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Judging by the attendance when Ipswich staged the “Tiger’s academy open” meeting a few weeks ago, including the latest Great British hope Cooper Rushen, I’d say you’re wrong and spectacularly wrong. Look, people on this forum are obviously die hard fans of the sport where any level of speedway is seen as great. But they’re in a tiny tiny minority. I’ve seen someone say on here recently that we don’t need the “GP Stars” because riders of a far lesser ability can provide “just as good racing”. But that isn’t reflected in the attendance the further you go down the Speedway pyramid. The NDL is pitifully attended. You can literally stand there and count the supporters in between races. So not many actually want to see “Johnny Local” making his way to better things at all. The hugely successful Championship that has their “house in order”, is also embarrassingly attended. You’ll get the odd anomaly such as Poole and Glasgow who get decent crowds by Championship standards, but they are an exception to the rule. The majority in that league have pitiful attendance figures. Any Poole fan by the way that comes on here and try’s to convince people that the crowd levels they’re seeing in the Championship aren’t that much different to the crowds they got when they had Holder and Ward ruling the roost, or Trick and Leigh Adams before them, are lying. Simple as that. The fact of the matter is, that attendances has steadily declined in this Country over the last 10-20 years, and that has coincided with an ever dwindling number of world class riders that ride over here to the point we now have only a small handful left. There are other factors as to why attendances have dwindled of course there are, but let’s please stop pretending that having or not having, the best riders in the world riding here doesn’t make a difference! Of course it bloody well does. Rider costs have spiralled out of control for the very top riders and any increase in attendance at tracks that manage to sign them, wouldn’t in all likelihood cover the financial outlay to get them over and that is the problem. It’s a catch22 situation unfortunately but getting shot of the ones we do still have, water the product down even further, and the death of the sport in this Country will gather pace at a rate of knots. You can forget any meaningful sponsorship or TV deal! Nobody will be interested. There’s a reason nobody, even back to the Sky Sports days, were remotely interested in showing anything below the top tier.

True! Flying in and out of Glasgow would be a lot easier.

if they are that desperate for these teams to. Run They could allow Peterborough Swindon and Coventry to use other tracks but on alternat race Nights .

Bastian Pedersen stays at Holsted

Last I heard was Toby was talking to Glasgow,but he was touting himself for a team place last season allegedly.

And both will be as well known as each other to the vast majority of the local population... Watching Dan Bewley fly around the fence at the NSS is great, however, watching him cross the finishing line as two rising stars are still getting around bends three and four doesn't make for much of a spectacle... Evan, four "Superstars" in a race, most times, ends up with the winner being half a straight ahead of fourth... At the NSS. You can basically pay £25 to watch the "Superstars" on a Monday or Thursday, deliver similar racing to what you can see the NDL lads do, for £15, at the weekend... With the vast majority of the local population not knowing their "Dan Bewley's" from their "Will Cairns'".. Or even who Belle Vue are, or what Speedway is... In any business, if you can find a way to deliver a similar standard of product, but for less cost, and then pass that saving onto your customers in a lower price point, then surely that has to be good for your business...? Or even use some of the cost savings to invest in marketing, to get what you sell out into the consciousness of those living within your catchment area...?

I’ve often wondered how much ford, bates, Louis, Godfrey, morris and the secretary’s wages come too every year ? Got to be honest I would do it for half

Actually, BSPL is a limited company and one of the directors is Danny Ford, along with Damien Bates, who wants out, the other 2 directors are Chris Louis and Rob Godfrey, so 2 PL, 2 CL.

As far as I am aware, the BSPL consists of a number of individual business's. If this is so, they cannot "force" Poole to abandon the Championship for a very uncertain future in the Premier League. Try to force that and I would guess that the Lawyers would be called in and Poole would take it to Court. I would if I was them, I would and I believe they would win. Oh well, that's all right then!!! You are 'all right Jack'!!! There is far too many of your Premier League people trying to close Championship Tracks for my liking. Wanting to sacrifice them on the altar of the Premier League. Not on I'm afraid. I am not being nasty, but your attitude is, prop up the Premier League at all costs and stuff the other Championship Clubs in this Country. Your League has caused all of the problems, and you expect to be bailed out as a right. That is a terrible attitude. I lost my Track fifty two years ago, so I know how it feels. I think you should wait and see what happens at the (rather late) AGM. On this particular matter you have got to me, I feel you are being very selfish and and entitled. Your position on this is dead wrong.

Who said Ipswich are threatening to pull out?

Britain competing PL on a Mon/Thu is a relatively new thing and has just about killed off the sport and the PL in particular in this country. I take it you're a relative newcomer to Speedway and Ipswich? Personally I think new punters are more likely to want to come and see young Johnny Local making his way to better things in the sport rather than Johan Foreigner who flies in for his pension fund top up.

Perhaps the efforts are to persuade one of then to temporarily run from Northampton.....

Track prep looks like nothing much has changed

Great footage

The AGM these days isn't a 3-day conference to thrash out all the rules like it used to be. Nowadays the rules are thrashed out in a number of meetings, and the AGM is just a "box ticking" exercise to ratify what has been agreed. Clearly things haven't been agreed yet to a stage where they can be signed off, so last week's date was cancelled. The AGM has now been set for 6 January 2026. The Premiership is down to 5 teams, and realistically needs at least 1 more. An amalgamation into 1 league is impossible for various reasons; Several Championship clubs could not run on Monday/Thursday which would be needed to keep the top riders in Britain. Without the top riders, and with doubling-up ended, there would not be enough riders to fill 14 teams. With riders only having 1 club income and no doubling-up, they would need higher wages. Higher wage costs and lack of riders would close several of the less affluent clubs- So 1 league is a non-starter. Whilst some Premiership clubs may consider running with 5 teams, Ipswich are strongly against this, and are threatening to pull out, leaving a 4 team Premiership. A sixth team would appear to be the solution. A club moving up from Championship would solve it, but who? Rumours of a new club at Northampton is another option, a new promotion running a new team out of Oxford is another rumour. There's even rumours Peterborough could get their track back and relaunch, although that does sound far-fetched.

No they can’t see it. Because at the moment the challenge they are facing is working out how all existing clubs can operate “successfully” in 2026. if you wanted a public statement - the best they could say is “We are not yet in a position to announce our plans for 2026 and will not do so until something is in place”. One could safely presume talks are ongoing..

Great footage

Forgive me, but having moved to NZ's South Island in 1994, I'm possibly the Witches most distant supporter. I used to get Speedway Star, but don't bother now as I can find most of the news online. However, can someone give me a concise summary of why the promoters conference was cancelled (only 5 premiership teams?), when is it going to be held, and subsequently when we might know who the 2026 witches are (I know Emil isn't coming back and of the rumour linking Dan T with Leicester). I'm surprised there's been no official announcement about the current state of affairs from the Witches management

Correct ! Knutsson won in 1965

Tobias has been great particularly come a final (I even went so far as getting him a full size Danish flag to show him he was was loved at Poole) but right now he is his GSA, and now really is the time to part ways. We (Poole) now(for 26) need somebody who gives good value for their GSA with potential for great improvement. So long Tobias, thanks for a job well done, good luck in the future (but not against the Pirates), but remember 24/25 were probably your golden year's mate.

I'm really not, My posts are just rubbing Fans up the wrong way. I'm just very Pro-PREM while other Fans are very much against it which is totally fine as they're entitled to an opinion as am I. Imo GP / Ekstraliga Riders competing in Britain on MON & THU Nights is the be all and end all when it comes to British Speedway. I really don't see a future for British Speedway if the PREM collapses because One Big Medicore League would be of such a weak standard where no GP / Ekstraliga Riders are on show that it will struggle to create a next generation of fans which the Sport in the UK badly needs. Whether the PREM collapses or not, I'll always fight it's corner through the good times and bad times.

That is true, though just a slight codicil: Ove Fundin came back and rode in the British League in 1966 and 1967, winning the World Championship in 1967. And in 1966, 1sr, 2nd and 4th in the World Championship were all riding in the British League.

No, Peterborough will not have anything to do with Chapman 🤞

Is the fact that there has been little correspondence on this that the bears fans know there one to seven already

Would it be possible for Peterborough to run at King's Lynn in 2026? Extra time to get the Showground ready for 2027.