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The letter Q is rare in Swedish. It was commonly used in ordinary words until the late 19th century, when it was replaced by K. Since about 1900 Swedish dictionaries only show common words with a k rather than q. However, proper names kept their Q despite the change made to common words. I recall looking into this in the late 1960s, principally because there were occasional spellings of (Tommy) Bergqvist as Berqkvist and (Hasse) Holmqvist as Holmkvist, whereas when they arrived at Cradley Heath and Wolverhampton respectively their names were recorded in programmes, magazines and newspapers as Bergquist and Holmquist, quickly becoming Bergqvist and Holmqvist. I understand quist is an older version of qvist. As they are proper names the correct version should presumably be Bergqvist and Holmqvist, with the same applying to Malmqvist and Lofqvist.

50 yrs to the day and date can u remember comets fans what u were doing, i was 12 and on the sunday before mother made us go to sunday school at st michaels and we could here this noise coming fron derwent park,so we sneaked in over the infamous sewer pipe and saw out first bikes going round ,the noise and the smell was fantastic. Jeff brownhut saw us and we asked if we could get in for nothing on friday night he laughed and said stand at the pit gate and we would get in,true to his work a load of us kids got in that night and that was it we were hooked.i wish i could remember more apart from standing next to the safety fence and soon moving after the first race.Both ian and jeff are no longer with us but i and many others owe them a lifetime of memories and of course thanks to Tony mole i often wonder what us kids would have done without the comets in our school days, cycle speedway tracks everywhere bikes picked up at hanrattys scrap yard trips away to many other tracks,its a crying shame my grandkids who luved going will not have the pleasure we had as kids following our heros. so heres to 50 yrs and hopefully one day the Comets will rise again. Give us C etc .

Absolutely. The marketing of the sport is hugely flawed, but I still believe that the basic product is still very good. I don't have much truck with "better in the old days" crowd. Much of today's action is equally good if not better that what has gone in the past. Ditto, some of the dross of today is matched by the past too. From my first meeting it has always stood out as a unique and special sport. Four crazy guys skidding around a track with no brakes on for minute long races...and the smeil too.. oh the smell! I like a lot of sports, but at its best, I still believe nothing compares to it.

Afternoon Today's true storey (cough cough) Two teenagers, Fred and Joe, meet after school and Fred is all excited: “Hey buddy I was at the most awesome party this weekend! We went to this dude’s house and guy had toilets made of pure gold!” “No way!” says Joe “Yes way,” insists Fred, “come with me and check it out for yourself if you don’t believe me.” Twenty minutes later they’re ringing the doorbell at the place. A middle-aged lady opens the door and Fred eagerly asks her, “Hi! I’m sorry to bother you but there was a party at your house yesterday and my friend doesn’t believe that you have toilet bowls made of pure gold!” The lady looks at him for a moment and then yells into the inside of the house, “Roger, the pig that shat in your trombone is here! Regards THJ

Hope it comes online am to tight to buy the paper

So 2021 may be closer to a level playing field ..... Could be an opportunity for the UK to re-establish a stronger position

Long track but worthy of the thread imo. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OV3Ltyyt-A

Malcolm Simmons was another who had his name spelled wrongly in the early days as Malcolm Simmonds.

If you are a Facebook user, we are having a weekly speedway quiz on our usual Thursday race night. The questions and instructions are posted on the Wightlink Warriors and Wightlink Wizards Supporter’s Club Fb page at 19.00 with the answers posted the following Sunday. No prizes, just a bit of fun. Why not have a look and try your luck?

Can't go out to buy said paper as not essential in the current situation !! Will look online later

Another good race. Gardening at the start? Remember Garry Middleton getting up to all sorts of tricks before settling down at the commencement of a race in an effort to unsetttle his opponents and, of course, Ivan was a master at it! Enjoyed hearing Dave Lanning's commentary...no shouting or hysterics!

This is well worth a look. Take care Danny and clan

Maybe the BSPA are using all this downtime to take a long hard look at how to make the sport popular again and to relaunch in 2021? Sorry I have been on the vino lmao

Me too, as I spend mot of my work hours staring at a screen. I often read at work where peeps will sometimes ask "did you see last nite's match, wasn't it great" I deliberately reply "Oh you mean Belle Vue v Swindon (or whoever) when Fricke came from nowhere to win , brilliant!" . They often reply "no, Man U v Liverpool or (whoever)" . But whatever works for you, great read either way....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xud_knQciZc This one doesn't disappoint, another edge of the seat one when I watched it live.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3Ic4sLUPIE

I've actually seen the same for Christer Lofqvist and Gunnar Malmqvist.

Nor just in the early days. I was watching the video (on YouTube) last week of the 1986 NLRC; it was "Simmonds" on there...

Things will be so bad soon that you will count them and make an announcement on here Others will be so bored that they will ask for you to post a picture so they can count too and check you are correct

Well I can’t help you out there, most of my hair is on my big toes ...

Still a youngster in speedway supporters terms if my maths are correct.

We had gone for a Plan A events 'blow out' 2020 on these rather than a 2 weeks all inclusive somewhere in August I think we all hope Plan B of the holiday in August will be an option - if not we will all be tearing our hair out (well for me what little I have left anyway )

You got way too much money Bruv looking at that list

Seen that the polish top league clubs have all received 600,000 zlt around £120,000 as part payment from tv deal which is a good help. However they are still saying rider contracts will have to be renegotiated because their other income from local government and sponsorship from large companies is unlikely to be given, companies will no longer have the cash for speedway because of coronavirus and the same goes from local government.

Rosco watching a tv screen rather than the track speaks volumes

Just look it

Maybe because they don't know if or when the season will start, and how many matches will take place? As far as I am concerned, they can roll my season ticket over to next year, and I can pay for the few matches which are likely to take place later on.

Fabulous...I was there! Speedway attracts a lot of criticism and, yes, many races were/are won for the gate (and I'm sure that the same applies today) but when the package is right what a sport! I always used to go home happy if I saw one superlative race in a meeting amongst some pretty standard fare which often depended on any particular track and surface which encouraged/discouraged good racing...not all tracks were so blessed due to the restrictive measures in place and still is the case today I'm sure. Keep the clips coming!

This gem...

She dont look bad as in todays "ss" she is masons brother

Hasse Holmkvist and Hasse Holmqvist.

Obviously, Willson is not a common spelling. We did have a large photo of Harry Willson on his bike. Not sure where it is right now; it may still be in storage, so I don't have access to that at the moment. I know you are probably wondering how I know some of this stuff. I really am not the antagonistic troll you think I am; I told you, I just have trouble dealing with stupidity. I was born into speedway. My mum started going to Plough Lane in 1950, and she soon started taking her parents. They used to go to all the London tracks regularly. Their interest waned, but my mum (her maiden name was Valerie Phillips) really got involved and became the Secretary of the Wimbledon Supporters Club, and organised a lot of functions, like the old dinner/dances. She became good friends with a lot of riders. My dad started going in 1958, he met my mum, and then I came along. My dad also got heavily involved, and used to help out riders. When Sverre Harrfeldt would go home, my dad would drive him to and from the airport, and would have use of his car while he was in Norway. We got to know a lot of the riders over the years, including juniors like the Willsons, Bob Warner, and Freddie Sweet. When I was older, we would often spend time with Jim and Jill Tebby, and end up playing darts at Ron How's pub. So, it probably surprises you, but I have a true lifetime of "involvement" in speedway...

Actually Mal ave seen the size of your hoop you could probably get the bottle in there xx Regards THJ

Not really.... I only drink twice a week.... Once for four days and once for three... I have also been told to have a well balance diet... the best way to do that I have found is to have a drink in each hand.... Regards THJ

I was too young for this didn't know the sport existed until 27 after this! I wasn't born until 12 years after! It's an.outrage and a robery!

And the more British riders that get success, the better the national team becomes.. And the better the national team becomes, the more the mainstream media are interested.. The more the mainstream media are interested, the more domestic speedway can feed off the back of it.. The cricket and rugby union's organisational leaders saw this year's ago and brought in central contracts for their elite so they could control their training, diets, health and well being etc, and development plans to bring through home grown talent to ensure that if the elite go off into other more lucrative playing zones, that a conveyer belt of talent is there to replace them... They knew that nothing generates high media interest in their respective sports more than a strong, successful national team, and then, on the back of that, they would get better crowds and sponsorship for their domestic game.. Saracens, Wasps, Leicester etc winning the Championship in Rugby, Lancashire, Yorkshire, Essex etc winning the County Championship in Cricket. Won't bring anywhere near the coverage for either sport that a World Cup win would bring for the national team. Their respective organisations knew this and did something about it.. UK Speedway instead seemingly must have had a plan to help train up every other Speedway riding nation's riders, often replacing UK riders to do so.. All to try and win a title, that the only recognition you get is a buffet in the town hall and a selfie with the mayor..

Isn't there a form that the captain has to sign to say riders have been paid? Was Steve your captain last year? This is why I find that the system is wrong when riders that do not get paid, withhold their services until they do get paid, but get a 28 day ban!

Sums up the problem . Three of those names agree 100% with. They have little or no influence though at BSPA which is a closed shop of inward looking thinking.. Bishop promotes an NDL team very well but NDL has always been something the BSPA treat as an aside. Kilby has been around a few Clubs and seems to have found a niche at Swindon, meaning he didn't have time to do much with us brummies, but very positive force. Painter is probably the most interesting, involved in motor sport and speedway for a number of years, he now runs Team GB and in a few years they have developed incredibly well and professionally. throw in 2 other names who could have a lot more influence. Adrian Smith CEO at Belle Vue very professional and forward thinking. Peter Facenna at Glasgow is part of a family who have delivered an amazing business model and invested significant sums in to Glasgow. Smith and Facenna should be spearheading the Sport with Painter (all very successful businessmen) guys like Kilby and Bishop focused on marketing it. Not product that needs tinkering with but dead heading those driving the product and bringing in real talent. All of those will be lost though if they feel they are just banging there head against an immovable brick wall.

Even lots of "top class" boxing matches will have an under card of several "local lads".. The main reason being the promoters know that they will sell tickets.. Many of them will shift 250 and more and at that rate, having just four local lads on the bill will get you 1000 or more punters in. (Which even at a discount rate of 30 quid or so is still a pretty penny).. Speedway in the UK, instead of focusing on having local lads and building their profile, seems to spend hours rearranging fixture lists to ensure a boat load of average journeyman Frenchman, Swedes, Danes, Germans, Slovaks, Italians, etc etc etc all get to race when they tell us they are available.. Names that will mean very little in their own towns and countries never mind locally in towns and cities in England or Scotland.. A very strange plan..

I think he had a brother, Punch...

Nicki Pedersen has tested positive Mild symptoms apparently, get well soon Nicki

Tony Jackson said in this weeks Speedway Star that he was going to organise a 50th year celebration of Workington Speedway but with his health problems and the Coronavirus outbreak it will now not be happening.