It's like Richard Branson.   They say he's a brilliant businessman, but have you tasted his homemade Vol-au-Vents? I found the pastry too flaky, and not enough filling.  The bloke can't cook.  I was up for a big deal, but they put me right off.

1. Sheffield - Decent top 3. (Though C Holder on the slide a bit).  Need Rowe to perform as last season, and Flint to bring his reserve form into the main body. 2.  Belle Vue - Powerhouse top two.  If the younger members can keep improving, they have a chance. 3. King's Lynn - Best side for years, but feel more like individuals than a team.  If they all fire, they'll be hard to beat. 4. Leicester - Solid enough, but might be lacking in heats 13 & 15 against the above 5.  Ipswich - Unless they sign a big name, having Brennan at No.1 is a tough ask.  Will be solid throughout, and if the rumour of getting a heat leader like Thorssell on a reserves average is true, it will boost them. 6.  Northampton - Unless they have something special up their sleeves it could be Lidsey, Wright, Lawson as top 3.  Enough riders out there to build a strength in depth team, but not play-off winners.

Doubling up is the sport’s biggest problem for me. Whilst you could accuse riders of being greedy, they are only going along with what the controlling body permits. For that reason, you cannot blame riders for wanting to maximise their earnings. We all know that Premier League footballers are paid obscene money…..but if someone is prepared to offer these amounts? The BSPA are afraid of the (short term) consequences of doing away with doubling up, but it is essential for the future of the sport if it is to move forward. As I’ve said previously, riders should only be allowed to double up if they’ve been kicked in the b*lls.  

Mayfield Sports Events Ltd. is indeed a different company from Mayfield Sports Management Ltd. The latter now trades as Junefield Associates Ltd. It was subject to a winding up petition (when called Mayfield Sports Management Ltd.) in November 2024 by Craft Bamboo Holdings Ltd., who claimed to be the main creditors of the company. No results of the hearing in early 2025 were published and - as the company still exists - one can presume the case was either withdrawn or thrown out.  Now, where the lines become blurred, is the fact that a third company called Mayfield Motor Sports Ltd. owns 75% of the shares of Mayfield Sports Events Ltd. (which has been an active company since 2017). Interestingly, Anoushka Coleman is listed as the sole director of that. There was also a winding up petition launched against Mayfield Sports Events Ltd. by The Nexthash Group Ltd. in 2024. However, this was dismissed in court.

No but to be fair you don’t get 14 riders of that standard in the national league either. Only the heat leaders