Old Git Syndrome

[Terrace Grumbler 337]

It was Anders Henriksson who Stoney chased with a spade at Owlerton (Tigers v Newport 1998) not a Plrc and nothing to do with Sean.

Thank you - I stand corrected!

 

Confused of Sunderland

[Tsunami 10,219]

Fair comment. What about the Championship team, and the team the season after that?

That's why I kept my comment to the 90's. Agree about 2001 and 2002. Cracking teams.

[StevePark 2,804]

I would say that the Diamonds team of 2016 is way stronger than any of the sides early or late 90's. Compare rider for rider and we always needed to have 3 pointers to balance up the big hitters we had. Now there are more big hitters across the team. For example, compare the 1997 team man for man. Remember we finished in 3rd position that first year.

 

You can't really, seeing as 1997 was the year of six man teams!

 

Some are saying it was 'cheaper back then.' I think you will find most things were 'cheaper back then.' How much was a gallon/litre of fuel, or a loaf of bread? The list is virtually endless.

 

Is it less exciting than 'days of old,' or do we just imagine it is? Do we just remember the good bits and forget the bad bits from yesteryear?

 

As far as the British Final is concerned, British speedway hasn't/isn't producing the plethora of decent riders like we use to. Chris Harris is the current 'second best' Brit in the Grand Prix and scored 5 points in it (I know he's failed to qualify for the GP's in 2017), Scott Nicholls did a little better, but finished last in the semi-final. Tai Woffinden (current World Champion and therefore 'top Brit') decided not to even ride in the event, which devalues the whole thing to start with.

[crescent girl 1,911]

Is it less exciting than 'days of old,' or do we just imagine it is? Do we just remember the good bits and forget the bad bits from yesteryear?

 

 

 

Absolutely, Steve. Compare this season's (brilliant) British semi-final at Scunny with a dvd from ten years ago, a video from 25 years ago or cine film from the 'glory days' of the 1940s --- today's racing can be amazing at times. And racing in the past was just as dull, just as spread out, as it can be today if you get the wrong race.

 

But we were all younger and more-impressionable back then. We loved it, and probably laughed at old-timers who told us it was so much better before the war.

 

There weren't cynics on an internet to tell us we're watching a dying sport (which was a whole lot nearer death in 1956 than it is sixty years on) and spread doom and gloom in front of the young fans of today -- who quite probably think speedway's just great today, same as we did in our own salad days........

[Tsunami 10,219]

 

 

 

You can't really, seeing as 1997 was the year of six man teams!

 

But that wasn't my point Steve. Compare man for man and the quality of the riders and winners, and the 1997 team was only a shadow of the quality of todays 2016 team.

Back in 1997 we were coming back from a 3 year sabbatical from the sport, and all was great once we got over our early season injuries, so much so we finished 3rd in the league.

Edited June 17, 2016 by Tsunami

[RobMcCaffery 2,752]

 

 

 

Some are saying it was 'cheaper back then.' I think you will find most things were 'cheaper back then.' How much was a gallon/litre of fuel, or a loaf of bread? The list is virtually endless.

 

 

People notice the prices but forget the wages. I saw a photo of a petrol station in 1987 showing petrol costing 36.9p per litre. Sounds incredibly cheap until you realise that after 30 years of price inflation that converts to about £1 - about 10p cheaper in real terms.

 

One thing that HAS risen in real terms is the cost of speedway admissions, along with many other sports. Some things are cheaper in real terms, mainly electrical appliances and high tech gadgets but others have gone the other way - badly.