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Hi TG hope you are well.. Current Covid guidelines mean funeral ceremonies must have no more than 30 people attending, whether indoors or outdoors. This number does not include funeral staff but if anyone was popular or has a large family it proves very difficult for anyone to pay their last respects to the deceased... Sooner this vaccine gets rolled out the better and we get back to some sort of normal... even for something like sad occasions like these... Regards THJ

Well i've still got her .

The difference being that Etheridge and Flint are likely to be squad members, where Becker will be first teamer it is expected on a regular basis. That would result in him potentially missing a host of Friday, Saturday and Sunday away league meetings. If I was the Somerset boss, I wouldn’t be prepared to let that happen personally and would look at replacing him.

I am not aware of the exact location of the venue in Weston, but in the 1930s the Taunton Motor Club staged grass track racing described as ‘speedway’ at a number of locations in Somerset. In 1936 Taunton MC staged meetings described as ‘speedway’ on the grass, with the second meeting being held at Shoreditch, Taunton Dene on 10th June. Taunton MC again ran ‘speedway’ meetings in 1937. The first meeting staged at Holway Hill, Taunton, on Thursday, 3rd June was reported as grass track speedway, with Ivan Kessell, the grass track and speedway rider from Cornwall competing. A meeting described as speedway was held on the grass at Bridgwater Rugby Club on Sunday, 13th June 1937, comprising a mix of motorcycle and cycle races. The following week, on 20th June 1937, a ‘speedway’ meeting was held on the grass at Halcon Corner, Taunton. In August 1937 the local vicar complained about the adverse effects on attendance at Sunday Schools in Taunton which Sunday afternoon speedway would have and the owner of land subsequently withdrew permission for a field to be used for the ‘speedway’. Halcon Corner was the venue for ‘speedway’ on grass in 1938 on 8th May, 19th June, 10th July, 14th August (specifically advertised as grass track speedway) and 18th September, which was the last event of the season, attracting 165 entries in the various classes. On 14th July grass track speedway at Taunton Road, Bridgwater was abandoned when rain made the course too slippery. The final Bridgwater meeting took place at Castle Park on 1st September. In a team event at Halcon Corner on 13th August 1939, Taunton met Holbeach and Spalding (from the Bell End track) in a grass speedway match, Taunton winning 71-36. Reg Beer, Mike Erskine, Ivan Kessell and Broncho Slade were the leading scorers for Taunton, with Ted English, Roy Duke, Alan Smith and Buster Yeomans riding for ‘The Tulips’. On 24th August more ‘speedway’ racing was staged on the cricket field at North Curry, Taunton as part of the annual fete.

You mean the bloke who stopped clubs running on their favoured race nights incase he needed guests for his club? The bloke who was part of blowing £500k on useless engines? The bloke who bought in fixed race nights nearly destroying most clubs? The bloke who played a part in the bulldozers flattening Rye House(a profitable business for nearly 20 years) this week? if we're praising buffoons like Godfrey and Chapman then the fans and sport deserves all it gets.

Why is it not recognised? Because only about 20,000 out of a population of 70 million attend a meeting each week? (0.0029% of the UK populace, meaning approx 1 in 3500 people) Because they have no joined up, money invested collective National marketing, but instead lots of tracks do their own thing at a very basic low level which gain (if any) only minimal cut through.. ? Because it is seen as noisy, smelly and environmentally unfriendly? Because very few tracks have a "Community Champion" who go out into their local community hubs and give tangible support to local charities, foodbanks and hospitals etc. Thus demonstrating (and getting recognised), that they are an integral force for good in their locality.? Not having a World Class National team who regularly win competitions and not having clubs full of UK riders, some of whom would hopefully be 'local' to inspire others to take up the sport? Not having many blue chip company sponsorships that the public recognise and therefore link to the sport? I presume (and hope), Speedway, given it's been represented at other meetings, has simply been overlooked (or maybe it's simply the summer/winter nonsense that has been quoted), and they will receive some funding however, even if a genuine mistake, when some of the sports mentioned gets in front of you, it should be food for thought how the Sport markets itself and "sells" itself...

Over in Cumbria often a funeral route is published then people line the route to pay respects or people gather near the person's house to pay respects

Needs permission off the boss before he can answer

I remember hearing Danny Baker talking about the New Den and saying a Feng Shui expert had said that Millwall's poor form was due to the way the stadium was positioned and having blue seats

Being as it’s meant to be a loan, you can see why.

History has shown speedway is no good with money. It is frustrating the sport hasn't received a cash injection but not surprising.

Oooooh, I think we're all quite relieved -- on so many levels -- that you aren't the Somerset boss............

I was there. My ticket for the 1966 final cost me 10/6 or 52.5 pence in today's money. But to get a ticket for the final I had to buy a set that included group matches, a quarter final, a semi final and the third/fourth place play off!

I think there are over 300 different sports in this country so they are not all going to get something

Plus Carl Wilkinson.

They aren't all the money for football is going to non-league clubs and the women's game.

Given the performances of many of the English football teams at Wembley since the "famous day in 66", it might have been a good idea if the whole pitch had been covered in darkness.

The sport is full of them with degrees of wrongness I’d say

Fingers crossed that we do get speedway back at Oxford, but the thing that puzzles me is where will everyone park, if it's proposed that around 100 houses/flats be built on the car park.

The sun will continue to set at Beaumont Park where its always set - over the present third and fourth bends. Having the starting gate on what is now the back straight will not solve anything apart from the sun being in the riders eyes entering the first bend. The only way the sun could set behind the stand would be if you rotated the whole track 90 degrees clockwise and that would be a very expensive way to solve a problem that only happens if the sun is out in the mid summer months.

Rob Hollingworth? He's ridden more recently than some of those in THJ's list.

The real question is in normal circumstances is speedway viable and profitable? Are those who run clubs astute business people or fools and their money who are soon parted? I might be wrong but these are loans and the ability to debt service has to questionable with the majority of clubs. As an organisation, I would not lend the BSPA a penny, it shows no financial acumen or sustainability, has no real apparent financial business planning but can demonstrate a wanton waste of money having misused the Sky funding in terms of allocation including chasing the dream of top riders to fund a flawed business operation. It is an amateur sport in this country and needs to revisit its objectives to make it appealing to a wider audience. Until you have serious business people running the sport, you will be left with what you have today. If the current custodians were serious business operators why are they throwing good money into a loss making cause assuming you believe what is said in the public domain. Speedway is not a financially sound business opportunity with a number of risk factors that would make any would be lender run for the hills. Promoters or club owners come on here with numbers including audited accounts and prove otherwise.

An obvious opportunity that should have been taken the year it became clear Poland was THE priority for the very best riders.. Instead we have had well over a decade, of moving around fixtures and guestfests to accommodate and replace, by far, the most expensive riders, who, if they knocked on the doors of the houses on the streets adjacent to the tracks, no one would recognise.. Covid 19 has given those who run it an ideal opportunity for a 100% needed complete reset.... Fans desperate for any Speedway will turn up next year in strong numbers I would say, regardless of team strengths.. Will this opportunity be taken? We already know the answer don't we?...

There are likely to be several other dates, but grass track speedway was definitely held at: Halcon Corner, Taunton, Sunday, 9th September 1945 (first post war meeting, attendance 6,000) Sellick’s Green, Pitminster, Thursday, 6th June 1946 Halcon Corner, Taunton, Sunday, 21st July 1946 Ash Meadows, Taunton, Sunday, 22nd September 1947 & 29th September 1947 (attendance 8,500) Plans for 1948 were affected by petrol rationing and lack of a suitable field. The committee were looking for 14 to 20 acres within 4 miles of Taunton. Blindmoor Farm, Buckland St. Mary, Sunday, 29th May 1949 Walford Farm, Walford Cross, Sunday, 21st August 1949 (attendance 6,000) – The Lord’s Day Observance Society had lodged a protest regarding the Taunton Motor Club’s Sunday meetings. In any event, meetings were cancelled for the rest of the year due to problems with dust affecting riders’ visibility at the site. Grass speedway events in Taunton seem to have lapsed in the 1950s but the club announced that it was proposed to revive the events in 1962.

if all these riders want to drop the British League, then let them without argument, if the (almost) impossible actually happens and the promoters stick together, it could be the ideal time to have speedway's very own great reset. i used to love the National League (80s version) and a league like that now without the Poland bound riders in my opinion would create a great starting point to move forward and let the BL create it's own stars.

The Czech calendar meeting was supposed to be held on December 10, but got postponed due to the increased corona figures.

Oh please do me a favour...the blokes a clueless clown.

Exactly this, the first Sky deal was in 1999 and plans should have been put in place back then to safeguard and develop speedway. People point fingers at recent chairmen but the rot was starting to set in and money was being squandered way, way before that.

Exactly. Would anyone give morons like Godfrey and Chapman a couple of million quid?

Silver played his part by selling to a bloke who had no idea about the sport and had no attachment to the sport or club. A decision which has ultimately seen the demise of the club. Warren Scott had no real interest and then left the running of the club to Steve Jenson who again had no idea about the sport and came across as completely out of his depth. Had all the personality of a wet lettuce and employed people like Peter Schroeck who was out of his depth. Also seems he overpaid with wages to Harris, Nicholls, KK etc causing issues in the second season in the top flight. The whole situation is an absolute disgrace and sums up the sport and the prats running it. A track with unlimited restrictions, history in the sport and a profitable business for nearly 20 years. Then half a season of financial issues (due to being forced to run on a weekday by the BSPA) and the track is lost and ripped out within a couple of years. Chapman and Godfrey were an abomination in charge of the sport and played a huge part in the demise as well. Two more incompetent fools would be hard to find. Bringing fixed race nights nearly ruined many clubs and cost Rye. Rye has never been a midweek club and it was never going to work. After very good crowds in 2017(racing on Fridays/Saturdays) and only just missing out on the playoffs, you can't blame BMR for giving it ago in the top league again but the rule bought in killed the club. For the BSPA to then just chuck the club out midseason and wash their hands of the club was a disgrace. I wouldn't have thought Silver very rarely ever lost money at Rye and Jenson confirmed the finances were in good shape after the first season in the top flight. Three months of problems and the decisions of the BSPA meant the bulldozers have moved in eventually. With idiots like Godfrey still in charge of the sport, there is no hope. This is the bloke who stopped clubs running on their usual nights in case he needed guests for his club... How did the bloke in there now, Ricky Musk get hold of the venue off BMR? Why were the BSPA not in touch with BMR as soon as they knew they had problems and taking on the stadium or getting another promoter in there? They sat on their backsides and let someone like Keven Jolly try and get a deal to race at a venue where speedway was the number one priority at the venue for many years The situation at Rye should make every fan who has an interest in the sport very, very angry. A club with a long history and who had very healthy crowds in 2017 are now lost forever. A sad indictment on the sport.

He had his knockers but this is one of the many things Tim Stone (RIP) had right @ Queensway Meadows Newport!

This weeks guest on ‘My Life in Speedway’ from the Talk Speedway Podcast is former Glasgow, Wolverhampton, Berwick, Edinburgh, Newcastle and Redcar man James Grieves Listen here Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/episode/1V0LtxcH4xElJLdLjCVzkp?si=BwX9hCDAQH-I5ejZOwp-pg itunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/my-life-in-speedway-with-james-grieves/id1485785964?i=1000498714499 on www.talkspeedway.co.uk or by searching for talk speedway on your podcast app of choice

Luke Becker has just signed for Łódź in the Polish Second Division - That’ll pretty much rule him out of any Championship side!