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World Finals World Finals - Out of 10

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2 hours ago, Midland Red said:

World Final night can never be replicated - they were SPECIAL.

I never said they WEREN'T special. Or at least, they COULD be special. Again, looking at it from an event point of view, we were spoiled by Wembley.

It seems to be a case of fans looking for different things from speedway. Do you want to go to Wembley with 93,000 others, and experience a poor meeting with maybe one or two decent races, but a fantastic atmosphere. Or do you want to see an incredible GP with breathtaking racing at Wroclaw.

Do you want to see a competitive meeting with AT LEAST 12 of the Top 15 riders in the world, or a meeting which was never designed (post-war, anyway) to field the world's best, and was usually missing one or two of the expected front-runners?

Nothing is - or ever was - perfect. Yes, I miss the good ol' days. I miss the gleaming chrome and black leathers. I miss Wembley, Wimbledon, and Belle Vue. I miss Moore, Briggs, and Boocock.

But you know, it wasn't ALL great. It never will be ALL great. Life changes, and we change. However, speedway can still be the most fantastic sport in the world - if you just sit down and watch the racing...

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38 minutes ago, customhouseregular said:

I was there too, though admit it has faded fro memory after all this time.

The reason it stands out for me is because I went to college in Norwich and I persuaded some of my college friends (most of whom had never heard of speedway let alone seen it!) to come and cheer on Ove. I have to say I didn't hold out much hope as he was past his best by then. It served to enhance my reputation as College's speedway expert! 

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I went to Norden in 1983 and was sworn to secrecy regarding Oxford's contractural negotiations with Hans Nielsen and had to refrain from cheering him on (although I couldn't resist giving him a cheer, however, when he was the only rider to lead Egon Muller before dropping a chain). I was kind of hoping for an English Champion but Kenny Carter flattered to decieve again instead of which Michael Lee became the highest place Englishman gaining a rostrum place.

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I was taken to the 58, 59, 60, 62, 63, 65 and 67 Wembley finals with the 59 win by my hero Ronnie Moore being my favourite. My mother loved the 62 final as Peter Craven who she adored won. I had not wanted to go in 62 as the Spedeworth F2 World Final was at our local Wimbledon but I had to wait until the second meeting to see the Spedeworth cars. By 1969 I was deemed old enough to go by myself to the Superstox (as the Spedeworth F2's had become) World Final at Wimbledon while my parents went to Wembley for the Speedway and my mother was very unhappy when she got home and found that her Stock Car hero, Alan Wardropper, had won the Superstox crown! Sadly she never saw him race with the Gold roof as he went to South Africa for a winter tour and retired from racing before he returned to this country.

The Wembley atmosphere was, as many have said, magic. But then Wimbledon with a full house for either Speedway or Stock Cars also had that magic feeling and so did many other tracks. An empty stadium will never get that feeling even if the racing is wonderful.

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I still think that the 1972 and 1973 Finals took some beating for pure drama.

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1 hour ago, steve roberts said:

I still think that the 1972 and 1973 Finals took some beating for pure drama.

Well, the drama in 72 with Olsen and everybody baying for Persson's blood!!!

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52 minutes ago, chunky said:

Well, the drama in 72 with Olsen and everybody baying for Persson's blood!!!

Remember watching it on ITV (National TV) later that same evening and being totally captivated by it all! Wish I had seen it live...pure theatre!

Edited by steve roberts

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1 hour ago, chunky said:

Well, the drama in 72 with Olsen and everybody baying for Persson's blood!!!

Bernie should have won that night!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It was probably a better night than when Bruce won as Bernie was our real hero of the terraces back in the day!!!!!!!

Edited by berniev123

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2 hours ago, steve roberts said:

Remember watching it on ITV (National TV) later that same evening and being totally captivated by it all! Wish I had seen it live...pure theatre!

Yeah, that's how I watched it too!

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Would have been nice if Ivan had won in 1973 as he was riding a long-stroke, longtrack JAWA engine and was pretty much passing for fun that day, though it has to be said the starts were, interesting.  I only got to to see the meeting years afterward but imagine the tension if it shown on live TV (don't think it was) : a winner take all run-off between the current World Champion (Ivan) v local rider in the form of his life (Szczakiel), just as Ivan is about to make his move they clash, and we all know the rest....

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7 hours ago, berniev123 said:

Bernie should have won that night!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It was probably a better night than when Bruce won as Bernie was our real hero of the terraces back in the day!!!!!!!

I was a fan of Bernie until that fateful 1972 night, he cost Briggo his fifth world title i recon Barry would of scored 14 or 15 that night.

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2 hours ago, Sidney the robin said:

I was a fan of Bernie until that fateful 1972 night, he cost Briggo his fifth world title i recon Barry would of scored 14 or 15 that night.

It was s night of great 'ifs'. Briggo having beaten Mauger...Olsen dropping it after doing all the hard work coming from last to nearly first...Olsen passing Mauger after Ivan had left a great hole after taking the Russian out...Lofqvist running a last and was only one ride away from being a potential champion...Michanek (one of the favourites) falling off in his first ride....John Louis almost grabbing a rostrum place during his first year in the top league...great 'shoulder to shoulder' race involving the two Eastern Bloc (of which there was still some mystery and/or suspicion attached) riders  (Waloszek - Poland & Chlynovski - USSR)...Persson running into Briggo and the Russian high riding it...Persson being 'mugged' twice by Mauger...and, of course, the strange disappearance of some of the Russian bikes prior to the meeting to which it was later found that rider Tony Clarke had a part to play...a great night of drama and I'm glad I have the highlights on DVD (although the Briggo - Mauger race was never televised?) and I every so often dip into it. Great memories!

Edited by steve roberts
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2 hours ago, steve roberts said:

It was s night of great 'ifs'. Briggo having beaten Mauger...Olsen dropping it after doing all the hard work coming from last to nearly first...Olsen passing Mauger after Ivan had left a great hole after taking the Russian out...Lofqvist running a last and was only one ride away from being a potential champion...Michanek (one of the favourites) falling off in his first ride....John Louis almost grabbing a rostrum place during his first year in the top league...great 'shoulder to shoulder' race involving the two Eastern Bloc (of which there was still some mystery and/or suspicion attached) riders  (Waloszek - Poland & Chlynovski - USSR)...Persson running into Briggo and the Russian high riding it...Persson being 'mugged' twice by Mauger...and, of course, the strange disappearance of some of the Russian bikes prior to the meeting to which it was later found that rider Tony Clarke had a part to play...a great night of drama and I'm glad I have the highlights on DVD (although the Briggo - Mauger race was never televised?) and I every so often dip into it. Great memories!

So annoying Steve the late great Bob Radford lent me a Polish version of the 1972 final and it had the Briggs v Mauger clash on it.As you commented the ITV coverage?? never showed it crazy when you think back.I am convinced Briggs would of won that meeting but my heart tells me that  Olsen was the best rider on the night but he made a huge mistake and he didn't make many over the years ( he did bring Ashby off once ) Thinking back Wembley was not much of a track really but the atmosphere was electric  i saw a European Final there in 1974 Collins won the meeting and  that was a super night full of drama as well Lovaas qualified i think.

Edited by Sidney the robin
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13 hours ago, steve roberts said:

Remember watching it on ITV (National TV) later that same evening and being totally captivated by it all! Wish I had seen it live...pure theatre!

the flag man at workington got hit by mal mackay and geoff maloney during a tight finish as a result he must have got some insurance because he  started a taxi company but more inportant he was the first on out street to get a colour tv so all us kids went to watch it,the picture wasnt that good but worse my hero ivan was wearing black leathers to blend in as he said later.watching now on utube its great to see ivan wind  bernie up before the run off colin pratt allways maintains ivan should have been excluded, now if only the grand prix had that much atmosphere .

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40 minutes ago, Sidney the robin said:

So annoying Steve the late great Bob Radford lent me a Polish version of the 1972 final and it had the Briggs v Mauger clash on it.As you commented the ITV coverage?? never showed it crazy when you think back.I am convinced Briggs would of won that meeting but my heart tells me that  Olsen was the best rider on the night but he made a huge mistake and he didn't make many over the years ( he did bring Ashby off once ) Thinking back Wembley was not much of a track really but the atmosphere was electric  i saw a European Final there in 1974 Collins won the meeting and  that was a super night full of drama as well Lovaas qualified i think.

I'm intrugued Sid! Did Briggo easily beat Ivan or was it a close call?

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