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GWC

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Everything posted by GWC

  1. GWC

    Swindon Robins 2020

    Speedway started in the U.K. thanks to so many greyhound tracks being available - London dominated the sport and now the tracks are gone so has the speedway. I count 2 Premiership, 3 Championship (inc Edinburgh) and one stand alone NDL club racing at a greyhound track. The sport really needs to get out of these places and develop modern tracks capable of meeting the speed of a modern bike. Workington is a prime example, out of the way and a super track.
  2. GWC

    The Elite league

    Yes of course the Premiership but as you have said it’s too few teams and lacks verity. The promoters want a strong league to sell to TV but the fans have to lump it.
  3. GWC

    workington ..

    I think speedway will only survive in the U.K. if we can build new tracks. They will be out of the way and capable of accommodating the modern speedway bike that is now too fast for some of our historical tracks. Sadly the south of England is now a waste land to the sport with land values encouraging more developers into building more and more housing.
  4. GWC

    The 'Show' of a meeting

    Plenary of flares in Scotland but then they are mostly on the terraces!
  5. I think it’s more about self preservation on that track though.
  6. GWC

    Killing the sport

    Back in those days the track would have been cinders
  7. GWC

    Edinburgh 2022

    Humble apologies blobby must have got him confused with someone else - cardinal sin I know to make an incorrect post on this place!
  8. GWC

    Edinburgh 2022

    Seems to have been Fredriksen r/r for most of season and now he’s injured? Sign a rider who will be available!
  9. GWC

    Redcar 2022

    I’m sure some other clubs would want your ‘passengers’. Jason Edwards scored 10 last time he rode at Birmingham. Young riders don’t perform consistently especially away and the strength of the Championship has been criticised for this reason.
  10. GWC

    Killing the sport

    Yes I think Golf is now the ‘in’ sport in Denmark they have some very good young players too. Much safer and less stress for the parents! Sweden apart from Lindgren don’t seem to have anyone of note sadly.
  11. GWC

    Killing the sport

    I watched Woffinden riding in Denmark the other night and his only challenger was Rasmus Jensen. Walk in the park otherwise. Bewley and Lambert seem to be doing likewise in Sweden a few times. If it’s ok for Doyle then our guys should be making the effort to bring their own league up a standard. When the money runs out over there (not Poland) I guess they’ll be back.
  12. GWC

    Killing the sport

    BUT there are just not enough riders and of quality to sustain this current malaise. Neither are there enough young riders coming through to sustain the injury attritions. Also I still can’t understand how or why the bspl can allow our 3 best riders we have probably produced in the past 20 years to ply their trade elsewhere.
  13. GWC

    Killing the sport

    5 man teams and one league to get us out of this mess!
  14. GWC

    6 team league

    When Rye house went ‘Elite’ once the novelty of ‘bigger’ names had worn off the racing wasn’t any better than the old Premiership. And as has been said, the same teams and lack of meetings plus no more Saturdays killed it!
  15. GWC

    Killing the sport

    ‘’On a neutral track how manytimes out of 10 would, for example, Joe Thompson on a rocket ship beat Tai Woffinden on a donkey?’’ I’m sure we all remember the Michanek v Collins k o cup run off at Belle Vue. Collins with a broken wrist so his clutch was on the throttle side and Mich jumping on Bernie Leigh’s bike as his own had gone bang. One of the best 2 man races you are likely to see!
  16. GWC

    Killing the sport

    I agree it matters not to me that a rider has 3 bikes or a great pit crew which, as you say didn’t happen in the 70’s. But Ivan Mauger and alike were different and remained at the top of the sport as they had the best equipment and back up which others couldn’t aspire to or afford. Today's riders want the best to be the best and that’s progress I guess but at huge cost. I also think the promoters are at fault here demanding consistent scoring from their riders who will be sacked if they dip below expectations.
  17. GWC

    Killing the sport

    Sweden boomed when Tony Rickardson appeared and started winning everything Denmark built speedway centres after Ole Olsen won the world title in 1971 by 1979 they were a world power. I don’t know how we can have another revival like 1965 did after the slow decline at the end of the 1950’s. Its a totally different world now and people want different things standing watching 4 blokes go round a track doesn’t seem to excite the young. The atmosphere when I first went in the early 70’s has never been repeated sadly and now the south east is lost to the sport it only makes it worse.
  18. GWC

    Killing the sport

    50 years ago nearly every rider had a full time job somewhere so a bike in the boot a set of leathers and a box of spanner’s was their major outlay. Nowadays riders have huge outlays so riding in one league doesn’t pay the bills. Promotions limited income plus a rider shortage and you have the scenario we have now. Sadly I don’t see things getting any better so enjoy it while it’s still here!
  19. GWC

    Killing the sport

    I’ve watched meetings in Sweden with their teams of GP riders in some and the atmosphere in the stadium seemed non existent!
  20. I’ve seen Rew a couple of times and reminds me of when Holder first arrived over here so wouldn’t let him in unless it’s a 7 average imo. Kemp and Rowe appear to have hit the buffers riding wise and need a break otherwise they will be lost to the sport. A stronger NDL wouldn’t do any harm but expecting these boys to ride in 3 leagues is too much.
  21. Current number one is only 4th in Plymouth’s team strength gives a clue maybe. A season too far for Scott Hans and Ully the heroics of last season not repeatable sadly.
  22. Belle Vue pre war Wembley post war then Wimbledon were disliked because they were winners. Then rider control evened out team strengths and only Belle Vue in the 70’s and Cradley dominated.
  23. When football grounds get sold for development in nearly all cases a new ground emerges. Guessing the greyhound people own the stadium so a sale supports their ailing business these days. Sadly speedway isn’t seen as a community necessity that football is.
  24. GWC

    Plymouth 2022

    Just enjoy the racing and accept that at this level it’s more about rider development than the result.
  25. Poor tracks Medical cover Rider availability Injuries cost of living crises and escalating machine costs all seem to be part of todays speedway and yet we have tracks still operating up and down the country (except south east). No one has the right to complain do they?
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