stratton

I was never a fan WK but he did half make a difference to the crowd! some liked to jeer and shout at him but Ivan just took it in his stride what a great rider he was and as a man.

He is certainly WK, i was overrun in the excitement!Holloway, Briggo and Lee would be in my top five i have missed quite a few out who i liked Ray Wilson,Jim McMillan as examples.What about you WK no Barclay,Dent,Gatenby?.

You said it yourself you have made a couple of big mistakes in your lifetime how are you entitled to be judge and jury.?Look we all no he has stuffed up he needs a bit of help i hope he gets it i hope he regroups and comes back stronger.

Is a really tough call, but i wondered who most fans had as there favourite all time top ten riders ever entertaiment wise and being a personality.?Here goes mine laughable really no particular order Holloway,Briggs,Crump( both) Hitch,Ashby, KIlby,T.Jansson,Autrey,E.Boocock.

No because Lee and Kelly never got the help they deserved or a minimum they were entitled to. I know people will say i am wrong, but i like to back people see the positives of somebody Ward certainly does that puts bums on seats the ( Tyson) of speedway.He needs guidance that's odvious, but he will be ok,he has made mistakes SO what we all do most days of the week i do so why are so many people damning?.

Fair play your stats well are spot on eaces" as usual, we are on the same wavelength. Carter you know i rated highly i know you did because you see more of him ( lucky sod) than me.That era really was a decent one some special riders around we were both lucky to watch a few.

A really great character a big man would you mess with him?only see a few times race for Scunny i think with Phil WhIte was still decent then.

Cant agree with that Sigalos was brilliant in some of the tests and the one i saw beat Nielsen from the back in the open at White City for me would beat Carter six times out of ten.Penhall is the key here if he had stayed around i don't believe the Danes would have one as many titles and history could of been written differently who knows.

For one year only in a few other years in the test matches he was a mixed bag.i know he was unlucky with injury bigtime.But he never struck me as being a GP type,good at times but overall was never willing to be second best pick up points and move on to the next race.He was unlucky in 82 but dress it up as much as you want his temperament let him him down if he had settled for second he might have got a run off.? I was a big fan of his but in his era Lee,Nielsen,Gundersen,Penhall,Sigalos, i rated ahead of him and Sanders and Moran would be in the mix and most of them i have named i believe would of been or were better than him over a GP Series.

I personally would rate Sanders only behind Sigalos in that group,Carter for me never showed me the consistency or temperament to ever win over say twelve rounds.A one off final maybe,certainly at Hyde Rd but over a period not so sure. Lee,Sigalos,Sanders for me all would of been a threat to the Danes,Carter i am not so sure i recon he could of been like a KK of today similar brilliant on his day.

I think the age thing is really important here, he was always world class on his day and held his own easily in world company.But he really got his act together, and i feel he would of been strong in a GP format as Crump at his peak certainly would of as well Sanders for me had as much chance as say Carter of winning a world title.

I was a big Phil Crump fan but i also loved Sanders as a rider,he seemed to get more consistent as he got older.After 83 he followed it up with another good 84 season,and before the tragedy in 85 was averaging 11.53.WIth three full maximums so he was in good fettle riding wise then,and lets not forget he was only thirty years old the shame of it was i felt he really believed he could be world champion.Great memories of Billy i was lucky see him race quite alot ,not as much as Blupanther but i like him believed he could of become world champion.

quote name="SCB" post="2506964" timestamp="1409132645"]Lewis Kerr with his 1 season of PL racing had "experience"? Even Garrity only had 2 seasons of PL racing. [/quote). Lets be honest we all knew those two with Blackbird,Ellis,Newman were the best riders in the draft, the rest are miles behind.Sarjeant,Rose,Greaves, have shown promise and have stuck at it and progressed.The five i named would of been good anough maybe in a tougher EL as a number seven but with the format the way it is with the two programmed rides against the other draft riders would you not exspect them to do well.?There next test is to show they can hold there own in a one to five on a regular basis, a tough ask but it would be great if some could do it.

The Daily express spring classic at Wimbledon i think? the couple of years before he went he was on fire really got it together.I believe he would of been even stronger in the GPS.

I never agreed with the fast track rule, but i have supported it and to be fair i have enjoyed watching the likes of Sarjeant,Rose,Greaves make progress.Kerr,Garrity,Newman in my mind are not included in this, as they had exsperience and were good anough anyway.For the future i have no idea to be honest, i personally would cut costs be prudent and concentrate on just putting on a good nights entertainment making us feel it was value for money.

Mauger won his six titles in the old tape ruling days, but he like Lee would of adapted.If anything Ivan was more of a rogue at the start than Michael but what a gater he was.For me the old rule added entertainment, and to be honest today's tape rule at times is a joke and can be disruptive in keeping the meeting ticking over.Nielsen was a great rider but he certainly was not the best i have ever seen,he didnt dominate his era for me to be considered that.Briggs,Mauger,Olsen, all i would rank above him but his longevity at staying at the top is very impressive.

Greatness yes certainly longevity wins that over a period,at GP level Lee(with his dad) Penhall Gundersen,Carter,Sigalos,Sanders,Moran,would of all loved the discipline.If Penhall had stayed around he would of had Hans measure i am convinced, Lee we probably all knew he would not be around for a long period.

He did break his back Hump, and did well to come back also Nielsen was very lucky to get away with the incident in 86.He beat both quite regular and see him stuff Hans a few times at Sandy lane. Was Nielsen someone you liked or rated? i was never a fan but got to admire him greatly later on.Lee and Penhall i would put above him,i always felt they had his measure also Sigalos/Gundersen after 83 the scene really opened up for Hans.

Why? you could run a first to the post league system the best and fairest way ,and maybe have a grand finale between the first four in the league two semis keeping interest open for everyone.

Are the FIM untouchable? why hasn't a decision been made it should of been either way,

The GPS are an easier system i believe, for the top riders.Most who won the final on a one off only the top ones would of loved the GPS anyway a different challenge a different pressure.

Not as good as Briggo,!? plus i still feel Lee,Penhall,Gundersen had his number but he regrouped after and after bitter disappointments he got stronger fair play to him.

Head to head i would love to know the stats"Bezza" be close i would imagine.Knudsen at his best was a threat good anough but he was unlucky and broke his back but came back to ride at a terrific level.Nielsen i was never a fan but i did warm to him i was wrong what a great rider he was Longevity at a high level shows that.

For me after Briggs he is up there,a great rider awesome style and actually he was great in those Coventry years as a team man.

Autrey,Jansson( a certainty),Sigalos,Crump(75?) Adams all great riders The Lord upstairs decides eh! In that race seven times out of ten PC would never of taken Simmo from the back like he did in Poland 1976.That could of been his year,what a great motorcyclist he was he had a great style he rode a bike like he was in an armchair classy.