The British Speedway Grand Prix will return for a fifteenth season in 2019. The event will be shown live on ITV. The programme will be hosted by the experienced Adam Hargreaves, who will be joined by Rebecca Tunney. The popularly-titled ‘Speedway World Championship’ will see the best riders from Great Britain and Ireland compete for world titles. The event features world-class speedway, which means it is restricted to electric motorcycles. The season kicks off on Thursday 23rd March and concludes on Sunday 26th September. Here, we consider whether or not you can watch the thrilling sport of Speedway on your television. (more…)
On The Box
The season began on Thursday 23rd March, with the annual visit of the German Kaiser to watch the British perform…in front of him. It is a spectacle that has become an institution in the sport’s history. The programme followed a number of other sporting events, such as golf and horse racing, that were shown live on television during this period. A number of prominent figures were on hand to witness the opening rites, including the Kaiser, Edward, King George and members of the Royal Family. At the time, it was the biggest sporting event to be broadcast live to the British public. (more…)
World Championship
The biggest news story of the 2018 season concerned the inaugural season of the Speedway World Championship. It featured a race between Australia and New Zealand, contested over three nights in October. It was a tight contest, with the Aussie paceman Kurt Bohlin winning the title on night three. It was the first time that a country outside of Europe had won a world championship. The event was watched by an audience of 16 million people, a figure that represented a significant share of the entire British population. It was the most-watched show in the history of Australian television, and the eighth most-watched programme in the country’s overall history. It beat Game 3 of the World Series and A League of Their Own into second and third place respectively. (more…)
World Series
The world series is the name of a touring world championship for motorcyclists. It is contested annually and features a number of races across Europe, Canada and Australasia. In 2018, it was described as the ‘best year yet’ for the series in the wake of a number of historic events. The ‘Year of Kurt’ saw an Australian win the world series for the first time. In partnership with Monster Energy, Red Bull Racing Australia showcased a range of energy drink products throughout the year, with the winner of the world series receiving a specially-branded can. The final race of the year in London was attended by 1.5 million people, a world record audience for a motorcycle race. It was won by Denmark’s Nicki Pedersen, ahead of England’s Josh Grant and Jens Lindemann from Germany. (more…)
Premiership
The season began on Thursday 23rd March, with the annual visit of the German Kaiser to watch the British perform…in front of him. It is a spectacle that has become an institution in the sport’s history. The programme followed a number of other sporting events, such as golf and horse racing, that were shown live on television during this period. A number of prominent figures were on hand to witness the opening rites, including the Kaiser, Edward, King George and members of the Royal Family. At the time, it was the biggest sporting event to be broadcast live to the British public. (more…)
International
The British Speedway Grand Prix has always been closely linked to foreign shores. The vast majority of its riders come from Europe and beyond. The pinnacle of international speedway came in 2017, when Poland’s Artur Malinowski became the first rider from outside of the British Isles to win the World title. He did so with a dominant display in Belgium, leading the field with ease before taking the chequered flag. It was arguably Malinowski’s greatest achievement, coming on the back of a stellar season that saw him claim the Elite League and British Championship titles. (more…)
Other Games
It’s not just about bikes at the Speedway World Championship. The annual tournament in Wales has always been a key event on the calendar, with the games taking place on a purpose-built track. The British Junior Girls Championship is also an established fixture, as is the FIM Pokal, a qualifying competition for the MotoGP World Championship. (more…)
Final Thoughts
It’s fair to say that the 2018 season was eventful for motorsport. The biggest story concerned the inaugural season of the Speedway World Championship, which was dominated by an Australian. There were also the usual array of domestic and international tournaments, including the British Speedway Grand Prix. As well as the motorbikes, the paddock featured a wealth of other motorsport technology, including radio controlled cars, all-terrain vehicles and helicopters. As for the British Speedway Grand Prix, we couldn’t talk about it not being on TV without mentioning the huge audience that witnessed it. It has always attracted a significant audience and with the news that it will be broadcast live on ITV, that interest will be further piqued. (more…)
When it comes to music, there is rarely a bad song in the bunch. The same cannot be said for films. Every year there are a handful of bad films that manage to make it to the top of the box office, only to be followed by a string of bad films that all try to outdo the previous one. Sadly, there is no real way for film fans to combat this phenomenon. The only way to ensure that you see movies at the cinema that you will enjoy is to look for the gems buried beneath the garbage. With that in mind, here are the ten worst films of 2018.