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steve roberts

Team Suits and/or Race Jackets

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8 hours ago, Rob B said:

If we trying to portray the sport as professional team sport, one looks far better then the other :

DY9_3HJW4AEpvWP.jpg

team_2018_1521798225_w600.jpg

I just wonder whether, to any newcomers to the sport, those in the top photo - when they've donned their helmets and goggles - all look too much the same

I remember the individuality of the appearance of riders like Mauger, Wigg, Boocock, Broadbanks, Silver, Cowland, etc, which somehow added to the experience as they were so immediately recognisable from the terraces and stands

Particularly in these days of so many journeyman riders, making them all so anonymous is detrimental - race jackets (bibs) did us well enough for so long - and anyway, in team racing, it's helmet colours which are the easy way to identify the team members on track

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1 hour ago, Midland Red said:

I just wonder whether, to any newcomers to the sport, those in the top photo - when they've donned their helmets and goggles - all look too much the same

I remember the individuality of the appearance of riders like Mauger, Wigg, Boocock, Broadbanks, Silver, Cowland, etc, which somehow added to the experience as they were so immediately recognisable from the terraces and stands

Particularly in these days of so many journeyman riders, making them all so anonymous is detrimental - race jackets (bibs) did us well enough for so long - and anyway, in team racing, it's helmet colours which are the easy way to identify the team members on track

Agree totally!

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20 hours ago, Sings4Speedway said:

Apologies bad quoting on my part.

Would be interesting to see if the new setup is prepared to subsidise suits? For example plenty of riders have to fund their own kevlars at present, however if they were to use the National Team design they would get £200 towards them for example? The riders can then use them week in week out etc.

Think everyone has seen the former team GB suits on ebay within weeks of a world cup despite them being sponsor supplied so its clear certain riders have little regard for them but if they had a vested interest in the suit it might be kept?

It’s not s case of little regard for the suit. One GB suit is in a frame in my office. It was bought at an auction to help the rider for the following season. 

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8 hours ago, Midland Red said:

I just wonder whether, to any newcomers to the sport, those in the top photo - when they've donned their helmets and goggles - all look too much the same

I remember the individuality of the appearance of riders like Mauger, Wigg, Boocock, Broadbanks, Silver, Cowland, etc, which somehow added to the experience as they were so immediately recognisable from the terraces and stands

Particularly in these days of so many journeyman riders, making them all so anonymous is detrimental - race jackets (bibs) did us well enough for so long - and anyway, in team racing, it's helmet colours which are the easy way to identify the team members on track

Last season I took some friends who were new to the sport to a meeting at Auburn. They just looked at helmet colours and (mainly) race jacket numbers to identify riders. They weren't looking to learn which riders wore which suits. 

There is a staggering difference in professionalism between the two photos above. It is a great example.

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I accept that race suits are good for uniformity and professionalism, but that Sheffield suit is ridiculously fussy, odd bits of blue, black and white with a tiny splash of yellow. I'd make the same obsevation about the Ipswich and Belle Vue suits from what I've seen. One of the things that's being lost in this fussiness is team identity and particularly  through the use of team colours. Anyone looking at those Sheffield suits would have a hard job guessing that the club colours, which you'd prsumably want to use on publicity etc, are blue and yellow.

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1 hour ago, Chadster said:

I accept that race suits are good for uniformity and professionalism, but that Sheffield suit is ridiculously fussy, odd bits of blue, black and white with a tiny splash of yellow. I'd make the same obsevation about the Ipswich and Belle Vue suits from what I've seen. One of the things that's being lost in this fussiness is team identity and particularly  through the use of team colours. Anyone looking at those Sheffield suits would have a hard job guessing that the club colours, which you'd prsumably want to use on publicity etc, are blue and yellow.

That is exactly the way I feel! There is nothing wrong with having team suits, but they just seem so damn busy now. It isn't just the names of the sponsors either...

We had team leathers years ago, and teams like Leicester, Wolves, and particularly Rye, looked great. The thing was that the designs were simple, and striking. There is no reason we can't do that now... Again, there is nothing wrong with having a team suit AND a race jacket.

Steve

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At least with the present Birmingham race suit, you can easily see them!

 

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A photo showing all 7 riders wearing similar suits may look good, purely as a team photo, but it's worth bearing in mind that speedway *isn't* football or rugby etc. By which I mean the whole team is never out on the field, as it were, 'in play', at the same time. Just two riders from each team, in each race. For which there are helmet colours and starting positions.

The modern trend of covering racing suits in adverts/sponsorship baffles me. Does this advertising really work? Does anybody read these markings? They're a distraction.

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In my humble opinion nothing beat the old Mildenhall Fen Tiger team leathers back in the day - simple but brilliant.

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1 hour ago, JanAnderson said:

Much prefer racejackets to the race suits. 

So do I, especially bold uncluttered ones. Those Sheffield kevlars above make the team look like car mechanics.

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Poole's colours have always been blue how does Matt ford allow woryna to wear red . What a joke ?

Edited by ray c

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If matt doesnt like it then he needs to pay for suits

Id say that by going with jackets he doesnt care what the rider chooses underneath

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On 5/3/2018 at 8:21 AM, Midland Red said:

I just wonder whether, to any newcomers to the sport, those in the top photo - when they've donned their helmets and goggles - all look too much the same

Never mind newcomers... A few 40 plus years of fandoms got mixed up the other week.... Charles Wright's #5 on his race jacket was somewhat squashed and looked like a 6 from distance, and in one race where he was in red, blue was changed from #7 (James Shanes) to #6 (Jack Smith) at the last minute, and was announced as Jack Smith being in red!!! As well as the people next to me, it also confused the announcer and even with people trying to shout across, it wasn't registering at first! 

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On 5/4/2018 at 12:32 PM, Fenboy said:

In my humble opinion nothing beat the old Mildenhall Fen Tiger team leathers back in the day - simple but brilliant.

1. These were not covered in sponsors. 2. Distinctive Yellow & Black.  3. Riders still wore Race Jackets over the team suits may-be the best of both worlds?

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