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During a break from my family tree research I decided to check out passenger lists of ships and found the following iconic entries Lionel Van Pragg - Listed as Professional Motor Cyclist. Arrival date as 3/4/1936 via New York on the "Aquitania" bound for Wembley Stadium. He departed from Southampton on the 3/10/1936 on board the "Empress of Britain" for Cananda. Of course during that period he became the first Speedway World Champion. Ronald (Ronnie) Moore - Arrival date as 13/5/52 via Sydney arriving at London on board the "Ranchi" Ivan Mauger - Listed as presser. Arrival date as 16/3/1957 via Wellington arriving at Southampton on board the "Rangitoto". Also date of departure as 23/10/1958 from London on the same ship. Barry Briggs - Listed as student. Arrival date as 13/5/1952 via Sydney arriving at London on board the "Ranchi". Same trip as Ronnoe Moore. Ove Fundin - Listed as mechanic (Address Strand Palace Hotel, London) Departure date as 13/10/1954 from Lodon and destination Sydney on board the "Oronsay" Peter Craven - Listed as speedway rider. Arrival date as 5/4/1957 at Southampton via Durban, South Africa on board the "Pretoria Castle' His wife Brenda was with him...may well have been on his honeymoon whilst riding?

All at Speedway Star are deeply saddened to learn of the death of Eric Linden, our founder and first-ever editor in 1952. Quite simply, without Eric, there would be no Speedway Star. Our thoughts are with his family and we will have a full tribute to Eric in next week's issue

A lot of people knock spectator sports on the head when they settle down and have kids, some never go again. I carried on going regardless. I've always been a selfish bugger!

As I’ve already posted here, that strategy isn’t going to bring new faces in. It is no more than just giving up. The over 50s who attend now are in the main long term fans of 20-30 plus years. A lot of them won’t be around in another 20-30 years, although at the rate we’re going they will outlive the sport anyway. Their contemporaries age wise will more likely than not have been exposed to the sport already at some point in their lives and decided they didn’t like it. And that will have been during a time when Speedway was in a better place than it is now. I’d be very concerned if the thought process of anyone involved in the sport was to market to over 50s solely because they make up the majority of the present, ever dwindling crowds. But then that is a very Speedway thing to do, worry about today rather than having any kind of long term plan.

It's amazing how people twist numbers... The reason those confirmed cases are closed is because of the death rate, and not - as you seem to suggest - the other way round. If you are honest, you would admit that the final death rate will not be anything like that. As far as people criticising those who "downplay" the virus on here, claiming comparisons are "invalid" need to look at it like this. 1) Nobody is attempting to downplay or trivialise the effect of COVID-19. Yes, it IS serious, particularly for the elderly and infirm. 2) As serious as it is, there are many other things in this world that afflict people, causing suffering and death, and in great numbers. Therefore all comparisons can be classed as "valid". 3) As has been said, regular flu/pneumonia/respiratory afflictions kill people in HUGE numbers every year. The fact that most people are willing to sweep these under the carpet seems to indicate that the general public a) don't believe these numbers, b) don't WANT to believe these numbers, or c) don't care. 4) You're worried about catching COVID-19? Be sensible. Take precautions. Wash your hands. Practice social distancing. Even taking something totally different, let's consider this: There have been 1.5 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 worldwide. In 2017, 2.2 million people needed medical attention due to motor vehicle accidents. In the United States ALONE! 14,802 Americans have died from COVID-19 so far, and everybody is scared. 37,133 Americans died in motor vehicle accidents in 2017. You want to kick it up a notch? 607,000 Americans die each year from cancer. 647,000 Americans die each year from heart disease. Nobody thinks about that. More to the point, nobody worries about that. If you were to multiply the current number of deaths in the US from COVID-19 by ten, that would be a total of 148,020. You see my point? Nobody is trying to trivialise COVID-19, but as bad as it is, it still doesn't - and won't - claim anywhere near the number of victims that other things do. Other things that seemingly aren't worth a second thought to most of you. People die. We are all going to die. If it's not from one thing, it will be another. It's not worse, or more important, to die from one thing rather than another, and just because a single virus is bringing the world to a standstill, many more people will die from many other causes. And will be ignored...

The big stars should never come back those days are over and UK speedway needs to let go of that dream and lay the foundations for future generations to enjoy the sport

Wimbledon would be impossible to manage. So many general admission tickets and soc is would mean they couldnt sensibly queue or manage. 2m between each group in the queue would end up with folk in Leatherhead. And having required numbers of nhs and control staff on site just to manage a normal day would make it impossible.

Bless you Ricky Ashworth https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTlHNDrDH0g.

Too right, absolute epic race, lost my voice in that one for sure. The whole of 1996 was amazing. I was fortunate enough to get to every match home and away that year and will never forget it, so many memories. Stewart McDonald in the Cup Final 1st leg at Long Eaton, riding injured.. Winning that final, with our home leg on a neutral track just topped it all I think. I remember the crowd that night was massive, Wolves, Peterborough and a load of Long Eaton fans there for the occasion too.

You do realise at least 80% of cases aren't tested? Try again with countries that test more. USA has tested the most, its 3.5% Even that's not accurate, as there will be thousands that aren't tested... plus there will be more die of those already tested. No figure can be given with any certainty at this stage. One thing is absolutely certain though, its nowhere near 6,8 or 10%.

Honestly Very slow on here!!! So how about this one just to keep things ticking over Furthermore and before anyone says anything I know its an old one but its still good and a true story I believe... (Cough Cough) So a man boarded an aeroplane and took his seat. As he settled in, he glanced up and saw the most beautiful woman boarding the plane. He soon realised she was heading straight towards his seat. As fate would have it, she took the seat right beside his. Eager to strike up a conversation he blurted out, “Business trip or pleasure?” She turned, smiled and said, “Business. I’m going to the Annual Nymphomaniacs of America Convention in Boston." He swallowed hard... Wow he though... Here was the most gorgeous woman he had ever seen sitting next to him, and she was going to a meeting of nymphomaniacs! Struggling to maintain his composure, he calmly asked, “So er what’s your business at this convention?” “Lecturer,” she responded. “I use information that I have learned from my personal experiences to debunk some of the popular myths about sexuality.” “Really?” he said. “And what kind of myths are there?” “Well,” she explained, “one popular myth is that African-American men are the most well-endowed of all men, when in fact it is the Native American Indian who is most likely to possess that trait. Another popular myth is that Frenchmen are the best lovers, when actually it is Scotsmen who are the best. I have also discovered that the lover with absolutely the best stamina is the Irish... Suddenly the woman became a little uncomfortable and blushed.. “I’m sorry,” she said, “I shouldn't really be discussing all of this with you. I don’t even know your name.” “Tonto,” the man said, “Tonto McTavish but my friends call me Paddy". Regards THJ

pssst don't tell DC or the Witch about this thread then

Why do you say that? If you put speedway in front of enough people, some will come back as paying customers. For me, the problem is getting them there. Speedway is quite a hard sell, four blokes on bikes going round in circles. Therefore you need to offer free admission to tempt people. I see no reason why an "ambassador" who works for a large local company couldn't rustle up 100 newbies for every home meeting. Give them a pre-meeting tour of the pits, watch a couple of heats from the centre green etc. and even if only 10% come back and pay the following week over the course of a season you've attracted 200 new fans and generated almost £40k in additional revenue for no outgoing expense. I think a lot has to do with why they stopped going. Crowds at Swindon fell noticeably when Leigh Adams retired. I'm not sure you could easily persuade people who used to watch Adams going wheel-to-wheel with the likes of Crump, Loram to come back to speedway and pay more for what they perceive as an inferior product. Of course, fans who simply got out of the habit might be easier to target.

Thanks for that...beats continually having to read posts about coronavirus. I'm looking for distractions during this period personally.

I think ( sorry in my opinion ) I believe that it would be better to scrap the whole season - oainful though that might be to riders, promoters etc. Because, things are not going to bounce back to normal immediately and attendances will likely be half of what they were last seaon, not double! This is because there is going to be a lot of reticence to going out needlessly ( fear of the second wave ) and things will get back to "normal" ( possibly ) in a stuttering manner. Things will probably be more like "back to normal" in 2021.

Such a trick track, it was voted Track of the Year again! Wide with many lines and so much passing, pity the recognised Homer's tracks are not as forgiving.Open all year for Amateurs and for practise It caters for all riders from World Champions to beginners.

BSI certainly don't have their heads in the sand and nor are they living in cloud cuckoo land.. They and the FIM are communicating daily to try and salvage and maintain some sort of schedule while effectively working in the dark, not knowing when sporting events such as theirs will be allowed to take place. All sorts of provisional dates and venues are being considered.

For me three things need to change massively if you want to keep 'team speedway' One. Credibility - You need an emotional attachment to 'your team'. When your own riders can assist your opponents to be more successful than your own team it simply doesn't engender any emotional attachment. eg Why spend all season following a team who ultimately don't reach the play offs because their best rider went out and won matches for opponents who did? Can't take that seriously. . Two. Marketing - Some people will say that lowering standards will lower attendances even further. Some will say we should just go it alone without GP stars as crowds are down to die hards now so won't drop significantly from the current position. The truth is bringing back GP riders will only bring back those who are aware of Speedway and used to go. Nikki P for example at Sheffield may put 500 on the gate in his first match. A huge increase for Sheffield but in reality a small actual number of fans. Fans, in the main, who used to go from Sheffield and stopped or/and fans from other 'local' clubs... Will that increase be sustained? Not a chance if it follows the usual 'novelty pattern' of 'top stars' returning which sees crowds drop back as the weeks go by.. The sport seems to spend hundreds and hundreds of thousands on riders who have zero impact to crowd levels as the vast majority of people living locally haven't a clue who they are, yet (it appears) hardly a penny is spent on a professional marketing company which could tangibly increase crowds through its output. Invest in this marketing to see if it works.. And Three - Race Nights. The sport has to take place on nights (or afternoons) that you can get most fans in. All business is defined by how many customers it has and any business which only opens when it's employees tell you they are available, so you end up with irregular opening times, is doomed to failure. For many, Speedway is 'entertainment first', so run it when most of your local population can attend. Get the opening hours right as a priority then decide on everything else after that as it doesn't matter what level of Speedway you put on if your opening times are barriers to your potential customers.. In short.. Make it credible so its worth fans actually investing their emotional loyalty into it. Invest in marketing to raise the profile of the sport and increase the awareness of non Speedway followers, as ultimately no matter what standard of rider or level you run at will make a difference if hardly anyone knows you exist. And finally, open your doors based on your knowledge of when your largest potential customer volume can get there and not when your employees' personal agenda allows you to do..

Sorry to hear this but have we not got enough bad news to deal with without posts like this.... however now that you have raised the elephant in the room Newcastle have lost another fan and former sponsor not only of the club but a major supporter of various past and present riders.... Brian Paddison lost the fight against Covid 19 last week and someone else who although hadn't been regularly to Brough over the last couple of seasons will be sadly missed... Both RIP but I doubt they will be the last to succumb... especially with this virus still rampant... Testing times for everyone... stay well stay safe and look after yourself... Regards THJ

Yes I also remember presenting Dag Lovaas with a bottle of champagne at the final meeting of 1975 on the centre green at Cowley. Funny but both Finn and George were riding in that meeting as was Gary Petersen which I guess may well have been his last meeting before he was tragically killed. I was hooked form the very first meeting I attended...probably the smell but I do recall being absolutely thrilled seeing these mad blokes riding bikes with no brakes and without a care it seemed. Great memories!

Sorry my mistake...yes he left for Canada on the 3rd October 1936.

Testing me were you norbold? LOL I really don't remember too much about it though....but I was struck by the name of Hofmiester even at that young age. The first World Final I really do remember was 1962....with my childhood hero winning.

The good old days Steve lol 2 of my biggest memories were going pillion with Finn Thomsen and George Hunter. Then going to 1977 Jubilee fancy dress a few weeks later with a face scarf Finn gave me, with my homemade Wolves bib, dads safety goggles etc etc!! I was hooked!

NOTHING to do with the BSPA ...

At Wolves you can go down to the pits pre-meeting, usually up until around 7pm. You don't go into the pits, but your standing alongside them looking in with numerous bikes against the barrier less than a metre away. Riders often wonder over for photos or a chat. There's usually around 100 or so fans congregated there.

Leaves time for it to stop raining and/or sort the track out if needed.

With only 800 people that would mean the old cheap side would be virtually empty.Last year at the Abbey the old cheap side bend two was filled quite nicely at times and is probably the best view to be had at the stadium now.

I went to Eastbourne last year to see Brummies twice and both times Pits open before and after meeting, Stadium Tours and Home Riders mingling with Supporters in Pits and on Centre Green after the meeting. Got to talk to Brummies riders I usually can't get to see at PB although that had changed by end of the season. Went to Shield Final at Arlington with a mate from Leicester, what an effort then put on, dozens of Harley's and a Harley parade and again Pits open before and after and a Parade for Leicester who won the meeting. Brummies too making real efforts last season with Groups and features and involving kids at Interval. David and Peter Mason deserve great credit for that and notable improvement through the season. Same when I went to Somerset and Redcar. Trips to Wolverhampton though on the other hand far less enthusiasm same old Presentation as 10 years ago.

Businesses maybe. Sport is a different kettle of fish, although I still appreciate the business aspect. Speedway needs to be marketed as what it is, 60 seconds of action, loud, dirty and action packed (sometimes...). Presenting the product that way brings in people of all ages, genders etc. who will appreciate that kind of entertainment rather than saying “let’s target 50+ males.” For example. Speedway’s current core supporters don’t need to be advertised to in brutal honesty. They will show up whatever dross is served up and they know where to find the information they need about events that are taking place. Floating fans also know this information too. My issue with targeting an older audience just because that is the group that makes up the bulk of the current audience is that these people on the terraces did not come to Speedway as 50+ year-old adults. They have been fans for 20-30 years, if not longer in some cases. Their peers will probably have been exposed to the sport already in their youth when it was more popular and decided then that it wasn’t their cup of tea. It’s unlikely that that will have changed now, particularly with the state Speedway is in here.

There was between 250/ 400 at the disastrous junior/National league challenge fixture Matt when 500 was the figure bandied about to break even.Maybe DORIS / ORLOV can give there opinion's they are both very good at predicting attendances.I stick to an average crowd of between 1000/1,300.

...don't worry we'll get coronavirus on here at some time as it worms its way thru' the various threads.

Matt do you wear glasses? are you telling me Swindon only get 750 supporters no way.I would say worst scenario the average last year was between 1000/1,300.On some of the bigger meeting's Poole, Play offs, and when we had great weather up between 1,6/ 1800 and maybe even more for the play offs.

I think 2,000 would be at the top end for a regular league meeting. Definitely crowds of 2,000 for the play-offs though. I'd say the average crowd was around 1,500 before Adams retired and today it is around half that.

I’m on my last batch of holiday photos, then I’m back into Ancestry with a vengeance

On the Ancestry.co.uk web-site of which I'm a member under "Search" and then "Immigration and Travel" where there is a passenger lists option...good fun. I've also checked out movements of the Hollywood stars of that era.

As I've said before, I don't believe tinkering with the format or structure will make one iota of difference when it comes to attracting new fans. You can stop pandering to other countries, but the number of riders impacted is much greater than the three you mentioned, as I shown here. Marketing to kids is fine, but it requires complete overhaul of how a speedway meeting is run. Everything from the music to the presentation to programmes needs to be thrown in the bin and re-designed to appeal to your target market. I think that is too much of a step change and risks alienating existing customers. A far more sensible approach is to market speedway to exactly the people who already make up the majority of your customer-base, which is the over 50s.

If there's one sport that's used to working in the dark and not knowing, it's speedway.

It is invalid. Utterly. You are comparing deaths from a one virus with no social restrictions whatsoever with deaths from another virus with self isolation and social distancing in place. This subject is carrying over multiple threads now and you are making yourself look quite the fool across them all.

Good race...Scunthorpe looks a bit like a trick track or am I being too harsh?

Ok...but you do know that between 350-400 people die EVERY DAY in winter from flu/pneumonia and 100-200 every day in summer? i.e. something caught from another? Just ask yourself what people would do if the media told you the number who had died.. day after day after day. It's only in the last week covid-19 has reached those levels.. and within a couple of weeks should be back below. Point is, viruses are a part of life. This is something new and seems like its never before been seen, but reality is, we deal with it every day of our lives.

I could watch this kid all day long and not tire. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89KL-vayzWw

I don't think people will be rushing out en masse to Sainsbury's either. I think people will be exceedingly caution for the first six months or so. Especially until a vaccine or other treatment is widely available.

Do you think, even when the lockdown is lifted, that people are suddenly going to go out and congregate in large groups?

Nail on the head. Of course the guidelines should be followed. If not, you can't measure it's degree of success at all. And you are right, everything is changing on a daily basis, which is why many of us are continually discussing it. The fact that 'experts' are learning on a daily basis and are constantly changing their prognosis backs up it's an ever evolving situation.

I think Woffinden would pay for himself in additional gate reveue. However we all know the reason he won't ride in the UK is because he doesn't like multiple race nights and that, like most top riders, two leagues and the GPs are sufficient to generate income and sponsorship.

What do you think is the difference in cost between the likes of Doyle, Crump, Pedersen, Iversen and Woffinden? Even if Woffinden is 30% more expensive, he'd more than pay for himself in additional bums on seats.

REDCAR RE-RUNS ⏪ This weeks meeting from the past sponsored by ActivClean sees Eastbourne Eagles visit the Media Prima Arena last year. An action packed meeting featuring a freshly crowned British Champion Charles Wright Racing. Join us this Friday (Good Friday) at 7:45pm live on our Facebook page Brought to your screens by Tapes Up Productions

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

That's a lot of help thanks