RIP Dickie Davis

[keepturningleft 589]

"Gary Newbon is in the pits and your commentator is Dave Lanning..."

 

[a4poster 82]

Yes, many a happy Saturday afternoon were spent watching ITV's World of Sport.  Personally I think the demise of the show - that had made many riders of the time household names - it also had a massive detrimental effect on the sport  itself, as Speedway not only disappeared from our TV screens (for a number of years) it also disappeared off the radar of many people's minds, this coupled with the damaging News of the World scandal a period the sport has never recovered.

Edited February 20, 2023 by a4poster

[steve roberts 9,246]

17 minutes ago, a4poster said:

Yes, many a happy Saturday afternoon were spent watching ITV's World of Sport.  Personally I think the demise of the show - that had made many riders of the time household names - it also had a massive detrimental effect on the sport  itself, as Speedway not only disappeared from our TV screens (for a number of years) it also disappeared off the radar of many people's minds, this coupled with the damaging News of the World scandal a period the sport has never recovered.

I agree as regards the demise of "World of Sport" but the newspaper "scandal" was hyped up in my opinion....been going on for years within speedway as any fan knowing their history would have been aware of. It always surprised me when speedway fans held up their hands up in disgust at the "revelations"...all Simmo and Wiggy were gulity of was naivety and openly discussing the facts with complete strangers. I did put the question to Martin Rogers some years back in "Backtrack" and his views were interesting to say the least. I recall football back in the sixties (and other sports since) when there was match fixing going on and those involved were either imprisoned or banned for life ever playing again at professional level but it didn't effect the status that football held within the media and fan base to any great degree.

[Garry1603 353]

A great presenter and years ahead of his time.

 

RIP Dickie

[martinmauger 584]

5 hours ago, Garry1603 said:

A great presenter and years ahead of his time.

 

RIP Dickie

For sure.  It used to be exciting, the World Of Sport credits after the aeroplane trailing the ITV WOS banners, the preview and the seemingly endless wait for Sports Special 2 at 3.10pm "Speedway from (wherever) with Dave Lanning, (maybe) Barry Briggs (and later on) & Gary Newbon".  Always thought Dickie was genuiney interested in the different sports, esp speedway from the way he introduced, for example, when Bruce Penhall supplied CHiPS additional footage of 1982 World Final & THAT incedent, Carter & Penhall.  Saturday afternoons have never been the same after 1985.

RIP Dickie....

[Humphrey Appleby 13,960]

21 hours ago, steve roberts said:

I agree as regards the demise of "World of Sport" but the newspaper "scandal" was hyped up in my opinion....been going on for years within speedway as any fan knowing their history would have been aware of. It always surprised me when speedway fans held up their hands up in disgust at the "revelations"...all Simmo and Wiggy were gulity of was naivety and openly discussing the facts with complete strangers. I did put the question to Martin Rogers some years back in "Backtrack" and his views were interesting to say the least. I recall football back in the sixties (and other sports since) when there was match fixing going on and those involved were either imprisoned or banned for life ever playing again at professional level but it didn't effect the status that football held within the media and fan base to any great degree.

The difference between football and speedway is that a lot of bets (whether the pools or whatever) are put on football so it's essential there's some integrity. 

The speedway stuff was quite honestly small beer and arguably affected nothing except the riders involved, sensationalised by the tabloids who probably had a slow news week. But if you've openly admitted to manipulating the results of race, then you can't really expect to get away Scot-free and of course it gives free rein to naysayers who already thought the sport was a joke. 

[iris123 20,996]

I think the ‘it’s been going on for years’ excuse is looking at it wrong. Times change and so did the news media. You could also say the Royal family were having affairs for years etc. At one time there was nothing in the media about it. Same as all the Hollywood scandals. 

[martinmauger 584]

Hate to be in agreement but (through gritted teeth) speedway has almost always been small beer in comparison with many other sports, like F1 (formally Grand Prix Motor Racing), 500cc Motorcycle GPs (now Moto GP), & esp ball games like rugby, footie, etc....

[mikebv 10,292]

On 2/20/2023 at 3:52 PM, steve roberts said:

I agree as regards the demise of "World of Sport" but the newspaper "scandal" was hyped up in my opinion....been going on for years within speedway as any fan knowing their history would have been aware of. It always surprised me when speedway fans held up their hands up in disgust at the "revelations"...all Simmo and Wiggy were gulity of was naivety and openly discussing the facts with complete strangers. I did put the question to Martin Rogers some years back in "Backtrack" and his views were interesting to say the least. I recall football back in the sixties (and other sports since) when there was match fixing going on and those involved were either imprisoned or banned for life ever playing again at professional level but it didn't effect the status that football held within the media and fan base to any great degree.

The downward spiral of the sport certainly began with the demise of WoS..

By the end of the show though, the USA and Danes had taken over the British sport which didnt attract the same "floating" number of viewers who had become enthralled by watching the likes of PC, Mike Lee etc beating the worlds best, and in often exhilarating style.

And they often got to see 'England" rule the roost over the rest over the previous 20 years or so at a time when England as a nation didnt exactly win very much other than the odd Eurovision song contest...

RIP Dickie Davis, one of those presenters who made everything look effortless and natural whilst live on air..

[Humphrey Appleby 13,960]

On 2/22/2023 at 3:51 AM, mikebv said:

The downward spiral of the sport certainly began with the demise of WoS..

By the end of the show though, the USA and Danes had taken over the British sport which didnt attract the same "floating" number of viewers who had become enthralled by watching the likes of PC, Mike Lee etc beating the worlds best, and in often exhilarating style.

And they often got to see 'England" rule the roost over the rest over the previous 20 years or so at a time when England as a nation didnt exactly win very much other than the odd Eurovision song contest...

RIP Dickie Davis, one of those presenters who made everything look effortless and natural whilst live on air..

At the end of the day, speedway largely failed to capitalise on the rise in satellite and cable television as did other sports. 

Cricket and Rugby League were also reliant on BBC coverage for a long time, but didn't rest on their laurels and managed to greatly increase their revenues whilst speedway declined.

Okay, cricket is seen as a more middle class sport with a demographic that's more appealing to sponsors, but you couldn't have said that about rugby league in the mid-80s.

Even when speedway did manage to get some half-decent sponsorship, it was promoting coal as everyone was moving to gas central heating. Sums up the sport...

Edited February 23, 2023 by Humphrey Appleby

[mikebv 10,292]

30 minutes ago, Humphrey Appleby said:

At the end of the day, speedway largely failed to capitalise on the rise in satellite and cable television as did other sports. 

Cricket and Rugby League were also reliant on BBC coverage for a long time, but didn't rest on their laurels and managed to greatly increase their revenues whilst speedway declined.

Okay, cricket is seen as a more middle class sport with a demographic that's more appealing to sponsors, but you can largely have said that about rugby league in the mid-80s.

Even when speedway did manage to get some half-decent sponsorship, it was promoting coal as everyone was moving to gas central heating. Sums up the sport...

Speedway did get over a million a year from Sky, for circa 20 years..

And ended up with absolutely nothing to show for it..

And, as soon as the money stopped, the worlds best (who basically swallowed up this cash), all "Foxtrot Oscared" to Poland...

As a follower of RL, there is a certain synergy with Speedway in the narrow minded, self interest that pervades at club ownership level..

With the "greater good" for the development of the sports organic, long term, general growth, often taking a back seat, (if indeed in the car at all)..

Sports such as Cricket and RU realised that no team itself, no matter how successful, would generate national interest, but that a consistently successful national team would..

Hence central contracts came about, the teams became more successful and the domestic games prospered off the back of it..

In the 70's it was watching England's Speedway team on TV during the summer months on Saturdays, beating the rest of the world consistently, that hugely helped swell the domestic following...

This country loves a successful national sporting success story, so let's hope GB can build on their current high performance levels for another five years or so, as that could really kick start wider media coverage, and boost the domestic product off its coat tails...

 

[Humphrey Appleby 13,960]

1 minute ago, mikebv said:

As a follower of RL, there is a certain synergy with Speedway in the narrow minded, self interest that pervades at club ownership level..

Rugby League got a bit lucky in that it was small time enough that someone with big pockets was basically able to buy the entire sport to present as a flagship for their new cable/satellite channels. But it already had a reasonable profile by being regularly shown on the BBC and of course was the 'national sport' of NSW and Queensland. 

In some respects it's squandered that legacy - having never really broken out of its heartlands and traditional fan base - but I'm sure speedway still wouldn't mind being in Rugby League's position today. 

1 minute ago, mikebv said:

Sports such as Cricket and RU realised that no team itself, no matter how successful, would generate national interest, but that a consistently successful national team would..

It was probably a bit organic with cricket in that matches take many hours to play so there was always natural focus on the national team. Plus of course, it can hardly be said that England was a successful national team during its early years on Sky!

But I think cricket largely did do things right whether by good luck or judgement. 

1 minute ago, mikebv said:

In the 70's it was watching England's Speedway team on TV during the summer months on Saturdays, beating the rest of the world consistently, that hugely helped swell the domestic following...

Of course, there wasn't really a lot of 'proper' sport on television in the 1970s so perhaps speedway capitalised on that. 

It was maybe also bit unlucky that World of Sport got canned a few years before the cable/satellite revolution really got going, but you have to say that speedway is really its own worst enemy. 

[Ray Stadia 1,071]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmH8msZXdGg This link will lighten things! 

[steve roberts 9,246]

On 2/23/2023 at 5:38 AM, Humphrey Appleby said:

Rugby League got a bit lucky in that it was small time enough that someone with big pockets was basically able to buy the entire sport to present as a flagship for their new cable/satellite channels. But it already had a reasonable profile by being regularly shown on the BBC and of course was the 'national sport' of NSW and Queensland. 

In some respects it's squandered that legacy - having never really broken out of its heartlands and traditional fan base - but I'm sure speedway still wouldn't mind being in Rugby League's position today. 

It was probably a bit organic with cricket in that matches take many hours to play so there was always natural focus on the national team. Plus of course, it can hardly be said that England was a successful national team during its early years on Sky!

But I think cricket largely did do things right whether by good luck or judgement. 

Of course, there wasn't really a lot of 'proper' sport on television in the 1970s so perhaps speedway capitalised on that. 

It was maybe also bit unlucky that World of Sport got canned a few years before the cable/satellite revolution really got going, but you have to say that speedway is really its own worst enemy. 

...trouble is that sport takes itself far too seriously nowadays with vast amounts of money being banded about. It was lot more fun back then without there being "wall to wall" coverage which is the norm nowadays. Do I really want to tune in and watch Brighton and Hove Albion (If they're still called that?) vs. Hull City live with all the analysis that goes with it?

Edited February 24, 2023 by steve roberts