Somerset 2018

[Najjer 2,881]

4 hours ago, Gresham said:

With respect...my post wasn't pointed at you, rather what was said in the post. It was almost a comment without thought. Something that we've got accustomed too.

Yes...you are right, it's not a new phenomenom, but as I suggested in my post...it doesn't make it right. Speedway shot itself in the foot many moons ago, by making it a sport that was both Individual and Team.

Imo...it would be a bigger success nowadays, if it had chosen to be one or the other back in the day.

Strangely it felt like it was more team biased in the past.

Now, it definitely feels it's about Individuals.

Preferably it would have been great if we had British World team Champions rather than Individual world champions imo.

But...it won't change, and imo, will go further away from 'Team' glory in the future.

Personally I can't get excited about following an individual speedway rider...I however can get excited into following a team of riders that represent either my area or Country.

Think you've hit the nail on the head in the last paragraph. From my point of view, I have little to no interest into the GP series or any competition like then. It's League speedway or nothing for me. And by league speedway, I actually mean Somerset speedway.

[Gresham 928]

9 hours ago, stevebrum said:

My comment was in no way 'without thought'.

I fail to see where you think speedway "shot itself in the foot'.

Right from the earliest days of the sport there has been a league structure with a yearly world title.  Nothing has changed.

I agree that it 'feels' different these days , and that's down to the power switch that's happened in world speedway that Britain is no longer the place to be and the lack of riders means teams are made up of riders who ride for other teams too. Not ideal at all. Following a team is still as good as it ever was.

Also remember back in the good old days there was more individual racing on TV than team stuff so if anything team racing has the better coverage these days. 

It's like I said.  Not a lot has actually changed. Only a perception of what things were like in those days.

 

 

I acknowledged it wasn't a new thing.

It shot itself in the foot from day one imo.

Back in the good old days it worked, as times were so different to today.

It doesn't feel different now...it is different.

Speedway from day one, should have decided to be either an individual or team sport...not both.

If it were Individual...riders could race for prize money and do as they do now with their bikes and equipment and tuning.

If we had gone Team/Club only, and run the sport as a normal Sports Club does, we would have standardised equipment from day one. Riders wouldn't have got used to having their own machines and everything that entails. They would have got used to slinging their leg over a 'standardised' bike, and thinking nothing wrong with that...and just getting on with it and racing.

Everything would have been different...the sport run completely differently to how it is.

The void between 'Individual' and 'Team' is becoming wider by the year.

One of the most stupid ideas, was to create teams with riders who provide and maintain their own equipment.

Imagine racing Ferrari in F1 or Racing for Honda in road racing, and taking your car or bike home yourself to maintain...which is what speedway does.

How can you be a team/Club and rely on each individual in your team to maintain their own equipment when representing you? Madness...yet this is what speedway does and has always done.

If we had gone down the team only route, I'm sure the thinking would have been different, and Club owners would have invested in their own tracks and facilities, instead of many sticking them around other grounds. Investment would have been better, and they would have had more control over their own destiny.

Speedway is like the Magpie of sports...it begs, borrows and steals to survive.

Tracks like we have at Belle Vue, should have been the norm for all City's and Clubs.

Think about it...instead of thinking 'it's always been like this'...because it's always been like it, doesn't make it right.

[james1234 49]

Jake Allen confirmed

[Harry The Goat 23]

Great news about Jake returning. A rider who's always enjoyable to watch, and I think he's going to do very well in 2018. Fingers crossed we can get Charles back too. It'll be disappointing if not.

[idh 209]

Welcome back Jake

 

The next Somerset Legend

[idh 209]

On Course and still dreaming of the No1 being correct

1 Jason Doyle	9.69
2 Jack Holder	5.82
3 Charles Wright	6.69
4 Richard Lawson	6.43
5 Jake Allen	5.07
6 Bradley Wilson-Dean	4.67
7 AN Other	4.13
	42.5

[Najjer 2,881]

I've heard Doyle is off to Rye House. Chris Holder at no.1 with a 5 pointer (Lewis Kerr maybe?) at no.7?

[idh 209]

• Like that Najjer

  5 minutes ago, Najjer said:

  I've heard Doyle is off to Rye House. Chris Holder at no.1 with a 5 pointer (Lewis Kerr maybe?) at no.7?

   

[BristolRebel 13]

48 minutes ago, Najjer said:

I've heard Doyle is off to Rye House. Chris Holder at no.1 with a 5 pointer (Lewis Kerr maybe?) at no.7?

I can’t help but think with Chris Holder at Number 1 we’d need an established Number 5 to back him up. I wouldn’t want to put too much pressure on Charles Wright. Someone along the lines of a Hans Andersen. 

[james1234 49]

If Doyle is Rye House bound I can see something like this

Hans Anderson 7.75, Chris Holder 7.16, Richard Lawson 6.43, Jack Holder 5.82,

Jake Allen 5.07, BWD 4.67 Lewis Kerr 5.06 Total: 41.96.

 

 

[Steve0 5,517]

6 minutes ago, james1234 said:

If Doyle is Rye House bound I can see something like this

Hans Anderson 7.75, Chris Holder 7.16, Richard Lawson 6.43, Jack Holder 5.82,

Jake Allen 5.07, BWD 4.67 Lewis Kerr 5.06 Total: 41.96.

 

 

Good strength in depth and should do well as a team (with 3 riders vying for the 3rd HL sport and always a strong reserve).

[BristolRebel 13]

 

How about...

1. Hans Andersen (7.75)
2. Jack Holder (5.82)
3. Charles Wright (6.69)
4. Richard Lawson (6.43)
5. Chris Holder (7.16)
6. Jake Allen (5.07)
7. Number 7 (3.58)

[Speedball 565]

Pretty sure Kerr will be back at Lynn next year. He all but confirmed it before deleting the tweet.

[RebelDan 203]

2 hours ago, Najjer said:

I've heard Doyle is off to Rye House. Chris Holder at no.1 with a 5 pointer (Lewis Kerr maybe?) at no.7?

More likely Starkey than Kerr as a club asset 

[stevebrum 6,819]

4 hours ago, Gresham said:

I acknowledged it wasn't a new thing.

It shot itself in the foot from day one imo.

Back in the good old days it worked, as times were so different to today.

It doesn't feel different now...it is different.

Speedway from day one, should have decided to be either an individual or team sport...not both.

If it were Individual...riders could race for prize money and do as they do now with their bikes and equipment and tuning.

If we had gone Team/Club only, and run the sport as a normal Sports Club does, we would have standardised equipment from day one. Riders wouldn't have got used to having their own machines and everything that entails. They would have got used to slinging their leg over a 'standardised' bike, and thinking nothing wrong with that...and just getting on with it and racing.

Everything would have been different...the sport run completely differently to how it is.

The void between 'Individual' and 'Team' is becoming wider by the year.

One of the most stupid ideas, was to create teams with riders who provide and maintain their own equipment.

Imagine racing Ferrari in F1 or Racing for Honda in road racing, and taking your car or bike home yourself to maintain...which is what speedway does.

How can you be a team/Club and rely on each individual in your team to maintain their own equipment when representing you? Madness...yet this is what speedway does and has always done.

If we had gone down the team only route, I'm sure the thinking would have been different, and Club owners would have invested in their own tracks and facilities, instead of many sticking them around other grounds. Investment would have been better, and they would have had more control over their own destiny.

Speedway is like the Magpie of sports...it begs, borrows and steals to survive.

Tracks like we have at Belle Vue, should have been the norm for all City's and Clubs.

Think about it...instead of thinking 'it's always been like this'...because it's always been like it, doesn't make it right.

Too many do think if was always better in the old days and I'm sure the promoters are the worst for thinking it used to be so good back then if we tinker a little we might get it back again. We won't. Times have changed, and not always for the better.

When speedway was booming and classed as 2nd to football in popularity we STILL had the individual glory. So something must have been right! 

I'm not sure why some clubs and promoters struggle and others manage. What I do know despite promoters pleading poverty the riders,  particularly the top boys seem to be doing very well from the big leagues.  Something seems strange about that I reckon. 

The Cardiff GP seems to prove that people WILL turn out in big numbers for the top boys, and not for a team match. 

Maybe that says more about where speedway is at in the modern times,  not that I agree of course.