There’s an update in the Speedway Star. Looks like it’s just 1 position to fill, we are hardly left with the dregs as some people like to believe.. COMETS OPTIONS WORKINGTON boss James Denham admits there have been some very tough decisions in putting together his team for 2026. With Jonas Jeppesen, Troy Batchelor, Tate Zischke and Vinnie Foord all confirmed as starters for the GT Tyres Comets, it leaves three places to fill. Denham says they haven't been short of options to complete the septet, and all are being explored having taken a different approach to team- building than in previous seasons. "We've had to go down a different route, because what we've seen the last two seasons is that we just need stronger riders in certain positions," said Denham. "Troy was pretty much the only man we could rely on, there was no-one else that we could trust. He delivered when he could but he didn't really have any support. "We needed to give him that support. We needed a proper number one this year, and Jonas is the right man. "Troy maybe isn't as strong as some of the other number ones, but he can mix it with those guys on his day. "That's the route we've gone down, and we have three other positions to fill now. We have some of that sorted but are waiting for the last piece of the jigsaw. "I think there are plenty of riders, both on the continent and in the UK, that would fit the bill and we're just trying to figure out which is going to be the best one. We're waiting for a few people to get back to us and figure out which is the best option to go with. "We need to be unbeatable at home this year and pick up as many aggregate points in the Championship, like we did that first year when we made the play-offs." As is always the case when it comes to teams putting together their line-ups, there are inevitably riders who miss out on places and this may end up happening to Comets' 2025 rider of the year Jacob Hook. Denham sympathises with his plight but with team-building simply coming down to numbers, he says these are the tough decisions that need to be made. He added: "We've had plenty of riders who have been interested in coming to Workington this year and we've had to make some tough calls with Jye (Etheridge) and Jacob, but that's how the points limit plays into our hands. "I'm disappointed for Jacob. Not only has it not worked out for us, but it hasn't worked out for any other team so far, so he might miss out this year, which is the downfall of his success last year."    

IT seems the greyhound management at Monmore are not thinking that much clearer about the facilities they have there when a lot of their greyhound racing is is for afternoon bags when you only get a handful of people there,why are they ripping alovely seating area which has years left in it,the bar area is great,BUT it doesnt make sense to rip it all out just for an evening meeting or two at the track when what they already have  in place was more the adequate to deal with the paying public.Madness from their management when the fixtures and fittings were more then good enough ,theres no way they are going to get that money back and the main crowd will only be on a saturday night,with the bags fixtures for about 50 paying folk.Clueless managent again for what gain.

The 2027 season? Don’t worry it might not happen (as the saying goes). It baffles me that  some people think/hope that 2026 will be a blip and things will be put in place for a promised land in 2027 and beyond. The BSPL, as I understand it, represent the teams competing in British Speedway, but there is a divide because of the PL/CL split and own agendas of completing clubs. This insistence of clinging on to a top tier is becoming ridiculous, as has been proved for 2026. The sport has never been in a position to introduce promotion/relegation (yes it was tried a few years ago, move on), simply because it cannot generate a wide enough interest. Forget league structures, just start with getting teams to confirm that they will compete for a future season on preferred race nights. Build from there. See what league structure options are available on this basis. Only at this point should available riders be looked at. GP level riders will no doubt be unaffordable/uninterested, but you have to cut your cloth as they say. Nothing will change of course because UK speedway cannot accept/understand that the financial demands of top riders continually eat in to unsustainable resources.

I genuinely think I’ve become one of those people who use to go to speedway, not by choice either, with wolves closing and now Birmingham gone, my nearest track is Buxton and although I will go there a couple of times this coming season I just can’t see me going to watch speedway regularly any more, I might go to an odd match here and there but I’ve become my speedway friends, they still follow it but don’t go anymore, even having a skid myself was reduced to 2 meetings (worky IOW) in 2025, hardly worth the effort of keeping my bikes or the hours of driving to do it 

Same man could still do a job I reckon.

May have nothing to do with the team structure that statement though. Depends whether you class the signing of Cookie as exciting news ? Probably divide opinion that one.