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Where there's a will there's a way. If promoters want Speedway they should go all out to make it happen.  Most people have access to a mobile phone and/or the internet perhaps a contact list could be operated  by the stadium on entry ie name, contact details and if there is a reported case people are contacted via a group email or text or perhaps register with the club via a link on their website with your name and contact details, then the list is left with turnstile staff and if your not on the list you don't get in.  Admittedly it will take  longer to get through the turnstile but the gates usually open at least an hour before the start and could maybe open earlier.  It will also take a lot of trust on both sides and patience by everyone but if we really want speedway back us supporters need to stop being so negative and try to help the promoters make it happen.  Surely I can't be the only one with a few ideas most of us have been going Speedway for years and some of you have probably got a few better ideas than I managed to come up with in 10 minutes.

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Doesn’t sound good . Two men’s cricket friendlies for instance . Is that all the cricket that would be allowed ? Then you’d probably be lucky to get a speedway meeting allowed on that basis https://www.bbc.com/sport/53441670

Edited by iris123

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Bowling alleys opening  from August, thats indoor venue much safer watching a speedway meeting outdoors

Would be easy to keep a metre apart with the average crowd of around 1200 or less at most tracks

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This crisis is becoming quite disastrous for most professional sports.

Polish League Speedway can survive with the 25% capacity crowds plus all the tv-money, but professional speedway in the UK is doomed.

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20 minutes ago, DBP said:

Bowling alleys opening  from August, thats indoor venue much safer watching a speedway meeting outdoors

Would be easy to keep a metre apart with the average crowd of around 1200 or less at most tracks

The thing with bowling alleys or swimming baths etc is if you have to book in advance, as they do in some places, then they stagger the time you are allowed to enter and have a limited number at any one time. Then it is like comparing apples and pears as you can’t do that over the space of a day at a sporting event.

It must be a major surprise no start has been announced, what with all the people who have posted here saying it is ok to start speedway now.... for about a week !!!

Edited by iris123

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18 hours ago, Chris116 said:

While what you say was true up until the virus stuck, the new normal is that drivers have to pay £25 to race and that will kill the number of entries which will kill interest in the sport. The meetings at Ipswich on 25th July and at Aldershot on 26th July will have drivers paying to race in National Hot Rods, Superstox and 2 Litre Hot Rods. They will also feature crowds for the first time. Exactly how many will be allowed in is not known at present but as the Superstox are racing at Aldershot i hope to be among those who see the meeting, I just hope the car numbers make it worthwhile as small grids can be like watching a bad case of gate and go at Speedway.

I have various family that are active in different formulas. I can re confirm before covid that Saloon, Historic stox did not pay to race  nor the national bangers. As far as I am aware the only formulas that paid to race were non Orci formulas when racing at ORC tracks  and some formulas that have had dwindling numbers have had to pay a deposit to book in(to insure viable numbers come raceday I believe.)

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5 hours ago, SPEEDY69 said:

What's the difference between cricket and speedway - crowds similar size, outdoors. OK so, cricket is nothing to do with 3 teethed yocals and filthy motorbikes... Is there a class issue here? 

From the perspective of both cricket and speedway, that is a ludicrous generalisation.

Looking forward to league cricket resuming tomorrow.

Edited by Piotr Pyszny

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5 hours ago, iris123 said:

One difference could be stadia with numbered seating ? If you book online (which seems likely) in a Cricket or Football  stadium, possible even at horse racing I think, you are allocated a numbered seat and so they generally know where you were and so if someone in your area is tested positive they can locate all those sitting nearby. 

The horse racing crowd experiment at Goodwood on Saturday 1st August is going to be carefully monitored by many sports (the horses have their own track and grandstands on the same West Sussex countryside estate as the motor racing track best known for its historic car races).

Goodwood's been chosen for several reasons - it would be racing that day anyway to complete its major meeting of the year, the 5 days of Glorious Goodwood that run from Tuesday-to-Saturday and usually attract between 10,000 and 25.000 each day, and this year it'll be the first 4 days behind closed doors for broadcasting and betting (as with all other UK horse racing since the resumption on 1st June from lockdown) before a very limited crowd join in on the Saturday.

Only Goodwood's 4,000 annual members (horse racing's version of a season ticket) will be allowed in which means they're easily traceable and very familiar with the track's facilities once they get there instead of being newcomers or once-a-year-for-a-big-day spectators - there's also the bonus that the countryside location of the track with no trains and very few buses means everyone will turn up by car to avoid any transport social distancing issues.

Effectively, Goodwood's membership is being used as just about the best possible guide to how a crowd of about 20% full capacity copes with all the post-covid issues of any queues getting in and out of the course, any queues for food-&-drink or toilets during the meeting and also how awkward it is for stewards to maintain social distancing guidelines without completely frustrating the crowd - a horse racing crowd will expect to move from pre-race paddock to the trackside grandstands via placing a bet, using the toilets or going for food-&-drink so I doubt each Goodwood member will be restricted to a numbered seat all day (something their membership wouldn't normally give them). 

If the Goodwood experiment works well, it'll become a key guideline for how other sports with fans familiar with their home venue can resume soon afterwards which is where speedway crowds as well as football, rugby and all other sports will be looking to learn from Goodwood's trial.

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2 hours ago, Bavarian said:

This crisis is becoming quite disastrous for most professional sports.

Polish League Speedway can survive with the 25% capacity crowds plus all the tv-money, but professional speedway in the UK is doomed.

I would say disastrous for many organisations not just sports clubs. Once again more mixed messaging bollox from the government. I think george Orwells 1984 is slowly becoming a reality as they assimilate control of us all. I get that some people are afraid and will do as they are told  however if Putin was about to invade and the government said we must all bear arms then would people actually follow this advice?

 

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It is easy to say British speedway stadia could cope with the size of the crowds at most meetings compared to capacity, and maintain social distancing. However, if you look at Poland with 25% capacity crowds social distancing is virtually non- existent with huge areas of the stadium empty and everyone standing in "clumps" of 40 or more, because they want to be with their mates. They can't all be relatives. 

Notwithstanding that " no fans in stadia until October" effectively rules out anything for this year, I have heard rumours that Greyhound stadiums, which are holding televised closed door meetings for dogs, will not allow any crowds into their stadiums (even if speedway had got the go ahead) to preserve the sanitised area from possible cross contamination). 

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15 minutes ago, leander said:

It is easy to say British speedway stadia could cope with the size of the crowds at most meetings compared to capacity, and maintain social distancing. However, if you look at Poland with 25% capacity crowds social distancing is virtually non- existent with huge areas of the stadium empty and everyone standing in "clumps" of 40 or more, because they want to be with their mates. They can't all be relatives. 

Notwithstanding that " no fans in stadia until October" effectively rules out anything for this year, I have heard rumours that Greyhound stadiums, which are holding televised closed door meetings for dogs, will not allow any crowds into their stadiums (even if speedway had got the go ahead) to preserve the sanitised area from possible cross contamination). 

I'd be very surprised if speedway returns this year?

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From what i read earlier the sports minister talking about crowds returning to football stadia from September, he seemed to meaning the possibility of seated stadia and social distancing, but no mention of standing supporters, where does that leave speedway even if its a september return of some kind ?.

Edited by greyhoundp

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29 minutes ago, greyhoundp said:

From what i read earlier the sports minister talking about crowds returning to football stadia from September, he seemed to meaning the possibility of seated stadia and social distancing, but no mention of standing supporters, where does that leave speedway even if its a september return of some kind ?.

Answer on the back of a postcard 

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27 minutes ago, greyhoundp said:

From what i read earlier the sports minister talking about crowds returning to football stadia from September, he seemed to meaning the possibility of seated stadia and social distancing, but no mention of standing supporters, where does that leave speedway even if its a september return of some kind ?.

To be honest this current virus (I hate the word) aint going anywhere fast so we got to live with it. Lets just get on with matters, sport whatever. If folk want to go they will, if they dont then so be it.

You just look at Leeds footie fans again tonight rightly celebrating as did Liverpool recently and crowds at beaches and on BLM protests.

We have to move forward sometime, ok Govt have said in bits and pieces but no one seems to know full picture. No doubt they go to Theatres as they opening (inside) for audiences.  They saying on here Stocks running with crowds so does that count as a minor sport

One consolation we dont need to listen anymore in mornings to Dr H (We all doomed Mr Mainwairing)Jones on ITV  He off on jollies

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4 hours ago, teaboy279 said:

I have various family that are active in different formulas. I can re confirm before covid that Saloon, Historic stox did not pay to race  nor the national bangers. As far as I am aware the only formulas that paid to race were non Orci formulas when racing at ORC tracks  and some formulas that have had dwindling numbers have had to pay a deposit to book in(to insure viable numbers come raceday I believe.)

The only Spedeworth formulae that paid to race were the Rookie Rods and Bangers. The National Bangers were sometimes paid start money and the BriSCA Formula One Stock Cars are paid start money. However no drivers make any money out of the sport these days although some claim to nearly break even. 

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