chunky 6,016 Posted October 19, 2018 (edited) 9 minutes ago, Hodgy said: No Steve, not what I’m saying or what I said. Not sure why you thought so. People will have their opinion regarding best ever British rider, based on their experience and very often favouritism. It is impossible to compare Tai to other riders from yesteryear. However, I can’t think of a better British rider during my era. Relax; that wasn't actually directed at you! As I said, debating Woffinden, Craven, Collins etc is fine, but there are those who really take it to extremes... As I've said before, I have watched speedway for over 50 years, and to me, NOBODY has ever looked as comfortable on a bike as Tai. Seriously. Of course, he has a record to match... Steve Edited October 19, 2018 by chunky 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BWitcher 12,453 Posted October 19, 2018 2 hours ago, Hodgy said: Not as good or not as successful? Both.. how many second halves has Tai won? 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BWitcher 12,453 Posted October 19, 2018 9 hours ago, Fred Flange said: Lol! Fans of 21st century speedway are A LOT more gullible. Off the top of my head..... In real terms it cost around double what it did in the 70's and it apparently isn't as good. The double tr bollox, which was meant to make meetings closer, gave us the ludicrous situation where a beaten rider could score more than the race winner, and it wasn't even that good at making meetings closer, which was the whole point! The promoters thought that up apparently, lol! The three thousandish fans that turn up for the league cup final meetings seems to justify its existence despite the overall negative effect on attendances. The promoters thought that up apparently, lol! There may have been gimmicks in 20th century speedway to show how gullible fans were back then? I quite agree to an extent, those of us left still attending league speedway.. and I count myself in that as I still attend when I can and indeed yourself as well.. must either be gullible or just downright stubbornly refusing to give up on a sport we grew up with and loved. The wider public though that's not the case and what worked and appealed back in the 70's and 80's no longer works. That isn't necessarily a good thing either. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BWitcher 12,453 Posted October 19, 2018 1 hour ago, moxey63 said: If we judge Tai's titles putting him up there as Britain's best. Surely all those tracks and fans from the 70s makes speedway back then better than it is now. Is that right, BWitcher? British Speedway yes. World Speedway not so much. Of course British speedway was better, I'd love it to be back where it was in the early 90's even and even at that point it had declined a lot. I'm not referring to the quality of the racing or the ability of the riders.. just simply the fact we had the worlds best riders racing here, attendances were better, which made everything seem more exciting. I don't think anybody has ever disputed that... 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HenryW 1,177 Posted October 19, 2018 14 hours ago, MARK246 said: It's not won in a night so it doesn't matter how many can win "on the night." Three of your 6 named ride for the same team so that cuts your list down to 4. Grachen try, speedway templates - Wikipedia, I will wait for your answer. Sorry for dragging things back a few pages, but I'm really intrigued to know how you think things work with Monster sponsored riders... Do you think that in 2016 Tai was told, "Sorry, mate, I know you're the World Champion, but it's Greg's turn this year." Then maybe last year Greg and Tai were both told, "Sorry lads, I know you have shared it around for the last 4 years, but we've signed up Patryk and we'd like a Polish winner, so just sit back and let him go for it." Is that kinda how you imagine it? 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
customhouseregular 1,651 Posted October 20, 2018 On 10/19/2018 at 9:10 AM, MARK246 said: 44 pages and still no reason to class Woffinden as the best ever. To come on here and be critical about past riders achievements doesn't prove that he is the best. He rides for the team that controls 25% of the GP line up, why shouldn't he win. I still find him boring and nothing in the last 44 pages would encourage me to cross the road to watch him Re the last line of your post. I always felt that way about Mauger, Surely the greatest rider ever in terms of achievement, but boring as hell to watch. I don't find Tai boring but he is not exciting in the way that say Briggs was. Difficult to make a case for greatest ever British rider as there have not been many greats, in my opinion. Certainly some very good ones over the decades...Craven and Carter could have gone on to great things, but Tai does stand out from the crowd. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
moxey63 1,784 Posted October 20, 2018 13 hours ago, chunky said: Of course not! We don't get BT in Ohio... Steve How do you watch the speedway? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
iris123 20,849 Posted October 20, 2018 (edited) 2 hours ago, moxey63 said: How do you watch the speedway? It is possible in some countries,like Germany to watch the GPs live and for nowt through the GP website for instance Edited October 20, 2018 by iris123 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
moxey63 1,784 Posted October 20, 2018 7 minutes ago, iris123 said: It is possible in some countries,like Germany to watch the GPs live and for nowt through the GP website for instance Just that I'm being called a freeloader for having a complimentary ticket at Belle Vue... and yet some people are watching for free on the internet what I'm paying for in the UK. Couldn't make it up, though. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
orion 7,608 Posted October 20, 2018 5 minutes ago, moxey63 said: Just that I'm being called a freeloader for having a complimentary ticket at Belle Vue... and yet some people are watching for free on the internet what I'm paying for in the UK. Couldn't make it up, though. You don't watch it thou ..you have it on in the background 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chunky 6,016 Posted October 20, 2018 13 minutes ago, moxey63 said: Just that I'm being called a freeloader for having a complimentary ticket at Belle Vue... and yet some people are watching for free on the internet what I'm paying for in the UK. Couldn't make it up, though. Yoh aren't being called a freeloader for having a complimentary ticket. You are being called a freeloader because you boast about the fact that you saved "a bomb", and that you refused to go when you had to pay. The difference between you and me is: You CAN go to speedway - but WON'T. I CAN'T go to speedway - but I WOULD. Steve Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
moxey63 1,784 Posted October 20, 2018 18 minutes ago, chunky said: Yoh aren't being called a freeloader for having a complimentary ticket. You are being called a freeloader because you boast about the fact that you saved "a bomb", and that you refused to go when you had to pay. The difference between you and me is: You CAN go to speedway - but WON'T. I CAN'T go to speedway - but I WOULD. Steve 2 Freeloader. The thing is, it's people like me that pay my subs to give the likes of BT the appetite to cover speedway. But you just piggyback it. I bet you read someone else's newspaper over their shoulder. I completed hours of work to get my complimentary pass at Belle Vue. But you term me a freeloader. You offer nothing to BT in monetary terms, but you don't class yourself a freeloader, because you don't boast about saving a bomb. You sir, are the freeloader, hook, line and sinker. Only an idiot would disagree. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
orion 7,608 Posted October 20, 2018 (edited) 12 minutes ago, moxey63 said: Freeloader. The thing is, it's people like me that pay my subs to give the likes of BT the appetite to cover speedway. But you just piggyback it. I bet you read someone else's newspaper over their shoulder. I completed hours of work to get my complimentary pass at Belle Vue. But you term me a freeloader. You offer nothing to BT in monetary terms, but you don't class yourself a freeloader, because you don't boast about saving a bomb. You sir, are the freeloader, hook, line and sinker. Only an idiot would disagree. When has he said he watched BT sport ..in fact when did he say he watched speedway on the net ? Edited October 20, 2018 by orion Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
singy13 372 Posted October 20, 2018 15 hours ago, chunky said: Relax; that wasn't actually directed at you! As I said, debating Woffinden, Craven, Collins etc is fine, but there are those who really take it to extremes... As I've said before, I have watched speedway for over 50 years, and to me, NOBODY has ever looked as comfortable on a bike as Tai. Seriously. Of course, he has a record to match... Steve Joey Owen.....!!!!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
singy13 372 Posted October 20, 2018 1 hour ago, moxey63 said: Just that I'm being called a freeloader for having a complimentary ticket at Belle Vue... and yet some people are watching for free on the internet what I'm paying for in the UK. Couldn't make it up, though. Well done for all your work......not read all posts but you mention it(vol work) a lot in ones I have read....I did similar (two roles) for a local club and had a free pass...but gave funds via other avenues...why not keep a low profile and just have a quiet pride in what you did? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites