Ommerin' Around
Exclusive Website Column for cradleyspeedway.co.uk by Keith Burrows
Ommerin' Around
Exclusive Website Column for cradleyspeedway.co.uk by Keith Burrows
This time last year I predicted that the 2007 Play-offs would be contested by
Peterborough, Swindon, Reading and Coventry. Not too far out with everyones favourites Poole replacing Reading from my original prediction.
Reading imploded in mid season with Greg H quiting the club and BSI seeming to lose interest with gates at the sub 1000 mark. However a new promotion helped them limp over the line, with a much reduced rider strength. Oxford didn’t make it that far, and had to quit mid season after a dismal run that caused crowds to ebb away.Although never one of my favorite clubs, goes back to the mid Eighties rivalries, I was still upset to see them go, as Oxford have a long tradition of speedway at Sandy Lane. One has to speculate as to whether they will ever return, given the proximity of the housing and the seeming disinterest of the Stadium owners.
Coventry inspired by their English top two duo with good backing throughout the team and following a mid season signing of Steve Johnston looked unstoppable once they got going, Swindon looked good but failed when the going got tough and ended up with nothing to show for the seasons efforts. Peterboro where as usual good at the Showground but poor on their travels, and as for Poole well they never had a chance with a one leg away semi final to get through.
Must mention good progress for the new promotion at Arena Essex Lakeside or what ever they have changed their name too, improved results and reports that crowds are up, see Reading and Oxford it can be done!
As for other matters, I got the WTC final correct and even though it isn’t in writing anywhere cleaned up with the bookies by getting 8-1 for the combined Poland/Norway team to win it. Which they just about managed, despite a valiant effort from Denmark who tried everything possible to retain their crown won at Reading in 2006, but just couldn’t quite do it , great effort though, and great viewing. Biggest shock was the 26 point gap between the winners and possibily the pre meeting favorites Australia, Adams never got going on his home Polish track and Sullivan and Crump only won 3 races between them all night. The performance of the English lads was actually worse than expected and just showed the gap that needs closing when we get on these fast foreign tracks.
As for the Individual World Title Nicki Pedersen raced from the traps in the first two GPs and never looked as though he would be caught, he was quick and motivated, and was a deserving Champion. Adams didn’t make enough Finals although he did actually win 3. Jason Crump looked slow all year. As for the Brits Harris and Nicholls they finished together in 8th and 9th despite the infamous incident in Germany with Scott ploughing into Bomber when desparate to for GP points to ensure qualification, that no doubt led to some interesting exchanges of views. Bomber got nominated anyway courtesy of a good debut season and a great win in Cardiff, so all ended well, but how Scott didn’t get excluded in that incident this writer will never know!
And that was it, the season was over, Reading dropped down a division, a much reduced points limit was put in place for the Elite League, (but why the precise 38.85 was agreed god only knows)
2008
Elite League
The limit mentioned above led to some interesting team choices in the Elite League. No place for Hamill, (who I suspect wanted to return) or Hancock (who I suspect didn’t!) or the World Champion at Eastbourne, in truth he didn’t ride much for them last year anyway. Crump returned to Belle Vue who in the bizarre world of speedway now have a transfer cheque and the rider. Poole forced into a choice between Bjarne Pedersen and Jason Crump rather bizarrely chose Pedersen, although this must be based on the premise that with the general reduction in team strengths Bjarne will get close to Jase’s scoring anyway. It could only happen in speedway, the current World number 3 and former World Champion kicked out for a steady but totally uninspiring rider who never has won anything and never will. Just shows you that sea air isn’t good for the brain. Why do the fans put up with such stupidity? Perhaps because they are s… (Editors Note CENSORED)
The teams this year look to be fairly even. Some attempts at team building are bizarre, we should expect that some riders with a current average of 5-7 will end up as 8-9 point men, and pick a couple of these in your team and you will have a good season. The top men will never have had it so easy, I can see Adams, Crump, Andersen, all adding a point to their averages but Jonsson, Pedersen, Harris, Nicholls ,Schlien, Lindgren and Richardson all adding at least 2.
So what does it all mean?
Better than last year I feel, in addition to the above mentioned Jonsson, Shields and Kylmakorpi should up their averages, Play-offs
Possibly the best top 3 in the league, but then a team of unknowns; Mid Table.
I like this team, solid, and the top boys will up their averages Play-offs
Looks good , they have done well replacing Nicky P, but they are a mystery club to me. Where do they hide the crowd, as the place always looks deserted?, how do they manage competing against televised GPs on a Saturday, and why do they commit to 11 home meetings without their number 1? Play-offs
Could be good could be bad, in short I don’t know! So its got to be (hedging his bets!) Mid table
A Top 3 to rival the Aces, but back-up?????? Lower/Mid Table
Good at home again. Mid Table
Good to see Jarek back, old stager Louis will love the level of competition this year and have enough left to up his average, especially around Foxhall, Steve Johnson could be crucial. Play-offs
Solid, CVS continues the ‘team’ strategy. Just never seems to happen for them. Need a good local rival to return to pep them up. Mid Table
So in the Play-offs this year I’ve got Coventry, Ipswich, Eastboune and Lakeside. I suppose a change is as good as a rest!
Surveying the list we seem to have a lot who could be on the slide, but they all cant be so, random thoughts
Nicky Pedersen will again be the man to beat, although I expect a better challenge from Grumpy this year. Adams will be there or thereabouts but I will be shocked if he ends a lifetime of underachievement by ever winning this. Hans Andersens performances disappointed me last year, so I think he will do better this year, Gollob will be great in Poland and on some of the bigger tracks , but will struggle in Wales, Denmark and Germany, could cut and paste this from any previous year! Hancock and Pedersen(B) will do well to maintain last years level of performance, but we now come to the most interesting bit, can Harris, Nicholls, Holta or Jonsson, make that step up into really top class. With my patriotic views I would love to see Scotty and The Bomber progress into the Top 6, however it will be difficult and Jonsson may prove a better bet. I will go for the status quo with Holta, so for me the Brits task next year is to get into the top 6, to do this they have got to get past Hancock and Gollob and possibly Adams as well, it’s a big ask, but they have the talent, I worry about the equipment sometimes! They need to be aiming for a semi-final spot at all GPs, and a final spot at most, none of the 5 point nonsense Chris please.
Cant see any of the others troubling the Top 6, however KK and Lindgren will no doubt have their moments as they are both talented and up and coming youngsters.
I see its just been announced that ‘The Richest Ever Race’ will again happen in Germany, (they are trying hard to get that one up and established!) altough this time it will be made up of the winners of the GPs Gothenburg, Copenhagen, Cardiff and Gelsenkirchen. Not exactly sure what would happen if say, Nicky Pedersen won all of them, however I would like to see that race!
4 Nicky Pedersens in one race, do you think that there would be any exclusions? Seriously though,last years was a big let down, and the racing was probably the poorest of the GP season in Germany, just goes to prove that money doesn’t guarantee everything!
Prediction
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‘Ommer Um Cradley!
Keith
Burrows
March 2008
Previous episodes of Ommerin' Around: [1] / [2] / [3] / [4] / [5] / [6] / [7] / [8] / [9] / [10]