The White Knight 9,039 Posted May 20, 2015 Absolutely ! Team GB is a brand carried by many branches of British sport. It is a brand promoted by the Sports Council and recognised by agencies and bodies outside sport. To that extent it helps to keep speedway in the general 'sporting" frame and gives certain advantages which I won't bore everybody with, but suffice to say that if people gave the matter a bit of thought and research before getting hot under the collar about such a trivial matter they might realise there is a reason for the name and maybe in the process save themselves an unnecessary heart attack. Not often I don't agree with you E I Addio but I do here. I have given the matter some thought as you put it. As a result of those thoughts I believe that the 'TeamGB' name is inappropriate. Great Britain was good enough for years but, in order to become 'fashionable', we change our National Team's name. Oddly enough, I live in a Country called Great Britain as do most on this Forum, nowhere can I find the word 'Team' mentioned. Our Speedway Team, and other Sporting Teams as well, are supposed to be representing our Country, our National Identity if you like, hence my reference to the Flag in my original Post. Ergo I believe Great Britain to be the correct name for our Speedway Team. Now I know from what you have Posted that you do not agree with me, that is your opinion and your privilege. I also have the right to disagree with you in this instance - and I do. Hoping I don't get the unnecessary heart attack you mention. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oldace 1,678 Posted May 20, 2015 Officially it has always been Great Britain. We have always been able to draw riders from any country which is represented by our ACU at the FIM, Up to the late 70s New Zealand fell into this category and as such were eligible for GB. From 1973, even though they were still eligible, we elected to drop the New Zealanders and use British riders only, to distinguish this change they were then known colloquially as England although still officially as Great Britan. By the late 70 New Zealand became affiliated to the FIM in their own right and were now not eligible anyway. Whether you want to refer to them as England, Manchester or Roscoes select is up to you but they are, and always have been Great Britain they were called England in the WTC too .. or weren't they FIM events? Like I explained earlier, they were never officially England I have given the matter some thought as you put it. As a result of those thoughts I believe that the 'TeamGB' name is inappropriate. Great Britain was good enough for years but, in order to become 'fashionable', we change our National Team's name. Oddly enough, I live in a Country called Great Britain as do most on this Forum, nowhere can I find the word 'Team' mentioned. Our Speedway Team, and other Sporting Teams as well, are supposed to be representing our Country, our National Identity if you like, hence my reference to the Flag in my original Post. Ergo I believe Great Britain to be the correct name for our Speedway Team. Why haven't you started a similar thread demanding Belle Vue be re named Gorton Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gee jay 234 Posted May 20, 2015 It is funny though when a commentator spontaneously calls them England.Think it might be Tatum that regularly does????? gary Havelock used to do it all the time and probably still does, I think he was making some sort of point. I'm not too sure what's worse. The Great Britain team of yesteryear which was 75% Antipodean, or the current TeamGB which is 100% English. Can't we enter the SWC as England?. We are not Great Britain or TeamGB in the Commonwealth Games, so I see no objection to racing under the England banner with a Cross of St. George proudly worn. good idea then I could go and cheer for Denmark . Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
E I Addio 15,845 Posted May 20, 2015 Not often I don't agree with you E I Addio but I do here. I have given the matter some thought as you put it. As a result of those thoughts I believe that the 'TeamGB' name is inappropriate. Great Britain was good enough for years but, in order to become 'fashionable', we change our National Team's name. Oddly enough, I live in a Country called Great Britain as do most on this Forum, nowhere can I find the word 'Team' mentioned. Our Speedway Team, and other Sporting Teams as well, are supposed to be representing our Country, our National Identity if you like, hence my reference to the Flag in my original Post. Ergo I believe Great Britain to be the correct name for our Speedway Team. Now I know from what you have Posted that you do not agree with me, that is your opinion and your privilege. I also have the right to disagree with you in this instance - and I do. Hoping I don't get the unnecessary heart attack you mention. Whether or not the name is inappropriate is a matter of personal opinion.the British Olympic Team has been known aus Team GB for years, and that's where it all springs from. The days are gone when riders like Ken McKinlaty could have a career that included riding for England, Scotland, Great Britain, thr British Lions, and various others. We now live in a corporate world and if that means speedwáy has to adopt a common brand to gain a few extra crumbs of help it wouldn't otherwise have had, so be it. It could be worse. If your predictions are correct we could soon have our national team riding as the "Sons of Islam" or some such identity, but if Sport England (or the Sports Council as it was known before the world went mad) can pull a few strings behind the scenes to help Belle Vue, Swindon, and hopefully Lakeside and Coventry to find new homes, then bring it it on. Every little helps. It's certainly not worth getting into a huff about. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The White Knight 9,039 Posted May 20, 2015 Like I explained earlier, they were never officially England Why haven't you started a similar thread demanding Belle Vue be re named Gorton Glad you asked that. Tradition, a thing that seems to be abandoned far too easily in Speedway, does actually count for something. Belle Vue has been called Belle Vue from the beginning. Rightly, in my opinion - it has maintained the Tradition. The same could, and should apply to the name of our National Team. We were Great Britain in the past, traditionally we should be Great Britain into the foreseeable future. Oh! Just because the Olympic Team calls itself TeamGB doesn't mean Speedway has to follow suit, and more importantly, nor does it make it right. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Humphrey Appleby 13,961 Posted May 20, 2015 (edited) Oddly enough, I live in a Country called Great Britain as do most on this Forum, nowhere can I find the word 'Team' mentioned. Our Speedway Team, and other Sporting Teams as well, are supposed to be representing our Country, our National Identity if you like, hence my reference to the Flag in my original Post.You actually live on an island called Great Britain. There is no country called Great Britain, although there is a speedway team representing the constituent geopolitical divisions of the island. I do agree with you about 'Team GB' though. Edited May 20, 2015 by Humphrey Appleby 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lucifer sam 3,953 Posted May 20, 2015 Oh! Just because the Olympic Team calls itself TeamGB doesn't mean Speedway has to follow suit, and more importantly, nor does it make it right. The Olympic team is called "Great Britain & Northern Ireland". Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheCookster 57 Posted May 20, 2015 The Olympic team is called "Great Britain & Northern Ireland". Which is really weird, given that the name for Great Britain & Northern Ireland combined is the United Kingdom. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lucifer sam 3,953 Posted May 20, 2015 (edited) Which is really weird, given that the name for Great Britain & Northern Ireland combined is the United Kingdom. An Olympic team which represent a geographical region, not a political entity. Hence the team being called Great Britain & Northern Ireland. All the best Rob Edited May 20, 2015 by lucifer sam Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SCB 0 Posted May 20, 2015 An Olympic team which represent a geographical region, not a political entity. Hence the team being called Great Britain & Northern Ireland. All the best Rob The point being made is that the UK is short for, "the United kingdom of Great Britain abd Northern Ireland" Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lucifer sam 3,953 Posted May 20, 2015 The point being made is that the UK is short for, "the United kingdom of Great Britain abd Northern Ireland" Yup, I know that. You missed the point that political entities cannot enter the Olympics. It's old ground and been discussed on here several times before. All the best Rob Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Humphrey Appleby 13,961 Posted May 20, 2015 An Olympic team which represent a geographical region, not a political entity. Hence the team being called Great Britain & Northern Ireland. Confusingly, the country code is 'GB' and 'GBR', but that's just short hand. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Humphrey Appleby 13,961 Posted May 21, 2015 An Olympic team which represent a geographical region, not a political entity. That was historically the case, but rules have now been changed to only allow internationally-recognised sovereign states to participate, which is essentially synonymous with being a member of the UN nowadays (with three exceptions). This doesn't affect pre-existing NOCs from non-sovereign states (e.g. Puerto Rico and Bermuda), but for example Curacao was not recognised after its split from the Dutch Antilles (albeit remaining as an internal country within the Netherlands). Curacao athletes were allowed to compete under the Olympic flag in London 2012 as they'd already qualified before the dissolution of the Dutch Antilles, but presumably must now compete for the Netherlands. Ironically, Aruba (another Dutch constituent country) is still allowed to compete separately as it had already had an NOC established under the old rules. What this means in practical terms is that England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland can't compete separately at the Olympics. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheCookster 57 Posted May 21, 2015 The point being made is that the UK is short for, "the United kingdom of Great Britain abd Northern Ireland" Yup, I know that. You missed the point that political entities cannot enter the Olympics. It's old ground and been discussed on here several times before. All the best Rob Rob, I think you missed the point. I was merely illustrating the inconsistency and lack of logic, as SCB rightly noted. The term "Great Britain" is no less of a political entity than "United Kingdom" as it refers to the composite of the three geographical regions of England, Scotland and Wales. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pugwash 3,208 Posted May 21, 2015 (edited) what does it matter teamGB, great britain, england it all adds up to nil points, but if we're gonna be crap i'd prefer to keep england out of the name, that way we can blame the scots, irish, welsh and cornish for being beaten by latvia and usa. Edited May 21, 2015 by pugwash 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
