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Showing content with the highest reputation on 10/30/2025 in Posts

  1. What I expect is a post AGM press release, stating... "It was the most harmonious AGM ever"... "The plans for next year, and beyond, are the most exciting ever put together, and were delivered with total collaboration by everyone in attendance".. "All the promoters have come away from the AGM in agreement as to how the sport should move forward, and all share the same vision for it"... "There are challenges, but with the plans put together, we will be able to meet those challenges head on and build a very bright future for Speedway in the UK"... "We have put together a fantastic plan for youth development to build on the magnificent work done over the past few years in particular"... "We are sure the loyal fans of the sport will be delighted with the decisions made, and continue to attend next season in their thousands".... "And hopefully bring a friend" (Sorry, made that one up)... "It was the most harmonious AGM ever.... "(S**t, we've had that one)"
    6 points
  2. I agree 100% with that. I had a long gap in my speedway watching and in that time, the sport had become fully professional. I recall an interview with a very young rider, only just NDL standard who said “I can’t wait until I’m making a living from the sport” and thought then he had his priorities right. Name me another sport that guarantees every participant who earns money as soon as they get into a league. More specifically, name me a motor sport that pays riders to learn their trade. Then name me another business that pays its “employees” more than they earn for their employer. It’s like paying a brickie £30,000 a year to build a wall that’s only worth £20,000. But we can all talk about the negatives but what’s the solution? Has the appointment of a CEO in the premiership brought in new supporters, new sponsors, a new TV deal? What will Harry be able to do? I have no answers, just frustration
    6 points
  3. What a ridiculous comment. Just because Poland aren't particularly great at the majority of sports we focus on in the UK, you think they are useless at every other sport going? Go and educate yourself on what sports Poland regularly play, such as volleyball, basketball, handball, etc. and you'll soon see they are far better than us and compete at the highest levels. Not to mention individual sports such as, athletics, winter sports, etc. as well. For instance, an all-time combined Summer and Winter Olympics table sees Poland inside of the 20 countries in the world.
    5 points
  4. 2027 though, It's time for non-Poland Speedway nations to get their retaliation in first. It's clear what they're trying to do playing us off against Sweden & Denmark both with failing leagues if the vibe I get off of here is true. It's time for SVEMO, the DMU and whoever it is that runs Speedway in the UK to work together and put it back to Poland by saying if you ride in Poland you cannot ride in Swedish, Danish or British Leagues. A few riders would have some decisions to make then, let Poland have the tier 1 riders and the rest can ride in the other 3 leagues. Denmark on a Wednesday, Sweden Tuesday & Thursday and UK the rest of the week. If they could also get Motorcycling Australia involved they'd be more than enough riders to sustain the 3 countries leagues.
    5 points
  5. Is it time the authorities bite the bullet and create a single league without trying to entice GP riders? Would it impact crowds that much if the highest average riders were essentially the top Championship guys now? I’m not so sure.
    5 points
  6. In light of the announcement from Poland that 2026 is the last season that their top 2 leagues will "allow" their riders to race in more than one extra league, surely bspl should have a massive re think and put plans in place NOW rather than a knee jerk next season?So much for the 'deal'giving some Thursdays to Poland in exchange for them allowing international riders to race elsewhere. Looks like we won't have gp stars after next season so might as well start planning now.Surely this must push us towards restructuring, as all the arguments about 1 league meaning the end of the big stars is surely irrelevant
    5 points
  7. A two team Premiership made up of Belle Vue and Ipswich. They will race each other home and away 15 times. Top two reach the play-offs to decide the winner.
    5 points
  8. 80k? Scunny must of offered more
    4 points
  9. I’d be very happy with Jonas Jeppeson
    4 points
  10. And look at Germany now - SON2 gold medallists! They've cracked it. It's better than any Rising Star scheme.
    4 points
  11. With only a passing interest in speedway nowadays, I just read online that another season of slow decay had been completed. I took in the SoN online and frankly that reminded me of why I packed in attending speedway. What dross. I thought Polish tracks were maent to produce good racing ??? News of another club closing (Birmingham) and huge uncertainty over the future of another (Sheffield) There is an ever growing "ghost league" of defunct clubs, all with decaying tracks and with dreams of reopening, but none look even remotely likely for 2026. Patching up the situation will no doubt take place with tweaks to "points limits", but making a silk purse out of a sows ear will tax the bunch of speedway promoters even with thier best rose tinted specs. No idea what attendances were like in 2025 (its always been a closely guarded secret) but aside from a few historically well supported clubs would be surprised if anything but holding even was the norm. Fixtures becoming more irregular with gaps in the summer, then a mad scramble in early winter really cannot help. Some non P.off clubs finishing fixtures by late August doesnt help. Same old same old 15 heat format across all meetings. The ever decreasing band of ageing "hard core" supporters will probably be served up something for a few more seasons until the sports 100th anniversary in 2028, but i wouldn't hold my breath for any dramatic changes of direction ....... .
    4 points
  12. 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
    4 points
  13. I might suggest that the BV crowds wouldn’t change much then. We all know that speedway crowds are predominantly people who would go regardless of the ‘level of rider’. There are some exceptions to this obviously but I don’t think the impact would be significant.
    3 points
  14. Take a look at your number 1
    3 points
  15. With their new found spare time, the riders can seek additional work outside of the speedway and the sport can return to a sustainable semi-professional level. Full time speedway riders on crowds between 500 and 1000 can't be sustainable.
    3 points
  16. Absolutely 100% spot on, Caused by too many self serving promoters thinking “me, I and myself” for far too long.
    3 points
  17. Polish rule in 2027 doesn't bother us, King's Lynn will lose a couple of Dane's and that's it. If Aussie's want to live over here then they have to take part in our Speedway League so that makes the decision for them. The problem British Speedway is facing is from within, Not from Poland.
    3 points
  18. 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
    3 points
  19. This is on the riders, they stick together and say no and it goes away, it’s that simple
    3 points
  20. A great signing for Scunthorpe and they’ve done nothing wrong but no way should riders with almost 8 point Premiership averages be allowed to ride in the Championship. Highly likely he’ll double up too. The average conversion rate and doubling up free-for-all is a huge part of the reason the sport is in dire shape here. Apologies to Scunthorpe fans for being a downer on what for them is positive news. It’s sadly a poster child for the negative spiral British Speedway is in though.
    2 points
  21. Steve Worrall retired, Danny King new number one
    2 points
  22. You're absolutely right, there has been a real buzz about Plymouth this summer, there's over 100 children that line up for the kids race that won't care if Plymouth win or lose the meeting, they're inspired by the peewees want to try it themselves which is feeding my first skid with new little riders, It's a long way off but they are the future of British Speedway. I just hope there is a future to enjoy. I think it speaks volumes that Nicholls chose to come back to Plymouth given the choice between there and Oxford. The main thing is we get speedway and alot of people have lots their tracks, having a shot at the play-offs would be amazing but the truth is most are happy to see their riders put in a shift and entertain.
    2 points
  23. I think there's every chance Kerr will be at Redcar?!
    2 points
  24. Maybe they are going to save the premiership. If they do, then good luck to them. Championship then needs 2 home and 2 away, can't be having less meetings than this season.
    2 points
  25. Sam Masters - speedway rider by night, Deliveroo rider by day... I don't think so. And you make it sound like jobs are easy to walk into and riders can easily fit their speedway around them during the summer months
    2 points
  26. First it was 2 leagues and then 1, it will eventually just be Poland. British speedway needs to increase the number of active riders i.e reduce the standard of all leagues encouraging more amateurs into the sport at National league level. In the long run it would be good for british speedway, weekend speedway would be back and all the riders would be commited ( no dodgy injuries and Guests).
    2 points
  27. I will show my age but Ronnie Moore had superb control of his bike and watching him from 30 yards during the year when the league was run with handicap racing was just amazing.
    2 points
  28. There's been enough talent retiring over the last number of years to fill every team in the league, but for one reason or another they've been lost to the sport.
    2 points
  29. Most riders of any worth are 'tapped up' prior to the season end. Its just that some teams' seasons are over a lot sooner than others!😇
    2 points
  30. I think it depends on what company runs the sport at the respective tracks. Take a look at Companies House and the last set of accounts filed for the teams in each of the leagues and most file abbreviated accounts and few have a decent net worth despite the longevity of the trading and you question how much goes through the companies that run the sport at the relevant tracks versus those riders where the cost/expenses are picked up directly by sponsors so the cost and overhead never appear in the figures for each track operating company. It is difficult to get to the bottom of who is earning what. For example do a search of Ipswich and then the Directors and then the accounts and the resultant filed figures do not match the presumed costs of running the club. Who knows what the real cost is of running a club at the highest level in the UK so to suggest who can and cannot afford to participate in which league is pure conjecture. Financial Transparency is key but it does not exist. To suggest that the likes of Glasgow should move up has no foundation without financial information in the public domain to support that argument.
    2 points
  31. The money they pay ,they are entitled to call the shots.Looking after the sport in their own Country.Which GB have failed miserably and let the riders dictate,and look at the situation now.
    2 points
  32. Disagree with this in general I suppose. Don't believe there is a sense of entitlement from certain Championship clubs none of which you have named incidentally. To state that they need to serve the Premiership because the Premiership is British Speedway sounds more entitled and just a bit condescending. I don't think Championship clubs are waiting for the Premiership to collapse, why would any true speedway fan want to see either league collapse?. How do you know one big league would be mostly full of journeymen and out of depth NDL riders, it is not that long ago since Tom Brennan, Dan Thompson and Jason Edwards rode in that particular league not to mention Dan Bewley. Speedway's band of Promoters have had plenty of opportunity to get to grips with rider pay structure but seem to have lacked the discipline required as a group to do so. Is that statement fair ? . Historically lots of riders only had one British team place but the number of teams in the leagues at that time meant they got circa twice as many league fixtures than the 16 of recent years in the Championship anyway. The Premiership with 7 teams was just sustainable but still loss making for a number of those. But 5 teams assuming no one else is joining at the moment with no announced major tv deal is another story. It was rumoured that Ipswich were reluctant to partake in a 5 team league and personally I can see why. Sometime you have to go back to move forward so if one league in the short term at least is beneficial for the sport then I for one embrace it.
    2 points
  33. 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.
    2 points
  34. 1 point
  35. Apart from the home time against Redcar in the BSN Final when he looked down on mechanical power I thought Lewi Kerr played an instrumental role in semi finals and finals for you guys.
    1 point
  36. On there Facebook page
    1 point
  37. 1 point
  38. 1 point
  39. From what I have read over the past year or so, Sweden seems to be in more of a mess than the UK? Various tracks owing substantial amounts of money, riders not being paid, lack of homegrown talent etc.
    1 point
  40. He certainly seems a hot 16 year old prospect, but realistically, I cannot believe the Poles would allow him to ride in the Championship. Re Slater Lightcap he's been around for a few years & has appeared in the UK & mainland Europe and has not shown any promise on his visits.
    1 point
  41. I’d fact check before making comments like that. Blatantly not true. They are great at plenty of sports as already mentioned in another post, not to mention that they have one of the greatest female tennis players in Iga Swiatek who is a four time French Open champion, has won the US Open and the biggest of them all, Wimbledon.
    1 point
  42. Philip Hellstrom Bangs being talked about for Belle Vue. Would be a good signing for Glasgow on a 6.00 average imo
    1 point
  43. I dont remember them trying it if I am honest, I am probably too young. I just always wondered why they didn't try and have one team per rider, then national leagues, cup competitions and continental competitions. Would add variety, crowds would increase when a polish team came over with the better riders, more broadcast deals, etc. Maybe I am living in a fantasy land, but at the moment governing bodies are competing against each other for race nights, riders etc, rather than working together to simplify and grow the sport
    1 point
  44. It would negatively impact the current top league whose supporters are used to seeing the top riders. BV already struggle to attract a decent crowd even with Bewley and Kurtz, what would it be like without them? Also, with only one league, those riders that currently double up, which seems to be the majority, will look for an increase in points money to cover the reduced number of meetings which would then impact the Championship teams. Even if there were still 16 teams like this year (which there won’t be) then total league meetings would drop from 40 to 30
    1 point
  45. In the context of Plymouth I don't think it's that odd. If you supported a football club who'd been on the brink of extinction, had a few iffy seasons and was now in the process of rebuilding, increasing crowd numbers and growing, I think you'd be pretty happy. Add in some entertaining home games, a safe mid table finish, even happier. I think it'd be weird if Plymouth fans were happy finishing bottom 3 every season, but they're going in the right direction, so it's fair enough they can find some positives.
    1 point
  46. 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.
    1 point
  47. I was at Rye House when Andrew Silver was riding for them in his later years & on the other side was Gary Havelock. It was fantastic to watch the two of them switching lines in the turn standing the bike up. Of course they were both masters of throttle control & finding the best from their machines on the surface provided. Today we have many riders who are just throttle jockey's & ride flat out until they run out of talent
    1 point
  48. An extra large serving of groundhog I'm afraid.
    1 point
  49. 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.
    1 point
  50. https://workingtoncomets.com/comets-back-at-tapes-in-2026/ I guess that statement rules out anyone still believing it will be one big league next year!
    1 point
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