waytogo28 2,054 Posted April 4, 2021 On 3/29/2021 at 8:03 AM, Jonny the spud said: You do sometimes wonder who’s in charge of I wonder quite often if anyone with compassion or concern for what is happening to the sport, is "in charge"..... 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HackneyHawk 64 Posted April 7, 2021 Not only was the tweet/FB post very insensitive to Kenny Carter's wife's family but it damages Speedway's reputation and I think gives insight into why the sport is in such a bad way: Insular, amateurish, hostile to change and resistant to modern culture/values. I remember taking some friends to the open night of the London Lions because I thought they might like Speedway. There was nowhere to stand and so we stood on the grass banking that Hackney fans had stood on for years. The police were called to have us removed from the stadium. We asked for a refund at the office. The office staff called Colin Pratt over who told us to f*ck off. My friends didn't attend speedway again. Another occasion on which Speedway has embarrassed me. The post from Speedway GB was shocking and hopefully none of the family saw it 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ray Stadia 1,065 Posted April 7, 2021 3 hours ago, HackneyHawk said: Not only was the tweet/FB post very insensitive to Kenny Carter's wife's family but it damages Speedway's reputation and I think gives insight into why the sport is in such a bad way: Insular, amateurish, hostile to change and resistant to modern culture/values. I remember taking some friends to the open night of the London Lions because I thought they might like Speedway. There was nowhere to stand and so we stood on the grass banking that Hackney fans had stood on for years. The police were called to have us removed from the stadium. We asked for a refund at the office. The office staff called Colin Pratt over who told us to f*ck off. My friends didn't attend speedway again. Another occasion on which Speedway has embarrassed me. The post from Speedway GB was shocking and hopefully none of the family saw it I think there must be more to your story, for the police to be involved. Bovver boots, rolled up Levi's 501 and Ben Sherman shirts spring to mind! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HackneyHawk 64 Posted April 9, 2021 On 4/7/2021 at 4:11 PM, Ray Stadia said: I think there must be more to your story, for the police to be involved. Bovver boots, rolled up Levi's 501 and Ben Sherman shirts spring to mind! Ha ha! We did refuse to dismount the grassy bank as there was no obvious good reason for insisting that we did. We'd paid our money and the redeveloped London stadium had no outside raised terracing to stand on. A single, rather aggressive steward threatened to call the police without telling us why we had to move, so we waited it out............unfortunately the Met arrived and we were returned to Waterden Rd! I must say i was a bit hurt by Colin Pratt's behaviour as a Hackney Hawks fan. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TINYS 291 Posted July 15, 2021 On 3/29/2021 at 11:05 AM, falcace said: As much as people like to retreat to the extremes, things are rarely black and white. The truth is usually somewhere in the middle. Kenny Carter lost the plot. I think we can all agree that. What he did was horrific and unimaginable. Even in his crazed state of mind, he knew that and took his own life. Tony MacDonald's excellent book "Tragedy" gives a fine insight into what led to his mental deterioration and the traumatic childhood that preceded it. Nothing could ever excuse what he did, but there are good reasons why he wasn't of sound mind. He was also a brilliant speedway rider. Unless you were a big follower of the sport in the early 1980s, it is difficult to understand just how much of a part he played in the scene around that time. He was genuine box office, the rider fans of every other club loved to hate. He was the go-to speedway rider in the national media, on breakfast TV, national newspapers, Question of Sport, teenage magazines. In pure speedway terms, there has been no-one like him since. Try articulating that in a tweet. It will always been a minefield discussing his life and legacy, ever likely to offend some. No-one would suggest there should be a statue. But that doesn't mean he should be airbrushed from history, he was too significant of a figure to be perpetually ignored. Agree with all you have said, I have also read ''Tragedy'' and now understand more of what could have made him do what he did although i am not condoning his actions. Saw him ride many times at different tracks and he was simply brilliant. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pieman72 588 Posted July 16, 2021 (edited) Probably best to let it be and consign the incident to memory. It was such a tragic event god knows what he was thinking. Lets just leave it there and realise what he gave to speedway and took in such a cruel way. Edited July 16, 2021 by Pieman72 Grammar Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Daniel Smith 5,657 Posted July 18, 2021 On 7/16/2021 at 9:03 PM, Pieman72 said: Probably best to let it be and consign the incident to memory. It was such a tragic event god knows what he was thinking. Lets just leave it there and realise what he gave to speedway and took in such a cruel way. You do realise what you've just said, yes?!? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pieman72 588 Posted July 18, 2021 Please explain as I was trying to draw a line underneath it? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Daniel Smith 5,657 Posted July 18, 2021 10 hours ago, Pieman72 said: Please explain as I was trying to draw a line underneath it? I just find it disgusting that it should be suggested that the biggest thing Kennett ever did should be ignored, forgotten about, just to wax lyrical about him because he's a Speedway rider. Absolutely not. He's defined his history as a murder, end of. If people want to talk about him expect the full history, not selected history. Like everyone whose committed very serious crime, his whole life history belongs in the bin if you're not willing to have the full conversion Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gambo 1,338 Posted July 18, 2021 I think you may need to do a name-check on your post, Dan! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
iainb 4,991 Posted July 19, 2021 9 hours ago, Daniel Smith said: I just find it disgusting that it should be suggested that the biggest thing Kennett ever did should be ignored, forgotten about, just to wax lyrical about him because he's a Speedway rider. Absolutely not. He's defined his history as a murder, end of. If people want to talk about him expect the full history, not selected history. Like everyone whose committed very serious crime, his whole life history belongs in the bin if you're not willing to have the full conversion It's like praising Jimmy Savile for all his charity runs Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fatface 2,552 Posted July 19, 2021 7 minutes ago, iainb said: It's like praising Jimmy Savile for all his charity runs Not really. A solitary crime of passion cannot be equated with a systematic lifetime of calculated abuse of scores of children. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Daniel Smith 5,657 Posted July 19, 2021 9 hours ago, Gambo said: I think you may need to do a name-check on your post, Dan! Why? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
M.D 463 Posted July 19, 2021 30 minutes ago, Daniel Smith said: Why? Because you used the name Kennett Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Daniel Smith 5,657 Posted July 19, 2021 35 minutes ago, M.D said: Because you used the name Kennett See it now, I don't know what it is but for 30yrs now I've gotten these 2 mixed up all the time. Apologies for any offence regarding Carter Can't promise I won't get mixed up again mind, no idea why I do it with these 2. Taking myself to a corner:- 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites