waiheke1 4,295 Posted November 6, 2017 LOokong at the proposed teams, what an awful league it would be. Poor racing due to mid matches when the top riders come up against the weaker ones. Nothing for quality young Brits like bewley and lambert to aspire to. A guaranteed decrease in crowds. Riders still missing due to overseas fixture clashes. Respect others rights to differing opinions, but I think it would be an awful move. If Cook cant get an overseas team slot, how would you expect him to be competitive in GPs with tgat league as his practice. Or team gb ever bring conpetitive. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ch958 2,393 Posted November 6, 2017 LOokong at the proposed teams, what an awful league it would be. Poor racing due to mid matches when the top riders come up against the weaker ones. Nothing for quality young Brits like bewley and lambert to aspire to. A guaranteed decrease in crowds. Riders still missing due to overseas fixture clashes. Respect others rights to differing opinions, but I think it would be an awful move. If Cook cant get an overseas team slot, how would you expect him to be competitive in GPs with tgat league as his practice. Or team gb ever bring conpetitive. in the heady 60s and 70s Briggs, Mauger, Fundin found themselves in the same heats as people who never progressed beyond reserve/ second string and had v little chance of beating the big names - no names. Thats how the big guys managed to get 11 plus avarages i don't see the issue - Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The White Knight 9,039 Posted November 6, 2017 in the heady 60s and 70s Briggs, Mauger, Fundin found themselves in the same heats as people who never progressed beyond reserve/ second string and had v little chance of beating the big names - no names. Thats how the big guys managed to get 11 plus avarages i don't see the issue - Far more entertaining than today though. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sidney the robin 4,735 Posted November 6, 2017 in the heady 60s and 70s Briggs, Mauger, Fundin found themselves in the same heats as people who never progressed beyond reserve/ second string and had v little chance of beating the big names - no names. Thats how the big guys managed to get 11 plus avarages i don't see the issue - Fundin certainly was finished in the 70s also Briggs after his 72 crash was finished as a WC rider so forget those two riders in the 70s.Also do you mean that Mauger,Collins,Michanek,Olsen (ect just rode against stiffs in the 70s i don't think so. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
iris123 20,935 Posted November 6, 2017 (edited) Fundin certainly was finished in the 70s also Briggs after his 72 crash was finished as a WC rider so forget those two riders in the 70s.Also do you mean that Mauger,Collins,Michanek,Olsen (ect just rode against stiffs in the 70s i don't think so. Give a couple of real examples at Wimbledon in 1973 Reading came for the Spring Gold Cup at the end of May.Michanek went through the meeting unbeaten even in the 2nd half.But in the meeting he came up against Ht1.Hedge and Harkins.Both on the way down from their best.Hedge still a Plough Lane hero,but had dropped off quite considerably from the 10+ man a few seasons earlier Ht5 Beat Tony Clarke and Reg Luckhurst.Must have been one of Clarkes last meetings before his custodial problem.Both as above really.On their way down and out Ht7 Mich comes in to replace Mick Bell and beats Tommy Jansson and Stapleton.Tommy was the one real star Michanek had to face and came on well,but at this stage wasn't really a true top no.1.Stapleton was steady without being spectacular.Not really in Anders class at all Ht11 same line up for the Dons as Ht7 and same result Ht13 Mich comes up against Tommy for the 3rd ht in a row who is partnered by Tony Carke End result Michanek with 15 pts,Tommy with 9.One heat win and 3 seconds behind Anders.4 of Anders heat times were under 62.0.The only rider to do that on this night On 27th September Wolves came for their BL meeting Ole got a 15 pt max and was also unbeaten in the second half! Ht1 Ole beat Jim McMillan and Reg Luckhurst.Now Jim was a good rider,but not in Olsens class,plus wasn't a Wimbledon rider.Only rode the track a couple of times a season and Reg was still the Reg of the Reading meeting Ht3 Ole came in for Jon Erskine who was missing and beat Harkins and Stapleton Ht5 Ole beat Harkins and Stapleton yet again Ht11 Ole beat Hedge and Pete Murray.Nobody would say they were a match for Olsen would they? Ht13Ole beat Hedge,who was excluded anyway and Stapleton Again all the fast winning times apart from George Hunter winning a heat under 63.0 were Ole's Edited November 6, 2017 by iris123 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sidney the robin 4,735 Posted November 6, 2017 Give a couple of real examples at Wimbledon in 1973 Reading came for the Spring Gold Cup at the end of May.Michanek went through the meeting unbeaten even in the 2nd half.But in the meeting he came up against Ht1.Hedge and Harkins.Both on the way down from their best.Hedge still a Plough Lane hero,but had dropped off quite considerably from the 10+ man a few seasons earlier Ht5 Beat Tony Clarke and Reg Luckhurst.Must have been one of Clarkes last meetings before his custodial problem.Both as above really.On their way down and out Ht7 Mich comes in to replace Mick Bell and beats Tommy Jansson and Stapleton.Tommy was the one real star Michanek had to face and came on well,but at this stage wasn't really a true top no.1.Stapleton was steady without being spectacular.Not really in Anders class at all Ht11 same line up for the Dons as Ht7 and same result Ht13 Mich comes up against Tommy for the 3rd ht in a row who is partnered by Tony Carke End result Michanek with 15 pts,Tommy with 9.One heat win and 3 seconds behind Anders.4 of Anders heat times were under 62.0.The only rider to do that on this night On 27th September Wolves came for their BL meeting Ole got a 15 pt max and was also unbeaten in the second half! Ht1 Ole beat Jim McMillan and Reg Luckhurst.Now Jim was a good rider,but not in Olsens class,plus wasn't a Wimbledon rider.Only rode the track a couple of times a season and Reg was still the Reg of the Reading meeting Ht3 Ole came in for Jon Erskine who was missing and beat Harkins and Stapleton Ht5 Ole beat Harkins and Stapleton yet again Ht11 Ole beat Hedge and Pete Murray.Nobody would say they were a match for Olsen would they? Ht13Ole beat Hedge,who was excluded anyway and Stapleton Again all the fast winning times apart from George Hunter winning a heat under 63.0 were Ole's We can all pick examples like that out it is not hard, how many races have i seen this year when Doyle has been at the tapes and within two laps nearly a straight in front.He is that much better quicker than most and most of the points he did drop was because he was worried about getting injured.Going back to the old format ok the visiting number 1 often got a easy heat 8 t/s ride but his rides against 1/2. 5/4. 3/7. 3/5. were not always easy then teams often had good number three's and often the likes of Collins /Morton at 5 so it was not a cakewalk..Also a massive thing you forget alot of home teams then had a massive home advantage apart from Wolves now and maybe Lakeside the rest now are usually on a even playing field.The tracks then were often more challenging certainly more dirt on them grippier and also you might ride one night at Hyde Rd then the next at Oxford the tracks then were so much more varied alot of teams also then had pretty good homer riders. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
iris123 20,935 Posted November 6, 2017 It wasn't that i had to search through to find those examples.I looked at 1973,then picked out the first programme v Reading,then i looked at the first programme against Belle Vue,but unfortunately PC wasn't riding.Guess injured.Then looked at the first programme v Wolves and that is what i found Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sidney the robin 4,735 Posted November 6, 2017 It wasn't that i had to search through to find those examples.I looked at 1973,then picked out the first programme v Reading,then i looked at the first programme against Belle Vue,but unfortunately PC wasn't riding.Guess injured.Then looked at the first programme v Wolves and that is what i foundWell 1973 was a year i enjoyed and the next five years seeing the likes of Mauger,Michanek,Olsen,Crump,Jansson,Collins,Lee was pretty special. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
iris123 20,935 Posted November 6, 2017 Well 1973 was a year i enjoyed and the next five years seeing the likes of Mauger,Michanek,Olsen,Crump,Jansson,Collins,Lee was pretty special. Not saying anything against that.It was a season i enjoyed greatly,being my first full season of watching Wimbledon.But the fact is the likes of Mauger,Michanek and Olsen had a relatively easy time of it at Plough Lane.Collins was also super there.Even in 1974 we had Briggo back,but like you say he wasn't the Briggo of old.He was a point down on his Swindon 1972 average.It was probably 1975 when Tommy was back from the ban,that we had a genuine no.1 for the first time in a couple of seasons and i don't think we were the only team/track where the top riders had it fairly easy Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Third Man 2,213 Posted November 6, 2017 It wasn't that i had to search through to find those examples.I looked at 1973,then picked out the first programme v Reading,then i looked at the first programme against Belle Vue,but unfortunately PC wasn't riding.Guess injured.Then looked at the first programme v Wolves and that is what i found Look at Sheffields team in 1973, I think our lowest average rider was about 6.75 and everyone in that team could beat anybody, no reserves there just to make up the team Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sidney the robin 4,735 Posted November 7, 2017 Look at Sheffields team in 1973, I think our lowest average rider was about 6.75 and everyone in that team could beat anybody, no reserves there just to make up the teamWho was the reserve Rick France an ex world finalist.!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
iris123 20,935 Posted November 7, 2017 Look at Sheffields team in 1973, I think our lowest average rider was about 6.75 and everyone in that team could beat anybody, no reserves there just to make up the team You are talking about the team who finished runners-up though As it was that season Reading seemed to take a bit of time to warm up.Even Wimbledon won at their place early on!!!! But the likes of Oxford,Coventry,Swindon,Poole,Coatbridge and Cradley were a different matter.I'd sort of leave hackney out,as even though they finished way down Bengt Jansson was a rider at the time who could beat anyone on a good day and Barry Thomas was coming on well and beat Michanek at Hackney Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
phillipsr 2,053 Posted November 9, 2017 Far more entertaining than today though. How would you know?? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The White Knight 9,039 Posted November 9, 2017 How would you know?? I watch it on the Television. THAT's how I know. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
marko 955 Posted November 10, 2017 My Hammers Team Kim Nilsson 7.13 Zach Wajtknecht 3.21 Danny King 6.66 Edward Kennett 6.39 Richard Lawson 6.43 Ben Morley 3.12 Alfie Bowtell 2.00 Total 34.94 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
