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Let's take one of the best ran clubs and make them completely change their operating model and business plan, and make them follow an operating model and business plan that has shown it clearly isn't fit for purpose, nor sustainable... What a great idea....

They have two solutions.. 1. Run a "Super League" with (five or maybe six?) teams at last years tier one level and hope they get some TV coverage. With those teams then running a 2nd team in a league that matches a cross between last years Championship and NDL levels, with rider/average controls in place to share out the HL's. Or 2. No GP or Polish contracted riders at all and just running one league at a Championship/NDL level running on any nights the clubs want to, to maximise crowds, with some kind of average/rider control to share around the HL's... Let's face facts. . Bringing back the GP/Top stars simply hasn't worked across the league, as fans are now able to watch them ride in Sweden on Tuesday, Poland on Friday and Sunday, and in the GP's, Euro Championships, SON, SWC etc virtually every week of the season... With several visits to your own track during the year, any "novelty" has now long gone and their presence simply hasn't added the numbers to the atrendances that was obviously hoped for, and intended, to do.. Ipswich fans may say different, however, when they travelled away "huge crowds" didn't pay to watch Emil and Doyle and even at home in the many POQ "dead rubbers" their crowds, whilst better than anyone elses, were hardly "bumper". Contrast and compare Emil's first season to his last away from home. It became just another Speedway meeting, where, in his first year there was some "box office" to his arrival at your track.. The Aces had some very low crowds with two of the top 3 riders in the world, (being two of the most exciting riders too), riding for them... I would say the lack of jeopardy and repetition of visitors, in so many meetings, keep more fans away than the GP riders can attract, especially as they are only "big names" in a tiny, tiny pond, so hardly anyone outside the small number of followers of the sport, in fhe UK, could even name them.. One league will at least bring some different teams to tracks, which may stimulate some "novelty value" at least.... Granted, it's a low bar, but the current operating model clearly doesn't work...

If that's the point of the league there should be team building rules to allow that but there isn't and we built a team to the rules that didn't even end up winning a trophy so obviously we're not the only ones who can sign the best riders, does our 2024 team look like something a team with infinite money bags would put together? Why should Glasgow take the risk into a top league that is killing every other team that goes into it, giving up our Friday race night and isolating ourselves from our local clubs? Glasgow owners also sponsor the championship, will they stop that to save money in turn starting the championship on a downward spiral? Glasgow's closest club in the top league is Belle Vue, between those two clubs you have not just Berwick and Edinburgh but Redcar and Workington with Scunthorpe around equal distance. Glasgow is trying to get families coming with their kids to enjoy speedway, a Friday night works well since parents don't have to worry about kids getting home too late on a school night. Finally Glasgow isn't a speedway city, the owners have mentioned it before but no one cares if Tai Woffinden of Emil Sayfutdinov are in town, most people who you'd tell would look at you like you're insane. You wouldn't get a big draw of new fans flooding in for these top league names, maybe a couple fans from Edinburgh/Berwick but not enough to balance the increased wages. I understand being a premiership team fan wanting a competitive exciting league, despite all the above points I'd love for us to give the top league a go as long as it means the club won't die in a year but what are the actual benefits to moving up from a business perspective? From your posts it just sounds like you want to punish Glasgow for doing a good job .

Plymouth finished 2nd from bottom, crowds increased very good meetings plenty to enjoy, if we did well and won something that would be a bonus but you can still have a successful season without any tin.

So what? Only one team can win a title -- real success is having an entertaining team providing excitement for fans, getting enough bums on seats to pay the bills.

Bee in your bonnet about Glasgow.Their Promotion are successful business men, I’m sure they can make their own decisions regarding their finances.

Not wanting to move up because it isn’t financially viable isn’t sense of entitlement, it’s sensible. The overall standard of the sport here has dropped. The GP riders and Sayfutdinovs in the Premiership only mask the fact that the rest of the riders are Championship standard at best. That’s why they are racing in both leagues (that and the suggestion they’re owed a living from the sport so should be allowed to race for multiple teams in Britain). The sport here can’t justify the level it tries and wants to present. The fact that landlords want their rent so admission prices will only rise regardless of what’s on show doesn’t help. This spiral will only continue. There’s no overnight fix. Those running the sport need to publicly acknowledge that and put a long term plan in place. Smoke and mirrors breeds rumours and discontent. Tell the fans what is happening and why and most of them will be a lot more understanding.

Nice as many of these ideas are, we're still just kicking the can down the road. Without a grassroots plan to develop more riders and secure more venues, there is no team speedway. There are already nowhere near enough riders, and that's utilising many expensive imports. There needs to be a separation of the sport and the competition. Clubs are (rightly) just trying to do enough to get them to the end of next week. I don't see anyone doing any wider development of the sport. I just can't see a future for speedway as a team sport, or as a professional sport, but I would hope that the base sport can survive and find an appropriate level for the early 21st century.

Why should Glasgow prop up the top league. The top league over the years have pocketed fortunes from the TV deals. Now because they haven't got a TV deal you expect 2nd division clubs to throw them a rope. I would tell them to get stuffed. The only reason the top league might only run with 5/4 teams is down to them. They stood by and watched Tolly skint himself last season and now you think other clubs should follow suit?. They made their bed. Let them lie in it.

Half the championship heat leaders ride because they can afford it due to the championship, I’m not telling people they have to jump up, it’s their decision. I’m simply stating is the premiership doesn’t run then watch speedway further fall.

Why do people criticise promoters for going abroad for the AGM, they don't usually have a holiday mid season? People moan about cost of living but jet off to Spain on holiday.

Glasgow do not want to change from Friday night racing, yes they have raced on other nights but we have hundreds of kids with their families, on a Friday, crowd levels drop for midweek meetings. Also our volunteers have stated that regular midweek meetings would affect their availability.

I think we have seen how some clubs who are bank rolled using money from a larger company owned by the promoters, can struggle when that company loses business.. You often never know what the next 12 months will bring in business so any "financial projects" you get involved with away from your "core business" have to either break even or deliver non threatening sustainable (and budgeted), losses, and be part of your overall business profit and loss plan... The same riders riding for Glasgow in the 2nd tier will need significantly more money to ride for them in the top tier... And, as we know, the crowds don't usually suddenly "leap" when teams move up... And to watch mainly the same riders, but now at an increased admission price of around five pounds, why would they? So, the question has to be.. Why would Glasgow (or any other 2nd tier track) do it? Especially if no six figure TV deal is in place to help balance the books.. In summary. For any team moving up all they will get is increased costs with pretty much zero positive impact to their attendance, in fact, having to change race nights they could actually reduce their attendances.. The fans will watch around 50% to 70% of exactly the same riders but now at an increased admission of high double digit percentages, and get to watch it on nights that they don't currently attend.... And, ultimately the winner of either league will pretty much recieve as much publicity and financial reward as the other... Not a great incentive is it?

For me as a worky fan, very similar to Plymouth A good season is watching entertaining racing with the majority of home wins, if we get beat by a better team so be it 😄 Then if our team survives and runs the following season that is a success and hopefully the guys that run the speedway have broken even

You can understand if the teams with "top level riders" are reluctant to part with them... Their rents won't drop yet their admission costs will need to, to reflect the significant drop in standard of the riders on view, and crowds wont increase to cover the reduction in admission charge, riders costs may drop but would crowds match the ones delivered with the top riders there? Sponsors also may only want to be involved with the "top riders" and could either pull their money completely or reduce it due to, again, the drop in levels.. So many teams need so many different scenarios... A proper self inflicted cluster eff...

Really! Cant go along with that.Thats your opinion though which your are entitled too.

Your last paragraph is bang on. Making a Championship club take a bullet isn’t the way to achieve it. More clubs can sustain the lower level of racing. Evidenced by the Championship containing more tracks. The way to serve the sport as a whole is to bring the standard to the level that is sustainable across the board. The issue then becomes that because of the mismanagement of the last X amount of years we now have a shortfall of Championship standard riders (let alone Premiership). Not to mention stadium rent costs only going in one direction. Basically we’re in a huge mess. The solution needs to help as many tracks as possible survive in the short term and thrive in the long term, not just be a vehicle for Ipswich to be able to retain Doyle and Sayfutdinov.

I applaud the efforts of the people behind Swindon Needs Speedway, and the obvious time and effort that has been put in. However, I believe they are missing out by not engaging directly with some of the more informed people on this forum instead of relying on a local campaign.

How do you know it is financially viable for Glasgow to step up? Or do you just think the owners have sufficient financial assets to sustain a loss?

The whole UK Speedway concept is "Donald Ducked".. Promoters want riders to spend ridiculous amounts on machinery so they have a chance to win competitions.. Competition's that they then so undermine with their very own ludicrous operating model, that hardly anyone outside such a small following even notices, and no major sponsor will get involved with, hence no major financial reward is forthcoming... With the riders, who have shelled out thousands and thousands of pounds on kit, now expecting (quite fairly), to get not only reimbursed but actually getting paid enough to be the full time professionals that the promoters expect them to be.. We have long said on here, it truly has been a year on year, vicious circle, race to the bottom... It looks like that race has finally reached its inevitable location,...

Just my opinion. Championship clubs are nothing without Premiership clubs, It's the Premiership clubs that keep the sport alive in the UK even though it leaves some of the club bosses out of pocket. The day the Premiership collapses that see's all of the GP / Ekstraliga riders exit is the day when British Speedway collapses for good. Nowhere near enough good riders to go around for one big league, 27 out of the 49 riders that finished the season in an official Premiership 1-7 also rode in the Championship. Say we have One Big League featuring 15 Teams (Inc. Northampton) and 5 Riders per a Team = 75 Riders 85 Riders in Total (Exc. D/UP's) finished the 2025 Premiership & Championship seasons in an official 1-7. One big league then see's mass exits from British Speedway altogether due to race nights being scattered throughout the week (21 Riders Minimum) 5 GP Riders (Kurtz, Bewley, Doyle, Fricke & J. Holder) 7 Ekstraliga Riders (Lidsey, Blodorn, Rew, Sayfutdinov, B. Cook, Janowski & Tungate) 9 Ekstraliga 2 Riders (Musielak, Zagar, Brennan, Kvech, Iversen, Douglas, Becker, Pickering & C. Holder) That then takes the total No. of riders down to 64 to a point where lower ranked riders from the NDL have to fill those spots, The same lower ranked NDL Riders who Championship clubs aren't even interested in using. Premiership has to continue until the day British Speedway collapses for good and someone has to step up and fill one of the voids left by Oxford/Birmingham. Whisper is that Northampton may be the one to dive in head first at the deep end by running in the Premiership but everything with them would be a guessing game as to how many punters they get through the turnstiles and stuff. Glasgow on the other hand have everything in place to run Premiership Speedway, Facilities, Track, Attendances, Sponsorship, Finances so instead of potentially putting Northampton at risk before they've even returned, Club bosses need to block Glasgow from competiting in the Championship and instead give them an ultimatum -> Premiership or Nothing and they'll soon bite the bullet and say Premiership.

Fresh hope for talks over Speedway returning to Showground https://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/people/peterborough-panthers-speedway-looking-to-reopen-talks-over-showground-return-5377739

Why not? Jimmy Squibb did.

I know i'm a bit biased as an Oxford supporter, but IMO they must be the Gold standard as they won. Good luck to all groups trying to resurrect stadia and clubs.

Not being nasty, I'm just being honest. It's top end PREMIERSHIP clubs that keep British Speedway alive albeit on life support, The PREMIERSHIP is the FINAL BOSS of British Speedway.

I think five man teams will be inevitable if one league happens... However, maybe they will run with a top tier with 8 teams and a 2nd tier with six? (And maybe get the NDL/NORA teams involved in tier two as well?) With the top tier being obviously Championship level... The riders who need to double up will be the stumbling block I would think, and also the earnings of those who need a certain amount of money to meet visa requirements may also impact their availability... In short. We don't really have a "best idea" given the situation the sport has allowed itself to be in, and all the variables that impact it are almost beyond control it sometimes can appear, but we could find a "least worst" solution to follow... Not great is it?

Because of a few things tbh, Main thing is due to Rider availability. 27 out of 49 Riders who finished the 2025 PREMIERSHIP season in a declared 1-7 D/UP'd in the CHAMPIONSHIP. 63 CHAMPIONSHIP Riders + 22 PREMIERSHIP Riders (Exc. D/UP) = 85 Riders Current No. of Clubs in the PREMIERSHIP & CHAMPIONSHIP = 14 14 Teams Containing 7 Riders Per Team = 98 Riders You're already 13 Riders down before taking into account the mass exits of GP/Ekstraliga Riders, So 5 Man Teams would have to come into play.

Championship will last a couple years max if premiership doesn’t run. People need to realise it’s in everyone’s best interest to have two leagues.

I don't follow any of the "save" groups on TwitterX (only Cov, I probably should follow the rest) but I generally always get to hear about any need for action through re-tweets and then post them on here under the relevant topic. So it does appear that the save Swindon reach is not as far as some of the others i.e. Coventry, Arena, Rye House etc. Which I do get to heat about... Just an observation.

With question marks over the government's motability scheme I doubt the Glasgow promotion would be looking at bank rolling a promotion to the Premiership without the club being self sustaining, which I doubt it is even at Championship level.

Too many meetings are ran with zero jeopardy to make them attractive enough to go and watch... Promotion and Relegation would at least bring that jeopardy...

The immediate issue with promotion & relegation is that there is every chance a promoted team would have to change its race night to either a Monday or Thursday. And we all know what the self serving promoters feel about that!

They have done exactly the same thing for decades.. They have no other way of running the sport as they don't have the required skill set, nor employ experts in marketing and sports administration, to move the sport into the 21st century... There is a report on the BBC Sports section about UK Rugby League, where the CEO of the Aussie version (the No1 sport in Aussie and "flying"), talks about the lack of independent direction, lack of TV money investment, and a lack of a clear ten year plan, with the sport being very insular, very self regulating, and forever tinkering around the edges, but without any clear vision and direction... You could actually replace the words "UK Rugby League" with "UK Speedway" and the words "Aussie version" with "Polish Version"..

Promotion and relegation. That’s the answer imo. That way nobody gets to choose what league they want to operate in . The premiership and the championship should be embroiled together in that way. Yet it feels like a them and us narrative now. One league’s supporters looking down at the other. It would stop the big fish in a small pond problem too. But I suppose football, cricket, rugby etc have always done it wrong whereas the brilliantly run speedway has the answers.

How about this for a 40 point limit with only 1 rider over 8, think some of the rider are unlikely but an just an idea of a team structure (hope I got the averages right). Bomber 8.90 Flint 6.95 Nagel 7.39 Harrison 4.97 Zischke 5.43 Hagon 3.52 Hodder 2.63 39.79 Or Bomber 8.90 Flint 6.95 Howarth 7.92 Kevin JP 5.00 Harrison 4.97 Hagon 3.52 Hodder 2.63 39.89

As a dad of a NDL rider who actually rode on Sunday conditions were not brilliant but because Redcar is such a good track it was rideable and racing was good imho, my biggest concern is what you pointed out, there is not a endless supply of riders at this level, no consistency with meetings is a massive concern because lads lose interest etc, hopefully they will look at this at the agm and realise it requires some serious thought

You can’t force a business into spending money they don’t want to or operating in a way that’s not profitable just because it would benefit others. If Glasgow were given the ultimatum you suggest it would end up in court very quickly. The club is run by very successful business owners who I can’t imagine will be easy to push around. If the premiership want more clubs they need to make it an attractive prospect not try and force more clubs in.

Spot on... "Let's find another way to fudge through another season"... Without the TV six figure sum per team, you cannot see how the GP lads can be afforded anyway... Even if presently a significant part of their salaries is paid by sponsors, the TV money then paid for either rent and other meeting costs, or assisted towards the salaries of other riders.. That £100k leaves a huge black hole to be filled if no TV deal bears fruition...

Just back from a week’s holiday in Rhodes and on the second day I was wearing my Dan Bewley Wroclaw shirt around the pool. Later that evening while at the bar, someone appeared behind me and asked if I was Polish or English as he had seen me wearing the shirt. I replied English and he introduced himself as Andreas Bergstrom. We chatted briefly for ten minutes before I had to go. A few evenings later I saw him again and this time we spent the evening sinking plenty of whiskey and rum and putting the speedway world to rights! A top fella with a lovely family. Couldn’t speak highly enough about Berwick, the club and its supporters (less complimentary about a certain person who was at the club when he rode though!) His stories were brilliant, funny, eye opening and his opinion on a certain Swedish ex-World Champion was surprising! 😉 His thoughts on speedway’s current crop were also very interesting, and his love for Bomber Harris oozed out of him. His fears for the future of both Swedish and British speedway echo many of our own, as do his ideas of how to promote the sport and turn it round. But as he said himself, there are too many people in positions of power who don’t want wholesale change for the better due to their own business interests. He currently runs his own industrial firm which is extremely busy but hopes to get some time off to come to watch the GP in the UK next year when hopefully we can meet up again. The only downside meeting him was that I’m still in the doghouse with the missus for chatting to him all night at the bar rather than spending it with her and our daughter! 🤣

It is a moment all Panthers and Speedway supporters should take great pride in. We’re not there yet, but a foot is in the door.

Well done to the PZM. They know how to get their ducks in order.

This is on the riders, they stick together and say no and it goes away, it’s that simple

He might be “best” rider in the league numerically, but he isn’t what I would describe as ‘speedway superstar’ compared to Bewley, Kurtz, Doyle, Sayfutdinov, Woffinden and Holder.

You think that would be an entertaining team ? I’m afraid most Fans want to see a title challenging side and this team will fall well short on that.

I didnt really get chance to see mush of the Tigers this year unfortunately, different days and times always seemed to clash with other plans. Southwick certainly looks a prospect and Norman has like you said rode well round Redcar for what feels like years already. Feels like a big problem is lack of track time/meetings at this level. Must be hard to get any real momentum. And second halves seem to have dried up a bit. Really hope the Tigers come back to the tapes again next season - I would prefer the empty Fridays in the Bears schedule to be filled by Tigers meetings but I understand the reasons why this was changed.

All new rules are allegedly agreed before the AGM, then voted on at the AGM, so it's only a case of hands up, can't be that difficult 😜

Nor should it be. I only mentioned it because of a ridiculous Post saying that Glasgow should be forced to go up to the Premier League. You cannot do that with independent businesses, which is essentially what each Club in Speedway is. The Premier League, sadly, has for a long time been the be all and end all of Speedway. This is wrong, the so called Top League needs to get it's own house in order, and not rely on being propped up by the Championship. That is how I feel anyway.

Is that a joke. Premiership is in trouble why should Championship prop it up.

ll have you know bulbs grow in the ground 🙈

Not if you read this post below! Plus Lewy said Oxford wanted him but he chose Plymouth.