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How can anyone be getting excited for a 5 team league is beyond me

Because those that are getting excited, just love speedway. I don't think it's wrong that people are excited for a new season. I - personally - would still be getting excited if there were just two teams left as I always miss speedway over the winter. Yes, the current situation is far from ideal and there's plenty that could be done in the future to improve things, but it's not going to stop me from going to meetings and enjoying myself. Boycotting the sport is not going to save it.

Yes

And there definitely won't be a future if everybody stops going.

Probably Louis I’d have thought. Think some deals were already done early doors so they’ll probably be resurrected if those riders are still available. Wonder if Vaculik could be tempted? Only has one club in Poland as far as I can see, nothing in Sweden or Denmark and of course, no GP’s now either. Needs more racing than that surely?

Maybe... However... The Promoters didn't develop enough riders over the past two decades to fill their teams without the DU riders becoming essential... What first started as "young lads" getting a chance to move up a league to develop their skills against a higher level of riders, whilst still having their "other job" to fall bsck on, instead, became the "main stay" of the UK version of the sport, and a "free for all"... Take the DU's away and both leagues wouldn't fill the 14 teams left without using many NDL level riders... The Championship in particular would struggle given these riders make up the majority of their HL's, and, the top tier effectively subsidise the riders salaries so the riders are "affordable"... A typical short sighted unfit for purpose "fix" which each year got bigger and more essential, rather than it ever being reset, and used for what it was initially set up for...

Big thanks to Antti for the last few years riding for us always professional and reliable as well as providing some unbelievable races. I’ll miss watching him around NS hopefully we wears the Blue and White again.

Unfortunately the malaise the sport finds itself is because riders like bomber have kept their cash register ringing twice over rather than once!

In the current Speedway Star, Bomber is quite critical of the way the sport has been allowed to drift into the situation it now finds itself in... He said the demise of Birmingham and the non running of Oxford was known "halfway through last season" and they should have sorted the current issues out well before now, instead of "leaving it to the last minute, again"... "It's frustrating, I have said to a lot of people how grown men can't just sit in a room and sort it out once and for all. It's beyond me why it's taken this long. The powers that be knew we were in trouble"...... Still no fixture lists exist? Still no conformation of what competitions will take place? How do fans plan time off work to follow their team? How do riders inform sponsors of what coverage they will get? Incredible really isn't it?

And Emil Sayfutdinov would be a good signing. But like Zagar and Wright, his average doesn't fit the BV second-string berth either. BV needed a 5-point second-string, to complete the team, and seem to have found one of good value. As I say, if Kildemand's age of 36 makes him a bad signing, then we must write off Sayfutdinov, Wright and Zagar too, along with Chris Harris, Chris Holder and Jason Doyle.

Almost every contributor on here can see the problems looming for the sport but those in charge of its destiny are not doing too much to keep the fan base onside and give some ideas as to how things might change. An announcement following the AGM then radio silence. No provisional fixture list, no details of the new competition, no more news about the mystery 6th club and none of this can help riders, sponsors etc. plan for the coming season and it must have a negative impact on season ticket sales. With the lack of clarity is any wonder some supporters are disillusioned with the sport and riders have opted to ply their trade elsewhere. You would have thought that some press releases would have been forthcoming even it was only to update of progress or otherwise of changes which may at least placate some of the doubters. The BSPL really have not got a clue when it comes to taking care of the fan base. If they are unsure as to what to do might I suggest they take a look at Poland, Sweden and Denmark all of whom are way ahead of the UK.

One of the most awkward interviews ive ever seen. Some good talking points though. Andrew mentioned he may be looking further afield (outside UK). He also claimed that Ashton Boughen is wanting to make a return to speedway.

So because Oxford & Birmingham aren’t visiting fans won’t attend the meetings when say, Leicester or Sheffield do? I find that odd.

Big difference between having some issues with drugs off track and ROBBING THE ELDERLY in their own home at KNIFEPOINT.

I hope so speedy. It’s great that we’re still running and the loyal fans will still have their speedway on a Thursday don’t get me wrong, but it’ll still need to be an attractive side to entice the fence sitters (I consider myself one of those) to attend regularly again instead of picking the odd meeting here and there. It’s already a less appealing league than it was even last year due to losing two clubs and a reduced team limit, so it’s gonna need a star man at the top of the team to prevent a big drop off in attendance IMO. There’s likely to be a drop off regardless due to the reasons I’ve said, plus losing two hugely popular riders in Emil and Doyle so it’s a damage limitation job to try and prevent the drop off from being too severe.

Cooper was always at Lynn, Louis or not.

If I was Ipswich now I’d actually change it up and just go for a younger team, Brennan number one and Rew at number 5. Try to get confirmation all riders would want to stay on a few seasons and get them this season learning and being specialists for the 2027 season. I honestly believe cooper would have come to us if Louis was on board and I would have loved him in the team. Keep Tai away from the team, too many Ipswich fans he has annoyed which would affect their decision to come to any races.

Jammy dodgers were what they were hoping for but when garibaldi came up as an option most round the table thought that was the new Italian track hosting a GP. Another promoter thought the Penguins were the Icelandic national team. Just shows what the British fans have to contend with. Roll on the end of the season and the contrived play offs. Home and away twice with an aggregate bonus point for finishing third out of two. Yep sums up speedway in the UK. Did someone mention Fred Carno

Surely your not admitting that the Championship is totally reliant on the Premiership and that without it you don't get the riders you want/need.....

Christ you better have a huge budget for damage to the air fence every other meeting, how that boy didn't kill himself multiple times over when I used to watch him lord knows.

Einar Kyllingstad?

no ones excited, we are just thankful that we have some speedway for this year only, ignore this one league business because it was never going to happen, we was never going to be accepted so late. also you and i both know that one year away till they sort out 2027 never happens, one year away almost certainly means more years away and sometimes never return, keeping speedway going at any form was necessary for the top clubs

Cooper Rushen has signed for Leszno ( U 24 team)

With new owners it’s a chance for a new beginning and a change in team building strategy. Stop with having riders in for 2,3 or 4 years and look long term so the fans can grow to love them and start to create a family feel to the club, like The Aces. For some clubs speedway can be a numbers game put together on a spreadsheet where they see a number and not a name. It’s not the best imo despite results and being somewhat under the points limit is no bad thing if it allows riders to grow with the club.

I'm just guessing. Personally I don't think we even need another competition considering we'd already be facing the same Teams enough times as it is.

But as gets said on many threads, as an away rider you are up against track specialists. When he guested in 2024 he scored a paid maximum 10+2 at number 2. Only beaten twice by Jack Holder.

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.

Adam Ellis is definitely in the team then!

Shame really. Absolutely superb around Northside but his away form has probably left him without a team. I thought he'd be at Scunny for sure. Strange how he worded his statement though - "change of plan". Wonder if a team, such as scunny, has had a change of heart

Who do you actually mean by "they"? It surely cant' be the promoters of the five clubs who have committed to a top flight division. So are you referring to the "I'm all right jack" group of promoters in charge of championship clubs? If its the directors of BSPL then they are representatives from the two leagues where the majority appear not wanting to take part, or not wishing to develop a league of elite riders.

Oxford did that in 1989 aswell.

Lynn had the world number 1 and 2 in 1980.

Personally I would have retained Bewley and let Kurtz go to give a far more solid all round team.

I think Bickley is worth the risk on such a low average. He's 23 years old, would be coming in to a league that is considerably weaker than years gone by, and he'd be able to compete at reserve level.

Around 2.22 based on an 8% average reduction for both year 2024 and 2025.

He finished 2023 with 2.62 and didnt ride in 2024 or 2025. Now, I'm presuming he'll get his 2.5% reduction for 2024, plus the two lots of 8% for not riding in 2024 and 2025. That would put him at 2.16. If he didnt get the 2.5%, it would be 2.22

Of course you want those 2 back … in the worlds elite and great to watch at the NSS and would have loved Dan at Ipswich … not so much Kurtz

27.3 - daft answer but you started it

It was a dreadfull interview, bloke couldn't even name last years team..

I don't think there is that many excited, but just glad they still have speedway to watch. 2027 is where I'm sure it will all dramatically have to change due to Polands alleged one team rule change

If it's Mayfield sports taking over though Aries, that would be attractive to riders who want to be in, or back in, the GPs.

pretty confident its that

Vacuilik is riding in Sweden for Vargarna. Michelsen and Thomsen could be worth testing the waters with though because neither Rider is in the GP's anymore and they're not currently signed up to 3 Leagues.

Jenkins looks a risk on 4.49,,and seems a bit injury prone to me

Big injuries. I know he was on a bike before he went home but not seen him test himself out In aus yet. For me he will miss start of season at least. Hopefully I'm wrong though. I like the guy. But there is murmerings in polish press that he won't be ready

There’s a lot of dreamers and pretend ITK’s on here, but Phil isn’t usually one of those to be fair to him. He didn’t seem in any doubt that Brennan was Sheffield bound.

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.

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 .

The track record at Monmore in 1972 began at 63.4, set the previous year by Ole Olsen. A sign of how times change was the Midland Riders Championship qualifying rounds. In the Monmore event heat 20 saw Olsen beat Barry Briggs by about half a lap as he set a new record of 62.0 seconds. A new record seemed to be his ambition as he rode full on for four laps. If memory serves, it stood until 1975.