No Woffinden....

[BWitcher 12,453]

So the British Final moves away from Wolves ---- and Woffy decides he doesn't want to compete!! Surprise surprise.

 

Darn you're right.

 

He's unproven on any other tracks.

 

As for not racing in the British Final? Good call if the semi's are either side of the GP. Winning the World Title is his No 1 priority.

 

I do find it amusing though that many of the people moaning he isn't riding in it, are the very same people who were moaning he WAS riding in it when not racing in this country.

Edited March 30, 2016 by BWitcher

[June01 270]

Don't see it as a problem he's won it three times he's giving someone else a chance and not being greedy!!!

The national champion should be the best fit rider in the country, just as the world champion should be the best rider in the world.

Edited March 30, 2016 by June01

[chris4gillian 1,832]

I've not laughed so much in a long time reading this thread. Some of the posts are just ridiculous!

 

Get a grip people, Tai has other priorities this year namely his third World Championship.

 

Riding in our national INDIVIDUAL event is not the same as representing TEAM GB at the SWC. It's his personal choice not to do it. What has the British Final got to do with the SWC? Bugger all that's what.

 

Tai has repeatedly stated he's proud to represent Britain, he year on year talks about how he's looking forward to representing Britain and never once has he commented that he would like to ride for Australia so FFS stop banging on about him being an Aussie!

 

Tai was born here to British parents but was brought up in Aus. so has an understandable (by grown up people) strong affection for Australia, and THAT IS IT. Good grief.

[Derwent 271]

 

 

You make reference to the British Final being a meeting packed with riders who have haven’t achieved anything, if the best rider and current World Champion decides to pull out then yes it absolutely is that…..if not it is the meeting where the World Champion is racing which adds to its importance.

 

That completely misses the point he was making I think. The fact is that the British Final has become an irrelevance, a meaningless title with zero prestige on the world stage. Tai Woffinden competing or not doesn't change that fact. To be British champion means what exactly these days ? This isn't the halcyon days where a British title was worth winning in a field of riders who could all compete internationally, it is in fact a stark reminder of how far the stock of British speedway has sunk. This discussion shouldn't be about the fact that he isn't riding in it, the more important point is why it isn't a priority anymore. Instead people like to have their little knee-jerk reactions instead of thinking about the wider issues that Woffinden is indirectly raising.

Edited March 30, 2016 by Derwent

[Wackie 938]

If only Nicki Pedersen was a Brit. We'd have a multi winning world champion who actually loved riding for his country and supported the sport in his nation.

[Shale Searcher 1,264]

Good evening race fans, it's the British Speedway Final, where the best British Riders compete to be the best British rider of 2016 and the chance to beat the current World Speedway Champion..

 

Having Tai Woffinden in the British Final will put extra bums on seats, give the rest of the field a chance to beat the World Champion, even if it's only a single race win...

 

This meeting now will have fewer fans in attendance, will attract far less media attention, and quite frankly, it's a disgrace he is not competing this year....

[orion 7,615]

 

That completely misses the point he was making I think. The fact is that the British Final has become an irrelevance, a meaningless title with zero prestige on the world stage. Tai Woffinden competing or not doesn't change that fact. To be British champion means what exactly these days ? This isn't the halcyon days where a British title was worth winning in a field of riders who could all compete internationally, it is in fact a stark reminder of how far the stock of British speedway has sunk. This discussion shouldn't be about the fact that he isn't riding in it, the more important point is why it isn't a priority anymore. Instead people like to have their little knee-jerk reactions instead of thinking about the wider issues that Woffinden is indirectly raising.

And without him does it make it a better event ? surely the whole point is that Tai should be helping uk speedway ? tells me how this helps anyone bar himself ?

[Fourentee 987]

 

The fact is that the British Final has become an irrelevance, a meaningless title with zero prestige on the world stage.

 

Hmm, how could we possibly raise its profile?

[sparkafag 746]

 

That completely misses the point he was making I think. The fact is that the British Final has become an irrelevance, a meaningless title with zero prestige on the world stage. Tai Woffinden competing or not doesn't change that fact. To be British champion means what exactly these days ? This isn't the halcyon days where a British title was worth winning in a field of riders who could all compete internationally, it is in fact a stark reminder of how far the stock of British speedway has sunk. This discussion shouldn't be about the fact that he isn't riding in it, the more important point is why it isn't a priority anymore. Instead people like to have their little knee-jerk reactions instead of thinking about the wider issues that Woffinden is indirectly raising.

 

 

Ow let’s not stop at asking what the British Final means now, If you really want to strip it back, other than another step on the road to a World Final what has the British Final ever meant? I mean really, who cares who won it 15 years ago, how many people even know the answer of the top of their head? If you are of that mind-set though, you could can go so much further, the “prestige” of being Speedway World Champion doesn’t mean a whole lot to anyone other than Speedway fans if you really want to be uberly pedantic about it so why bother competing in that?

 

My own personal answer re the British Final would be that it means the same thing now that it did 20/30 years ago, being the best rider in your country and the prestige that comes with that (along with the sponsorship I would assume)

 

All that being said the argument of “the British Final is crap anyway” is a completely straw man argument, it is no more or less “crap” than it was last year, 5 years ago or 10 years ago AND in fact isn’t even actually the reason why Woffinden has pulled out. It’s a defence you and the other poster have created for Woffinden, and it is completely rancid in all honesty when contrast to the reason he used, which is a pretty logical and fair point re pulling out the meeting and applies only to him from British World Champions thus far (as far as I am aware?)

 

The disappointing thing in all of this, as I said, while actually not “missing the point” is that the “prestige” of the meeting is only lowered when a competitor and current World Champion decides not to race in it, there isn’t even the need to investigate the wider issues of his decision to pull out though as he has literally already explained why.

 

Tai wants to focus on the World Title, good for him, that though doesn’t mean British Speedway has to change to accommodate Woffinden as the next British World Champion will more than likely race in the British Final when fit, you know like all the others one have done before Woffinden….because the meeting had “prestige” back then because riders didn’t tend to pull out of it.

Edited March 30, 2016 by sparkafag

[Grachan 7,362]

Ow let’s not stop at asking what the British Final means now, If you really want to strip it back, other than another step on the road to a World Final what has the British Final ever meant? I mean really, who cares who won it 15 years ago, how many people even know the answer of the top of their head? If you are of that mind-set though, you could can go so much further, the “prestige” of being Speedway World Champion doesn’t mean a whole lot to anyone other than Speedway fans if you really want to be uberly pedantic about it so why bother competing in that?

 

My own personal answer re the British Final would be that it means the same thing now that it did 20/30 years ago, being the best rider in your country and the prestige that comes with that (along with the sponsorship I would assume)

 

All that being said the argument of “the British Final is crap anyway” is a completely straw man argument, it is no more or less “crap” than it was last year, 5 years ago or 10 years ago AND in fact isn’t even actually the reason why Woffinden has pulled out. It’s a defence you and the other poster have created for Woffinden, and it is completely rancid in all honesty when contrast to the reason he used, which is a pretty logical and fair point re pulling out the meeting and applies only to him from British World Champions thus far (as far as I am aware?)

 

The disappointing thing in all of this, as I said, while actually not “missing the point” is that the “prestige” of the meeting is only lowered when a competitor and current World Champion decides not to race in it, there isn’t even the need to investigate the wider issues of his decision to pull out though as he has literally already explained why.

 

Tai wants to focus on the World Title, good for him, that though doesn’t mean British Speedway has to change to accommodate Woffinden as the next British World Champion will more than likely race in the British Final when fit, you know like all the others one have done before Woffinden….because the meeting had “prestige” back then because riders didn’t tend to pull out of it.

20 or 30 years ago the British Final meant a chance to ride in the World Final.

 

Yes, everyone turned up for it. I wonder if, for example, Peter Collins would have ridden in 1978 if he had already been seeded to the World Final.

 

Maybe he would, but you can never know for sure. My guess is he would not have. And didn't we used to get riders "buying" points in it. So just maybe actually winning it wasn't what it was all about.

 

British Final was always a qualifying round of the World Championship and, I'm pretty sure, that for most riders in it that was the main priority.

 

Likewise, if Grand Prix qualification depended on it, Tai would be there this year.

Edited March 30, 2016 by grachan

[tyke 275]

Likewise, if Grand Prix qualification depended on it, Tai would be there this year.

And their probably lies the whole crux of the arguement

[robert72 845]

Rosco should now announce tai will Not be picked for team GB for the sake of British speedway.

 

If he doesn't then he should resign as no rider is bigger than the country they are representing and if a rider turns down the British final he should be left out of the national team.

[KEITH M 850]

Can't see the problem with him not competing myself.. He will be always introduced as the 2 times world Champion not the x number of times British Champion.. So if that's where he thinks his priorities lie good on him ... I bet at least 90% of the people who are complaining on here wouldn't even be going to the British Final even if he was in it so where's the fan loyalty to British Speedway there?... He is a young man who has already done a lot for putting speedway on the map in this country and for charities and he also has a mind of his own #getoverit

[SCB 0]

 

Hmm, how could we possibly raise its profile?

Maybe we could invite a few World Champions to compete. Anyone know any?!

[Fourentee 987]

Maybe we could invite a few World Champions to compete. Anyone know any?!

 

My point exactly.