BRITISH Speedway chairman Rob Godfrey says it is a "bold decision" for the sport to press ahead with the British Final at Ipswich this weekend "“ after the Government pulled the plug on a series of planned test events with limited crowds.
Speedway's national final at Foxhall was one of a handful of sporting fixtures given the go-ahead to run in front of spectators, but after the original crowd limit of 2,500 had been cut to 1,000, the Government then cancelled the pilot events altogether on Tuesday as part of increased restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic. That left promoters to choose between calling off the British Final or pressing ahead behind closed doors, but with a live streaming. They have opted for the latter and are urging speedway fans to show their support by subscribing to the coverage for just £12.95. A 56-page programme is also available. Godfrey said: "It's more vital than ever for fans to support this event without actually being there. "We have worked tirelessly to put this event on, in particularly Chris Louis at Ipswich, and it's been hit by one setback after another. "We are determined to stage the British Final and we need to see a good response to live stream orders as well as the programme. This is the next best thing to being there! "Right now we feel drained, but we will regroup and look forward to Saturday with great excitement and enthusiasm. Ipswich Speedway have been magnificent throughout all of this and it's a bold decision to go behind closed doors but let's do it!"