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How many people would moan if they said the season was cancelled and then come August the situation changed and they could have run meetings. People on hear moan about a match being postponed prematurely due to a weather forecast that turns out to be incorrect. At least they are trying to keep the possibility of speedway running this season and good on them.

Personally this decision is the correct and sensible one. This virus will return with a vengance at some point. My youngest daughter is a nurse working on the covid ward at the Queen Elizabeth. and in her words to me is to be careful whilst out working as the things she has seen and had to do are horrific. So with a predominately ageing fan base this is the only decision to be made.

I thought it was just me missing the point.........glad you asked the question.

Finnish SM-liiga will start on June 17th at Seinäjoki with all five teams taking part. With current covid-19 restrictions in place until the end of July we are allowed to have sporting events for the athletes + crowd of 500. So basically business as usual with social distancing added. We have a few meetings from May postponed without a new date, but expect them all (except LT) to find a new date later in the year. If there a second wave of covid19 things might change. But ATM is going ahead. For a second year the series has a facebook site under ”speedway sm-liiga”.

The Glasgow decision was made by professional people that run a successful business. Well done to them.

You would have to bend the rules even further to ignore 1965 and 1967 when he was with Edinburgh and 1968 at Coatbridge.

Is there anything in the Speedway world you are not privy to

Confirmed

The term 'one club servants' does not specify the length of time the rider was attached to the club. Probably a year or two is too short a career to be worthy of inclusion, but where should the line be drawn? If Bert Kingston's 3 years at Halifax qualify then so would Bert Rawlinson's 3 years at Yarmouth. On the matter of whether Long Eaton 1967 and Leicester 1968 should be regarded as the same club, I acknowledge that the promotion moved from one location to the other and only two rider changes initially took place, with John Hart and George Major joining Leicester from Sheffield. However, having had the pleasure of being amongst the massive re-opening night crowd at Blackbird Road on 9th April 1968 and having attended many meetings there it is my opinion, from what I observed, that the vast majority of support was Leicester based. The question might be, what comprises the club, is it the management, the riders, the fan base, or all three? If it counted as the same club, what about the switch from Stoke to Belle Vue II in 1939, Wigan to Fleetwood in 1948, Hull to Swindon in 1949, Neath to St Austell in 1963, Edinburgh to Coatbridge in 1968, West Ham to Barrow in 1973, which all involved changing the name of the team. This differs to, for example, Glasgow Tigers moving track from White City to Hampden Park in 1969, when the team name was retained.

it's a proper business, it has to be professional

ROCKET87 makes it his business demonise all things SGP and especially the Cardiff event

I think it will mean the biggest crowd in years....

Agreed, however.. A proper professional sport should have such decisions made by its governing body, and not unilaterally by individual members of that organisation... As that just leads to chaos as each member seeks out getting their own way based on their own needs and wants.. Fair play to Glasgow for their leadership on this matter, however the sport has a National leadership team who should be leading the way forward and agreeing the process to be followed..

Steve Watson workington

At last some common sense, I for one will be having a weekend up North in 2021.

Think that is a sensible decision. Trying to run a half ars#d fixture list will do more damage to the credibility of the sport.The rules that will be put in place probably means it won’t be viable for most Clubs IMO. Glasgow have built a decent fan base of newcomers no point in damaging the relationship with them(and losing money at the same time).Well Done.

It all makes sense and no point in thinking that the right conditions will prevail later in the year. Clarity from a management team is so good. All clubs should take note and abandon any idea of league racing in 2020. If racing is possible come up with a UK wide individual knock out competition, and pairs competition where they can represent sponsors or clubs and run as many rounds at those tracks that are able to open but that should be it.

Honestly What a shame and the reasoning behind the statement makes total sense... promotion doing what they deem is the right thing for the safety of their fan base... fair play to them and I don't think they will be the last... unfortunately... Regards THJ

Very sensible and mature decision by the Glasgow Management tonight. And they are to be applauded in the honest and open explanation of how they came to make it. Very bad news nonetheless.

THAT'S because they are corporate press releases and it is up to those using them to take the bits they want (quotes, etc) and put their own spin on it.

Unfortunately, whether delivering good news or bad, BSI press releases are always written in that oh-so-gushingly positive Ad-exec's version of Newspeak. No fibs are ever told. But the Chiswick-worldview is almost always comically spun, like pink candy floss. Ever so sickly.

Have you sampled Barry Bishop’s new initiative called Virtual Skid? If not, then this Thursday at 6 pm either via the VS Facebook page or via YouTube, the Isle of Wight Warriors take on the Eagles in a 15 heat meeting where the action is taken from the many meetings between the sides at the Smallbrook Stadium. Eagles have a strong record of good results on the Island so a virtual away win looks very likely. The initiative got a good report in a recent Speedway Star, Barry explains the format at the outset so why not give it a go. The first couple of VS meetings have ended up with last heat deciders and the whole thing last just over an hour.

AS far as I know BSI were happy with the 2019 crowd in September and may well have chosen the same month had it been an option which I don't believe it was.

!st para- surely not !! This is a Grand Central post about the 2019( Speedway star article) Well I read what Torben had to say ... 1) Cardiff would be more attractive nearer the business end of the Championship where the meeting could be more 'vital' in the title race 2) moving away from the 'holiday season' will allow more fans to attend and this would be specifically the case for 'locals' 3) the later date should have a 'positive effect' on accommodation price. I cannot help being sceptical about his words though .... I have never heard anyone say they avoided attending Cardiff due to it being too early in the title chase but would suddenly do so if it were only 'more vital'. Most Cardiffs have been last week June to second week July which is generally not holiday season for most people. Goodness know why 'local' Cardiff folk would suddenly start attending in September when they have studiously avoided doing so for 18 years before . And I fully expect that the hotels will screw everyone in September just the same as July, especially as the Uni accommodation may be unavailable as well. I presume the Stadium is just not being offered to them any earlier than September for other reasons and he is just spinning it the best way he can. PS I am fine with September ... Just a little less BS from BSI would be nice.

BSI do not have a free run on the availability of the Principality even in normal times. Last year's date in September was determined by the Welsh Rugby Union requiring summer use of the stadium prior to the World Cup in Japan. July avoids the Six Nations rugby and other commitments in Cardiff. Changing the subject somewhat, hopes for the SON to take place at the NSS in October remain very much alive.

Karol did (Jan Zabik's son) Bruce Penhall and Gert Handberg only ever rode for Cradley in the UK. Bruce 1978/82 (well,most of it!) Gert 1988/93

Five years minimum would seem to be a good starting point...

George was with Swindon from 1954 to 1961, but rode for Yarmouth in 1953.

Bob Watts lived near Exeter , rode for Teesside.

Didn't Danny bird live somewhere like Penzance when he rode for Glasgow and fly up for meetings ?

Jan Zabik spent only the one year at Sheffield.

Don’t blame you doing a small claim court action. Just think of the people who are being ignored just like yourself but cannot afford to lose that money.

Another day goes by from the promotion whose main concern is shafting BB holders whilst not giving a stuff that they are retaining season ticket money imo frauduently. I do not need the money as I have said but now a matter of principal. I will not be treated with such arrogant disregard and will shortly being making a claim to small claims court.

And the relevance to Mr Garrity?

How irresponsible to give false hope and expectation to then knock it down when the inevitable happens.

I have to say the Star has been very interesting during the pandemic. An exceptional effort in my view.

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"!!!!!

Looking forward in receiving my copy. Together with "Backtrack" the best reads regarding speedway in my opinion.

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!

Glasgow tigers first team to declare they won’t be running this year https://www.glasgowtigers.org/club-statement-2020/

The beginning of the end for the white elephant

Apologies to any family members that might read this https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/news/hull-east-yorkshire-news/court-motorbike-crash-boy-leg-4168562 This story has been on Look North this week.