Super Blue

Having only ordered my tickets yesterday I've now started to wonder if the new social gathering regs will permit this to go ahead now. Its the fact that they've said both inside and outside that's increasing my level of concern. Knowing the communication and lack of information history of both Government and Speedway GB who knows what will happen or when we'll know.

Considering Chris Louis said there was a couple of things to sort out and then tickets should be on sale at the end of this week or early next week I would have thought some details of sales would be available by now. I haven't found anything yet, we don't even know the start time. Does anyone know when they are going on sale?

Foxhall stadium isn't a dump these days, obviously given its age it would however take vast amounts of money to have all the mod cons of a purpose built venue but its certainly equipped well enough to host big events. You've got to realise that every year apart from this one it caters for the better part of 10k crowds for the stock car and banger world championships. The one point I will concede to is the standard of the track and racing, most of us locals at Ipswich would love to have a track like Belle Vue's.

According to Wikipedia the National Speedway Stadium capacity is 6500 including temporary stands, 3500 without them. Social distancing would reduce those figures massively. And people are asking elsewhere on this forum why Foxhall stadium at Ipswich is probably getting the British final in September as a crowd testing event. Simple answer is that these days the 12000 capacity there means more paying customers through the gates than would be possible at Manchester. Must admit though that I'd much prefer to have Belle Vue's track than what we actually have at Ipswich for the quality of racing!

I certainly would like to but tickets could be like gold dust given alot of fans speedway starvation this year. Also we don't know at this stage what percentage of capacity will be allowed, even its 25% that would be only 2500 to maybe 3000 with the seating. I'm sure it won't be the usual 1500 who want to attend, I personally believe many more than that would want to go. My thinking behind this that Chris Louis put Ipswich in the hat due to the fact that Foxhall is probably one of the largest speedway stations in the country.

And yet there's an indoors snooker competition going ahead with spectators, its bloody rediculous how all this is being handled! I've said on other threads that with your average speedway crowd it would be so easy to social distance it's unreal.

Stock cars are also not officially professional and they are starting up with crowds in Ipswich this week. OK you have to pre book tickets and wear masks in the stadium but it's running so I don't see why NL level speedway couldn't get the go ahead if they wanted to.

Just kidding, if you took your time eating you wouldn't have to wear a mask at all.

You'd only be allowed watery soup you could suck through a mask anyway!

So shouldn't be an issue for speedway then ! I didn't know till recently that the 3rd and 4th bends at Foxhall were closed on most stock car meetings as well as speedway, it's only the really big events where its all open.

Did I read somewhere that there was an SCB meeting yesterday or am I imagining it? If there was you'd have thought we might have heard something by now about a potential restart or not of some kind of speedway this year.

I think whether we see Nicolai or not will be heavily dependent on what type of speedway we actually get to see, if any! If Individual meetings were on the cards then no. If we were to see some sort of curtailed league I believe given his previously stated commitment he would ride for us on a Thursday. All we need is to get the go ahead and we'll find out.

Foxhall is certainly a stadium where social distancing should not be an issue given its capacity of about 12,000. I would say the average crowd apart from playoffs and maybe bank holidays is roughly around the 1,500 mark so masks are not necessary. If the government were to make them compulsory it would make me think twice about going, I can't stand anything over my face at any time let alone in a big wide open air stadium.

The other thread on this subject didn't to take long to disappear given the nature of the subject and I think its only a matter of time before this one gets removed. So have your say quickly

She could be Priti ugly!

It just shows sadly how Speedway has fallen in popularity over the years, those were definitely 'the good old days' to quote a much used expression.

Good grief, I was there, it was my first ever meeting. I didn't realise till the events of heat 4 were mentioned. Specific details are very vague when you are 11 years old but Shrimps accident brought it all back.

Doyle and Ellis?

Also rather sadly and depending on some kind of season actually starting we may have to face the fact that Danny's day might not even happen this year. Much as I'd love to bid and put some money Jodie's way I can't afford to. It maybe would have raised more money if it was done as a raffle at possibly £5 a ticket, dunno but just an idea.

Personally I believe that as and when or indeed if the season gets going it's going to be a very curtailed one that will have to run whenever, on the days where most riders are available. With a lot of riders having commitments in Poland, Sweden and Denmark that most likely will take priority who knows who we'll actually get to see as I'm sure the aforesaid countries will also be trying to cram in as many fixtures as possible. I don't mind what days of the week they run on as long as all teams get enough meetings and money in to survive the current unprecedented devastation of activities in the world.

There was an ambulance at the track today. Didn't say St John on it but it did say it was for critical care transfer.

Crumpy looked to me like he was easing his was back into it, just a personal opinion of course, others looked quicker to me but when they are not actually racing anyone they always look good. Anyway, numbers on their backs said 1 Crump 2 Heeps 3 King 4 Allen 5 Klindt 6 Covatti 7 Kemp Can only assume this will be the definitive order.

Was good to see the lads doing a few laps today, managed to sneak in to watch them practice. With the meet the riders night cancelled at least I've seen the new kit and the riding order was obvious from the numbers on their backs.

Chris Louis told me a couple of years back he would not actually stop anyone from watching the practice days, it's just not an official event that's all. The way I see it, It's a case of the doors being open or not. They were open last year but conditions were too wet. The cafe stopped opening daily 2 or 3 years ago. I'm going weather permitting. Whenever I've been to watch I've never failed yet.