| |||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
|
|
Soundbites: Best of 2005
"I never try to break records, that is not my main ambition. I just try to win as many races as I can, and if you win
races, then you will win GPs as well.
I know I only need a small, small slip and I won't be winning, so I need to stay focussed. I never take anything for
granted."
"That was sheer agony, but well worth it. It was a great meeting."
"I'll be badly out of pocket because I'm a self employed plasterer and earn £500 per week if working every day, while I
will also be losing my speedway earnings.
It means I'll have to win a lot of races when I come back, or otherwise get six numbers up on the Lottery!"
"It was a bit worrying for a while, but there has been a takeover and everything has been sorted out.
There's no point being a promoter if you can't pay the bills and although speedway is great fun, I do it for a living."
"I am aware that I'm getting booed, and it's not very nice. But if that's what the fans want to do I'll have to live with it. It's only a minority. I've got lots of supporters who are behind me. I just want to concentrate on my racing."
"We've reached an amicable agreement.
I am happy with the outcome.
Hopefully we can put the rent problem to bed now."
"In the nine years I have done this job, I have never felt so embarrassed, disgusted and
ashamed of a performance as I feel now.
Our travelling supporters deserved much better than that."
"You don't know me but you own my contract!"
"The problem with Zetterstrom is that he can dish it out, but cannot take it himself."
"There have been a lot of phone calls from a wide area from people wanting to know where the
track is and how much it costs to get in. Clearly they are people who haven't been before and
it is up to us to put on a well-run, professional show to encourage them to come back."
"I could never understand people booing him before he even started racing, it makes no sense.
He's proved people wrong and there's a lot more to pull out of him yet."
"One swallow does not make a summer. So I'd suggest that the Poole fans do not run to the hills just yet."
"People told me there was an injury jinx on the Comets and I just laughed at them. But I'm beginning to think there's something in that because all the riders have now had an injury."
"This is one of the biggest signings Glasgow have made for years. Leon is one of the hottest young talents in world speedway."
"We asked Glasgow to change but they refused.
They're crazy for going ahead with the match. No one will turn up to watch and they could have been more flexible."
"I'm not motivated by maximums anymore, money is all I care about now!
That's why I went out in heat 15 and I still ended up on my backside. That will teach me for chasing pound signs."
"We weren't happy with the track at all. It was like a sponge pudding on the second turn.
After a lot of debate we reluctantly decided to ride as we'd have been fined if we'd
pulled out. They ended up putting a white line round the bad bit - it looked like a chicane."
"Cameron is a rider whose head needs to be right. Hopefully he can ride through this current bad spell and come out stronger on the other side. His trouble is he cannot make starts and panics."
"This club was on its knees a year ago.
Whatever happens now, this has been a terrific season for us. We are the best team because we finished top of the league over 36 matches, and I don't agree with the silly play-off system.
We should be the champions now, not having to play a cup competition to win it."
"It's great to hear the Newcastle fans cheering me after all the boos they used to give me when I was riding here for Glasgow or Edinburgh."
"If the Comets supporters want to show their displeasure towards Compton for past events, then
that is fair enough. I'm sure he is man enough to take it."
"A hospital check revealed that I had broken my coccyx - the small tail bone at the bottom of your spine. I was told to
have bed rest and forget about riding for a month.
That was bad enough but the thought of my bike being written-off completely really got me upset."
"I'm feeling beat up and I'm sure I'll hurt like hell for a couple of days, but it will take more than that to keep me off
the bike.
I instinctively got up straight after the crash but I felt chest pains so had to take a couple of minutes on the track to
get myself right.
At least it gave the mechanics time to fix my bike!"
"I think Ivan Mauger should think about sharpening up his gating skills to protect his record."
"Whether you are a speedway rider, a tiddly winks player or a car salesman, if you don't get the results expected your job
is in jeopardy and I'm afraid that's the position Sam finds himself in.
There is no way I can tolerate a second heat leader failing to score and we have to act now to try and salvage the
season. I have been very concerned about Sam for a while and last night only heightened that. I will be looking all over
the world to see if there are suitable riders out there."
"The disappointing thing for me is that the riders were beaten before they went out. They all seem to have this thing in
their heads about the Exeter track. I could tell from the mood in the dressing room beforehand that we weren't going to
do very well. They just seem to take it for granted that they are going to have a bad night around the County Ground
track."
"I don't usually get too excited about speedway, but I went last year and the hairs on the back of my neck were
standing up. The atmosphere and the whole day was just great. It's the best speedway in the world."
"Apparently I am worth £36,000 according to the SCB, and I suppose it is quite flattering to be valued at that sort of
figure.
I am told Jason Crump also cost £36,000, and if I can achieve what he has achieved in the next few years, I will be
delighted."
"I never worried that I'd be dropped, how do you replace me?"
"Steve was absolutely delighted to be given the chance to ride for the Comets and we had agreed terms. Then less than 24 hours later, he rang back to say he would be out of action for six weeks.
He had been in his workshop with his six year-old son Reece. The boy had gone out to see his mother and unfortunately left his bike on the floor.
Steve turned round and fell over the bike, dropping the engine onto the foot which already had two broken bones. He had been actually working on the engine to bring it to Workington.
It's hard to believe but is just typical of the luck we've been having at Workington this season."
This article was first published on 31st December 2005
|
||||||||||||
| Please leave your comments on this article or on the site as a whole | |||||||||||||
