Ashton Boughen

[Bojangles]

15 minutes ago, Steve Shovlar said:

I comment as it’s a thread where people comment! Green eyed monster? For what reason would that be? Answer me that. Seriously let the lad develop and if he turns out to be good like Bewley and Lambert, then fantastic. But he could turn out like Justin Elkins. Fast and impressive as a youngster, then nothing. Elkins beat Crump in match races. Look how that eventually turned out. 

All the people who have commented have seen him race in one form or another before passing judgement (positive or negative). You’ve just been negative without even seeing him ride for some reason.

And let the lad develop? How is people commenting on a forum going to impact his career development exactly? Tell you what, let’s all shut up until he’s 35 and then we can talk about great or awful he was.

Edited September 5, 2023 by Bojangles

[Bagpuss]

5 hours ago, Steve Shovlar said:

Yet to see this young lad ride but there’s been lots of trumpeting of his name. So I looked up his scoring and there’s nothing there to see. Seems many are getting carried away and for a young lad to have his own thread for scoring zero is ridiculous. Let him learn at his own pace and if he’s any good in a few seasons then that’s great. But at the moment he seems out of his depth in the Championship, never mind the PL.

He's had one meeting in the Championship and scored paid nine  

Edited September 5, 2023 by Bagpuss

[2ndbendbeerhut]

4 hours ago, Skidder1 said:

He actually said he'd never ridden a track so deep  and with so much grip last night!

Having been at Peterborough last monday this was mentioned then, probably the grippiest track he has ridden. Move forward to last night and same was said, even more so reagards to the track. What "training" tracks would be prepared like last night, Even a NA one would be slick. 

Not aimed at you Skidder1 but to anyone ..... Give the lad time... hes only been riding in league speedway for a month..... 

[therefused]

Shovlar is portably just salty Boughen went to Oxford and not Poole 

[Neila]

The lad only turned 16 2 weeks ago, imo got lots of potential,  but I think guesting for premiership sides a bit too early in his speedway career 

[M.D]

12 minutes ago, Neila said:

The lad only turned 16 2 weeks ago, imo got lots of potential,  but I think guesting for premiership sides a bit too early in his speedway career 

Agree with that, I get you want to get as many rides under your belt as possible especially at this stage of the season but pick your meetings well at this point, plenty of time..

[Bojangles]

2 hours ago, Bagpuss said:

He's had one meeting in the Championship and scored paid nine  

Another 5+2 tonight as well. Massively out of his depth!

[SteveLyric2]

2 hours ago, 2ndbendbeerhut said:

Having been at Peterborough last monday this was mentioned then, probably the grippiest track he has ridden. Move forward to last night and same was said, even more so reagards to the track. What "training" tracks would be prepared like last night, Even a NA one would be slick. 

Not aimed at you Skidder1 but to anyone ..... Give the lad time... hes only been riding in league speedway for a month..... 

Not having a pop at him at all,but I have said previously on here that I think he should just have stuck to Championship stuff this year. Just my opinion. 

[Steve Shovlar]

7 minutes ago, Skidder1 said:

Not having a pop at him at all,but I have said previously on here that I think he should just have stuck to Championship stuff this year. Just my opinion. 

Nobody has had a pop at him. 

[WembleyLion]

Looked very good tonight at Oxford for paid 7 from 4 rides.

Maybe needs to work on the post race wheelies though! 

 

[Debbi]

9 hours ago, Steve Shovlar said:

Yet to see this young lad ride but there’s been lots of trumpeting of his name. So I looked up his scoring and there’s nothing there to see. Seems many are getting carried away and for a young lad to have his own thread for scoring zero is ridiculous. Let him learn at his own pace and if he’s any good in a few seasons then that’s great. But at the moment he seems out of his depth in the Championship, never mind the PL.

It’s very obvious that you haven’t seen Ashton race yet. Scores aren’t everything (not sure what score you have looked at) as you say he is a young lad but boy can he race, and that is good to see he gives 100% (as did Luke) he outscored our number 2 tonight and scored exactly the same as Henry at reserve. I thought he might struggle and am happy I have been proven wrong.
 
I would also like to say what an amazing job he did in heat 2. A very nasty fall directly in front of him and I still don’t know how he didn’t hit either Nathan Ablitt or his bike, considering the things being said about Polish youngsters not knowing how to avoid crashes and with Ashton only having one years experience of riding he did a bloody good job.

[Debbi]

2 hours ago, M.D said:

Agree with that, I get you want to get as many rides under your belt as possible especially at this stage of the season but pick your meetings well at this point, plenty of time..

I know what you mean but at the same time he has been in the pits with Tai, Artem, Emil & Doyle you show me a young lad (16) who would turn down the opportunity to see, ride and learn with some of the top riders.

[TheWellBehavedWorrall]

I saw Dan Bewley at 16 years-old, riding for Edinburgh at Ashfield and if you told me he’d win the British GP six years later, I’d have spat my bovril all over my Rusty Harrison programme board.

I’m not an expert, but this young man - Boughen - enters corners with pace, technique and confidence very rarely seen in a teenager, so that’s worth talking about alone.

[2ndbendbeerhut]

16 hours ago, Skidder1 said:

Not having a pop at him at all,but I have said previously on here that I think he should just have stuck to Championship stuff this year. Just my opinion. 

As I was quoting your post I didn't want to sound I was having a "pop" at you... 

It was anyone ... leave the lad the do his thing and give him time.

[SteveLyric2]

1 minute ago, 2ndbendbeerhut said:

As I was quoting your post I didn't want to sound I was having a "pop" at you... 

It was anyone ... leave the lad the do his thing and give him time.

no probs

[2ndbendbeerhut]

The lad just needs to ride his bike as much as possible. Whether that's PL, CL or NL. The more experience he gets the better. 

A winter spent down under riding every day would certainly do him no harm. But at 16 that's a big step. 

[Ben91]

Hopefully the lad and his family/support system are as far away from this place and speedway social media as possible. That’s the first piece of advice for any rider in fairness. 

Judging solely on updates comments his five points last night were more impressive than his seven the meeting previous. 

[Steve Shovlar]

12 minutes ago, Ben91 said:

Hopefully the lad and his family/support system are as far away from this place and speedway social media as possible. That’s the first piece of advice for any rider in fairness. 

Judging solely on updates comments his five points last night were more impressive than his seven the meeting previous. 

By accounts he looks good on a bike. Looking forward to seeing him ride. 

 

[Debbi]

1 hour ago, Ben91 said:

Hopefully the lad and his family/support system are as far away from this place and speedway social media as possible. That’s the first piece of advice for any rider in fairness. 

Judging solely on updates comments his five points last night were more impressive than his seven the meeting previous. 

He has full support at Oxford, Peter, Jamie obviously have confidence in him and Peter and Lewis have helped him learn the craft of speedway also Jamie is a champion of the British youth system. I understand there was a lot of interest in signing him but he wanted to be at Oxford with the people and set up around him he already has. He can learn a lot from Sam, Scott, Lewis and the boys, who genuinely want to see the younger lads making it in the sport. Hence me saying elsewhere that if you have the chance to ride with the top boys the experience is worth it. He has a good attitude, not putting too much pressure on himself and getting the most out of racing that he can. 
 

He is a young kid, last night he worked for every point and in at least one heat him dropping points wasn’t entirely his fault.

For some people to judge a rider on scores alone does not tell you what a rider is like ion track for example it doesn’t reflect the riders ability to block opposition, team ride, attitude on track etc.

[Ben91]

14 minutes ago, Debbi said:

He has full support at Oxford, Peter, Jamie obviously have confidence in him and Peter and Lewis have helped him learn the craft of speedway also Jamie is a champion of the British youth system. I understand there was a lot of interest in signing him but he wanted to be at Oxford with the people and set up around him he already has. He can learn a lot from Sam, Scott, Lewis and the boys, who genuinely want to see the younger lads making it in the sport. Hence me saying elsewhere that if you have the chance to ride with the top boys the experience is worth it. He has a good attitude, not putting too much pressure on himself and getting the most out of racing that he can. 
 

He is a young kid, last night he worked for every point and in at least one heat him dropping points wasn’t entirely his fault.

For some people to judge a rider on scores alone does not tell you what a rider is like ion track for example it doesn’t reflect the riders ability to block opposition, team ride, attitude on track etc.

If I was in Ashton’s shoes the person I’d want to be around as much as possible is Scott Nicholls for sure. He’s been there, done it, got the T-shirt and will know the pitfalls someone can fall into. 

There’s always more than meets the eye in terms of points scored solely. Judging by how he’s been going Ashton is doing great.

Comparison is the biggest thief of joy as they say. He’s not Tai Woffinden, Lewis Bridger, Dan Bewley, Danny King or Drew Kemp etc. he’s his own person and will find his own path. Hopefully that will lead him to the top of the sport. 

It’s why I’m adamant that this place (or speedway socials) is the worst place for a rider or their inner circle to be. One negative comment will be more resounding that a hundred positive ones.