DC2

Haven’t seen that mentioned but Patel did say there would be some exceptions. 14 days quarantine required here from 8 June but of course that could well be lifted by July. Personally I would like to see the government state now whether or not it intends for spectator events to recommence on 1 August. That would give the BSPA a chance to plan for a three month season.

Do you have a 14 day quarantine?

Huddersfield population 150,000, average attendances in PL last year 23,000. Swindon 220,000; would 25,000 be unrealistic?

Average attendance in the Championship is 20,181. Are you saying Swindon’s would be half the average even if we were top six! Apparently our disastrous 1993-94 Premier League season saw an average home crowd of 15,274, so top 6 could well have seen us near capacity (which is a mere 15,728 now, but could be 25,000). Other than Bournemouth on 10,510, every other club in the PL averages more than 20,000 at home.

It’s less to do with Society and more to do with which division they’re in and how well they’re doing. 7,000 crowds in the bottom division is very good. If they were top 6 in the Championship they’d be at 15,000 and top six in the Premiership near capacity.

I think there’ll be a big bounce back when we’re finally released from the lockdown!

I’m quite sure that promoters know full well the pay expectations of riders and what might be acceptable to them.

I think it would be a pretty easy sell: ”Hey, fans, the Covid ban has ended and speedway can now run but we can’t fly in the continental stars due to quarantines, so we’re going to try a domestic league with a reduced admission fee. Will you support us or would you rather have no speedway this year?”

Actually it would be speedway’s chance to start taking the nails out of the coffin and lifting the lid on the realisation that it needs to live within its means. As for the admission fee, yes, you would imagine that no flights and fewer big names would result in a lower one, just the same as the different price levels between the PL, the CL and the NL now.

If travel, quarantine and foreign league restrictions aren’t lifted before a re-start is allowed we’ll be left only with a finite number of British riders to make anything of the season. Some clubs might be willing to run and others not. We might be left with a completely unique, one season league of just 10 clubs and a team building average of CL 32! We’d need 70 riders and we have about 85 British riders, including NL ones. Three of Swindon’s top five might be Ellis, Perks and Rowe, and if we could get Jordan Stewart over and have say Kinsley, Luke Harris and Stoneman, I’d be happy to watch that type of team. We might increase the standard or the number of teams if foreigners (including Aussies) base themselves here. Each team could have a home and away meeting each week and conclude the league meetings after week nine, leaving one spare week for rain offs and two weeks for the play offs and final. Without being dependent on foreign riders, clubs could generally run on their preferred race nights and there would be no double uppers! Your rider would be solely your rider. This season could be used as a worthwhile trial for a future blueprint for British speedway, especially one that includes living within its means.

Stop talking sense!

Agreed. If everyone stands two metres apart inside the stadium and queuing to get in, there should be no problem. Just as there’s no problem doing the same in a park.

Nicolas Klindt? Hans Andersen? Ellis Perks? Kyle Howarth? Charles Wright? All must have 7, 8 or 9?

Darn, didn’t think of that. Sometimes though one marble would “get a bit of grip” by being hit from one behind, especially if I curved my hand (the starting tapes) in a certain way for Martin Ashby.

Blimey, so did I!

Isn’t that what the NHS list says?

So you’ve been told to SHIELD and you’re not allowed to leave your property?

Could you screenshot your letter and post it on here? Obviously, don’t show your name and address. I would like to see one of those as you don’t seem to qualify as “vulnerable” (although I’ve noticed the NHS has now changed this to “extremely vulnerable) and my mother in law has been very concerned that she hasn’t been told to shield (although she is) and she doesn’t qualify for deliveries.

Which part of what I said is “totally untrue”? Here’s the vulnerable list, according to the NHS it’s people who: have had an organ transplant are having chemotherapy or antibody treatment for cancer, including immunotherapy are having an intense course of radiotherapy (radical radiotherapy) for lung cancer are having targeted cancer treatments that can affect the immune system (such as protein kinase inhibitors or PARP inhibitors) have blood or bone marrow cancer (such as leukaemia, lymphoma or myeloma) have had a bone marrow or stem cell transplant in the past 6 months, or are still taking immunosuppressant medicine have been told by a doctor they you have a severe lung condition (such as cystic fibrosis, severe asthma or severe COPD) have a condition that means they have a very high risk of getting infections (such as SCID or sickle cell) are taking medicine that makes them much more likely to get infections (such as high doses of steroids) have a serious heart condition and are pregnant

Yes, I can believe that. The vulnerable list seems to be confined to the terminally ill and those who have had life saving treatments like chemotherapy or open heart surgery in the last six months. But they should check with their doctor.

My girlfriend’s parents are 77 and 79 but haven’t received a letter. One has a heart condition and contacted the doctor to check but was told that only certain conditions make one “vulnerable” regardless of age.

Wasn’t it only the 1.5 million vulnerable people who received letters, not everyone over 70? The over 70s who are not vulnerable (and diabetics who are not “vulnerable”) are merely classed as “high risk” but are told they can do exactly the same as a fit, healthy 35 year old.

You might say you’ve “invested” £30k in a van when in reality you’ve paid a £1,000 deposit and £200 a month.

Has she sorted out the Skye care home?

Our government’s tests are based two-thirds on taking swabs and one third on taking the p*ss.