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britmet

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Posts posted by britmet


  1.      After a 4 year hiatus Speedway Champions is back, www.speedwaychampions.yolasite.com - noted the revised url.
    Updated to the 2023 season and the ongoing 2024 Oz, NZ and winter Ice events, the individual champions of all speedway nations, major and minor, past and present, from Argentina to Zimbabwe, are listed, along with Long Track, Ice Racing and Grass Track national and regional champions.
          These are supplemented with the title-holders of other FIM 'Track' disciplines of Sidecar Speedway and Flat Track racing, - official and unofficial - , in both UK and Europe, plus USA and the newer German and Australian events of Krowdrace and 'Aussie Flat Track Nationals' (AFTNs), now granted official Championship status for 2024.
        Winners of other respected former and current speedway competitions, such as British Match Race Championships, Czech, Aussie and Polish Golden Helmets, League Riders Championships and ultimately, World Championships, are also included.
    www.speedwaychampions.yolasite.com

    • Like 4

  2. 12 hours ago, iris123 said:

    Not sure I see the point of this. And the line up doesn’t seem that strong either !!!

    The FIM regional authorities having been given a degree of autonomy, this authority is no doubt trying to demonstrate its status (in the speedway sphere, - no idea how they stand in other m/c sports out there - ?)
    After a number of successful Sidecar Speedway Oceania Championship years seems they want to expand.  FIME through SEC have a European Championship,  this will be FIMO's equivalent.


  3. Ernie Hancock also started and ran something called the International Speedway Supporters Club, ( - ?, wording tbc) circa 1963-4. It possibly ran trips abroad.
    Known of to badge collectors because it had its own badge, - white race-jacket shape, with a Union Jack within - , so any collector had to join and get one. They also issued year bars for the badge. Mine's long since gone, but someone may still have one to show.


  4. 13 hours ago, iris123 said:

    As ‘World’ champ Craven did have some good meetings overseas. Is there any record of Williams or Price doing much outside of England ?

    Freddie Williams had great successes in South Africa and Rhodesia in the '50s, - a time when all the World-class riders, Briggs, Moore, Craven, Crutcher, Nygren, Fundin, etc , spent the winter there - , including Golden Helmet MRC wins in both countries. He was undefeated SA GH champ in '53/'54, and had a 10.56 league average over his 2 league season there.
    Details  HERE

    • Like 2

  5. The 2019 British Sidecar Speedway Championship was won again by Mark Cossar, - his 5th national title.
    Partnered this season by Gareth Williams, Cossar won the 3rd and Final round of the official ACU competition at Somerset, (the Leicester-cum-Kings Lynn round was cancelled,) with an unbeaten score, for a total of 43 pts overall, (11,16,16.)
    2nd place went to Mick Cave & Bradley Steer, (11,14,13 =38pts);
    3rd was Paul Whitelam & Alan Elliott after a run-off with Will Penfold & Ricky Pay, each having totalled 35 points.
    2019-Scar-Chmpshp.jpg


    http://www.speedwaychampions.com/sidecar-champions.php

    • Like 1

  6. 14 hours ago, BOBBATH said:

    I was thinking of mentioning Ivor Brown myself-the man all non Cradley Heath fans loved to hate. Always good box office, always called upon for Open meetings.  On a side note loved the old Harum-Scarum Provincial League-great racing and great personalities.

    Ivor Brown was a mild-mannered quietly spoken man, pleasant to meet and speak with.
    It's only envy by rival supporters, whipped up by press and ghost writers of a certain biography, that gave rise to Ivor's title. Most top successful riders have gone thru that phase, - e.g. Fundin, and even Mauger himself, who was one of the least accommodating of fans. 
    That said, Brown was never successful as an individual, - i.e. in individual mtgs. It was his consistent team performances and scoring, which put him at the top of Prov'l Lge averages until Mauger rose to the fore, that made his name and reputation.
    3-Ivor-Brown-Ove-Fundin-1963-Ox-v-Plg.jp 


  7. There used to be 4 rakers on each bend, 4 at the starting line (beside the Starting Marshall,) 2 pushers-off for each helmet colour (after having collected bikes from the pits to the pit gate and on to the track,) : that's 20 guys that had to be paid !
    So we know why they went, . . . .but as with volunteers on other functions today, I doubt there'd no shortage of supporters offering to get closer to the action.


  8. What a collection !  . . .and such a range of stuff. Enough parts alone to build a dozen or more bikes.
    Then there's the race jackets, the photos, posters, and books. And the unique bike collection, - old ('20s), '50s,  and newer, (of the last few decades.)

    There's a full day's reading/viewing and more, just to get thru the auction item lists, if you've the spare day or 2. Worth it !

    • Like 1

  9. South Africa's greatest ever speedway rider, Henry Long, passed away today in Franschhoek, Western Cape, South Africa, aged 91.
    In domestic and international competitions, he was the Union's top all-time points scorer, and appeared amongst the world's elite in the World Championship Final at Wembley Stadium, London of 1952, the first of only 2 African riders ever to qualify for a World Final.


    Born in Alberton near Johannesburg in 1927, he started racing after the war at the nearby Old Barn track with Buddy Fuller and Fred Wills. When speedway racing started at the Wembley Stadium, Jo'burg in 1947 Henry's performances rapidly improved, and in the first international Test Series staged the following season against England he top-scored across both teams, and then travelled to the UK and Belle Vue for a 4-year stint in Manchester, culminating in his World Final appearance.
    At home, he took 5 Wembley (Jo'burg) Open Championships and a similar number of SA National championships, limited only by his absences riding in the UK.

    Henry Long retired in 1964 to concentrate on the family garage business set up by his father, where he was joined in partnership by fellow rider Roy Bester, before starting up a new fork-lift sale and hire business.
    In August 2014 Henry suffered a stroke at home in Johannesburg, so relocated to Franschhoek, near Cape Town to be close to his daughter Sue. He passed away peacefully in the early hours of today, 8th July.
    (Elder son Graham Long, who rode speedway in the 'seventies, passed away in 2017.)
    HENRY LONG, 26.7.1927 - 8.7.2019 R.I.P.


    CCJ
    A fuller tribute will be posted on  www.speedway-sa.com

    • Like 3

  10. 17 hours ago, brianbuck said:

    I have never liked rider-replacement - but it is infinitely preferable to guest riders, and both have become easy options in a variety of circumstances which would never be tolerated in any other well-run professional sport. The excuse of "not enough riders" just doesn't wash - the promoters themselves have created this situation by allowing so many riders to ride for more than one team - a thoughtlessly pointless rule which has delivered no benefits whatsoever and has only created a scenario of some riders being able to double their earnings at the expense of fellow riders whom they have denied the chance to earn anything at all. So many riders now seem to consider it a God-given right that they can ride for two teams so there is absolutely no chance of this daft and embarrassing rule ever being rescinded - the riders just wouldn't stand for it.

    Apart from 30 or so riders being deprived of a team place because 30 of their colleagues MUST have two teams, the knock-on effect has been to force the better National League riders to stay in the National League instead of progressing upwards as should be the case. Understandably, many of them will take the view that why should they not pick up more cash from scoring a dozen or more points per meeting as a National League rider when the alternative is only scoring 2/3 and earning peanuts in a higher league and always being in danger of the chop at the same time?

    Perhaps one day (the day that will convince me that the age of miracles has not passed) speedway will re-structure itself with properly defined teams in each division, and one man-one-team, with promoters forced to develop their own extra riders for use when a team man in injured, with no guests and no rider-replacement. Every other sport does this - and supporters accept that injuries and loss of form are all part and parcel of their particular sport - so why should promoters think that speedway must be so different?

    Totally agree with everything that is said above.
    The 'sport' is continuing in its downward spiral !


  11. On 4/20/2019 at 9:28 AM, ouch said:

    If you do that you’re denying a seventh rider a regular place in the team. It’s not as though RR is a regular thing so changing the format to make it look better on the few occasions when we are down to six lads doesn’t make sense. 

    a) yet at every restructuring proposal we keep being being told there aren't enough riders,
    b) It is too regular, - teams are starting the season off with R/Rs. . . on both sides of a match. No injuries there yet.


  12. 3 hours ago, Halifaxtiger said:

    At Belle Vue, Palin, Rathbone and Woodhull all had extra rides. All up to standard and all developing.

    What on earth is wrong with that ? 

    If you support riders having more rides per match, what should be done is change the format and ride 6-man teams over 16 heats, - NOT pretend we have 7-man teams but only track 6 (or 5).
    The more rides the better 3 have, the less exposure the rawer 2 or 3 have, - then that, over time, leads to a diminishing pool. 

    • Confused 1

  13. 1 hour ago, Bavarian said:

    It was also quite sad that there were only four non-Aussie competitors in these two meetings, three Kiwis, and the one American, but no British this year. Headland rerpesenting France is a bit of a joke, really.

    Extract from UK crews' Blog;
    "Current British Champion Paul Whitelam stated  “I’ve made the journey for the past three seasons, but with only one event being offered and without start or guaranteed prize money I could not warrant the expenditure this year. Hopefully the World Cup will be run closer to home in the near future, Belle Vue would be a great venue”.  
    Former British Champion Mark Cossar also spoke of his wish for the event to come closer to home. “I’m gutted to have to turn my place in Australia down, but we have done the trip over there so many times over the past six years. If the championship is to work the FIM has to run it in Europe again”. 

    It may seem about time FIM gave Europe another opportunity, but unfortunately the Continentals aren't interested in the 1000cc class, (not one entry from mainland Europe on the last occasion there in 2009, in France on grass,) only in the 500cc.  So chances will be slight.

    https://www.sidecarspeedway.co.uk/2019-news
     

    • Like 1

  14. Speedway is on the front page of the D.Telegraph's Business supplement today, and inside with a sizeable action photo from the GPs.
    It report that "BT Sport has extended its deal to broadcast top class speedway - incl'g FIM World Championships, Grand Prix series and Monster Energy Speedway of Nations for another 3 seasons until 2021." 
    IMG-20190410-0001-2.jpg
    IMG-20190410-0002.jpg
    .
    .
    http://www.speedwaychampions.com/
    http://www.speedway-sa.com/


  15. 16 minutes ago, Mimmo said:

    As a non-mobile phone user myself, I assume the majority that are, have to be on contract to get wifi, but those that have just a bog standard Pay-as-you-Go phone and text facility, are unable to take part in the voting.  Many older people in particular can't afford these sort of packages, and that includes myself, as much as I'd like to be able to, as I feel left out.

       

    I am an older person, i.e. retired; I do have a smart phone; I do have PAYG, even though I can afford  a contract, but am sensible enough not to be sucked into living my life with it in my hand and running my life. (In fact I'm seriously thinking of reverting to my old Nokia, - just need to check if its WiFi is compatible with my car's system.)
    .
    No, I wont be partaking in the scheme, even if every stadium does have WiFi. - 2ndbbh is right to ask: remember, most supporter are of the same generation as me, and won't have or know what 4G or 5G is or means, and will be unlikely to convert for this scheme to become meaningful.
     

    • Like 1

  16. Frying Pan described its size rather than its shape,. Aerial photos show it had a 2:1 length to width ratio. 
    Length was 262 yds up to 1953: 278yds in its brief revival, '59-'63.
    .

    www.speedwaychampions.com
    www.speedway-sa.com 

    • Like 1
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