g13webb

If you honestly believe that, then your something else.......... If, as you say, Woffy wanted to entertain the crowd, why didn't he do cart wheels or act the fool in front of his adoring fans, he could have pulled wheelies around the track, if that was just his intentions. If what you say is true, why didn't he work on all the start areas instead of just his own. .... he would have entertained the fans far more by dong that...... I know it really grates with you, to be wrong, and your opinions are set in stone, but this is a ridiculous statement, of the reasons, of what actually happened...... As for me having a 'POP' at people who find Hancock dull is far more reaching than that........ My thoughts are: if you fans think Hancock is BORING our sport has no future at all. Here is a man, a true Champion, who is at the pinnacle of our sport, Has won 3 World Championships and you fans find him boring. If you cant get excited watching an expert at work, what chance has lesser riders have of exciting you with their menial abilities. It appears I am different from most..... I enjoy all forms of Motor Sport, and get so much enjoyment watching, the good and the bad.. As an ex-rider I can go and watch riders practicing all day, I appreciate their skills and their expertise, and also their desire and hard work to achieve something. If I ever found it boring then I would pack it in. And that's the worrying bit..... Watching the best riders, doing their bit, is what it's all about...... So me having a 'POP' at people is not personal thing, its more of a fear that the decline of the sport is so relevant

How Woffy started the race is irrelevant. You obviously think it is right and proper, that a rider is allowed to use instruments (i.e.. shovel...) and walk around and collect dirt from the side of the track to deposit it in his starting position as being acceptable. fair enough ..... Why stop there??? why not allow a whacker plate to vibrate it down for a nice solid base to start from...... The ref could have had some balls and called for the starting are to be reraked to create a fair start to all riders...... His job is to treat all riders fairly......

No, not personal mate, just an opinion. I find it surprising that people like yourself think the way you do. I go to speedway to see many things. Of course I love to see exciting racing, who don't..... but I also appreciate the finer things in the sport as well. To me Greg is an exemplary rider, who never puts a foot wrong. A role model to the extreme, the perfect rider. He's that good, especial from the gate, I agree sometimes it can be boring for those who wanted others to win....... When the chips are down Hancock will be there or thereabouts..... Call him many names: Sometimes he's Brilliant, Sometimes he's majestic, Sometimes he's just too good, but he's never dull !!!!!!!

Please tell me how you can respect a man, you find incredibly dull ?? Hancock is out of the Mauger Mould, where he would usually gate and go. But to me that is part and parcel of the game. To watch someone who rides as consistent as those two riders is what speedway is all about. The definition of a good rider is some one who wins, not necessarily, who has to always come from the back.

As with so many things our opinions differ. To me Greg represents everything that is good about our sport. Fantastic Ambassador, genuinely nice person and a terrific Sportsman. By far. the best gater in the world, a talented World Class riders who always puts bum on seats wherever he rides. Some of his victories at Cardiff have been unreal. Truly a top world class rider. Now if you cant appreciate that, then I suggest you cant appreciate anything..... Best you go and watch that paint dry.......

No, Woffy didn't break any rules, but he created an unfair situation, in that he prepared his starting position prior to the race being called to the tapes. The main problem with that was the Referee wasn't stronger enough to order the track rackers to redo all the starting positions to assure fairness to all riders. It wasn't that the rules were wrong or needed changing, just the referee needed abit of bottle..... None of this should have been necessary, if common sense had prevailed. It's been OK for 50 fifty yrs., why all of a sudden does it need changing ??????

No doubt I'm one of the few people still interested in the sport, who have seen all the greats that's been mentioned here, and like I said previously, the greatest would have to be argued. My memories of Fundin and Briggs was two of the best, who usually won. Also Mauger, the ultra professional, he would win every race. Mauger is probably the only rider capable of winning a race before it had started. His presence alone was enough to over shadow other riders. He didn't.t miss a trick. All three I remember well, but it was their results that made them stand out...... Not their exciting riding style.... To me the rider who provided the best excitement, Best overtaking, Never say die-attitude.. Was TONY RICHARDSEN......... The greatest of them all........

Any rider who can win 3 World Championships has to be considered as a truly GREAT rider and Greg fit that description very well. It would be very difficult to place riders in order of brilliance, No doubt 100 people would place all riders in different orders.. Especial those from differing eras. Often wondered how well, riders like Mauger, Briggs would do today with far stringent rules we have....

I don't know if these are actually records, but they are mighty impressive.. (All figures taken from Kings Lynn's official records: I've just looked up Bettsy figures, although they're other riders that did well, to me it will be Bettsy who holds most. ) Terry Betts rode for Lynn Stars from 1966 till 1978 (13 Years) MOST OFFICIAL MATCHES: Terry Betts : 471 MOST OFFICIAL RIDES: Terry Betts: 2103 MOST RACE POINTS SCORED: Terry Betts: 4884 MOST BONUS POINTS SCORED: Terry Betts: 133 MOST TOTAL POINTS SCORED: Terry Betts 5017 MOST MAXIMUMS Terry Betts : 57 F and 14 P, ( Feel this might to bettered though) TRACK RECORD

I cannot believe another sport would be in the situation that British Speedway finds itself in at the moment. With less than 6 weeks to the start of the season there are so many issues to be sorted: 1. Visas and the availability of Non-EU riders 2 Teams still to be completed 3 Priority of DU Riders 4. Clarification of fast track riders replacement rules (replaced as per PL aver like when the clubs selected their FTR or as EL aver. as last year.??).. 5 Rules regarding gardening at the tapes, 6 Race format and the programme of heats. 7 Position of riders in the teams. ( in average order or as the TM places them???) I'm sure there are more things to sort out but this is just naming a few... The clocks ticking............

Let it be said, Nicki Pedersen is the complete professional, and would never do anything to jeopardise his career . It is only sometimes, the red mist comes down when he actually on the bike......... Why do you deem it necessary? trying to justify Wards behaviour ? The system works perfectly well and all riders are aware of the rules. Just because one stupid, juvenile, individual thinks is right to indulge before an important meeting, that not a reason to change things.. No doubt there are enough testing going on already, why add more work to the administration. Why mend something that's not broken..........

Why would that be a problem, The issue is not him getting off his bike, the new rule states he mustn't get off his bike to do any gardening. If he wanted to swap bikes than no worries.. Why the question ???

A real good informative post. I believe when it comes to preparing track, then Buster is as good as any.. When speaking with him he says that every day could be different.. there are no hard and fast rules, He said you can have a brilliant prepared track at 5pm than come 7 the weather has changed and it not drying out as expected. So more work it needed to get it right. He said it was a never ending challenge to get it right, and some days the weather wins...... A good track man, is worth his weight in gold.........

Interesting prediction !! my initial feelings were similar in that I thought the Elite league would fall into two groups. both groups made up with teams of similar ability. Namely, Group1= Coventry, Kings Lynn, Belle Vue, Poole and Lakeside; and Group 2= Swindon, Wolves and Leicester. I think teams in group 1, have announced a slight edge over those in group 2 at the start, but not one so insurmountable that teams could perform well and swap places or join the other group. Depending on the new racing format, this could be a close year with a surprise or two along the way. Don't know if I agree with your thinking that Coventry as favourites though ...... Cant wait.............

Exactly, and that's what the rule wants to happen. You need the tension, you need the build up, you want the introductions, What you don't want is, after all that generation of excitement, one of the riders is still off his bike doing the 'gardening'. The presentation needs to flow.

Next you'll be saying he did not gain any advantage and it was totally done for the sake of entertaining the crowd. Yeah right.... In those 'Good old days' they use to race 13 heats first half, Interval, then 8 to 10 heats second half and still be finished by 10-o-clock.

You speak for yourself. !! The time of speedway meetings vary considerably, There are many races run when the 2 mins warning is not given. The Starting Marshals appear too weak to enforce any strict time scheduling and although they stand there trying to bring riders under orders, without the authority the riders show no effort to hurry. If , when this rule is introduced, it will save a few minutes on the meeting timetable then that has to be a good thing.

I know how the rule is worded in the SS but what Woffy done, was over and above what can be deemed as fair. I think that instance had a bearing on the wording of the rule and hence, now you can only do the gardening when on the bike. As for the progress of the meeting, I thought it was always at the control of the referee. But some seem to think it's down to the meeting co-ordinator who controls the timing now, as like when SKY are in town....... Either way, I feel the meetings should flow better than they normally do, and any help to do that, has to be a good thing......

I for one think its a good step, a positive one to help the meetings flow. After Woffy put on the gardening show at the British Final, it was obvious something had to be done......

All in all a favourable AGM with some fine adjustments that were badly needed. Pleased to see the amendment to guests in the play-offs. They must have thought it was farcical as well. Although they have increased the team points limit to 34, I feel, because they refused to re-address their easier averages, there will be massive problems with some of the high scoring 2nd strings and some wont find a team to ride for. Especially as some PROPER heatleaders have lower averages than them. I fear for the second strings. Because of the BSPA's refusal to adjust this year, next year it will be even worse. Apart from that, well pleased with the outcome..............

Usually I get 2 to 3 hours enjoyment from the SS mag at £2.90 . Compare that to the £15 it cost to watch half hour of racing, I say the magazine is really good value.... I don't suppose they're many youngster's buying the mag, they would rather spend their money in downloads and such. If they were to read it, then no doubt their parents would have brought it any way. To aim the mag at that age group would be a detrimental development. As for the long feature on Larry Ross, it was an inspired interview and one I thoroughly enjoyed. You may have forgotten him, but us old ones remember all the great riders. Larry was not only a seasoned international but someone who gave his all, never let anyone down and appreciated everything that British Speedway did for him. What a pity they're are not more like him today.......

As a regular subscriber of the SS mag, I think this morning's publication ranks with any this years. The article on Guests and the in depth interview with Larry Ross were first class. Hope we get more of the same over the winter months. Mildenhall, Didn't realise it was that long ago, remember going there to watch Mel Taylor and the place was heaving.... although it was a scant location it had a fantastic atmosphere..... Wonderful times....

Conspiracy Rules..... Again, a meeting was spoilt by a useless referee going for the easy option. What a crap decision when everyone could see Nicki Pederson had done nothing wrong. He fact, he rode probably the best he's done all year, and deserved to win. The Ref chickened out the obvious conclusion of excluding a Polish ride in Poland. I can understand Nicki feeling aggrieved like he did. The fact that KK won, made it an even bigger travesty. It's not the first time this has happened but to be pillared for doing nothing wrong is totally unacceptable... And you wonder why he blows his top........ Well done to Greg for becoming World Champion again...., He has always been the fantastic ambassador that this sport desperately needs.

With the exception of Woffy, Bomber has been our best riders for years. Good luck to him, he deserves it. I don't knock a man for trying, and Bomber always gives 110%. Bomber is a class act, who can beat most riders, His biggest problem has always been his gating. They're not many people go by Bomber when he hits the front. If Bomber could only get his gating sorted, we wouldn't be having this discussion , he'd be in the top 8 every year............

Thought the Ref was rubbish last night. Trying hard to think of a decision he got right.. Like you, Batch was so obvious the guilty party, but it seems, everytime Nicky is involved with any crash it is his fault. But that's the way it goes when your disliked....... Terrible decision.... I thought Batch was also the main cause of the Kenneth crash, It was clear he missed the gate and was third into the first corner, but by keeping the power on, before locking up, he created the problem of squashing Kenneth into the fast gating Pederson, I appreciate it was a racing incident with a lot at stake. But surely the head has to rule the heart at times like that. Can't imagine better riders taking them chances, His actions of laying his bike down later, when out thought by Pedersen, highlights his attitude of conning the Ref. Again, can't imagine riders like Hancock ever doing that.... Having had 3 bad crashes in as many years Kenneth has had more than his fair share of bad injuries and none being his fault.. He has taken some time to get back to the rider he was, He didn't deserve that last night..........