Latest news with #speedway
BBC News
3 days ago
- Automotive
- BBC News
'Norwich speedway helped break Cold War barriers'
The rousing success of a Soviet speedway team at a Norwich track helped create unity at the height of the Cold War, a historian has USSR test team had toured Britain's speedway clubs in 1964 but achieved legendary status at the Soviet Russia v Norwich Stars meeting that July.A depleted squad "rode out of their skins", impressing the home crowd and local journalists, Dr Richard Mills Mills, based at the school of history at the University of East Anglia, has explored the sport's links with the Eastern Bloc for the city's inaugural Norwich History Festival. "It really was a moment where speedway broke through those Cold War divides, broke through the barriers," he added."A four-man Soviet team raced in front of a packed Firs stadium [off Cromer Road in Hellesdon], and they won the meeting."Publications like the Eastern Daily Press spoke glowingly about these riders and the way they behaved - the miraculous fact they had beaten a Norwich Stars team full of its Swedish legends."There was a realisation that many people on the other side of the barrier are just like you and me, and sport was something everyone can unite behind and get together over." The link between East Anglia and the USSR brought other benefits the 1970s, Skoda set up its headquarters at the Port of King's Lynn and brought in thousands of vehicles, including speedway bikes and tractors."You had an ironic opportunity for communist organisations, state-run factories effectively, to use speedway to market their products," added Dr Mills. "The first marketing tie-up and the first fully sponsored team in Great Britain was the Peterborough Skoda Panthers in the early 1980s. "Speedway was the tip of the iceberg but there was a whole raft of relationships -Lowestoft shipbuilders were building fishing trawlers for the Soviet Union in the 1950s, you had Norwich making various bits of machinery for factories in Siberia, and you had east German tractors coming into King's Lynn." Dr Mills said the "human legacy and historic legacy" continues to this day, with the Norwich Stars resurrected as the King's Lynn Stars at the Adrian Flux decades the club has signed multiple riders hailing from the former Eastern Bloc, including the reigning Czech Republic champion Jan Kvě Norwich History Festival, which runs to Friday, aims to present history as a living topic relevant to our theme is rebels and radicals, with the 1549 Kett's Rebellion and lesser-known uprisings among the numerous subjects in the festival calendar. Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
The Sun
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
‘I got to see what it looked like if I was dead' says Tai Woffinden as Speedway icon reveals horror details of coma
TAI WOFFINDEN has admitted he got to see 'what it looked like if I was dead' after coming out of a coma. The five-times world champion has opened up further on his ordeal in the immediate aftermath of the horror crash in Poland on March 30. 9 9 9 Woffy, 34, broke over FIFTEEN bones and was placed in an induced coma after three major operations to save his life. The crash happened when Woffinden collided with a teammate and hit a fence behind a protective barrier. It left him with a double break in his right leg, a broken back, broken shoulder, multiple broken ribs, a punctured lung, fractured arm and extensive blood loss. The Great Britain hero and wife Faye revealed more details on his recovery and he simply 'does not know' if he'll ever return to the track. Woffinden, who is the country's most decorated rider after winning Grand Prix world titles in 2013, 2015 and 2018, has also spoken for the first time to The Sun about the acceleration of his DJ career which he is focused on while out of action. The Scunthorpe-born racer is teaming up with a massive dance superstar Oliver Heldens, who was the DJ for Man City's title celebrations and is helping Jack Grealish learn the trade. The track released this week, The Orange Room, derives from the iconic movie Clockwork Orange. On his future, he said: 'Honestly I don't know what the plan is moving forward or if I'm going ride again. 'We are currently selling up in the UK. We don't know where we are going to live next year, we don't know if we are going to be in Europe or if I'm going to ride again. 'I feel like I'd like to sit on my bike at some point and maybe do a few laps but I just don't know. 'I've got a goal in my head to be back as fast as I can but that's just something I need to chase, to focus on and give me that drive. The reality is I don't know what's next for me.' Woffinden was due to get further MRI scan tests back at the start of the week which will clarify whether he needs another operation on the humerus in his arm. 'I'm just happy to be alive' - Tai Woffinden wells up and admits he may need further operations after terrifying crash He also revealed horrifying details of how he came out of a coma and having to deal with hallucinations. He added: 'I was like a psycho when I woke up. I looked like an 80-year-old crackhead with a nice set of teeth! 'Basically because I was angry and scared because of the strong drugs I was hallucinating like crazy. 'I was like moving around. I wanted to walk, stand-up, I wanted to get comfortable. 'There was one time they put mittens on my hands and tied my hands and legs so I couldn't kick, move or roll around. 'Because I was moving so much and the amount of injuries I had. They said to Faye if he doesn't calm down, we'll put him back in a coma. Thankfully I stopped. 'They noticed when Faye was by my side, I was really relaxed, I'd calm down and she'd talk to me and I'd listen.' 9 There was also the terrifying feeling of reading back on the tributes while he was fighting for his life. He continued: 'We've had so much support from the people we are close to but also fans. To hear stadiums like Wroclaw, Torun and others all cheering my name. 'I went back on my socials and was looking back on all the stuff. 'I woke up from the coma and looked back on my socials. 'I got to see what it looked like if I was dead. It was really weird, a really strange feeling. 'When I was in a coma no one really knew what was going on. All the messages, it was wild. 'Rehab has been full gas and here we are now.' 9 While his recuperation is remarkably rapid, Woffinden has turned his full attention to his music career which has been building steadily in his spare time over the past few years. But it's certainly set to take a massive leap in success. He added: 'Using a speedway analogy to describe where I am in dance music, I'm probably in the National Development League. But now I've teamed up with Tomasz Gollob. 'On Friday we release a big collaboration with an artist called Oliver Heldens. 'He's a Dutch DJ, kind of house, trance, techno DJ, who's a household name in dance music. 'When Man City won their last Premiership title, he was the DJ on their bus taking them around Manchester doing the music. 9 'He's been teaching Jack Grealish how to DJ and stuff. He's a pretty big deal. So we basically made a track. 'The Orange Theme is out on Friday. It's actually a derivative of a symphonic track from the 1600s. 'It's actually been covered a few times. So most famously it features in the film A Clockwork Orange, it's part of the theme tune. 'And in dance music terms, the biggest version was in the late 90s. Again, it was called The Orange Theme by a group called Cygnus X. 'This is going to be big. Can't wait to get it out there.' 9 9
BBC News
23-06-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Tai Woffinden: Speedway champion admits he might not race again
Three-time speedway world champion Tai Woffinden has admitted he "does not know" if he will return to the 34-year-old, from Scunthorpe, was placed into a medically-induced coma after a serious crash in Poland in sat down with his wife Faye to discuss the crash on his Youtube channel and admitted he did not know "what the plan is moving forward" or "if I'm going ride again"."I feel like I'd like to sit on my bike at some point and maybe do a few laps but I just don't know," he said. The crash, on 30 March, happened when Woffinden collided with a teammate and hit a fence behind a protective left him with a double break in his right leg, a broken back, broken shoulder, multiple broken ribs, a punctured lung, fractured arm and extensive blood said: "I was sliding along the track and I knew it was going to hurt. I heard my femur snap. I couldn't see either of my hands because my arm was broken."I was completely conscious through everything that happened and remember everything from the crash. I was in the helicopter being airlifted to hospital and that's when I passed out."Woffinden, who is the country's most decorated rider after winning Grand Prix world titles in 2013, 2015 and 2018, said he was unsure if he would ride said: "I've got a goal in my head to be back as fast as I can but that's just something I need to chase, to focus on and give me that drive."The reality is I don't know what's next for me." Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
Daily Mail
14-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Speedway legend Tai Woffinden fights back tears as he admits he's 'lucky to be alive' following horror crash that left him in a coma
Three-time world speedway champion Tai Woffinden has opened up on his recovery process after suffering a crash that left him fighting for his life in a coma. The 34-year-old, regarded as Britain's most successful rider in the sport, is now walking again following the catastrophic incident during a race in Krosno, Poland, in March. Woffinden suffered more than 15 broken bones — including a double compound femur fracture, shattered humerus, 12 broken ribs and a dislocated shoulder — after being thrown into the air fence at high speed. He was airlifted to hospital and placed in a medically induced coma after undergoing multiple major surgeries. Woffinden, who has represented Great Britain at the highest level for more than a decade, was in attendance at the British Speedway Grand Prix at Belle Vue in Manchester over the weekend. When asked how he is feeling, three months on from the incident, he said: 'Like a broken 80-year-old man. 'But look, the last seven weeks have been really tough - a lot of rehab, four-five hours a day Monday to Friday, you get the weekends off - now I'm back in the gym with Kirk in the UK. 'Was at the gym this morning and yesterday and we're planning on staying here in England for a little bit longer and then focus on the gym work now rather than the rehab.' Woffinden then admitted he may require further surgery as a result of his injuries. He continued: 'I got another scan at the end of the month which will determine if I need a second operation on my arm - my right humerus. Fingers crossed I don't, but if I do, I do and yeah we'll just deal with it. 'It's a mindset, you know. At a young age I got my black belt in martial arts in Australia, the second youngest. And I transferred over to Speedway and then won my world championships. 'Everything I do I put 110 per cent into and rehab and recovering from broken bones I have the same mindset and we just get after it.' The Scunthorpe-born speedster went on to address his potential return to Speedway. When asked if a comeback in the near future would be too soon, he conceded: 'Yeah,' before explaining that he misses riding his bike, rather than racing specifically. Woffinden then fought back tears as he simply admitted he is grateful to still be alive. He added: 'It was a tough one you know, I woke up from the coma and was like I'm done, I don't want to deal with this again. 'And some days go by and I'm like, yeah I fancy having a ride, maybe not racing but maybe ride my bike again. 'It's way too soon. I don't know what my future has to hold and I'm just happy to be alive.'
BBC News
14-06-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Manchester Belle Vue Stadium prepares to host biggest speedway event
Manchester's Belle Vue stadium will be shown to a global audience as it prepares to host one of the world's biggest motorcycle speedway £8m racing arena already hosts elite national and international speedway events but this weekend will mark a first for the stadium as it presents the 2025 FIM World Speedway riders will compete in 46 races on the track, getting up to speeds of 75 and 80mph for rounds four and five of the ATPI FIM Speedway GP of Great Crump, three-time speedway champion, said Belle Vue was regarded as "one of the best speedway racing tracks in the world". He said: "It is quite amazing the transformation that has happened to Belle Vue because this stadium is 10 years old and already hosting a speedway grand prix. "It seems like a long time but it is also not that of a long time so see it here, probably one of the best speedway racing tracks in the world, it's a bit of a surprise and really exciting and I'm looking forward to seeing the action get under way." Motorcycle speedway involves four and sometimes up to six riders competing over four anti-clockwise laps of an oval Bewley, of the Manchester based motorcycle racing team, Belle Vue Aces and 2024 Speedway Grand Prix of Great Britain winner, will be competing in the events along with Aces captain Brady Kurtz. Both riders have already finished on the podium this season, each with a second place in the first two riders competing include former Ace Stockport's Charles Wright along with former Ace and former British Champion Chris 'Bomber' Lemon, chief executive of Belle Vue Speedway, said: "We have a 97 consecutive year record of running speedway here in Manchester at Belle Vue and to implement that by giving everyone the grand prix, the highest status, justifies the great job that is being put in behind the scenes." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer.
