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Another factor is the age profile of speedway supporters. As folks get older they don’t turn out for every meeting in poor weather to stand outside in often spartan conditions on cold evenings to watch the stop start racing punctuated by all too frequent delays . With each passing year, I would suggest there are fewer “hard core” fans who will turn up every meeting .

As part of my earlier Teams and Fixtures blog, which I posted about last month, I've now created a week-by-week fixtures list for all mainland European leagues and other relevant fixtures such as SGP, SEC, IMP and others. Obviously we don't have all fixtures as yet, so it's a work in progress, but once the remaining leagues publish their fixtures, I'll be adding them in as well. Everything is colour coded to make it easier to follow. Hope it helps for anyone planning any trips this coming season. Link here: https://speedwayteams2026.blogspot.com/p/calendar-of-meetings-in-2026.html?

Delighted to see Cook back this season. I’ve been critical of some instances involving him in the past, but a British speedway without Craig Cook is a sadder, less entertaining and lower in quality place. Really strong side being built at Northside.

Another Poole Speedway article in the Echo online today with Matt Ford (more coverage than Semenyo!) stating that any discussion about a 'one league set-up' for 2027 should start NOW, including clarity on likely rider costs and any TV/broadcast contract. Its no good leaving it til August/Sept when many clubs have started their team-building for the next season. He has confirmed once again that Poole will NOT go 'up'(?!) into the Premiership within the present structure and fixed race nights!

Workington looking pretty strong with there top 4 there’s no reason why batchelor,Zischke and Jeppesen can’t all put a point in there averages there definitely going to be near the top end of the league,anyone know who the 5.00 rider will be as I’m assuming that’s what they will do. shaping up to be a really competitive championship this season some very good teams being built very much looking forward to the season starting.

I don’t think anyone genuine speedway fan will be disappointed if speedway stays on in the Poole area even if they don’t like the team. As soon as people hear the name Clark Osbourne they are then genuinely worried for that club. The man is a cancer to the sport and a habitual liar to speedway fans and promotions.

Batch at 5 sounds great to me especially if Cookie/Tate can reform their partnership. Batch for 2 seasons has been the backbome of the side and gets knocked for his one off poor performances when over the whole he held the side together. This is looking one exciting team 🤩

It's amazing that in 25 years of tv coverage they never ever addressed this... which is an indication that points to the rest of the failures within Speedway. If they couldn't/wouldn't address this, they were never going to fix everything else that needed fixing.

I think the biggest concern for Poole and every other team in Britain is not having a stadium but more importantly having a British league to ride in,especially now mark lemon is on the board of directors who will want to make the championship weaker and the premiership stronger.

might even see batch at 5 at home and cookie at 5 away

As i see it the big difference is the position of the Councils, both saying more or less the same that the Stadium is very important to the town as are the teams, but Poole council know how much publicity the Pirates bring in is good for the town.

So it seems that Ipswich may field a decent 1-7 after all.😉

Nobody down as "Northampton"?

That's the one I always use, fantastic site.

A possibility of 3 number 1s as batch on his day can beat anybody, and with less pressure to be the top rider, think this will help all 3 heat leaders

Matt said that everything is fine for at least 2026 and 2027, probably longer. The discussions with the Council have already identified some alternative site options ,with Matt and Danny having a 'preferred' track site within the bcp council boundary.

Are management already looking for a replacement for mid season?! 😉

Cook`s signing will end one way and one way only. Recent history tells us everything you need to know.

I think we are sorted for the reserve birth

Thou this is different with the council owning the stadium we have heard all the other stuff before. The council will do what makes them most money and that will be building houses on a prime bit of land. As we seen altrenative sites are like rocking horse poo

Considering that there is plenty of empty land nearby which has still not been developed, I can't see anything happening in the short term. And with the current housing market stalled, many developers have slowed down building anyway.

Is he bitter or just stating the facts? 😜

Let's try another way. See if mods actually look at this thread: Bum titty bum

Speedway is dangerous as we all know. The ageing spectator demograph however might feel even more vulnerable knowing that only a mesh fence a few feet high separates them from Garrity. So long as they do not have anything valuable in their possession though, things should be fine. In defence of Garrity, he’s probably looking at Craig Cook and thinking he’s repeatedly let so many people down and continues to get offers to ride.

All his clubs on there are correct. Every rider have there 2026 clubs. I remember they did this a few years ago, putting riders clubs down before they were actually announced

Yes that would make a lot of sense to have a different format and structure for the B fixtures. I think something along those lines is the only way of avoiding the monotony

He's going to have to find a way of ideally getting an 8 team top league and 8 team second division I think doubling up will have to stay due to shortage of riders. Given Poland and one other league in 2027 I think the long awaited reset will be forced to happen at most likely a sub current championship standard as if the Poland ruling happens most of the remaining top guns I would imagine will depart.

He’s totally right, it should have been discussed at the AGM, maybe it was but there was no mention in the statement

Sure its 8% for every full season

like that 2 left to name not sign im sure the team is sorted or at worst only 2nd string position to fill

Best of luck to cookie, really hope this is the return of one of the best riders in the league.

Surely Howarth and Jeppesen will be the last 2 🤷🏻‍♂️

What a silly comment. As a Swindon fan, I sincerely hope your team don't end up where Osborne has put ours (amongst others!)

Exactly this, my elderly parents both now 85 were season ticket holders at Ipswich and Peterborough for yrs plus attended Mildenhall and Lynn fairly regularly and had been going right back from the Norwich speedway days but they haven't attended meeting's probably since Covid, i set them up with BSN and their more then happy to get their speedway fix from the comfort of their own frontroom every wk, i did drag them along to Mildenhall last season but it was just to cold for them tbf.

Well, the best of luck with that ... as I said, he would be best advised to start with amateur racing, and use that to convince promoters that he still has his talent, and is willing to buckle down and be honest.

Up early or dirty stop out. Which one is it @aries 🤣🤣

In the next week or two- there are problems over Tarnow which need to be resolved which is holding things up.

Averages are calculated to 3 decimal places, and rounded to 2. Cook's rolling average is 207 points from 101 rides = 207/101 x 4 = 8.198 If he was a foreigner, 8.198 would round to 8.20 As he's British, he gets a further 2.5% reduction. 8.198 x 0.975 = 7.993 which rounds to 7.99 (But even if it was 8.00 he would still fit)

A very good signing. Workington done a full season without a number 1 last year but are going into this season with two number 1s

Craig Cook would fit 😜

Big gamble this on the last two seasons history of him packing in mid season. Never thought I'd see him back for the Comets after what he di in 2024 but the promotion have obviously accepted it now and moved on. Craig Cook when fit is still a top 10 rider in the Championship trouble is staying fit and motivated.

Welcome back Cookie, giving us very strong heat leaders home and away!

Nights not conducive to the entertainment industry is very subjective. If we took Saturday as THE night and everyone else did the same then you are all competing against each other. You do what’s best for you. In 1976 less than half the teams in the league rode on a Saturday (6). 3 rode on a Friday with the other 10 riding mid week. This was at the height of the sports popularity yet most CHOOSE to open mid week. Moving to alternate nights to gain the biggest crowd happens in all industries. Film distributors will not go up against the blockbusters, bands will serve dates when big hitters are in town and pubs will arrange theme nights on dates to attract the most punters. It’s not a case that Saturday is the holy grail and we need to avoid the negative connotations currently being associated with mid week.

They could put out a NL team and still be top 5

"Speed" was no issue that night 🤔

Won't be Sweden if we have a mare as they are in the other semi. Germany won't be easy to beat in their own backyard though.

Whoever it is, have the main man at the helm who is proven to be very prudent with other people's cash and will spend it very wisely

First title of the season, well done Poole

So premiership 2026 thread is pinned, are there no moderators for championship threads? Can we not get some new moderators in place ? On second look, it says 2026 but is actually 2024, what a farce this forum is becoming.

Glasgow aren’t just being smart business wise for their own benefit either, losing them would affect all the northern clubs. Glasgow bring a big following to Berwick for sure and I’m sure they take it to the other northern venues too, they’d also lose virtually all the away support they get at Ashfield. It would be a lose lose situation for those with the most at stake. There is nothing “brave” about what the teams in the Premiership are doing, it’s business suicide for most, you just need to look at recent history.