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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.

THJ was talking about maryport scuffs, was he looking in't mirror ?? No seriously the long haired Dan bewley is doing a Q+A session on belle view Facebook thingy tomorrow if anybody is interested

If there was no action at all this season i think you would have to do something. Maybe a Monthly Star. People have habits. If there is none at all, That is what they will get used to. Not me btw. You could at least do that. I am certain you have enough interesting things to go Monthly. Hopefully it will not come to that.

Well, if the gin factory is making x-tra strong sanitizer, that'll do for me. If it works on the outside, it must have some impact from the inside.

Am in me 50's so am not that far behind you... but if any one asks am 39... going on 14... At the minute everyday is Christmas Day with this lock down... boring... it's driving me nuts... and no av not opened any whiskey in the last couple of weeks funnily enough... pienpeesman mentioned the other day along with Ruffdiamond that they both were giving the gin a go... so I cracked a bottle of Tanqueray the other night as I hadn't had a G&T for a while and to be fair av quite enjoyed it... saying it's a girls drink... Regards THJ

Take care!

Those that went to Brandon in the era of Charles Ochiltree certainly saw every match starting on time ( unless cirumstances beyond the promoters control - eg UK weather prevented it ) . Always Prompt. But elsewhere, this century , I doubt it.

I think you should get a advert on the SGB website listing the new features and details of how to subscribe. today’s and last weeks star were outstanding and possibly the best in the last 36 years of my readership. One comment I would make is that the on and off track feature is more comprehensive and more like the rider profile. Also gaffers greatest gaffer also seems too brief. I’d like to see a weekly in depth interview with former promoters of which there are many. Recently I chatted online to Bill Barker which was fascinating with a few questions and I’d love to know how they started in the sport and why they left plus all the stories in between.

There was definitely an issue that particular season. It happened on at least three or four occasions. Mind you, I’m sure it’s not unique to Somerset.

I would say enjoy the weather while it lasts, but many can’t unfortunately. Guaranteed to be cold and wet when the old lockdown ends knowing our luck...

My dear old mum was at West Ham on the night Ernie Roccio lost his life. It stayed with her for years. She was always a reluctant visitor to Custom House, right up to the 1970's.

CANNOT answer that right now but, of course, it is a possibility. Retail sales (Newsagents, supermarkets, etc) have taken a hit which was inevitable in a lockdown such as we are enduring. Our plan is to continue publishing weekly as long as that is viable. Hopefully, there will be some speedway later this year but our biggest concern now is people being unable rather than unwilling to purchase SS. We are extremely grateful to those who continue to do so.

Feel sorry for you, at least I have a fairly large garden to tend/relax in. i wish you well.

It must be unbearable Steve. I'm lucky, i live in leafy surrey. I've just done my daily walk on Banstead common, which is on my doorstep.

I disagree with that however no one can be sure. I guess it is my nature to prepare for the worst rather than hope for the best.

Come on chaps lets debate the subject you both have valid points please

Sidney isn’t an idiot. But you are rude and unpleasant.

I’ve just counted 83 declared in this year’s teams so realistically we’d need 50 Australians and continentals to base themselves here to have a real difference in standards between the two leagues. Edit: or did I count 87?

As you say, stronger numbers ones then, and a bit more solid at reserve. The middle orders are pretty much the same.

It's quite interesting when you really look and analyse the two teams that there isn't so much difference in strength considering all the weakening of the league that has gone on since. (Although, of course, we have to remember that the 2007 side were not Champions). The main difference, when you look at the teams in the league from now and then, is that most teams had a World Class number one then. Apart from that, there isn't too much difference. Swindon, of course, had a World class no 1 in 2019, which made a lot of difference for them. Comparing the two sides: Adams v Doyle - I'd say Adams was the better rider, but Doyle has the winning mentality. I'd go for Leigh though at league level. Chrzanowski v Ellis - Ellis, and he's still improving Gjedde v Musielak - pretty even. On top form I'd go for Musielak Ulamek v Jensen - Jensen due to his passing ability Richardson v Batchelor - Richardson Korneliusen v Vissing - Kornieliesen. And this is a big, key difference I think. Moore v Perks - Moore. So, I make it 4-3 to 2007, which is pretty close. Adams v Doyle you could go even, as both could beat everyone else in the league. So not such a difference. I'd still go for 2007, though, based on reserve strength. Having Korneliusen/Chrzanowski at reserve would make a major difference in the weaker races.

Less meeting's really?? that is one of the biggest problems speedway in the uk has at the moment people get used to not going and find other things to do.At the moment most teams are very lucky to get three meetings a month yet you suggest we should have less.Your idea of having less meetings and bringing the best riders back to get the crowds in is a great one but in reality a pipe dream.I am all for your idea so can you explain how the clubs would PAY for it would the increased GATE money do that.?

I don’t mean to be a “bah humbug” but can we not see a poole meeting where there is decent racing and a close scoreline? That is 2 weeks in a row where the meeting was all over bar the shouting early doors with big home scores. I, like many speedway fans enjoy these speedway rewinds as it get us our speedway fix in this terrible time. If anybody from the pirates videos/board/website is reading this can we please get a closer meeting with better racing as i think it would attract more viewers as big win after big win gets a bit tedious, non pirate fans will loose interest. regards

No question.................... got to keep supporting the Star! My immediate family have three subscriptions and can't imagine life without the Star. Keep up the excellent work!

Some riders have baggage & reputations like Gollob, N Pederson, Ward, Barker, Garrity & others but teams still sign them or use them as guests for there own liking. We liked Garrity as a rider as he was approachable in the pits & he was entertaining on the track & in the talk ins after meetings in the clubhouse. He might have his demons which resulted in the attacks so more will come out in the court in May.

From Speedway Researcher:

Modern solos do enough damage, especially at the start. Side cars are carrying twice the weight.

Why can't we run with the engine's they tried in the meeting that was run at the isle of wight? It would be cheaper for riders promoters ect. And the racing maybe better? What do people think?

I DON'T know, nobody knows what is going to happen going forward. But people are planning for a schedule based on the hope that later in the year sporting events will take place. Optimistic maybe but right now I'd rather be that than a pessimist.