Spl77

Just seen this from Godfrey regarding the play off final last week. Question is what credibility? British Speedway vice-chairman Rob Godfrey said: “There was a serious risk of damaging the credibility of our sport because of guest riders switching clubs after the first leg.

When that was decided the BSPA probably didn't bank on Ipswich winning it with the team that we had. Then guess what the green eyed monsters at the 98 AGM took it away..... Happens every year and every year the sport gets closer to the grave. Sad times

I'm trying to work out the value of Poole aor for that matter any club as the 'rider assets' are worthless. As for a brand then that aswell must have little worth. The ironic thing is the BSPA have spent the last 25 years at least running the sport to suit individual agenda's of various promotions to 'protect' their financial interests. Those actions now make those investments almost worthless when coming to sale.....who would spend thousands on a knacked old tractor and some dirt?

The problem is that the riders are self employed and so don't belong to any club. The whole asset system is only kept in place by the BSPA the minute a rider threatened legal action the whole thing would collapse. The only way a club can have any legal control over a rider is to sign him on a multi year contract.

All he would need to do is what Nicholls did last winter go legal.....it would never stand up in court.

If you take the riding assets away then what is actually up for sale? as the stadium is council owned.

Every year at the AGM the direction of the sport is set by a few looking after their own vested interests.... We are told it will never be ran by an independent body because the promoter's will only want to look out for their own investment. The ironic thing is that to anyone outside of speedway these investments and assets are basically worth sod all. What the promoter's see as their main assets are in fact self employed. The only tracks with any real worth are the ones that own their own stadium. So year on year the clowns who run the show make ever more daft decisions to protect their interests and investment when in actual fact those decisions only reduce the value still further of their investment. I'd like to see two leagues one semi pro one amateur and standard equipment so that costs can be lower for all involved. This is needed to save the sport here and hopefully in time stability comes in and one league could become pro again. The big goal and the only goal that the BSPA and riders should be looking at over the next 5 years is survival!

If he doesn't want to ride in the UK thats his choice. He should not be prevented from riding in the GP qualifiers or the British championship if he wishes. It's not his fault that the powers that be in this country have made UK speedway worthless. You wouldn't be forced to stay at your current work place if it was on the verge of folding and ran by idiots, when you had better offers from elsewhere. Especially if you were self employed!

How have you got your hands on the top secret BSPA business plan?

If only others would listen.... He seems from the outside looking in a lone voice.

It's an interesting piece. Louis views on Ipswich and speedway in general. Keep trying...

So Drew Kemp is a Ipswich asset. Confirmed by CL on the Ipswich star website. Good news

Kings Lynn is closer by half a mile. In all serious if Ipswich move back to the 'top league' they need to be competive not really achieved what they dropped down a league for ie winning trophies and building the asset base.

Jason Doyle seems to have been linked a few times with Ipswich for next year. I'm guessing just crazy rumours! Kemp has definitely got to be first name on the team sheet which ever league Ippo are in. You'd like to think he is signed up already.

To be fair to Chris Louis at Ipswich I think he wants to try new things and having a sponsor like Guy can help with that. Love him or hate him Matt Ford was probably the same when he entered the sport. The big issue seems to be that the old guard those that really control the sport seem to have a habit of wearing these new bread of promotion down. It's always been the same reading John Berry's books he was hated by the BSPA and viewed as an upstart!

That's far worse than the farce of double points and would finish the sport for sure.

Looks like 2019 is going to be a massive year for Ipswich and the sport in general. Ipswich need to get the team right the amount of home meetings right and perhaps more importantly the track surface right. The BSPA need to come up with something revolutionary otherwise as a long standing supporter said to me neither club or sport will be around in 5 years. Roll on the AGM

Oh the days of 25 to 30 meetings a season at Foxhall! Most of them meaningful with the 16 Lapper star of anglia and Billy sanders memorial added in.

For once I agree with you. Neil Vatcure and those involved with the team GB set would appear to be the ones to go for. Failing that ask guy Nicholls to buy the whole sport and have Mark loram as the front man.

They had a 5 year plan a few years ago and I believe Chris Louis was involved when he first took over at Ipswich. I seem to rember Louis and the others putting forward ideas...... The 5 year plan was scrapped after a season.

I'm sure if that became as widespread in 20 20 as it is in speedway or they started using guests week in week out it would impact. The thing with 20 20 is you tend to go for the event. They have been very good at marketing the product and got away from the old man image of the 4 day game. If speedway had been half as successful in changing its image and rebranding this tread would not exsist. On the subject of guests cause I know your a big fan...... Paul Starke has appeared in 3 of the last 4 league meetings at Foxhall riding for 3 different teams. On the question of Swindon on Thursday I can't make it due to other commitments however the BSPA have granted them the use of fan replacement of guest fan for the good of speedway.

Could be the second ever Kings Lynn v Ipswich in either 98 or 99 finished at 15 minutes past midnight.....

Take the last few weeks when Scott Nicholls has been guesting for Ipswich. Now don't get me wrong everyone at Ipswich loves seeing Scott wearing the witch just as much as I'm sure he still loves riding for the club. The problem comes that he could have scored the points Ipswich needed to get into the playoffs and Ipswich could possibly have met Peterborough in the final and beaten Scott's own team to the title. That on its own is a crazy situation for a team sport to be in. Worse now though because even though Ipswich won't qualify Scott is njured while riding for Ipswich which again could reck Peterborough's season.

As I have my ticket already from last week let's get this started. Looking forward to Drew Kemps home debut.

Funny how the Poles name a number 8 in their league matches and they can come in at any point. But then it's a proper professional sport over there.