mikebv

I had two women literally fighting over the last packet of paracetamol in my shop last night.. One woman picked it up and another snatched it from her as she had gone for it at virtually the same time.. They kicked off an argument and the one who got there seconds late wouldn't give it to the other woman so the one who had got there first gave the other a proper good right hander to the head, knocking her clean over and she landed like a snotty heap on the floor.. I would suggest she needed the paracetamol after all.. A certain irony. .

Does their work Visa detail a specific role to be done over here? Would make sense if they are going home as they may not be able to get alternative employment? Hence 'no work' no income? It would also suggest that this isn't going to be a 'few weeks' of an issue..

Gutted...

I was selling Andrex 24 packs yesterday at £10.60!!! Found one in the back of the warehouse and put it on sale and less than 10 mins it was gone...

I can see every country closing their borders.. The W.H.O. have been focused on ensuring the poorer countries that have poor medical care. Eg In Africa, Far East Asia, Sub Continent etc dont get it in great numbers as that will lead to many deaths.. However, the 'first world' simply dont now/wont going forward, have enough capability to deal with their own people never mind ''visitors'...

I think its significant the way 'smaller' sports have reacted.. eg lower league football and rugby.. They are still playing domestic games with around 500 to a few thousand watching.. And for me it's because they dont have massive sponsorship to fall back on and wages need to be paid whether playing or not.. Speedway may be bomb proof from this if only paying out points money but riders will have spent lots of money on kit, (maybe on finance/credit) so will need income from somewhere.. And landlords will want the agreed rent I am sure.. Worrying times I would suggest for a sport which many sometimes sees 'survival' as a measure of success even in a 'normal' year...

Can't believe they would run any meeting without fans.. Given the rules they make up, the sport pretty much only exists in this country to allow riders to earn money, rather than be a bona fide sporting competition, so there wouldn't be any point letting them do that with zero income stream. Allied to the fact that most only rent where they race, so many would surely struggle to pay the costs of putting a meeting on without any fanbase paying to attend.. Maybe some '500 max' individual meetings may get organised in the interim to keep riders earning and venues receiving rent from their Speedway tenants?

Can't be long before this country does the same re banning mass gatherings.. When so many nations are starting to do it then it will leave you open to much criticism if you stay out and do your own thing.. And could look like a dereliction of duty should it become a major disaster..

If Carlsberg made Premier Leagues..

Be "devastating" if Liverpool win their first title in 30 years in front of 'nobody'. I will be gutted for them.... In reality of course there will be thousands who attend the occasion outside the stadium to celebrate, so not really sure what the point would be?

Will certainly bring a new meaning to being known as a 'hard rider'..

Well he wouldn't have to worry about feeding the 5000....

He said grandparent.. Not great, great grandparent..

Can only be a good thing for the sport., Maybe it can be a catalyst for it similar to the way 'marquee' signings helped the (then) struggling MLS in North America..? Top level competitors coming towards the end of their careers, but with still enough talent to compete, and a name and reputation that resonates outside the sport's own followers.. On the rare occasions I attend GB League Speedway I go to watch 'the speedway' with no regards as to who wins so the odd 'legend or two' on view will definitely stir my interest.. Hopefully do the same for a few more 'lapsed fans' around the country too..

All sounds a bit fishy to me that...

500 or so non regulars minimum I would expect.. At every track too, until the novelty wears off.. If you can get 500 or so on the gate then that's around £10k with the programmes.. Three or four matches of those numbers and it would boost the season.. Presume if not all, a large part of his salary will be sponsored as he wont be cheap I would have thought..? Looking forward to the Peter Craven meeting now... Always a cracking meeting but now made a 'must go' event..

As you say, Speedway was well down his priority list but he would definitely have been around the top 10 riders in the World so becoming World Champ in a 'one off' final shouldn't have been a massive surprise.. Probably the fact he didn't ride over here that much meant his name and capability didn't resonate with too many over here.. Which at the time was the 'only place to be' in the eyes of so many.. I saw him ride in a World Best Pairs at Hyde Rd, (where him and Hans Wasserman finished 3rd) and got a pair of 'cow horns' for my Raleigh not long after..

A bit like Swindon?

Understand your view.. From an Aces perspective, and probably fans of all other clubs, it will be great to see him ride... However. I understand some Ipswich fans thinking that with over 8 pts worth of average invested they could have got someone 'current'.. A great signing for the sport as a whole I would suggest, and will help Ipswich (at least initially in the first few matches), financially.. Just not so sure it will help then make a challenge for the League given the average and his time out.. Be great to be proved wrong though as it means he will still be box office.. Personally, cant wait to see him ride around the NSS. His presence will definitely will get me there that night..

Or tarmac the track if he cant pick the riders he wants..

Fire regulations may be a large hurdle to overcome too... If someone can't access somewhere unaided (in this case using a buggy), then exiting the same venue in an emergency would be difficult to control with highly likely more people than buggies. Not sure that would pass a fire risk assessment given the level of detail that goes into evacuation processes with regards to public safety..

As no doubt several hundred athletes and cyclists around the globe will agree...

Circa (at best) 20-25000 people visit Speedway in Britain each week on average. My shop in a small part of Manchester has more customers than that.. That's the size of the sport., So.. Let the Promoters charge what they want and can get away with, supply and demand will dictate the business plan.. Most of those 20-25000 are complete die hards who will turn up every week regardless of price so fair play to the Promoter who can make money out of them..

Presume it must be in a 'conserve'ation area..? Buddum Tish.... I will get my coat.. ..

Phil or Jason?