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Logistically it isn't an issue. Especially if you are a rider wanting to line your pockets without the inconvenience of having to be good enough to be asked to ride in Poland. The problem is deeper than that though. Starting with it causing the disconnect between fans and the riders who race for their team. Ideally riders should have one club, having another club overseas is borderline acceptable. Ideally that wouldn't happen either. A lot of top tier riders have ended up with second tier clubs due to a relaxation of rules (doubling up numbers allowed and average conversion rate) 15 odd years ago. They've then hogged the team spots and stopped other riders from racing at second tier level and thus reaching a competitive standard. That is directly to blame for the lack of good enough riders now. To top it all off, most of them are now in their mid thirties plus and when they retire, which they'll have to some day sooner rather than later, leave a massive void in both leagues. These things hurt Speedway's credibility. As does guesting, which isn't a necessary evil, it's just an evil. It makes the sport look amateurish in the extreme to Speedway fans, let alone someone who may be a newcomer to the sport. The sport has to look credible to keep teams active, to help new/returning teams get back on track, to try secure another television deal and ultimately to draw in new fans. All these things that look stupid to outsiders (because they are stupid) need to be removed from the sport. For the good of the sport.

Agreed I can remember I think it was Joe Owen who an 11 point man in the old national league being called on by the british league and he struggled at reserve in the top league the gulf back then between top men in division2 and 1 was massive when the likes of Havvy and Andrew Silver moved up it took them a while to get established and they were both super naturally talented riders.

Years ago when you became a number one at division two you would move up into the top division and become a number 7 at your new club imo when the promoters changed the natural progression ladder it all went downhill.

Doubling-Up was originally set up to allow young brits to gain experience in the higher division/league, while still riding regularly in the lower division/league. That is great as a principle, but it was allowed to get out of control, so that any rider (depending on converted average when doubling-down) could race regularly in both divisions/leagues - so much so that there have even been accusations of senior riders dropping their top division/league average so they they qualified to double-up. If you can't see a problem with any of that, then fair enough - as always, we makes our choices.

I remember the back of the star always had a team on it with the captain labelled as ‘ on machine’ . That was your team with your riders.You were attached to them. Nowadays it’s a free for all . A pay day for the rider. That rider could be doing his own team damage by winning with his guested team. Just dosent add up in a professional sport.

198 Guests used last season across both top leagues.. When other leagues can cope without a single one, it shows just how poorly the UK version of exactly the same sport, with access to exactly the same riders, is ran... No excuse for such nonsense is there? A "necessary evil" I believe it is said to be....? Using 198 of them suggests its more of an easy cop out, rather than running a team sport properly to ensure you deliver the required emotional attachment to your team.. And if you don't engender that in a team sport, especially in the digital 24/7 news, and the constant social media review, and potential ridicule, of what you deliver today, then you have no chance of being successful...

Invoking the SAS implies an elite service - not sure that holds for speedway futures maybe Trotters Independent Traders!!

Despite the chuntering on here once Louis had decided to sell up he was up against it time wise to get this sorted - it’s to his and the buyers credit they have managed to get this in place inside 8 weeks (even less) - if hadn’t - all hell would be breaking loose here! Let’s hope all is in order and the sale goes through smoothly.

The BSPL / Speedway futures have issued a new line of promotor inspired t shirts

Louis certainly seems to have been a bit of a "James Hunt" this winter.

Wouldn’t mind seeing the demise of Trackrat.

I don’t think even speedway futures know what they are doing

Drew told me not riding Championship this season due to the logistics involved with him riding abroad. The 2 seasons he has been at Berwick he has been excellent both on and off the track improving both seasons.

Bully’s out again, have you stopped crying to teacher yet? Pair of weapons 😂😂 Idiots on here such a weird lot, cry constantly about getting me banned for a bit of banter, then on here giving it billy big spuds 💦💦

4 guests and R/R in a "team", not amateurish? You're having a laugh 😂

All of that, total nonsense. Let's go through it. "Starting with it causing the disconnect between fans and the riders who race for their team." That's just not true is it. Before, during and after the season, no fan complains about their riders, riding elsewhere overall. The only disappointment is when a rider gets injured racing for someone else. The only time "fan disconnect" ever gets mentioned is when people try to argue against the doubling up/down. _____________________ "A lot of top tier riders have ended up with second tier clubs due to a relaxation of rules (doubling up numbers allowed and average conversion rate) 15 odd years ago. They've then hogged the team spots and stopped other riders from racing at second tier level and thus reaching a competitive standard. That is directly to blame for the lack of good enough riders now." This one again. The sport has changed globally, not just here. The older guys are not 'blocking' anyone. The majority of the top rider's are 30+. Some near or nearing 40. Why shouldn't these guys be allowed to continue their trade when they lose that "Elite" edge?? When King's Lynn went Premier League, I really enjoyed (with the competitive moaning) watching the Topinka's, Screen's, Havelock's etc. I bet most still enjoy Harris & Nicholls in the 2nd tier. Nobody wants them gone. There only thing that stops youth coming through is the youth itself. We've had 100s come through the lowest tier of British Speedway & almost all of them get shots at Championship & Premiership Rising Star programmes. Life is what gets in the way of youth across the world in every single aspect. If you want the younger rider's to get more opportunities, they need to be better, as simple as that. __________________ "It makes the sport look amateurish in the extreme to Speedway fans, let alone someone who may be a newcomer to the sport. The sport has to look credible to keep teams active, to help new/returning teams get back on track, to try secure another television deal and ultimately to draw in new fans." Let's get things straight here, 4 rider's, 4 laps, x15 is never the embarrassment of the sport regardless of who & age. The embarrassment is everything that surrounds it. Standard of Stadia, 70s & 80s music, zero mid heat / mid meeting entertainment etc. = zero Value for Money. All the problems with Speedway, globally, is everything the promoters put on offer away from the racing. Newcomers never give a s#!t about the rules, I'd argue 50% initially, enjoy the thrill of the racing. Why do they disappear?? Quite simply, away from the racing, lack of comfort & boredom, again, = 0 Value for Money. Everyone today wants everything yesterday. Nobody can handle a void, the brain has to be constantly entertained. If British Speedway wants the under 30s trackside for 2+ hours, the brain needs entertaining for the 90 minutes of nothingness. Practice starts, the odd wheelie & 4 laps will never, ever be enough in 2026.

The whole of speedway is top secret, the less us plebs know the better as far as the bspl is concerned, speedway futures are like the SAS, working undercover,nobody knows what they are doing

It is sadly one of many more holes fast approaching Mike along with all the existing one's that are just patched over.

I remember the old National league having an outright ban on guests. You used your own junior's or RR to cover injuries but if RR you had to name a number 8. However there was a certain amount of doubling up certainly in the mid 80s Carl Blackbird rode for Mildenhall in the NL & Ipswich in the BL Richard Knight rose for Mildenhall & Wimbledon & Nigel Flatman spent many years riding for both Ipswich & Peterborough. Granted none of the above was a full on as today.

I’m with you here I’ve never understood the issue either! Why does it matter if Harris rides for a different club, in a different league, and against totally different opposition? How does that affect Kings Lynn in a totally different league? The answer is it doesn’t. It’s far worse to have Premiership riders, guesting for a different Premiership team against teams that are in the same division as you! Having one of your team helping out a rival whom you’re competing against and potentially helping them gain a play off place at your expense, has always seemed bonkers to me and far more damaging to the Sports credibility.

Even riders like Tom Owen and John Jackson were never quite able to bridge the gap between the two leagues.. Hence, they became renowned as "stalwarts" of the NNL.. However, giving the young UK lads the chance to move up with an assurance of still keeping their 2nd tier role, should they not survive at the highest level (in the world at that time), was a sensible idea.. Doubling Down was the biggest problem as it meant established top tier riders dropped down.. Meaning fixed race nights were a must... And spaces that should have been used for development were taken by established riders.. I presume for those riders and promoters it was a win/win given the 2nd tier got HL's subsidised by the top tier, and the top tier promoters got HL's and SS's subsidised by the promoters of the second tier.. With the riders benefitting from both the most.. Unfortunately it has meant any injury to a DU results in two Guests to replace them the next meeting for both his clubs in the two divisions, and two more Guests each time if he doesn't return for several weeks, and, as they could be racing Mon, Wed, Thu, Fri and Sat in the UK alone, it has meant Guest numbers have become out of control, as there simply often is not enough time for them to recuperate before they are needed again.. Also, given the age of most of the 2nd tier HL's who double up, there is a huge hole approaching in the not too distsnt future to be filled when they finish their careers...

As a professional team sport it’s all wrong signing for two teams while also guesting for other ones. Just dosent look right in my opinion. Imagine Phil foden playing for Man City on a weekend, then playing for Stockport on a Wednesday. Different sport I know, but professional so on the same lines .

Oh, here’s the other idiot with no life 💦💦

Those were the days. The riders in your team were yours to cheer on only. Like any sensible sport. Bomber would have been knackered back then. If someone was injured a squad member or junior stepped in more often than not. Or rider replacement. Guesting wasn’t the free for all like it is these days . They certainly didn’t ride for 2 different teams.

He isnt a Prince anymore.

Couldn't agree more Paul. He probably isn't back solely down to his away form on many tracks after 2 full seasons. He was full value at the GT Tyres arena for sure.

How’s your mate prince Andrew?

The second division use to be made up of youngest working their way through the sport. Double upping has been around for decades but it’s the double downing that started our current rider shortage. Second division clubs won’t even participate in the RS system but are more than happy to have top league riders on the cheap as it enhances their product. Doesn’t help the sport as a whole but “I’m alright Jack”, the mantra of most if not all second tier clubs.

There are many who hate us but they do not want to see our demise but probably a couple who would not be disappointed.

Maybe GM, maybe not! I’ll believe it when I see it this time after the last fiasco. I still remember the official website posting pictures of Louis shaking Busters hand and the headline “Witches sold”. Weeks and then months went by and nothing further was ever said. We now know that Buster backed out of that deal, but nobody said a word, it was all just swept under the carpet as if nothing happened and Louis just carried on as usual!

We will find out in due course!

That’s not how speedway works, a promotion feels they are being victimised and spits their dummy out and the rest have to compromise to stop that promotion running off home with the ball thus that promotion gets their way and the bspl calls it in the interest of the sport,add to that there are those at the top of the pecking order and there is those at the bottom

Kyle is many times a better rider than Max with equipment levels even further above (temperament is a different issue) however the bigger issue is that every year people are bringing up retired/returning riders and thats simply because there isn't enough of a pipeline in place to fill places, thats because the NL's are in a poor state and thats because of those who run the sport.

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.

I'm tired of repeating myself... with an adjusted format there's plenty of riders available for such a small number of teams in operation.

Exactly that. Guests are the 'necessary evil' of the sport. Immediate change for me is that a guest can only be from other league/s. Even if you lose the No1, the guest comes in on their own converted average and those with a higher average move up a position. For me, it's not a difficult fix. Also, that would hurry up teams to find replacements (temporary or permanent) rather than constantly using 'track specialists' guests.

Promoter Chris Louis plans to take time away from speedway once the sale of Premiership champions Ipswich Witches is complete. Louis hopes to be able to confirm the name of the buyers within the next two weeks. He put the Witches up for sale in November after they beat Leicester Lions to win the title for the first time in 27 years, and it is now going through due process. "Once we're in a position where the sale is complete then everything will move very quickly," Louis told BBC Radio Suffolk. "I had two or three other offers that didn't suit me personally or my vision of putting the club in safe hands. "It's unfortunate because it feels like the club is so far behind the other teams coming into 2026, but I'm very proud of the fact that we've found what I believe to be the right owners and hopefully it all goes through smoothly." Ipswich Witches agree sale to new owner Published 3 days ago Doyle confirms GB speedway exit with Ipswich up for sale Published 11 December 2025 Ipswich have confirmed their place in what, at the moment, will be a five-team Premiership this year but have yet to finalise a rider roster. "The way I've done things in the last few years, season ticket sales would have started at the beginning of December and the team would have been announced before Christmas. "It's different in 2026 but it's to be expected, it's a big thing to sell a business and it takes a bit of work with all the due diligence to do. "But I think we've found the right people for the club, I don't think it could be in better hands and I'm excited to see what they do with it and what the future holds." Louis plans to attend meetings at Foxhall Stadium in the new season but does not, at present, intend to have any direct involvement in the sport. "I received an offer from a Polish club three days after putting the club up for sale but it would have meant far too big a life change for me, moving to Poland," he added. "I want out of the sport, it's time for a change. I'm looking forward to a different lifestyle, I won't be travelling around quite as much. No firm plans yet." Chris Louis was speaking to BBC Radio Suffolk's Wayne Bavin

Right, I'm still not getting what the problem is with doubling up/down? Someone, actually explain please??? As long as they're not missing through fixture clashes, what's the problem? If averages fit, what's the problem? If a promotion wants them, what's the problem? I do not get the issue AT ALL.

Have you read his book( the whole truth) that's worth reading as well ,until I did I never realised he built s/way wheels as part of his living .

Funnily enough was just reading classic Speedway mag article by Malcolm Simmons where he tell you the story ,as a 17 year old he failed his driving test and he was that annoyed he never resat it. So he was driving without licence insurance and obviously stole tax disc from another vehicle,for which he got a six month jail sentence .Great article on his career,this article was in 2011 and his views on the future of the sport are almost spot on,Elite League in GB was no longer elite compared to other Countries riders .Riders giving engine tuners big money for nothing really(they just want to turn up and ride the bike)fancy vans.Promoters mainly fans with money from their business.Amongst other things He anticipated when TV money runs out the sport is in trouble and will probably have go back to Amateur status.That was 2011 and he’s not far out. ps Many fans have had the same view since then.

I’ll give him a call later and tell him you asked about him. I will have some of those billy big spuds you mentioned earlier as I love jacket tates

If doubling down was allowed in the 70’s & 80’s then riders would have done it. It wasn’t allowed so they attached their bike to the back of a Citroen and worked part time when not riding. There is no benefit for top league clubs to have their riders doubling down but the lower division benefits greatly and they have more votes at the AGM and thus it came to pass. Short term gain for long term pain, well done guys.

Well done in your efforts👍 and I'm sure that the FIM website also usually provides a European Calendar.

MPT surely will get a max at Edinburgh.😁

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

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.

Just take a look at the last 10 years of the u21 final. 13 of the 18 that appeared in 2016 final aren't riding anymore. The 8 in the u19 final that weren't in the 21 final aren't riding either. 21 riders that would be hitting 29-31 this year lost to the sport.

Hagon Hausl Nagel and Hodder already signed for the Cheetahs. Glasgow must be gutted. Team stripped by Forum. 🙂 🙂

Oxford 2026 seem to be signing up last years Glasgow side ?