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Sidney the robin

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Posts posted by Sidney the robin

  1. Posted

    I am, but it really is "one last chance". Please get it right this time Buster. The track & the relationship with fans.

    That is good to hear i moan but i cannot see the day when i give up watching speedway i think you are probably the same.But you cannot keep taking the punters for granted and once you lose them it is very hard to entice them back both my sons are a prime example.Both still know what is going on in the sport follow it but wont go now they say it is to expensive and the night to drawn out.

  2. Posted

    Yes they were both awesome that day. Personally I feel Gordon should have moved to Swindon when White City closed rather than returning to Eastbourne.

     

    Ari Kopenen (Kai's bother-in-law) was an enigma throughout his career. Recall him starting at Birmingham and finishing at Swindon if I remember. Could beat the best on his day but could be inconsistent. Veijo Touriniemi was simply awful when he signed for 'The Budgies' but he showed tremendous promise down at Eastbourne.

    Koponen for me was in the Finn Jensen mould ( now he was an inigma) both so frustrating both had real talent Koponen did quite well for the Budgies but he could of been better than that.
    • Like 1

  3. Posted

    Remember Kai Niemi scoring 19 points at the Abbey whilst riding for Eastbourne. Gordon Kennett scored 21 but Eastbourne still lost!

    I remember that well Steve ,Kennett and Niemi scoring 40 points out of a total of 46 Steve Naylor 2, Sigvart Pedersen1, Richard Greer 1, Eric Dugard 1, Dave Kennett 1 were the other scorers.Gordon Kennett was a rider who i would of loved to see ride for the Robins at his peak but it was not to be.
    • Like 1

  4. Posted

    All i would say is good luck to the Stars in 2018 my main hope is they can get a side that will compete and one that the crowd can get right behind,The Lynn fans are a unique crowd really they dont expect to be winners but they want to be entertained maybe because the track has got downhill in recent years that has affected the entertainment element.I have been to Lynn say about 15/20 times over the years the track was awesome the racing superb i just dont understand why the track has gone downhill in recent years.Is it the dark shail? are the bikes to quick for the track i dont know? if the promotion can get the track back some of the problems will be solved.Anyway good luck for the new season the league NEEDS a strong Lynn i just hope some of the loyal fans are willing to give Chapman one last chance.

  7. Posted

    ...exactly Sid! Mike was the inspiration that season (replacing the injured Paul Gachet) and was often a match winner especially at Hull which would have wound Ian Thomas up (glad to say).

     

    Personally I feel Mike doesn't get the full credit he deserves. A very accomplished rider for Barrow, Eastbourne, White City and Nottingham over many years.

     

    At least he gets praise from the late Lee Dunton in a recent edition of 'Backtrack' but an interview with Mike would be appreciated...over to you Rob!

     

    Incidentally Dag's leathers took part during the 1977 season...worn by Norway's Tom Godal!

    Sampson was a rider who certainly was good anough to be a full-time BL rider like Jackson, Perks,T.Owen (ect) but they were happy being 2nd Division riders nothing wrong with that.Going back to White City Steve Weatherley before his tragedy was looking good promising Gachet was talented a very good div 2 rider never really made it in the then very tough BL.
    • Like 1

  12. Posted · Edited by Sidney the robin

    Fact is, Poole sacked Newman while Swindon stood by Ellis despite him not being an asset. Poole have always gone for pragmatism - or indeed sharp practice - rather than loyalty.

    Ford made four moves that did not improve Poole's fortunes in 2017 Kerr,Zengota,Starke,Lahti needs to do better next year.

  13. Posted · Edited by Sidney the robin

    Gundersen would have won at least one I reckon. Michanek maybe maybe not. Craven/knuttsdon maybe or maybe not.

    Ermolenko might have done. Hans wouldnt have clean swept the 90s imo.

     

    Back to the original question - a plethora of mediocre continental riders wouldnt have. Ondrasik starostin hack verner sova kuznetsov Kroeze etc

    I was a Erik fan but i dont think he would of beat Hans over 11/12 rounds even in his peak years and if Penhall had of stayed active and motiavated he could of beat both the Danes i think.Going back to the pool of great riders "BOBBATH" mentioned how good was Charlie Monk in the mid 60s ?? i always think Charlie,Ron How,and Brian Crutcher did not get the credit they deserved.

  16. Posted

    So whaddya think Sid would the guys I mentioned have made it to the GP system. I gotta say -and this may be another thread -would there be riders who never made the one off World Finals who WOULD have qualified under GP rules- I got several names here -e.g. Charlie Monk , Tommy Miller, Roy Trigg, Jim Squibb, Colin Gooddy, Arne Pander (obviously), Ronnie Genz, Bill Andrew, Ivor Brown, Reg Reeves! Any other names?

    For White Knight- I reckon Jim Airey would have made it to the GP system

    Alot of those you named probably would not of made a series "BOBBATH" yes Airey is a fine example only made 1 appearance in a one off final Phil Crump is another who only made three World Final Appearances the series would of suited him better.

  17. Posted

    Was thinking of this the other day-while I loved the excitement of the one off World Finals , there were definitely some riders who were lucky to get there based on overall season results.Not sure how the modern GP system works but I think riders are selected on the basis of various criteria. I don't think the following fifties/ sixties riders would have been able to enter under the current system.

    While I mean no disrespect, I think such names as Brian Elliot, Rick France, Jim Lightfoot, maybe Bob Oakley, Ron Mountford and even Wally Green could not have gotten into the current GP system. Would be interested in other forumlanders views on this-again no criticism of the riders mentioned is intended and they all greatly enhanced our enjoyment of speedway -God bless 'em all.

    That is why i liked that system to be honest the underdog had a chance now we dont see that so much even Woffinden after his debut series never had to qualify he got a wildcard.The Series has been good and taken the sport forward but for me i prefered the old system exciting and i maintain it was harder to win a one off meeting than the Marathon percentage series is.Saying that both format's need different qualities from a rider to win them.

  18. Posted

    So just as a matter of interest now that Wozniak has been mentioned, what average would people expect him to be on if someone signed him? 5.91 - (his final 2016 average) or his 2017 converted team building average of 8.28 or something else?? :wink::wink::t:

     

    I personally could not care less about the rules and team building to be honest skidder 1, i have given up on that going back to Wozniak it would be great to see him ride again in the UK.

  20. Posted

    Most interesting comments -on youtube there are a number of entries regarding Kelly and his illnesses-was impressed as to Bruce Penhall's compassionate meetings with Kelly and how he organised his memorials-whatever anyone thinks about Bruce as a rider I think he was a really nice and compassionate guy and deserves credit for that!!

    Totally agree Bruce who has had his fair share of tragedy in his life showed us a side not all of us knew about.Ok he handled his departure from speedway poorly but even after speedway i have enjoyed him as a commentator and to be honest he is a modest and humble guy and what a rider he was.But Bruce, Siggy,Ron,Bobby ect) showed us on those videos how much Kelly meant to them and that is what friendship is all about through thick and thin really moving at times.
    • Like 1

  21. Posted

    Sidney re more Arthur Forrest-if you go on youtube and enter Arthur Forrest you can see an interview in 1995 with him and some others at a motorcycle show, also if you go to a website called Speedway on Disc which has a lot of old stuff you can see Arthur riding in a Halifax Speedway meeting circa 1949-and he still has his immaculate black leathers. I understand he married Arthur Wright's sister and that family had a very successful bus/transport business so Arthur didn't need the money from speedway anymore-wonder if he could have become World Champion if he'd carried on-but on balance don't think so. Hope this all helps!

    Yes Thanks" BOBBATH "a bit like Jim Airey i remember him saying after the 1971 WF he would never be a World Champion he then called it a day in Britain and how good was Jim Airey not bad eh !!!

  22. Posted

    Yes. He was a number one in Poland. Obvious he was way better than the rider he replaced. Anyone who follows Poish speedway knew he would do well.

    For me he actually disappointed for the Wolves i actually worked with someone who had been a mechanic for Musielak in Poland and he told me he had real ability.A bit like Wozniak ( another classy rider) never quite mastered Britain but now Musielak looks at home at Swindon.To be fair i remember alot of the Wolves fans who had liked Tobiasz they knew he was a good rider and his away performances were pretty good.Going back to last year fair play to Rossiter i did not here two many people mention Musielak as a potential signing.

  23. Posted

    Sorry Sidney didn't see WC Semi final you refer to -in fact Southampton had gone before I discovered Speedway in 1964, however a great WC Semi Final meeting was at Poole on July 25th 1965-great surprises in Heat 4 the result was Guasco, Gooch, Briggs, Broadbanks -Guasco ended up getting to the British final and almost made the World Final that year. Great line up. I hitch hiked there with Ian Terrar (later of Newport) -slept overnight in an empty house in Poole.. Through the good offices of a reader of this website (thanks Colin Sutton) I was put in touch with Ian last year. We met up in a pub in Cardiff, had a great evening, hadn't seen each other for 50 years. Told Ian I would wear a Moosehead lager baseball cap so he would recognise me-glad I did otherwise no way we would have known each other. I mentioned this reunion to Reg Fearman who has an incredible memory and indeed he remembered Ian also. Reg had recommended Ian to West Ham but an unfortunate accident ended Ian's promising career prematurely before he was able to take up the offer.

    1965 was a vintage year some real tough meeting's in the World Championship what did strike me was when you mentioned Gordon Guasco.Four Australian's all lost there lives over a five year Period, Gordon,Peter Bradshaw,Jack Biggs,Geoff Curtis.
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