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As the lovely weather continues week after week, a lot of speedway people must be thinking 'if only', i know i am. I know it's not important in the present climate, but this exceptional spring could have been a real shot in the arm for british speedway. We can all dream, can't we?

My wife is suffering this badly, because as she has double lung cancer and is currently on a 21-week course of chemo, she's not even allowed to leave the house for a 10-minute stroll. Now with the government saying that social distancing will have to remain in place for the rest of the year, we've been told that must remain within the confines of our own home for that length of time. I won't go out and leave her on her own, so we're both prisoners for the rest of 2020, and I'll find that mentally difficult, there's no two ways about that.

I'm going to pick 1990, for the simple reason it was the year I decided to have a 'speedway holiday' - an opportunity to visit a load of tracks I'd only ever read about in Speedway Star. With the blessing of my then-girlfriend, I took a week off work and bought one of British Rail's All Line Rover tickets. At the time, I was living in Cumbria. The plan was to watch eight meetings on consecutive days, coupled with as much sightseeing as I could squeeze in. I struck lucky with the July weather, which was dry, warm and sunny, though I nearly came a cropper at the last match, during which dark clouds hovered ominously. I'd have preferred to stay in youth hostels but, being on the train, B&Bs were easier to get to and from. Made the overall cost that much higher! My itinerary was: 21/7 (Sat) Coventry 37 Swindon 53 (British League KO Cup, Quarter-Final, Second Leg, 71-109 aggregate) 22/7 (Sun) Rye House 46 Arena-Essex 49 (National League) 23/7 (Mon) Exeter 68 Peterborough 28 (National League) 24/7 (Tue) Milton Keynes 40 Glasgow 56 (National League) 25/7 (Wed) Long Eaton 45 Poole 51 (National League) 26/7 (Thu) Ipswich 56 Glasgow 40 (National League) 27/7 (Fri) Hackney 57 Stoke 39 (National League) 28/7 (Sat) Arena-Essex 50 Wimbledon 46 (National League) On the Wednesday, it was a toss-up between Long Eaton or Wimbledon. I didn't fancy watching Glasgow three nights in a row, so I opted for Station Road. I was seriously browned off when Wimbledon closed. Thankfully, I managed to get to Plough Lane in 2002 after its short-lived resurrection. All but Ipswich and Hackney I revisited - at least once - in later years. I had a similar 'speedway holiday' (this time in the car and with the company of my two younger brothers) in 1991 (Eastbourne, Swindon, Peterborough, Wolverhampton, Cradley Heath, Sheffield, Belle Vue, Stoke) and 1994 (which included Reading, Poole, Oxford and King's Lynn). Don't think either was as much fun as the first! Having grown up watching speedway at Halifax (1976-83), I became a Cleveland Park, Middlesbrough, regular (1991-96) when I worked on Teesside and lived near Stokesley then saw a lot of Scunthorpe (2005-08) while based in North Lincolnshire. I've lived in York for the last 11 years. It's an hour's drive to the nearest track (Redcar, Scunthorpe or Sheffield). Over that 11 years, I've watched hardly any speedway; maybe 10 meetings. I guess I'm now one of the sport's many 'lapsed' enthusiasts. In all, I've watched speedway at 53 different British venues. Favourite track I'd say is Clay Country Moto Parc, St Austell. Went there three times. An amazing setting for speedway. The scenic location of Buxton (Hitmen's 'purpose built' track not the stock car stadium) makes it a close second.

Surely half of oldies care for grammar? And the other half care for granddad! I'll get my coat.

Typical of the luck that British Speedway has!!

I fail to see what purpose it would do given the season has no chance of starting before the court date. Birmingham have already issued a statement, and its true there is nothing else to add.

Dream on

Giving how it descended yesterday into a childish slanging match its hardly surprising.

Us oldies don't care too much for grammar!

No one is saying to do nothing. However, I don't think tinkering with the league structure, race format or eligibility of riders will make one iotas difference to the number of paying customers thorough the turnstiles. The answer in my mind is marketing. You can fluff up the product as much as you want, but if no one knows about it then you'll only ever be attracting a diminishing number of diehard fans.

I know you are ploughing a lone furrow here Stoke Potter but I am inclined to agree with you on most fronts. Unfortunately for the sport the silencer regulation changes imposed on the sport by the F.I.M (2011 season) have rendered many speedway tracks in this country vastly inferior in terms of racing and entertainment to what they served up previously. Small tracks, narrow tracks and tracks with particularly long straights have suffered most. Tracks have remained the same while the machines have altered considerably . Laying off the throttle, riders seem to go backwards, giving it a handful the bike seems to rear up. Forget having plenty of dirt down, bikes can't handle it and forget any inclement weather, meeting off , it also doesn't help the bikes sound like a swarm of bees and don't smell of Castrol R any more, the sport lost some of its soul and most, sorry all of its atmosphere on the terraces. Unfortunately modern speedway is most suited to flat out full throttle speedway on big , banked , slick tracks, a great example being Manchester. Unfortunately the tough bit is it is virtually impossible, practically or financially to adjust or alter many of the tracks left in the league, we are pretty much stuck with what we have. In short the current product is not good enough, often enough. You may get away with it to a degree if you have the Worlds best riders but as we know that's not going to happen. You can forget expensive marketing, plenty of people know about speedway, watch it on TV , but choose not to go. Admittedly unless the TV match is from Manchester or Swindon its hardly exiting, mostly boring. I know nobody wants a bad news story but the sports been on a swift decline for the last 10 years and I cant see that decline being arrested even with all the goodwill in the world. Britain will not go on its own to change machinery and tracks wont change so you have what you have, with a weakening rider standard year on year.

Indeed gin for summer, whiskey for cold winter nights, beer of one sort or another all year round.

All the best to you and your wife Mimmo.

Hey... Speak for ya sel Marra I might not have much to cut these days but possessing my own "Wahl Clippers" what I do have gets a good clipping every three weeks... Old habits die hard and with our old RSM if he could pinch any ov it outside the beret he pulled it out... So no thank you to the "Scruffy Old Mop" / "Rasta" look and looking at Richards dad (Steve) who still has a full hair line although well cropped currently; Richard wont be going bald anytime soon... can you imagine that weave in white... could be the new Roy Wood or Santa Claus look... Know you don't like Christmas getting a mention too early gazzac and only 246 days to go so sorry for the Santa reference... But I suppose it will keep him warm on cold winter nights so I will give you that... Honestly just had another look at a current photo and I'm now not sure if its a "Rasta" or "Predator" look he is going for... Also how does all that fit under a helmet? Does he take the liner out ffs? Either way I still think it looks a clip... Sorry... Regards THJ

His will dry easy plenty hot air near him

Cheers cityrebel. It is an old joke, I know. But I was spring cleaning some old family bric-a-brac and came across a postcard I wrote from holiday some 50 odd years ago. It had my usual parting shot at the bottom, "excuse grammar, she's in hospital". It's a bit like flairs. If you keep them long enough, they'll come back into fashion.

Has any speedway meeting *ever* started on time?

oh, well you seem to enjoy being disliked, carry on.

Spare a thought for those who haven't got a garden. It's driving me mad (as I would imagine many others who have no access to a garden) and not being able to fish at my local lake (5 minutes drive away) which is the ideal self-isolating activity as regards good mental health. How people must be coping in high rise flats in inner cities I can't begin to imagine.

A used to cough to hide a fart.... Now a fart to hide a cough.... Cough cough... Regards THJ

You’re slipping from debate to abuse.

Never seen such dedication and probably Cradley Speedway is the one thing that even today unites Cradley folk. I seriously hope one day it’s possible that you guys get your own place. I don’t think any region of the sport deserves it more.

Would love to know what baggage Pedersen and Gollob have to be lumped in with that lot.

To get to the point where such larger gatherings can take place again the pressure on the NHS will be much reduced from the current position so it may not be the problem that it seems it could be right now

Me neither, but then i looked in the mirror

hey THJ. i thought you were blind sixty in the world timescale , ya know , 5 yrs behind me ! passing yer sen off as a 5o yr old now ? anyhow , the guy in the picture with the grey coat on is ty proctor . innit ? dont know who is wearing the grey hat ..

This. And would add to it, those with young kids especially. We at least have a quarter acre garden they can play in, as well as having a range of beaches in easy walking distance. Certainly makes "lockdown" a whole lot easier.

I hope you have a garden at least. Best wishes to you both...

Keep safe The White Knight!

Used to get tired of looking out of the window on Speedway days. More often than not rain would be falling, or, it would look like rain. This Spring is exceptional - typical that everyone is stuck at home. I agree with the lock down though. I hope everyone stays safe.

I have so many happy memories of Blair, especially on Southern tours in the good old days when tours lasted all week and Blair and Ally provided much of the humour. I have always had a soft spot for our likeable lad and it is with great sadness that I now say, RIP Bongo Sincere condolences to Margaret and Ally

Enjoying the riders views on current tracks , how about their views on recently closed tracks eg Coventry, Rye House, Workington, Reading, Exeter?

Really hope the Speedway Star gets many more subscriptions and is able to continue for 2020 season and beyond. I'm still pleased I 'Sub the Star', and 99/100 the mag arrives crisp, dry and sharp (no biffed corners) each and every Thursday. A great read and something I very much look forward to each week, especially in these difficult times. Keep up the good work Phil Rising & Co ....

He's still wearing it.... Just all the hair has grow through it... Honestly he used to be a tidy kid but he could do wid a hair cut that's for sure... Smart lad when hes been clipped and shaved... looks a scruffy get nowadays!!! Always thought Maryport was famous for the "Jam Factory" not its Rastafarian's... Freddie Notes & The Rudies sang about Montego Bay not Maryport Bay... Never mind at least we know its not Richard hoarding all the soap,,, Regards THJ

If Barry & Martin have done nothing else, they have made supporters feel valued, whereas many of the old guard seem to have supporters their on sufference, and have to be put up with rather than valued, this also comes across from the BSPA, and the Sport as a whole..

You can post things like this 100 times, it’s still just hilarious nonsense

Yes, it is indisputable. You can pick two teams and compare them, (I think the 2007 team would beat the 2019 team) however every time the points limit is below 42, which it has been numerous times in the last decade, the league gets watered down.

I plan on working that number out later today

Yes, very few mentions of April Showers this year. Although having said that I haven’t been watching the weather forecasts because they have become pretty much redundant. The good weather has though kept the public onside with the lockdown and the hour’s exercise or sitting in the garden has been a treat. If we’d all been looking out at rain we’d be more depressed.

I suspect that the 2021 season may possibly start on time, although the announcememnt today that " Covid 19 is here to stay until an effective vaccine is available" . Bearing in mind that the vast majority of supporters are in or near the vulnerable elderly category, there may not be many of them risking a trip to the speedway in 2021.

You only have to look at the SGB website archive section for your answer, the 2007 side finished with a team average of 47.70 and won all 18 home fixtures in a considerably tougher league, last years team finished with a combined 46.34. We were all disappointed with how the 2007 season finished up but your memory is obviously only fixed on the end of season performance, the team were by and large superb home (hitting 50+ in 16 of the 18 fixtures) and away (8 wins from 18) until late in the season where they lost a handful of away fixtures on the run in and completely fell apart in the away leg of the Grand Final. As for Mooro it's all relative to ability, he appeared to be unable to gate because of the quality of opposition, if he was riding in the current set up he'd be a trump card at reserve and would more likely be a steady 2nd string.

Great racing? Gate and go most of the heats with the odd pass here and there,(and thats at a push) think i was watching a different meeting to you then. I would agree however lindgren was certainly the pick of the bunch with his efforts.

Thought it was great racing with loads of passing tonight. Wolves just not at the same level. A young Freddie Lindgren showing his potential, Lindback showing brilliance, with Bjarne showing why he was so popular for Poole fans.

2007 was a lot stronger. That was before the sport went on a campaign of weakening and downgrading the teams over consecutive years.

You do talk alot of crap when it comes to tracks. How do you solve the problem where tracks share with dogs? All you keep talking about is the NSS ! We all know it's the best but you're never going to get all the tracks the same. But with better track preparation and at least the bspa are doing something about that this year if we get a season.

I would like to hope not, as that is a bit of a defeatists and losers attitude to life which won't see them go very far in the sport. That probably does reflect in the standard of racing in recent years.

To be honest that’s the least of our worries there is people are dying of this virus up and down our country- if speedway season starts all well and good we will be on top of beating the virus - until then in the big picture speedway doesn’t matter.

I understand what you are saying, and agree to some extent. Just a look at history though, and the great recession after the Wall Street crash in 1929, which was one of the high points in speedway history and then the real peak period for the sport in the UK was directly after WW2. So it could be that sport is a way of forgetting the daily problems. But I doubt in this day and age speedway will profit . Live in hope though

Sad.

Teo with Ian Williams, taken around the time he arrived here .