and they could both come through from the back, but is a different kettle of fish at World Final level, missing the gate when race after race after face you have Mauger , Briggs , Fundin , etc or riders of that standard who dont exactly wave you through.  I don’t think home track advantage makes much difference at that level.  
There were one or two exceptions perhaps but they were very rare. 

[Sotonian]

Phil Crump if it was at Exeter.

[waiheke1]

5 hours ago, E I Addio said:

Barry Briggs once said that to be World Champion you had to string 5 decent starts together. Mort and Booey were lucky if they could string two or three good starts together. It didn’t show at league level because most riders were average gaters and they could both come through from the back, but is a different kettle of fish at World Final level, missing the gate when race after race after face you have Mauger , Briggs , Fundin , etc or riders of that standard who dont exactly wave you through.  I don’t think home track advantage makes much difference at that level.  
There were one or two exceptions perhaps but they were very rare. 

Tbf,Mort won a BLRC, which was a better calibre field than the world final.

But more likely to be a world champ if the final was held at Hyde Rd, or the Shay, would be Kenny Carter 

[waiheke1]

I think there are plenty of examples: Shaun Moran at Sheffield or Ipswich; in 83 the world champions would have been  different anywhere bar Norden - Mike Lee would have been  favourite at Poole or Kings Lynn, Sigalos or Sanders at Ipswich;  

[iris123]

It wasn't just about the track.....home track. It obviously in the case of Williams helped a lot. But i think you also need to have nerves of steel when you are in touching distance of the title. And i don't think Boocock or Miller of McKinlay for instance had that extra element

[E I Addio]

1 hour ago, iris123 said:

It wasn't just about the track.....home track. It obviously in the case of Williams helped a lot. But i think you also need to have nerves of steel when you are in touching distance of the title. And i don't think Boocock or Miller of McKinlay for instance had that extra element

You have touched on a good point there - the “killer “ instinct. The classic example was Jack Biggs in (I think ) 1951, four straight wins, then nerves got to him and he didn’t score another point.  At the other extreme we have Mauger , the consummate prifessional, even the Inter- Continental Final was merely a qualifying round to get through safely and stay in good shape for the big one.

Leigh Adams was the full package at league level, often called the best rider never to win a World Title,  and to be honest he never really cut it at the highest level . It’s all a matter of opinion of course,  but if you put the likes of Morton alongside the Fundins, the Olsens , etc I dont think many would put their money on Mort, but of course you can never account for injuries , engine failures , and gate positions, so it’s perhaps possible but unlikely I would say.

[steve roberts]

11 hours ago, Sotonian said:

Phil Crump if it was at Exeter.

...or indeed Newport!

[Sotonian]

8 minutes ago, steve roberts said:

...or indeed Newport!

I'll stick with Exeter as Crumpie himself said if it was held there he'd win and also it's the only example so far of a rider not on his home track.

[waiheke1]

2 hours ago, Sotonian said:

I'll stick with Exeter as Crumpie himself said if it was held there he'd win and also it's the only example so far of a rider not on his home track.

I mentioned Kenny Carter and Hyde Rd? And Shawn Moran and Ipswich

Edited January 14, 2022 by waiheke1

[fatface]

On 1/13/2022 at 10:13 AM, Sotonian said:

Phil Crump if it was at Exeter.

A World Final at Exeter? Can you imagine? A dear old place which I hold in great affection, but I'm glad the World Final never declined to the point it was at the County Ground 

On 1/13/2022 at 9:57 AM, E I Addio said:

Barry Briggs once said that to be World Champion you had to string 5 decent starts together. Mort and Booey were lucky if they could string two or three good starts together. It didn’t show at league level because most riders were average gaters and they could both come through from the back, but is a different kettle of fish at World Final level, missing the gate when race after race after face you have Mauger , Briggs , Fundin , etc or riders of that standard who dont exactly wave you through.  I don’t think home track advantage makes much difference at that level.  
There were one or two exceptions perhaps but they were very rare. 

Despite being a big Mort fan, I have to reluctantly agree with this. He could not get out of the gate consistently enough. The whole of the 1983 World Final is on YouTube....every race. On paper, it was quite an open field - until Muller wheeled his jet engine into the pits and had direction over track conditions, but I digress - and I would have Mort in the 8 or so riders good enough to win it that day. At the interval, he was doing pretty well on 6 points. But 4 of those were earned from the back. You just can't win World Finals earning 2/3 of your points that way. No one can....and he tailed off after the interval. Even had a World Final been held at Hyde Road, I still doubt it. It was great when he won the BLRC, but things out of his control helped him that day too. And if it had been a World Final at Belle Vue, with every rider peaking with the best machinery geared up to that day, all having prepared in practice, then I think his odds lengthen. Brilliant rider of course - as I am sure Nigel Boocock was - but there is a difference between being brilliant and being the best.

Edited January 14, 2022 by falcace

[Guest]

On 1/13/2022 at 10:13 AM, Sotonian said:

Phil Crump if it was at Exeter.

...or in the mid-1940s at Exeter dear old Bernard 'Bronco' Slade - maybe?

[iris123]

54 minutes ago, JohnHyam said:

...or in the mid-1940s at Exeter dear old Bernard 'Bronco' Slade - maybe?

I doubt that very much. Must have been hundreds of riders better than him over the years that ride at Exeter

But the main factor is, there wasn’t a world final anywhere in the mid 40s

Edited January 15, 2022 by iris123