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Chris Louis is 56…. He is married and has 2 daughters one of whom is married with children and lives in Denmark Chris and his wife Julie work tirelessly all season and the off season not only running the club but promoting it and actually doing an awful lot on race nights … they both spend a lot of days at the stadium it was their passion and livelihood …. Add on Chris’s tv commitments to this as well Yes Chris is not impressed with the way the sport is heading But do you not think at his age with a family that the time has come for him to perhaps take a rest and enjoy his personal life a bit more ? The loss of John obviously hit Chris hard and now his dad isn’t around probably sees it as the right time to make sure he is there more for his family I don’t think for one second his decision was solely based on speedway Seeing the team win the league finally …. In a year when he lost John … possibly would be the right time to just step back Sure he is annoyed at the sport and the authorities but I feel that was the final straw over something he has thought about for a while

Huge signing for Poole, bringing Cook back. It pains me to say it, but his performance at Ashfield in the play-off final was a captain’s performance. The resilience to bounce back from being bullied by Howarth in heat seven and passed by Harris in heat fifteen to win it for the Pirates in the race-off was remarkable. Excited for the season ahead. The Championship is shaping up to be competitive.

But that is one of the major issues.. The majority of fans don't have any faith that the future will be better.. Simply based on what those in control have delivered over the last two decades... Even the die hards on the many Speedway related FB accounts (generic and club specific), take the pee at how poorly the sport is ran.. Why, suddenly now therefore, will those in charge improve things? The clearly, obvious, fundamental issues facing the sport have been there for a long, long time, with the answer, year in year out, being "Let's do exactly the same thing again"... Which, once again, they have chosen to do this year.. Well a "mini version"... The bottom line is... The Premiership simply doesn't work in its current guise, and is only there to give a few "quality riders" a fair few quid, (thus increasing costs much higher than crowd numbers) and the rest the chance to Double Up.. At least a 14 team league (at whatever level), looks, from the outside, like something with relevance, and makes the sport look at least "sizeable" and covers pretty much the whole country, which should improve sponsorship and marketing opportunities...

Nothing is more precious and valuable than time and family - particularly when where you have been working couldn't give 2 sh!ts if you were there or not At 54 I've recently exited a job after 36 years and if I have any say in it have no plans to work again and if I do it will be on terms that suit me

Or belle vue could of joined 1 league with bewley or Kurtz (I explained this on the 360 podcast a few weeks ago )and given the fans a new variety of clubs to see and visit but no shortsightedness and possibly greed has prevailed and we get to see the same teams over and over again, it’s just not doing it for me and at £25 a pop I can’t see us bothering to attend very often

Max Perry, and about 8 years younger too.

And that the stadium gets built, and be up and running, before any houses are built... That way no one buying a house can try and put a stop to the stadium being built...

Never get any meat on the bones to debates on here, so I’ll have a go and people can add their ideas (or not). Norick Will MPT Jake Worrall Jack Smith Billy Budd V Troy Batchelor Freddy Hodder Jake Allen Jody Scott Paco Sam Woods Ben Morley It’s just not doing it for me and at £20 a pop I can’t see us bothering to attend very often

Love hearing Barker and Lambert getting interviewed saying how it is

It is utter fantasy that Belle Vue could've joined one big league and named Bewley or Kurtz Even with a ludicrous situation of them turning up for any weekend away fixture without them being "accomodated" what's the point The home teams uppirters don't see them - ripped off. Belle Vue have to race without them- ripped off Take into account they would be on 12 points averages in a team total needing to be not much above 30 and it means Belle Vues travelling team would likely be 7x 4 pointers One big league would have to exclude (whether by design or reality) the top stars and indeed ALL those in Poland (2027 will mean no choice anyway) So also take out Lidsey, Brennan,Ellis, Cook, Blordorn etc etc Teams built to 30 with 3/4 NDL standard

Absolute tosh! Do not be fooled. This is straight from the DPP Planning playbook

Not true... It was never explored, the Championship clubs refused to entertain it...

But but but….. the pen😀

Cooper Rushen definitely not at Oxford, they have just announced Darryl Ritchings and Dayle Wood

Pay all your money folks in 2026, you won’t enjoy yourself or get the product you want but it doesn’t matter it’s all about 2027, sport could be finished in uk by then, never thought the death would come from within, well they have halved my family’s money, my Mrs who is a belle vue fan has already said 5 team league doesn’t interest her so won’t be going to see the same teams over and over, may as well just have a play off tournament in late august

100% aye. Be massively shocked if Berwick dont win the treble next season. Can see PK adding at least 2 pts to his ave, Victor should add at least say 3? The peoples champion Danyon could rival PK for the number 1 bib as well? Smith maybe an outside shout for partnering Bewley for GB come the S.O.N? And all of this on top of free parking, dreamy stuff.

Lambert & Perry would be the best options for the final 2 imo

listen if we cant sort it out then no one can...😁

Not Smith please

Oh dear, will Berwick never learn.

Really don’t see where the Premiership is going after 2026 as basically it is the same riders in both Leagues.Unless UK can persuade a decent number of quality foreigners riders to ride over here the sport is going nowhere.IMO

If the idea is that teams are to pick their own race night ‘to ensure their survival’, then that has to be the case. However, this is what I genuinely do not understand about the one league argument predicated on teams choosing their own race nights. De Facto, that must preclude the inclusion of anyone who races in Poland, Denmark and maybe Sweden. The only alternative is to allow these riders and cover their frequent absences by r/r or guest, which would bring us full circle. If they are to be precluded, where are all the riders going to be found for the one league?

All being well the campaigners and Rugby council will use the argument that the stadium will be needed for both speedway & stox the latter who require a significant pits area far greater than speedway Combine that with car parking requirements and there is absolutely no space for 100+ houses (50x2semi detached being the smallest option)

If there is one league there can't be mandated race nights, each team has to ride on the night best for them, or more tracks will close

What momentum does he need? Had a full season at Berwick bar the opening 2 / 3 meetings and dropped a point off his average. He’s not a kid anymore.

Agree with this. I also believe he has family in Australia, perhaps lots of factors have combined and he's decided to change his life and spend more time with relatives.

doubtful, hes never managed it before

He wants the treble just like his brother did. He was gutted after that BSN final.

I think they’d all be aware that IF a sixth team is magically brought in, those riders already “lined up” will have to be unlined up! They’re all going to have to accept it’ll be their collective responsibility to help build a competitive sixth team. They’re all going to have to work together on that one and release a rider or two each that they’d already pencilled in. Can you see that happening? No me neither really as self interest rules, and has always ruled. But MAYBE, this winter has shocked them all in to relenting on that self interest and they’ll all change the habit of a lifetime for the benefit of the sport in this country.

I can certainly accept the sentiment that there is not a significant enough difference between the 2 leagues (due to the number doubling up) but not that the Premiership is simply the Championship plus 6 elite riders Championship No1s are 3rd heat leaders and even second strings in the Premiership You have Premiership reserves and even the RS slots who are heat leaders in the Championship Premiership teams are the equivalent to 55-60 points in Championship terms

Chris Louis himself said he he wouldn't be part of a five team league, nor would join a one league set up... I presume he was "in the know", given, it was him, himself, who said it..?

Dayle did a decent job this year and he is improving.

Fancy missing out on Dayle Wood!! Oxford were too quick for you!

The tenth Glasgow v Edinburgh meeting went down a storm and was one of the most enjoyable meetings of the season for those fans. Ipswich visited the NSS four times last season and all were decent affairs. I’m guessing your wife missed two of those which is a shame given the quality of entertainment on track. For the coming season just take in two visits per team as has been the case over many years and leave the other visit. Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water. This coming season is almost identical to 2021. Could those advocating one big league post a likely Belle Vue v Sheffield line up and the cost of attending so I can judge how appetising it would be?

Must be the Chargers then

You would have thought it is a bit late for Dayle Wood to kick on! He has been riding a while now and still a low 2 pointer. Ritchings on the other hand is a good signing in my opinion who could improve and put a point on his average.

Thats the one... Say what you like about Lynn, but despite the crowds being not the best, and we are generally taken the pis% off, we are going again.. Louis is making a profit, and won't give it a year.... For the sports his family loves,where he might only break even.... Happy Christmas

Gutted like a lot of other Panthers fans when we closed, but honestly speaking, I haven't missed it as much as I thought I would.

6. A single league has too many issues to resolve in the short time available to be anything other than an unmitigated disaster. [Hence if that is an option for 2027 planning should start now]

We are the ones who ultimately are making the decisions, we are the ones that pay for it, without us nothing happens and we collectively are not happy about the decisions that are being made, your first 3 are not true, 1 with the exception of a couple of riders the riders are the same, 2 if common sense prevailed on both sides of the divide most of those top riders could ride in one league anyway 3 there is more than enough foreign riders willing to ride here without the need for NDL riders and even if they weren’t most of the NDL riders ride in the championship anyway 4 protected race nights have done major damage to British speedway and need to be scrapped , 5 the championship would become the elite

Moffats

Considering Victor and Lasse have hardly ridden at Shielfield it hard to make that assessment.IMO

Where's the cook rumour came from?

Also no Dick Barrie

It's also pretty much identical to the ruse they pulled-off with the Abbey.

What is funny about that

Yeah, not for me that.

Darryl Ritchings and Dayle Wood it is then

The majority of fans buggered off years ago. Myself included when Newcastle closed. Well just before as it was rubbish, Whilst I'm not a fan of doubling up I don't think it has the detrimental impact in terms of credibility it once did. Look at franchise cricket. Everyone plays for multiple franchises. But it's now accepted because these competitions are differentiated. i.e. the Hundred is distinct from the Big Blast, the County Championship, the IPL the Big Bash etc. The trouble with the Premiership/Championship is that there's hardly any delineation between the two. Premiership is basically the Championship with maybe 6 elite riders added. i.e the Premiership isn't premium, the product isn't premium, apart from maybe at Belle Vue. It's clear that the majority of punters don't fall for it. A genuinely premium product might have worked but the Premiership has fallen between two stools for too long. Either do a premium product or don't.

I do sort of understand why some wouldn't be keen on Brennan - he hasn't exactly got a stellar record round owlerton. Other than that, I can't see why anyone wouldn't want to sign him. A rider that's improved year on year, a real professional and speaks well for himself and in what could be a weakened league I think could be a real asset as hes proved he can defintely hold his own at heatleader- given the opportunity I'd love to see him have a season at Sheffield, however I fully suspect he'll be back at Ipswich.