iris123 20,969 Posted April 19, 2020 On 4/18/2020 at 1:38 AM, Sidney the robin said: A closed shop no Drabik yet, no Smektala, Lambert will get there hopefully with luck.!!!'any fresh blood anytime soon Witcher.!!!! Winning a one off final is harder than just aiming for the semi / Final scenario over a ten round period. Just one mans bit of fun and not to be taken as 100% fact Sid, but interesting that the 3 you mention come in at #26, 38 and 42 in the world. http://www.speedwayplus.com/ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sidney the robin 4,735 Posted April 19, 2020 2 minutes ago, iris123 said: Just one mans bit of fun and not to be taken as 100% fact Sid, but interesting that the 3 you mention come in at #26, 38 and 42 in the world. http://www.speedwayplus.com/ I would not take those ranking's Iris to seriously to be honest. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BWitcher 12,453 Posted April 19, 2020 1 minute ago, Sidney the robin said: I would not take those ranking's Iris to seriously to be honest. You're right Sid, your old motto of who wins races isn't relevant. Ignore titles. Ignore averages. Ignore race results. Just listen to Sid! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sidney the robin 4,735 Posted April 19, 2020 Just now, BWitcher said: You're right Sid, your old motto of who wins races isn't relevant. Ignore titles. Ignore averages. Ignore race results. Just listen to Sid! Just listen to you KNOW IT ALL who decimated the Corona thread jeez gotta laugh. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
iris123 20,969 Posted April 19, 2020 5 minutes ago, Sidney the robin said: I would not take those ranking's Iris to seriously to be honest. I think as Steve said previously, I guess we would all do these lists different and probably every week slight differences The interesting thing though, is all 3 of your picks have dropped back from where they were in 2018. But I don't think anyone would argue that Lambert had a hard season ? 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DC2 11,150 Posted April 19, 2020 8 minutes ago, Sidney the robin said: I would not take those ranking's Iris to seriously to be honest. I know he had a bad season but Surprised that Kildemand doesn’t make the top 50. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BWitcher 12,453 Posted April 19, 2020 35 minutes ago, Sidney the robin said: Just listen to you KNOW IT ALL who decimated the Corona thread jeez gotta laugh. Decimated? Hmm 320+ pages of intelligent discussion and still going strong. You've often told us to ignore averages, results, titles etc. So, let us in on the secret.. how do you judge riders, bearing in mind winning races isn't part of it? That's an honest question. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
waiheke1 4,295 Posted April 19, 2020 1 hour ago, iris123 said: Just one mans bit of fun and not to be taken as 100% fact Sid, but interesting that the 3 you mention come in at #26, 38 and 42 in the world. http://www.speedwayplus.com/ Is this Arne G? Have to say the rankings look intuitively in line with what you would expect, and seems methodology very similar to what I've used in the past. Good find! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JOS50 150 Posted April 22, 2020 On 4/18/2020 at 4:53 PM, BOBBATH said: Why is everybody getting so uptight?-lets go back to talking about the CH pork sarnies (sorry!!!!) I first went to Cradley in '64, age 14, sidekick to a novice rider, didn't get a pork sandwich but got stuck into the Stingo in the bar after the meeting. Have to say we loved going up there and found it real warm and friendly and always had a good time. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Piotr Pyszny 206 Posted April 23, 2020 (edited) I'm going to pick 1990, for the simple reason it was the year I decided to have a 'speedway holiday' - an opportunity to visit a load of tracks I'd only ever read about in Speedway Star. With the blessing of my then-girlfriend, I took a week off work and bought one of British Rail's All Line Rover tickets. At the time, I was living in Cumbria. The plan was to watch eight meetings on consecutive days, coupled with as much sightseeing as I could squeeze in. I struck lucky with the July weather, which was dry, warm and sunny, though I nearly came a cropper at the last match, during which dark clouds hovered ominously. I'd have preferred to stay in youth hostels but, being on the train, B&Bs were easier to get to and from. Made the overall cost that much higher! My itinerary was: 21/7 (Sat) Coventry 37 Swindon 53 (British League KO Cup, Quarter-Final, Second Leg, 71-109 aggregate) 22/7 (Sun) Rye House 46 Arena-Essex 49 (National League) 23/7 (Mon) Exeter 68 Peterborough 28 (National League) 24/7 (Tue) Milton Keynes 40 Glasgow 56 (National League) 25/7 (Wed) Long Eaton 45 Poole 51 (National League) 26/7 (Thu) Ipswich 56 Glasgow 40 (National League) 27/7 (Fri) Hackney 57 Stoke 39 (National League) 28/7 (Sat) Arena-Essex 50 Wimbledon 46 (National League) On the Wednesday, it was a toss-up between Long Eaton or Wimbledon. I didn't fancy watching Glasgow three nights in a row, so I opted for Station Road. I was seriously browned off when Wimbledon closed. Thankfully, I managed to get to Plough Lane in 2002 after its short-lived resurrection. All but Ipswich and Hackney I revisited - at least once - in later years. I had a similar 'speedway holiday' (this time in the car and with the company of my two younger brothers) in 1991 (Eastbourne, Swindon, Peterborough, Wolverhampton, Cradley Heath, Sheffield, Belle Vue, Stoke) and 1994 (which included Reading, Poole, Oxford and King's Lynn). Don't think either was as much fun as the first! Having grown up watching speedway at Halifax (1976-83), I became a Cleveland Park, Middlesbrough, regular (1991-96) when I worked on Teesside and lived near Stokesley then saw a lot of Scunthorpe (2005-08) while based in North Lincolnshire. I've lived in York for the last 11 years. It's an hour's drive to the nearest track (Redcar, Scunthorpe or Sheffield). Over that 11 years, I've watched hardly any speedway; maybe 10 meetings. I guess I'm now one of the sport's many 'lapsed' enthusiasts. In all, I've watched speedway at 53 different British venues. Favourite track I'd say is Clay Country Moto Parc, St Austell. Went there three times. An amazing setting for speedway. The scenic location of Buxton (Hitmen's 'purpose built' track not the stock car stadium) makes it a close second. Edited April 23, 2020 by Piotr Pyszny 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pinny 2,536 Posted April 29, 2020 1999 for me. first season of speedway and only Newport’s third back. had the likes of Watson , Henriksson, Lindqvist , Smart etc plus young guns Neath and Appleton. Superb team entertainment wise. Remember trips to Reading , Exeter , Sheffield , Peterborough (fours), Swindon , Arena .... without doubt my favourite season of speedway. Remember in a challenge Swindon came down to Newport and beat us with Cunningham getting a 15 point max, then going to Swindon in the evening and getting beaten again before beating them home and away twice in the trophy and the league . frank Smarts 15 metre handicap win over Steve Masters was superb , remember before hand everyone saying we were mad putting Smart off 15 for a golden double but we got the 8-1. Watson had to near enough come to a stand still to let him past off the final bend. Went to the PLRC at Sheffield too, Wilson won it , Jesper Olsen second Watson third with Stonehewer fourth. great times , big crowds wherever we went and it’s such a shame to see the sport hanging on by a thread 20 years on. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
iris123 20,969 Posted April 29, 2020 On 4/19/2020 at 1:01 PM, steve roberts said: Just checking John Berry's "More Confessions" and he broke down into three categories when wishing to come up with his best ever. They were for "Skill", "Equipment" & "Mental Strength" Mauger 9 - 10 - 9-5 Rickardsson 9-5 - 9.5 - 9.5 Nielsen 9.5 - 9.5 - 9 Briggs 9 - 8.5 - 10 Fundin 9.5 - 8.5 - 9.5 Olsen 9.5 - 9 - 9 Penhall 9 - 9.5 - 9 Collins 9 - 9 - 9 Gundersen 9 - 9 -9 j.Crump 9 - 9 - 9 Lee 9.5 - 9.5 - 7 Michanek 9 - 8.5 - 8 His analysis on each rider I found interesting and obviously very much open to personal opinions/observation. Interesting he gave 'Briggo' a ten for "mental strength" but when you read John's close analysis you can see why! See a number of those champs riding in Landshut in 1989 Fundin, Briggs, Penhall, Collins, Michanek and Knutson plus others like Terry Betts, Norman Hunter, Zenon Plech,Jiri Stancl,Wack Hofmeister and Lehtinen Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
steve roberts 9,243 Posted April 29, 2020 1 minute ago, iris123 said: See a number of those champs riding in Landshut in 1989 Fundin, Briggs, Penhall, Collins, Michanek and Knutson plus others like Terry Betts, Norman Hunter, Zenon Plech,Jiri Stancl,Wack Hofmeister and Lehtinen I've got that meeting on DVD...some great riders there! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
iris123 20,969 Posted April 29, 2020 1 minute ago, steve roberts said: I've got that meeting on DVD...some great riders there! First time I had seen it. I was watching an all round competition with Hans Nielsen, Peter Collins and Egon Müller among others, who competed in 3 meetings on a speedway, Long track and grass track in 1986, then came across this one 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
racers and royals 8,720 Posted April 29, 2020 7 minutes ago, steve roberts said: I've got that meeting on DVD...some great riders there! I was there- the night before the Munich world final. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites