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Time for some people to stop living in a parallel universe. There is not going to be any Sport in UK and probably most of Europe in 2020 with any substantial Crowd allowed to attend. The only scope GP currently has would be "behind closed doors in Poland" where most of the riders are based until at least September. It will be many months before any Crowd of more than a few hundred is allowed (indoor or outdoor) and most likely that Countries much farther along the wave 1 recovery curve will lead the way. New Zealand, no deaths and no infections for over a week as an example is talking about crowds of up to 100 by SEPTEMBER if those trends continue.

I can assure you that I run this company in a totally professional way. ALL..repeat ALL clients money is held in a separate account...and we were lucky..not clever... in that the monies paid to airlines in advance are in the process of refund...same with 2 meeting stadium tickets....same with 2 hotels. Had this dreadful shutdown happened a month later, it doesn't bear thinking about. We have contacted all affected clients, and once extra meetings are OFFICIALLY cancelled, they too will be looked after. We have offered financial structured refund policy, and 80% of our superb clients money is deposit only...and we are grateful that everyone has been supporting us whilst we re-structure and plan. Nobody will suffer financially..except (sadly) yours truly. However I do take exception to your remarks about (a fine company) Shearings, and I am advised that your statement is libellous...We are NOT taking bookings on anything..and in fact have already cancelled everything up to September.and should this quarantine continue, then I will cancel any affected tour..I will nOt risk my clients money, well being or health..Should you wish to speak with me then I would be happy to put you correct. As for Speedway Star the management, staff and product is an organisation Speedway should be proud of. The product of late has been amazing given these troubled times...and i am both proud and grateful to be associated with them.

Doreen was living in the Berwick area have not seen her going about for a while. Always wearing her Chris Schramm jacket

Honestly... Slow news day... So something for the weekend... a triple smile... A guy is late for an important meeting. But he can't find a place to park. In desperation, he begins to pray. "Please Lord, if you help me find a parking space right now, I promise to go to church every Sunday and never drink vodka again!" A moment later, he sees a beautiful empty spot right next to the entrance. "Never mind. Found one!" A woman has twins and gives them up for adoption. One of them goes to a family in Egypt and is named Amal. The other goes to a family in Spain. They name him Juan. Years later, Juan sends a picture of himself to his birth mother. Upon receiving the picture, she tells her husband that she wishes she also had a picture of Amal. He responds, "They're twins! If you've seen Juan, you've seen Amal." It could've been worse. James is walking through the town one day, and he happens to see his old high school friend, Harry, a little ways up ahead. "Harry, Harry, how are you?" he greets his old buddy after getting his attention. "Not so good," says Harry. "Why, what happened?" James queries. "Well," Harry says, "I just went bankrupt and I've still got to feed my family. I don't know what I'm going to do." "Could have been worse," James replies calmly. "Could have been worse." A month or so later, James again encounters Harry, in a restaurant. "And how are things now?" he asks. "Terrible!" says Harry. "Our house burned down last night." "Could have been worse," "Could have been worse," says James, again with total aplomb, and goes about his business. A month later, James runs into Harry a third time. "Well, how goes it?" he inquires. "Oh!" says Harry. "Things just get worse and worse. It's one tragedy after another! Now my wife has left me!" Harry nods his head and gives his usual optimistic-seeming little smile, accompanied by his usual words: "Could've been worse." "Could have been worse," This time, Harry grabs James by the shoulders. "Wait a minute!" he says. "I'm not gonna let you off so easy this time. Three times in the past few months we've run into one another, and every time I've told you the latest disaster in my life. Every time you say the same thing: 'Could have been worse.' This time, for God's sake, Harry, I want you to tell me: how in Heaven's name could it have been any worse?" James looks at Harry with the same little wisp of a smile. "Could have been worse," he says. "Could have happened to me." Boom Boom.... Stay Well; Stay Safe and have a great weekend... Regards THJ

JAMES Easter has been a mate for more years than I can remember and both he and TPT have made a tremendous contribution (s) to speedway over the years. Unlike some of his predecessors, when thousands travelled to World Finals, James has remained loyal to speedway and puts his heart, sole and considerable reputation into his tours. No one is forced to go with them but hundreds who do come back every year because they like the itineraries, know that the hotels and travel arrangements will be perfect and that everything is taken care of. I make no apology for any favourable references to TPT.

That is a little odd, seeing that he was really was a well-known public figure, and there is quite a bit off stuff online. Here is a tribute to Sprouts from the September 1957 issue of American Motorcyclist magazine (I have included the spelling mistakes!) "Lloyd "Sprouts" Elder has received the final checkered flag! To present riders, the name doesn't mean much, but to the old-timers, it means that one of the greatest short track racers has passed on. Sprouts was known all over the world. England will remember him as one of the founders of cinder track racing which become so popular in the early thirties, in fact, crowds of 75,000 were common. South America will remember him as the world champion and Australia will recall that he was the best exponent of the short track broadslide. We will always remember him as one of the finest, most loyal supporters that the AMA had. Sprouts was instrumental in organizing the Eastern circuit of short tracks when the boys were riding every night in the week! He got the two circuits going on the coast, in fact one track at Long Beach was built to his specifications, sunken pits, etc. He visualized several circuits and winding up with a World Series and we had a couple of them. After he hung up his handlebars he served as AMA referee for the East and later he joined the California Highway Patrol where he served with distinction. He was severely injured while on duty and only his indomitable spirit and will to win kept him alive. In the past years he has loafed and taken life easy. The sport of motorcycling owes "Sprouts" much, and we know that the Milne brothers, Cordy and Jack, Lammy Lamoreaux, Jimmy Gibbs, Crocky Rawding, Bennie Kaufman, and Bo Lisman, all former cinder track stars, will echo our statement that there was only one kingpin "Sprouts Elder". To know him was a pleasure, to be his friends was a privilege. He lived, ate, and slept motorcycles. Old "No. 4" has passed on; but that spirit will forever be present whenever and wherever motorcycles are mentioned."

I see Buster is going to build a junior track at the AFA. It can only be a good thing. A little positive in these crap times. http://www.speedwaygb.co.uk/news.php?extend.38078.1&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook

Extraliga will have crowds (25%) from the second round in the stands. https://sportowefakty.wp.pl/zuzel/884104/pge-ekstraliga-kibice-wejda-na-trybuny-juz-od-19-czerwca

Sounds like he didn't have a very good upbringing? (not making excuses for him) Such a waste......he's a very likeable character (in speedway terms) and a terrific entertainer on a bike! Wished that he'd had better guidance in life!

Dear God no. Let's just hope they knock it on the head for 2020 & come back next year.

Yawn zzzzzzzz

Sadly Peterborough might fall short on blue badge capability.

Many thanks and gratefully accepted...as you may appreciate indeed many nights of late have been sleepless...but if this business was that easy every bugger would be doing It....wish yo well and thanks again. james

Steve, just want to clarify your last post re the best speedway year (1965 of course). I just want to respectfully note that in 1965 both the Golden Helmet and Silver Sash match races ran in tandem. The Golden Helmet was a best of three races on the holders and challengers home tracks. If after two meetings on this basis there was a tie, a third best of three races at a neutral track occurred. This was a continuation of the Golden Helmet Match Races which were in the old pre-amalgamation National League. The monthly challenger was nominated by the promoters committee ( I think). The competition you refer to which involved the highest opposition rider against the holder -if they met in the same meeting -was the Silver Sash. This was a continuation of the pre-amalgamation Provincial League match race championship. The Golden Helmet was run on a monthly basis so in 1965 there was a Golden Helmet championship in each of the months of May, June, July, August, September, and October. Barry Briggs won every one over 2 legs-the guys he beat over 2 legs -(nobody took him to a third leg decider) were in order; May- Charlie Monk: June -Ken Mckinlay (I saw the second leg of that at Newport on June 11th): July-George Hunter: August- Nigel Boocock:, September- Sverre Harrfeldt: and October- Olle Nygren So Barry kept the Golden helmet over the close season and was the holder when 1966 started. I was interested to see that Charlie Monk was the first nominee for Barry to ride against-this shows the high regard which Charlie was held in-but also maybe because the logical first PL challenger would have been Ivan Mauger who unfortunately had an accident very early in the season and was unavailable As regards the Silver Sash that year-that was competed for far more frequently ( 7 times in May alone) of course depending on the schedule, there were various holders-in order Pete Jarman, Olle Nygren, Jim Lighfoot,, Ken McKinlay, Bob Andrews Eric Boocock, Jimmy Gooch and Colin Pratt-who was the holder at the end of the season. I got to see one of those races. In the Newport v. Wolves fixture on April 19th Pete Jarman was the holder, Jack Biggs was the highest Newport scorer -so the Silver sash match race was Pete v. Jackie- Pete won. Pete Jarman was the first holder in 1965 because the pre season champ was Ivan -who lost to Pete by default because of his injury (see above). The only reason I know all this is because I kept (and still have) The British Speedway Handbook -1966 Edition which covered the 1965 season. Hope this post brings back some memories of other forumlanders who can say about 1965 "I woz there"!!!!!

IT'S frustrating for us as well as you....

ride2002.dat Fingers crossed that worked.

I agree with HGould. Sorry Rob, if you cant see that the situation is real and this lockdown will only be released very slowly and in stages. Just banging hundreds and thousands of people together at sports events and similar is just looking trouble straight in the face, the hospitals will be full, front line staff will be back into danger, so events with spectators are just not going to happen this year I reckon. I have my concern about professional football taken place, even behind locked doors. Its a contact sport. Speedway seems ok, because the riders are naturally pretty well protected, pit crew will just have to stay apart and be fewer in number.

How on earth can you be so certain, and....why? Who knows what the situation will be in like in days, let alone weeks or months?

edited for accuracy The 2nd one made me chuckle, though. Oops. edited wrong bit. line above name change! I have read it again but was never good at English. In print, you can read it differently.

As DGT has posted on the Cardiff thread, fans are to be allowed to watch from round 2 on the 19/21st June. Google translation of Sportowefakty article PGE Ekstraliga. The fans will enter the stands. From June 19 During Friday's press conference, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki announced that the fans would return to the stands. From 19 June, stadiums during PGE Ekstraliga matches will be able to fill in 25 percent. Slag. PGE Ekstraliga with fans on June 12! It is possible! CEOs are already working on a road map The discussion about when fans will be able to return to the stands has been going on for some time. On Friday morning, the PZPN president Zbigniew Boniek hoped that he said that the same day probably good news would be given that day. And indeed, during a press conference with the participation of Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, it was announced that from 19 June fans - for the time being to a limited extent - will be able to return to the stands. - From June 19, the government agreed to increase what we had in our plan. These will be mass events, and they need time to organize them, just 2-3 weeks. The protocol is detailed, gives security to everyone - said Boniek. This applies not only to clubs appearing in football PKO Ekstraklasa. It turns out that the stadiums in PGE Ekstralidze will be able to fill in 25 percent. from the second round, which start is scheduled for June 19. Already on Thursday, the president of PGE Ekstraliga Wojciech Stępniewski assured in an interview with WP SportoweFakty that work on the project of driving with fans is underway. Ekstraliga prepares the required documents, including a driving plan with fans while maintaining sanitary rigor. Shortly after the decision to resume football was announced, the date of the start of the struggle at PGE Ekstralidze was also published. Football has once again paved the way for speedway. Shortly after the end of the Friday conference, Wojciech Stępniewski did not want to officially refer to the new guidelines, but he ensured that work on the plan was still ongoing. The clubs themselves also want fans to return to the stands. According to the game plan, PGE Ekstraliga will start on Friday, June 12. The Betard Sparta Wrocław - Motor Lublin match will be inaugurated. Let us remind you that speedway riders have already passed coronavirus tests - all of them obtained a negative result.

I think MR Rising had been on the Riesling!!!

If only Cummings' had gone to Durham earlier then we would have all been off lock-down even earlier and PR would have been correct!!!.

I’d have thought the obvious choice would be Belle Vue I say this because as things stand fans are not going to be able to attend so behind closed doors gp Live on tv on the original July Cardiff date is the only way forward I think - the other point is If fans could attend how many would at the moment ?because I certainly wouldn’t .

Just spotted this Sid I was there only 15 but I remember it, I think we were riding Swindon that night which makes sense but I'd have to check it out. Strange isn't it the golden helmet meant so much back then but today wouldn't mean a thing today

Yeah it does that with the GFA basic code as it's pretty old language now, most of the old Amiga/Atari games from the mid 80's used it! The general rule is you must replace the exact same number of characters as is listed in the exe. i.e If you want to Replace "Premier League" with "Championship" you'll need to add 2 spaces at the beginning or the end. "Premier League" " Championship"

https://www.espn.com/boxing/story/_/id/13621142/floyd-mayweather-took-wada-banned-iv-manny-pacquiao-fight-according-report What a joke. Enough money involved so rules dont matter.

No doubt , but it looks as though the money I spent there might be, judging by the current situation.

I was on a sports industry webinar this week and a senior figure at the Principality Stadium was talking more like TWO YEARS before normal service can resume. This goes way beyond social distancing in your seats, it goes from entrance and exit logistics to the need sanitise toilets and bars after EVERY INDIVIDUAL use. In short, it is a logistical and practical nightmare and as such, not viable. It was a pretty sobering insight. In short, keep your hard earned cash in your pocket. It simply aint happening this year and we'll be very lucky to see it back in 2021.

If people want their money back though the should not be refused it.IMO

ANNOUNCEMENT about the 2020 British SGP expected from the FIM and BSI early next week...

I Have paid £480 and not even got a ticket worthless though it may be, but the boss of my club studiously refuses to even reply.