Leaderboard

Any chance you can explain to me your end game with your endless posting about how crap in your eyes one big league would be? Every time we go back and forth you agree with me that big changes are needed, you’ve even agreed with me that Ipswich don’t do everything right and that the top league isn’t sustainable as it is? We know you have disdain for the championship and the quality of it and of course Poole and Glasgow for not bowing down to Chris Louis and moving up a league. But I really don’t get your end game other than to act entitled and make on that you are cleverer than everyone else for thinking you’ve got the future of the sport sussed out?

I'd say there needs to be discussion much much earlier than mid year Ideally they need to start as part of the rearranged AGM in January

Birmingham closed due to development not self interest and having a pop at Oxford who have gone from three leagues to two is rich when Louis won’t even run a junior team, despite all the hype about a run of the mill, one off, end of season junior meeting being touted as the most innovative initiatives in decades. Spin at its finest.

100% agree, however... A fair few Ipswich fans, three weeks or so ago on here, were, post after post, calling out the Glasgow and Poole promoters for not running in the top league and being prepared to potentially lose money in doing so... I presume these people will now be urging Chris to do the same?....

Birmingham aren't running because their stadium was demolished from under them. Not because Nigel Tolley spat his dummy. If Birmingham stadium was still there, then Nigel Tolley would still be there.

actually getting paid and knowing you'll be there or thereabouts talks

If anyone wants to see the reveal and hasn't yet.

I think the fact they didn't speaks volumes....

Trouble with that is, if Batchelor gets stuck behind traffic, we all no what he does, Cooper would be late for the meeting

Birmingham have struggled for a couple of years with crowd levels and limped from season to season, unable to attract quality riders and then lost their track. Not quite the same as the Ipswich situation is it?

And this silly vendetta against all things NORA needs to STOP!

Let’s just hope the Poole track doesn’t ruin Cooper … best young rider I’ve seen for a long time but isn’t a renowned gater and I can easily see his away average being higher than his home one

That is a popular unsubstantiated reason why Poole get the best young riders. There maybe a host of reasons and none of them cash related. Don't ask me what reasons but it has been said many times that Poole are not the best payers.

It’s been inevitable the last few years what was coming for UK Speedway but certain Premiership Promoters want to hold on to the TV Money as opposed to reconstruction.There was no way Worlds top riders would want to ride for money on offer in Uk. League reconstruction should have been done years ago .

Birmingham closed due to development not self interest and having a pop at Oxford who have gone from three leagues to two is rich when Louis won’t even run a junior team, despite all the hype about a run of the mill, one off, end of season junior meeting being touted as the most innovative initiatives in decades. Spin at its finest.

Partial to wrinkled stockings Ian?🙂

Very sensible chap that advisor!!

Spot on 1valve my friend pretty much said as much it just makes the losses in his pub in theory lower but he would be way better off if he just owned his cash cow insurance business. Without straying to much into politics he mentioned when Reeves lowered the employer ni threshold in 2024 that alone cost the pub an extra 45k a year for zero benefit other than paying more to the tax man. So your burger, bun, salad and chips has to go up from £16 to £20 to cover it another reason pubs are going the same way as speedway tracks.

Yes less tax is paid but ultimately the net profit (after tax) is also less because of the loss making company. In simple terms its actually good for a company to be paying tax (after correctly taking into account all of the available allowances) because that translates into a measurement of success.

You are correct. If company X makes a profit of 100 and company Z loses 50 then a person owning both companies would be worse off than if he only owned company X. He also doesn't get to offset the total loss of 50 in his tax return only the taxable value. So say he is due to pay 35% on his 100 profit i.e 35 he would be able to offset his loss of 50 x.35 = 17.50 giving a final tax calculation of 35 - 17.5 meaning he would pay only 17.5 instead of 35. So If he had one company that made 100 profit, after tax he would make 65 net. If he owned to companies, one making 100 and one losing 50 he would make 32.50 net Also worth considering that if a person owns two companies then they must be declared in the eyes of the taxman as being a part of a holding group or that a single person owns both.

It warrants a big build up as no one has any idea who it might be

Get what you’re saying,but that’s the state the sport in Uk.There’s no quick fix .IMO

You're right about the poor end to 2024. I think he had a poor start too, and a poor end to 2023 after a poor start, then a poor end to 2022, etc., etc.

Thanks, Bluey. However, are you sure it's not all just some sort of deep state conspiracy?

There were two offers, but it's not been announced if one of them has been accepted or both have been rejected. CL flies back from Oz on Jan 7, the day after the AGM starts, so it's fair to say he won't be attending that. It's unclear if an announcement will be made before the AGM or just after. Anything else is just guesswork, as even those close to him are being kept in the dark,,,

So there can't be a 6th team then as they've missed the declaration?

We as loyal fans (1981 was my 1st visit) all have opinions on what's gone on or going on at Ipswich, i enter my 44th season, give or take a couple i took a break from, and i totally back @Aries in everything he has said. We can all say about what if we were in a position on losing money, that situation i can't argue with, you would consider selling it, that's obvious, but the Radio Silence for all of us fans for me is simply poor, irrelevant at what he has done for the club as a rider and a promoter through the years, just be honest with the loyal supporters who has backed him and his family for years. His silence is painful for so many. As a very loyal Ipswich fan, i now can see all the frustrations that Wolves,Peterborough,Swindon,Lakeside and many more, to many to name, supporters feel at all the uncertainty surrounding their clubs. Now it's our turn, and i hold my hand up it's painful. There maybe 2 bidders on the table, there maybe more, but until Louis lowers his asking price, it's simply not going to sell. Yes its controversial, and yes there are Witches fans rolling their eyes at my post, but I've spent many evenings travelling the country Home and Away supporting Ipswich for years, and in my own honest opinion, my loyalty towards Chris and the situation is wearing thin. Not saying loads agree with me, just giving an honest opinion. Clubs already naming riders (That's the 4 teams that remain), but as we sit here this evening, there is NO guarantee Ipswich come to tapes, irrelevant of the Fine @PhilTheAce is talking about, that simply won't happen, as we all know rules and regulations in this sport are not worth the paper they are written on. I would say we are closer to NOT running than people think, unless as i read on here earlier today Chris is calling people's bluff and he remains in charge, but for me if he does that, he will have a lot of rebuilding to do with the Supporters. I hope i'm 100% wrong, and we race, but im nowhere near as confident as some. Many Apologies for the long post. Tomorrow is another day???

And it was all looking so positive, but having Etheridge and now Smith in the same team means its yet another what might have been season for Berwick.

I think we need to forget all this nonsense about extra teams because it ain't going to happen. Unfortunately the Premiership is like the cockroach that has been stood on but is desperately scuttling around the floor looking for survival. Logical thinking required here, why would any right minded businessman or persons invest in a dying sport? It ain't happening so people need to deal with it. One league is the only way forward and I believe eventually it will be forced upon the powers that be.

Bring back celina

If cookie has signed on 7.99, then this so called Danish rider you quoted as being on "7.8", would never have fit.

Going to put a lot of points on his average in 2026 is he? Only way he'd be a second string in one big league.

When did Cairns change his mind? And about what?

Read on here he has turned down the 2 offers, what they consisted of we don't know. I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't come back from his holiday and pick his toys back up, and find a way to get through 26.I hope so anyway.

Not pinned yet? Mods going to give us an Xmas present?

I think that there needs to be a meeting of promoters of both current league in June / July next year to discuss 2027. There's no point leaving it until after the season ends. If there are disagreements (which there obviously will be), there needs to be sufficient time to arrange follow up discussions and come to some compromise. If there could be a big 'reveal' meeting (and try to get as much media involved as possible), it would be a good start to the new era. Maybe a change of name for the league as well - the British Speedway Super League perhaps? ''Dormant' and potential new tracks can get involved, riders could make plans, supporters could consider season tickets as Christmas presents, media can get engaged.

All this criticism of Christopher Louis …. What about the other let downs of promoters at Birmingham and Oxford…….they deserted the premier league without even a whimper of protest ?? Something seriously wrong with the “Set Up” in the PL believe me 😂😂😂

Agreed

I follow that, but, isn't the net position worse than if you didn't own the loss making company? My understanding is as per that set out by YeOldPitGate above.

Will Poole be rushing to do the last reveal before Christmas?

I’ll buy you one for when you get to care home stage

Scunny never has a big following on here, most got sick of the godfrey bashing

That`s been said many many times before.

Sadly you could say that about British Speedway for the past several years .... "always going to be fixed next season". Maybe this AGM in January 2026 really is "THE MOST IMPORTANT IN THE HISTORY OF THE SPORT" to quote the regular old chestnut trotted out in the Speedway satr to try and sell a few more copies. Dont think it is unfair to say the "one big league" has been suggested for a few seasons now - but what did the clever boys in charge do .... they started "doubling up" "doubling down" under some misguided belief that it would help riders progression. It has just developed into a money earning stunt for the mediocre riders and separated the 2 leagues further apart , making it nigh on impossible for teams to move up or down ... with so many doubling up riders. Sooperstars carried on regardless, and rabbits enjoyed the "rising star" charade. This also makes amalgamation nigh on impossible with the loss of sooperstars plus the loss of many doubling up riders who might just retire with only one teams income (albeit more meetings per season.) None of which solves the minor issue of getting MORE people through the turnstiles, something that has been continually overlooked !!

I beg to differ, even allowing for him being, from what I can make out, by far the youngest number one. I think round Armadale, he’ll hold his own against every other team’s number one barring Oxford and Scunthorpe and away should give a good account of himself at all of the tracks. He’s made great progress and Edinburgh will look after him. Watch out for @King Jamie finally changing his name

Glad to have Harris back in the engine room! 🙌🏻

I am a Leicester fan and I never want to see quitter Kemp or sniffer Morris in a Lions race jacket again, they've both let the club down badly in the past!

Follow-up post to reiterate that I don’t even know who you are, yet you’ve tried to recreate two years old history to portray me as a bad person in direct response to my attempts to stop abuse and insults on the forum. What a horrible thing to do. Why, @Monarchs2468?

I’m starting to wonder if you two run British Speedway.

You wake up a moderator.