The 'Show' of a meeting

[steve roberts]

49 minutes ago, chunky said:

One of the problems with modern speedway (for me, anyway) is that it has become too "clean". I know H&S has played a part, but there's more to it than that.

Yes, machinery dictates the track surfaces, but I miss the deep dirt on the tracks, with he-men struggling to control bucking broncos. I miss getting covered - or trying to avoid getting covered - in shale. I miss bags of sawdust being dumped on the bends. We never knew what a poxy "blue groove" was.

That was all part of the show for me, like riders doing the parade without helmets, rakers, being pushed off on the track, tractor rides, bike racks etc... I loved the fact that it was a lot simpler and more basic back then.

Couldn't agree more and Team Managers getting all agitated on the phone to the ref in full view of the fans even, as Bernard Crapper once admitted to me, if it was a way of winding up the fans and generating some theatre in proceedings during a dull meeting!

Edited July 2, 2022 by steve roberts

[Chadster]

On 7/1/2022 at 6:37 AM, cowboy cookie returns? said:

Indeed he did, it sort of works but only because he excelled at commentary. It's on you tube somewhere.

 

My recollection was that in the stadium you could only hear the commentary on the last lap, whereas on the You Tube videos you can hear him throughout the race. What he was able to do was use the commentary to gee up the crowd if the Dons had pulled off a good race win and he was one part of an excellent promotion team. Mike Bennet was excellent when he was at Wimbledon, too.

[chunky]

6 minutes ago, Chadster said:

My recollection was that in the stadium you could only hear the commentary on the last lap, whereas on the You Tube videos you can hear him throughout the race.

Well, we couldn't hear Dave because of the noise WE'D be making during the race!