Tom Farndon

[stuartroad]

maccattack said:

Norbold,i thought Tom appeared in one of the films from the 30s.Didn't grachan uncover the fact that the BFI found an existing German copy?Can't remember the title.Money for Speed?

tom,ron j and a few others appeared in "the britannia of billingsgate" 1933

[Genghis]

Norbold, thanks for the figures - all the pre-war champions were top notch riders judging merely by those stats (I know Donsking doesn't like going merely by stats, but with some of the older riders, it's hard to do anything else).

I guess the post-war figures of, say, Freddie Williams, may not to be quite so good. Reading through the comtemporary Speedway News, there seems to be an opinion that Williams was just about amongst the top ten riders in the world, but that his two World Championships came about as they were staged on his home track.

All the best
Rob

[Deleted]

Tom Farndon did appear in Britannia of Billingsgate, but I don't suppose his appearance in that gives a real feeling of what he was like in real competition, not that I've seen it.

It was always said that Williams only won the World Championship twice because it was staged at his home track of Wembley. Stenner's Annual used to rank riders each year. In 1950, the first year he won the World Championship, he was only ranked number 6; in 1953, the second year, he was ranked no. 4, which was the highest ranking he ever achieved.

[stuartroad]

norbold said:

Tom Farndon did appear in Britannia of Billingsgate, but I don't suppose his appearance in that gives a real feeling of what he was like in real competition, not that I've seen it.

It was always said that Williams only won the World Championship twice because it was staged at his home track of Wembley. Stenner's Annual used to rank riders each year. In 1950, the first year he won the World Championship, he was only ranked number 6; in 1953, the second year, he was ranked no. 4, which was the highest ranking he ever achieved.

you haven't missed much norbold,not any worthwhile footage.

[admin]

norbold said:

It was always said that Williams only won the World Championship twice because it was staged at his home track of Wembley.

Williams isn't unique in that respect, of course. Few would've given much thought to Szczakiel winning a final anywhere other than Poland in 1973 (before the largest crowd ever at a world final?), while Egon Muller's triumph in 1983 would surely be put down to it being held at Norden. But, like Williams, they're down in the history books as world champions and no one can take it away from them.

[Deleted]

True, Subedei. Williams was also runner-up in 1952, so he must have had something!

[Genghis]

admin said:

norbold said:

It was always said that Williams only won the World Championship twice because it was staged at his home track of Wembley.

Williams isn't unique in that respect, of course. Few would've given much thought to Szczakiel winning a final anywhere other than Poland in 1973 (before the largest crowd ever at a world final?), while Egon Muller's triumph in 1983 would surely be put down to it being held at Norden. But, like Williams, they're down in the history books as world champions and no one can take it away from them.

Sub,

I could be wrong, but I thought the 1976 World Final (won by Peter Collins) was Speedway's biggest-ever attendance, followed the 1973 World Final.

I've got a video of the 1973 final and Szczakiel was a worthy winner on the day, in his fourth ride he got pushed back to fourth, but recovered to take second, while it took a ruthless move from Olsen to beat him in Heat 18 to force the Szczakiel vs Mauger run-off. Unlike Plech he received no favours during that final, and he outgated Mauger in the run-off, which took some doing.

But yes he wouldn't have won anywhere but Poland.

All the best
Rob

[Genghis]

norbold said:

True, Subedei. Williams was also runner-up in 1952, so he must have had something!

Norbold,

He must have been a good rider, but no doubt the venue helped!

On a more controversial note, would Briggo have been more successful than Ove Fundin, had the majority of finals been held away from Wembley in the 1950s and 1960s.

Fundin won one championship away from Wembley (at Malmo in 1961) and Briggo won two (at Ullvei in 1964 & 1966).

So was Fundin as good as claimed, as was much of it down to the Wembley location for 12 of his World Finals. Was Briggo actually the better rider??

All the best
Rob

[admin]

genghis said:

Unlike Plech he received no favours during that final, and he outgated Mauger in the run-off, which took some doing.

But yes he wouldn't have won anywhere but Poland.

All the best
Rob

A bit of a dubious start in the run-off, though:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufP5T64GNzk

A rolling start Mr Mauger would've been proud of.

[Deleted]

genghis said:

On a more controversial note, would Briggo have been more successful than Ove Fundin, had the majority of finals been held away from Wembley in the 1950s and 1960s.

Fundin won one championship away from Wembley (at Malmo in 1961) and Briggo won two (at Ullvei in 1964 & 1966).

So was Fundin as good as claimed, as was much of it down to the Wembley location for 12 of his World Finals. Was Briggo actually the better rider??

All the best
Rob

Now I can talk from the experience of seeing them both in their prime! In my opinion, Ove Fundin was definitely the better of the two and the greatest post-War rider. I don't really see that the location of the finals had much to do with it.

[admin]

We're getting so far into the "post-war" era now that we perhaps need a new "era" - maybe the "post-cold war era".
But, young norbold, since everyone knows Bruce Cribb was the greatest rider of all time, your argument is flawed.

[Deleted]

Your view that Bruce Cribb was the greatest rider of all time reminds me of Thommo's views on evolution....

[admin]

I really ought to get around to reading the "Facing the Big Man" thread, if only to see what all the fuss is about.
I trust that "Clarence Darrow" norbold is setting him straight?

[Deleted]

Yes, you should read it, Sub. It's up to 28 pages now.

More Richard Dawkins than Clarence Darrow I think...

[admin]

norbold said:

More Richard Dawkins than Clarence Darrow I think...

Ah, the selfish gene.