Leaderboard

I can tell you from vast experience from a mechanics point of view from heat 1 to heat 15 the meeting feels like it’s going 1000 mph, you rarely get to see any other races except your riders races and you are constantly working on the bikes inbetween his races and if you are a trusted and long term mechanic (not just for a night )the intensity is amplified because their race win/loss becomes your win/loss and from a riders point of view depending on how involved you are with your bikes the meeting ticks along just nicely, it is a completely different experience to the fan experience and far more intense

I don’t know what Flint you’ve been watching. Here are his home scores for the season……4+2 8+1 14+1 5+1 8 9+1 11+1 7+1 9+1 6+2 8+2 9+1 13+1 8+3 and 8…….and in my view he’s committed to improving further. I’d definitely have him back.

Who do you mean by they? Most comments and criticism about the lack of passing came from non Glasgow fans. Why would 'they' criticise or comment on a meeting where there was passing? Incidentally by posting twice you have used unnecessary bandwidth.

In case anyone hasn't got X or Instagram. Could watch this all day 😁 Love the way Lewi just runs in half way through the race lol.

If it was up to me 100% British Premiership Speedway would be back on Sky Sports unfortunately it’s not my decision I am however having words in the correct ears . There may be some interest if the right deal was available and if a decent league sponsor could be found to support with the production costs as Speedway was not planned into 2026 plans . I am a great advocate of BSN however it’s very much a niche closed product so can foresee some potential issues with sponsorship for clubs

The scheme should be in the championship and it should be two riders to be honest. There is one promoter that wants two in the Premiership, which to be honest im not wholly against IF the riders were a good enough standard, which they aren’t. One thing I think should happen is there should be a bigger reduction in UK riders averages at the end of the season instead of the 2.5(?) percent. Even if it was a higher discount for riders under 24 to encourage teams to sign them.

Dark Chocolate covered Hob-Nobs or Rich Tea's 🤔

Says in the SS that we not moving up until we have a bit more of a guaranteed long term future at the stadium.

Where does this Poole don't like it wet come from? I've seen Poole win away when track was wet and home team weren't interested but Poole got stuck in 🤷

Results: https://live.baansportfansite.nl/event/1113/dsc-lelystad-vs-middlesbrough-tigers-lelystad.html Photo's: https://www.baansportfansite.nl/nieuws/2763/engelse-les-in-de-polder-middlesbrough-tigers-winnen-in-lelystad-met-overtuigende-64-26

yup Premier and National Development 🙂

Might need to send out a search party for our good friend @TheWellBehavedWorrall last seen or heard from pre 7.30pm on Friday night. 😁

A typical well meaning rule to try and even up the league more... And then also, typically in UK Speedway fashion, they eff it up by allowing the No1 pick to say "I'm not riding there"... (Which I get if offered more money and have local sponsors elsewhere).. In the US draft system, the bottom team gets several concessions from the teams who want their pick, should they not want to use that player .. Eg The team with the highest average last season would have needed to offer Birmingham either money or a rider/riders.. Instead we had Birmingham being out of their depth again which did them, nor Speedway, any favours . Basically. Either do it properly, or don't use it at all... Personally, out of their depth No7's do nothing for the sport, nor them, in any league ..

Disagree. The riders know what they’re signing up for. If you want a chance to ride in the top league then you enter the draft. If you’re drafted somewhere then you ride for the team who pick you. If you don’t like it, don’t enter the draft.

A speedway race is the ideal sport for this short attention span, TikTok generation. The racing itself has always been the attraction, the convoluted rules that go with it are a massive turn off. The sport needs TV coverage. TV doesn’t need speedway. It’s on the people running the sport to make it a product a television company (ideally multiple) desires and wants to throw money at. Television puts out things people want to watch, it isn’t there to promote or sustain the sport. That’s the job of the promoters. TNT don’t want speedway. They had it, let it go and inherited it again as part of the Eurosport/Discovery deal. Meetings take too long to run. That’s a sport wide problem. Some of it is necessity, some could be improved upon. For the sake of the fan in the stadium and to make the sport more palatable for the TV. A highlights show could be very interesting, showcasing the best of the weeks racing. The hurdle there would be gaining permission of whoever has the right to film/broadcast meetings. Presumably BSN. They’d need to be paid well for it, because they’d basically be giving the best of their product away for free each week otherwise.

Ben has said in numerous interviews that he is flying back first and Zach going back after he's done all his meetings.

Its a thankless task having just missed out on the league, but having to drop 5.54 points if as anticipated the limit stay at 40 points. Poole face similar but not so bad at 4.53 points but maybe softened a bit if Rushen does replace Starke which saves 2 points. It's a difficult juggling act having had 4 H/L near enough as Nagel proved a clever/shrewed signing on 5 points but a future star (when he did turn up and ride). Almost pulled it off as they did with Tarasenko a few seasons back. Personally enjoy the close season thought provoking - rumouring and forum contributors ideas on team make up for the following season. No doubt the Glasgow management are already planning &scheming for a decent team in 2026 despite the headache of building to a 5.54 lower limit than the existing teams final GSA. Must admit looking at the final Lge GSA's its a real head scratcher even as a Poole Supporter to find the right combination of riders to get to 40 points. That with knowing at least 2/3 riders who won't be there next season due to either performance or having to shed 4.53 points off the current squad. We need a strong Glasgow as its good for the support. I say that as a Poole supporter 😀

It's only Ben who's flying home to Oz on Monday, Zach is staying until the season is over

So what the Premiership needs, much like football, is a massive injection of money so riders don’t have to double up and ride in the championship. Then championship teams would be desperate to ride in the prem for money, but you then add promotion and relegation so you have jeopardy . That would be the catalyst for some good racing and more risk, bringing fans in as they would see some meaning to the meetings. Not this joke of any team choosing what league they want to ride in. A lot of championship fans on here comment “let the premiership run how it wants and we will do our own thing” so let that be the case. No doubling up, all top riders ride in Prem only due to money being bigger, and championship and NDL can do their own thing, see how many then want to make the jump up to the top league. The Prem should be the ‘promise land’ and all champ teams want to be in it, dilute their teams and league but limiting the top riders only in the prem and see how many comments change then, as all they want to do is dilute the prem to be their level of riders.

Put too much weight on it has to go.

Fully agree. 7.93 Home average. Very happy with that.

From Parken, Horsens, Cardiff, Narodowy, Ullevi, Ratina, Toruń, Wrocław and the two at Stockholm... We (actually You) are now talking Glasgow for a Grand Prix and how a 100k euro APD prevents Ipswich of all places from hosting a Grand Prix. APD's can be leased you know, and Bradford can host a Grand Prix with a 1 meter run off area. All Bradford needs is a promoter willing to do it and they'll change the rules. They've done it for Horsens previously.

But I fear the world series will be as one-sided as the NLCS.

Yes but to pick Howarth who hadn't gated all night was clearly a poor decision.

We might as well get the talk going for next season since our season is now officially finished. Looks like it is going to be 2 leagues again and with Harris already signed his first contract of the season I feel like if it was Glasgow it would have been announced last night. I would happily take him back though, he is still the main man. Villads Nagel - not coming back. Dan Thompson - might be slowly approaching the bigger and better things point but I reckon he would still benefit from another season in the championship. I would take Dan back for next season but his average is maybe a bit high now. Leon Flint - I would not take Flint back he started the season extremely poor then picked it up more so for Sheffield then slightly tailed off again. Flint can definitely do a job but is just a bit unreliable for me. Kyle Howarth - would not be disappointed either way if he left or was re-signed. He had a great season overall but I would maybe lean towards finding someone else if I was pushed. Freddie Hodder - There is a racer in there somewhere but just not sure if we could afford carrying another 2 reserves that have the potential to score 0 points in a meeting. The number 6 position is more important than ever in speedway it seems these days. Max Perry - Definitely improved over the season and seemed to be getting faster. I think both his crashes set him back slightly but as a rising star/2.00 rider I would probably sign him up again. One change I would definitely make would be a new team manager.

Official collection of Ben Fund for 2025. Well done to all fans for giving this season. PREMIERSHIP Club Belle Vue £1,397.00 Birmingham £1,125.00 Ipswich £3,362.58 King's Lynn £1,043.00 Leicester £1,964.84 Oxford £1,203.89 Sheffield £751.00 CHAMPIONSHIP Club Berwick £1,885.00 Edinburgh £1,609.00 Glasgow £1,231.20 Plymouth £743.09 Poole £1,584.35 Redcar £732.96 Scunthorpe £900.00 Workington £916.50 NATIONAL LEAGUE Club Kent £603.00

Garibaldi's. .. With Bourbans as a guest biscuit if the Garibaldi's are needed elsewhere...

It’s been said elsewhere but speedway shown on BSN is a world apart from the one shown on TNT and you would think that would be the case with discovery’s multi billion pound resorces and BSNs small pot but it’s the other way around, BSN capture the essence of the sport and TNT don’t catch anything, I actually find TNT coverage quite mundane and sometimes tedious, it’s not the commentators or presenters it’s the whole package, it just misses completely the soul and passion of the sport and broadcasts it like it’s being forced to, I can’t say I’m sad to see it go and will happily be subscribing to BSN next season

Zischke is too much of a risk imo.

Agree with most comments made on this thread. Watched on BSN, very exciting with some breathtaking action and really showed speedway in a very good light. Must admit I've enjoyed the Championship meetings more than the Premier ones. Congrats to Poole, always a well oiled machine. A big mention to Glasgow for always being in the mix and finally two other teams which I have enjoyed watching this year:- Edinburgh, good to see them on the rise again and unlucky not to make the final. Plymouth, a small club and some people knock their track but always close and entertaining racing. Look forward to more action next year.

Yes Poole don't like it wet. Better take some dirt off the track to prepare for the forecast wet conditon on Wednesday afternoon (according to the Met Office for Poole) Or maybe an early call off to wait for sunny conditions. ??

9 riders finished the season with an average over 8. Kildemand,jeppesen,Harris,dan Thompson, klindt,Wright,king,masters,Lawson.

This is why it’s difficult for them to agree on any concrete rules and regulations on league structures for 2026 until they know what (if any) TV revenue will be incoming. It’s not ideal to say the least. Fingers crossed a TV partner comes forward from somewhere so they know where they stand and can crack on with the set up for next year with certainty. As it stands, they must be planning with two different strategies.

Come back Ace Pijper for '26, all is forgiven.

They’re not owed a ride. It’s an opportunity they sign up for to have a team spot. That can be at any of the clubs in the top league and it’s known in advance. Don’t like it, don’t sign up. That’s not unfair in the slightest.

You obviously heard it wrong then.

Throw in only one rider over 8 point average after British reduction and it adds to the dilemma facing this years top 3 finishers.

Not what he said at Glasgow

Don’t know if I’m easily please but I’m happy with the usual 90mins it takes to run a meeting. Even if it runs over at 120mins its ok with me. The replays and interviews on the big screen plus those over the mike keep my interest between heats, if I’m not chatting with folk that is. Add in the antics of Chase and his interval white line challenge for the kids (big & small) pass the time nicely. Andy sticks to his regular quick track grades with only two of the four “holding things up” as the others are at the interval and before heat 15 when there are breaks anyway. Pre meeting we have Philips manager interviews and post meeting we have the press conference with Hayley & Lee before we can have one to one chats with the riders, all in the lovely surrounds of the Peter Craven suite. Being from an era of three TV channels, a whip & top to play with and chippy tea being a treat, perhaps my entertainment sensibilities are out of step with current trends. I agree about the stats thing and I’ve spoken with people trying to produce an app to draw the kids in using stats but nothing has surfaced yet. Also there should be more for the managers to do and us second guess them as currently the format is far too ridge, for no apparent reason that I can see.

But you’ve been a big advocate of the rising star system in the Premiership and you’ve just highlighted one of the major flaws. We disagreed on this topic right from the beginning. Cooper will turn 16 by the time the season starts and so will be on the list IF it remains. Someone will pick him and the concerns you’ve just raised will become valid. There is such a disparity between the riders on the rising star list that makes the whole thing a farcical nonsense. It becomes even more farcical that clubs end up being FORCED to include a rider that they don’t particularly want because after everyone else has had their pick, there’s bugger all left except cannon fodder! You're gonna get one or two clubs that will pick up a ringer that will give them an immediate advantage before a wheel has been turned, and a couple that will have to accept a Sam Hagon or Joe Thompson (with the greatest of respect) that could end up costing that club a league title! The rising star list is actually quite extensive if you look at it. But the vast majority of them shouldn’t even be on there. You wouldn’t take a bet on most of them even getting around for four laps! There’s a very small pool of riders that would even be in the hunt for a single point, but even then there’s a disparity between your Flints, Edwards’ and Mulford’s to your Hagon’s and J Thompson’s. Chuck this rising star balls in the bin. Settle on a points limit, and let every club sign any seven riders they like to fit in to that points limit.

Under CURRENT rules, Edwards is eligible for a rising star birth. You have to be 23 or under on January 1st (Edwards isn’t 24 until September) and have a Premiership average of 4.00 or under. Edwards qualifies on both counts. Again under current rules, Ipswich have the option of “protecting” their rising star if he qualifies for the following season so the option would be there for Ipswich to retain him regardless of priority “picks”. With changes to the structure of the leagues heavily mooted, I’d be surprised if these rules on rising stars stays exactly as it is. I’m not even convinced there will be a “rising star” for the Premiership next season but we’ll have to wait and see on that. Last I heard a week or so ago, with the AGM a month away, several meetings have already taken place and literally none of those involved can agree on anything! It could be a long winter…

Did you see Shohei Othani's performance in game 4 of NLCS?Apologies for the post not being speedway related. https://www.mlb.com/news/shohei-ohtani-nlcs-game-4-facts-and-figures Astonishing!!!!

It's absolutely possible. everything is possible. you're viewing it from a rider/machinery perspective. that approach has got us this far. it's time to start to think about selling the public a product they want not what the makers of the product want to provide. I can guarantee you riding or being a mechanic or a TM/Promoter at a speedway meeting is way more exciting than it is attending one as a supporter. these people probably sit there and scratch their heads as to why nobody turns up as they probably all have a great time. race finishes 2 minutes on next heat starts. have a 5 min grading break after heat 5 and 10 if there's been no natural stoppages. make the participants adapt to that. will it effect the quality of the on track action? I doubt it.

I'm gonna side with Colsimmo58 on this one. While I agree it's not ideal signing a rider who was always available, the fact Nagel signed after the season started so missed matches he'd already agreed to can't be avoided. I'd say a far bigger farces would be the riders who were injured on GB, while for in Poland, or Klindt who picked & chose his Plymouth matches without receiving a ban. Can't be easy finding a replacement who wouldn't miss any matches, look at Redcar, Riss has been missing since June, I'd argue using guests for more than half of the season (fixture wise) is a bigger farce than signing a rider who missed some matches.

Well the premier league have got round it by now allowing all manner of middle eastern super rich rich and effectly state owned entities to control clubs, however the European superleague was all about the next step as they keep reaching for the sky in terms of more money and more more more. What we really need in the PL is for a big team to get relegated and go bust that way the message about sustainability etc might finally get through. As it is if you drop out of the premier league football generally at grassroots is thriving as a lot of fans have given up on the PL and Championship etc - more and more tourists fans fill premier league stadiums. I am also sure i read somewhere that the first league football match to be played outside of the leagues country is happening - it might be a Spannish or Italian league match. My local football team are Hallam FC in the Northern Premier East Division and the other day they had 1004 fans fo a saturday afternoopn game v Emley - they have certainly picked up disillusioned fans from Wednesday!

To be fair to any of the TV companies, it isnt their responsibility to improve the sport... They provide the platform through their coverage to give the sports they cover the publicity and opportunity to use this platform to increase their profile and, hopefully, their followers and attendees... The UK promoters have had regular two hour adverts to showcase their sport yet seem quite content on showcasing it as something very few people attend, with swathes of empty seating and terracing being the overriding optics of most domestic meetings.. TNT (and Eurosport), were particularly poor though with their production standards, with graphics often wrong, however, trying to explain a "guest rising star" taking a "rider replacement ride" to a production assistant to get the graphics right, must have some difficulties...

Changing the name to Wimborne Library, given it’s been impersonating the entertainment value of one for years.

I spoke to him this morning and he said he had planned on riding in the UK next season, but changed his mind after last night. He said he’s not flying thousands of miles to play follow the leader. He said he wants to entertain fans. He also said tell LisaColette to stop talking rubbish in the Poole v Glasgow topic. He then said Ben Cook buys his race suits from Build-A-Bear.

I can't quite agree with that statement as we ultimately withdrew all our sponsorship in the sport as a result of the spiralling costs which over a very short time just became ridiculous . In the sport we went from half a dozen riders using Japs with the rest on two valve Jawas all of which could be home serviced by the average( Journey man) rider or an informed individual .You had Ivan & Co on works engines but to a large extent the rest of the riders operated at an affordable level . Enter first the two valve Piper Conversion ( not a huge cost ) then the Street conversion ( half the cost of a new engine from memory ) Weslake ,four valve Jawa and Godden in the mix as well all in a matter of a few years . Riders being as we know are influenced very easily chopped and changed at a whime ,we spent upwards of over 25k( on engines alone ) in three yrs and this was in the seventies . Imo that period is when the dynamics of the sport changed the riders took control to a large extent part of their reasoning was the inceased cost of being competitive .Up until this point the average rider didn't have a tuner lucky to have two bikes and went to a primary job the next morning .This was when the the sport was at it's peak now it has all but dropped off a cliff and your average rider wants to make a full time living out of it !