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I do have sympathy for Max Perry. Missing out on a team place by 0.02 pts is unfortunate. I still think they should bring rising star positions in to the championship. I also think they need to reconsider how they do it, because young riders shouldn't be missing out on team places because of 0.02 pts. Maybe force teams to declare their rising star first, making them build their team with that average deducted. Im throwing ideas around here, but maybe keep rising stars averages at 2 pts until they break 3/3.5 pts. In that case, young riders who are good, but not quite ready, such as Max Perry, would still get team positions.

At least that's a positive post about Scunthorpe

100% advertise locally... There are Universities/Colleges who do marketing degrees so you could maybe contact them for their students to do some "real life course work".. If you decided not to employ a proper agency obviously.... Nationally? 14 teams running one meeting each would gross around circa £400k at roughly twenty quid on average (based on 20,000 fans in total visiting the 14 tracks for their opening night..)... Maybe all could give up that first nights money and give that circa £400k to a national company to see if they can get some cut through? (Budgeting for one less match per season).. They lay huge amounts to riders in relation to fhe tiny size of the sport, yet dont seem to ever use some of this money to market these riders, and their businesses, beyond those who already know who they are. Surely it's worth doing "something different" for one season to see if it can make a difference? Less riders per team and use the payroll saving for marketing for example?

I’ve been meaning to post this for a while, but after reading the last few posts and completing a full home season at Scunthorpe last year, I felt it was time to share a bit of perspective from a "new" local. I moved to Lincolnshire last year, and on paper, King’s Lynn is significantly closer to me. However, I decided to make Scunthorpe my go-to track, and I’ve based that decision purely on the quality of racing. Having previously lived in a village just down the road from Leicester, I’d actually stopped going there because, frankly, the racing was so poor. As a lifelong Coventry fan, I’ve seen the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. It’s clear to anyone with eyes that things at the Eddie Wright Raceway are done on a very tight budget. The team for 2026 might not look like world-beaters on paper, and we might not be lifting silverware come October, but after last year, I’ve realised that isn't the most important thing. The racing last year was superb—genuinely entertaining from Heat 1 to 15. I was told by the regulars that it’s "usually even better,". I now consider myself an honorary Scorpion fan. To those who look at the "no-frills" nature of the place and judge it: believe me, if a track like Scunthorpe disappears, you will miss it when it’s gone. This sport needs places like the EWR that prioritise genuine track action over everything else. Regardless of where we finish in the league, I’m massively looking forward to the new season. Lets get behind the lads and hopefully spring a surprise or two.

What difference does it make? If they name the No.1 a week before the first fixture, or if they named him last November, none of the team are going to be riding until the first meeting at the end of March. It's going to be the same 7 riders regardless of whether they were declared yesterday or tomorrow. In any case, we all know who it is. My guess is that since he lives in the UK for the majority of the year, they are perhaps waiting for him to be free to hold a social night with him (just a guess). Who exactly are you defying if you pick and choose meetings? It's the same team and same meeting regardless of whether you are there or not. Just sounds like cutting your nose off because you had a hissy fit months previously. Similar with the new Ipswich owners. If they are making sure they have all their ducks in a row before revealing a full team, then good on them. Name the team last week or name the team next week, you're not going to see them race until the end of March, so it makes sense to make sure everything is perfect for March.

If they were really interested in showing the way they’d put a NDL team together instead of using this to cherry pick riders out of it for themselves.

Probably a year too early for him in the championship imo, only averaged 6 in the NDL last year, unless he’s a stop gap till they can potentially fit Perry in when the averages change.

Nothing Len ever did was an accident, he knew exactly how to get the best out of every situation.

The new owners should be kicked out the sport forever along with speedway futures and the other premiership owners,making the fans wait like this, it’s got past a joke now, it’s February tomorrow for god sake 😡

Whatever Rob decides so it fits in it seems.

Having said that though, they'll have Josh Pickering and he is worth watching, wherever he rides.

I recently upset someone and they sent me a one word email response. I was surprised that they couldn’t spell ‘can’t’!

To add to this the club runs to a budget and pays on time every time . I do understand though to most posters on here that a club that provides great racing in a cost effective manner owing no riders money is in anyway a positive

https://glasgowtigers.co.uk/glasgow-announce-british-youth-partnership/ Maybe Ashfield can become the true National Speedway Stadium

I reckon Steve Shovlar is the new owner and Gavan is considering becoming a Kings Lynn fan!

good rider hes rode workington track well before but think it is maybe a little early for him but im sure it will do him good if he can keep improving

Rather stick with etherington he's beaten some of the no7s before

Phil Lanning named some of them on the latest 360 podcast, I think Wright, Lawson and Kerr were mentioned. The key will be getting a proper number one I guess, hopefully they can find one.

Thats one out of the blue hope the lad does well

The world champion was seen in Ipswich this afternoon. I expect an announcement next week.

Glasgow ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Edinburgh

But the posts on Facebook also says Roy Clark is making a comeback 🤪🤣

Treble would be on again 🎉

Think they will get under 3 point ave rider and hoping the team ave drop enough to fit max in

If Carlsberg did councils . . . . .

I’m not sure now that a national marketing campaign would do much good, I think clubs need to market better in the local area to get back lost fans. My local track is Oxford, now when I buy a ticket I need to input my email address. I have never received any email from them advising me of what meetings are coming up or asking me how my experience was. They must have thousands of email addresses that they could reach out too and have so many potential customers they could contact in one easy way with offers to get them to attend again. I will say the information they supply on the WhatsApp group is very good though.

If it is him, I’ll be disappointed. No disrespect to the lad but nowhere near ready for the step up.

Imo jack is not ready for championship think he only averaged around 3 points in the NDL updated found true average of 3.23 in the NDL so definitely not ready for championship

Ive never understood the comparison with football, as you say fans turn out season after season even for clubs who are only making up the numbers and really have no chance of ever getting any success clubs like Fulham, Bournemouth, Burnley have next to no chance of getting top four let alone winning leagues fa cups, Palace only won their first trophy last season, no manipulation of team strengths to try to have all teams equal, but fans of the lower reaches clubs are there in numbers home and away, speedway lost that tribalism a long time ago.

Thats it I suppose JP is a real entertainer and especially around Scunny. So long as the racing is its usual top drawer at home, win, lose or draw thats the deal we accept. Away will be a different matter. Can see JP being a bit of a lone gun, but exciting to watch. In a way it reminds me of Halifax in the Carter era. Kenny always leading the scorecharts and taking on & beating the oppo No1s. The rest of the Dukes not following his lead. When JPs average changes it will be vital to come up with a No2 who can back him Home & Away in those Big Heats in my opinion.

It won't be democratic if the WEF globalists get their way

Mr Negativity is back I see

Forever Panthers now has it's very own podcast! Episode 1 ft Carl Johnson is now available everywhere you watch or listen to podcasts (all links below) This episode will have you learning new things, reminiscing over fond memories and laughing out loud as Carl and David talk through the latest in the campaign, what it's really like working in the most exciting sport in the world and a fantastic fan Q&A Watch or listen to The Forever Panthers Podcast using any of the links below: YouTube: https://youtu.be/lf2NM0iSvTQ . . Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/20yHJrhOORHS3iy19Vy42V... . . Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/.../forever.../id1873337865 . . Amazon Podcasts: https://music.amazon.co.uk/.../forever-panthers-podcast

they could of done with you on the titanic trying to cheer everyone up as they got on their life boats. 😁

Positivity talk to me! Markus O'Markie I share your positivity! There are many great men in British Speedway who will help it shine through in 2026 and prove the doubters wrong on here! There are 4 men in particular, all great friends of mine who will bring the glory times back to the sport! they are..... Main Man Rogers - a lifelong friend and loyal associate of Terry Tibbs, what Main Man Rogers doesn't know about speedway isn't worth knowing, look at what he has done for the sport at Mildenhall, Newport and Birmingham, now he's at Buxton that place will thrive I can tell you. I have already allowed him to use Krystof Stojanowski's caravan which for many years was parked in the car park of the Smallbrook Stadium on The Isle of Wight! Now the legacy of the mighty Stojanowski can be seen as the VIP lounge at the Buxton Raceway! So many memories of that high spec model built in 1987, I got a great deal off the Haven Holiday Camp in Bembridge back in 2004, £1000 plus a lovely oil massage from my 2nd wife Bertha convinced the salesman to let it be towed from the resort that day by my Maz-za-raty! I just hope Main Man Rogers has cleaned the seats, it's been in Busty C's car park at the Arena of Norfolk for a few years and Busty, his lad Little Jonny and Big Dale Boy, hosted a party with Robert the Lyon Heart which saw several buxom wenches from Bulgaria pay a visit to celebrate Busty's new pit gate! Anyway, Terry digresses and on with my next speedway great... Jimmy Lynch - a lifelong friend and loyal associate of Terry Tibbs, what Jimmy Lynch doesn't know about Team Management isn't worth knowing, he's been on a well deserved sabbatical but he's back for 2026! watch this space as the Premier Teams are queuing up to secure Jimmy Lynch's services! Philip Morris - a lifelong friend and loyal associate of Terry Tibbs, what Philip Morris doesn't know about CEO'ing isn't worth knowing! A protégé of Terrence Tibbs, 2 years work experience as my lead valet boy at T Tibbs Motors (Europe) Limited of Chingford in the late 1990's meant he could shadow myself to gain fantastic business acumen whilst learning all about Speedway from my Assistant Director of Safeguarding Main Man Rogers! Look at Big Phil now, I remember another associate of mine Timothy Sugar telling me that lad had potential and what Timothy Sugar doesn't know about potential isn't worth knowing! Ryland Guest - a lifelong friend and loyal associate of Terry Tibbs, what Ryland Guest doesn't know about presenting isn't worth knowing! Mentored by Main Man Rogers who used to sit Ryland Guest on his knee and tell him stories about speedway that left Ryland Guest so excited about the sport he enrolled himself on The Main Man Rogers seminar on how to present a meeting and look at Ryland Guest now trusted by Damo to have the freedom of the steel city, wanted by Lemsip for the Stad de Speedway and having to turn down Busty & Dicko as he can't be in 3 places at once! The Fab Four will shine through in 2026, Marky you can mark my words! Thank you, goodnight and much looove Terence!

Also, to be fair... In football your team is your team... You build an emotional attachment to them.. In Speedway you could have any number of "soldiers of fortune" representing you, from one meeting to the next, with your opponents doing exactly the same.. Which means often "your team" hasn't really won or lost, given they were not really there in the first place.. You also have jeopardy and consequence in football, with relegation meaning fans will still attend a failing team in numbers hoping to stave off this "disaster".. In Speedway, you can choose what league you want to ride in, and win, lose or draw, you choose your future... The bottom line is no trophy delivers enough kudos or financial rewards to take winning one too seriously, therefore many who attend do so for the racing rather than the result, thus seeing UK Speedway as "sports entertainment" rather than a bona fide professional team sport... Which is pretty much fine until admission prices keep rising to that certain level where the individual sees the entertainment value no longer justifying their outlay..

You've got to address the sport and it's supporters how it is though and not how you wish it/they would be. Some fans/supporters are glory hunters, some just like the racing... many of them have been abused by the sport so much over the years and decided up with this they will no longer put. Ideally you'd have a sprinkling of both good competitive racing, some success and an affinity to the club you follow. It is up to the sport to look at other successful sports and take what makes that a success and to apply it to Speedway not just churn out the same old 5h1t every year and then blame the fans when they don't turn out and pay to watch it.

I could absolutely go to town on all of your points but I've decided to leave this topic alone as a little oasis of positivity in the desert of reality of the rest of the forum 👍🏻😂

You also though have things like inflation, goods/services on average are 25% more expensive now post covid partly because the Government at the time printed another £400 billion out of thin air which caused prices to sky rocket, with Putin invading Ukraine adding fuel to it all. Speedway appeals mainly to the working class who will be suffering financially most of all so it is likely people will pick and choose matches that they attend, this will most likely be highlighted even more in the coming season with only five teams so I think its highly probable that crowd numbers will be lower this year and then most likely get a big bump up when the play offs get here.

Very good news, well done to all involved. Fingers crossed that this is the beginning of the end and that consortium can get on with the job of restoring the stadium.

Dont worry Kier has 2/3 more years to achieve his plan and relieve you of those

Still alive, got a roof over my head and food in the cupboard.

Broadly Guy is better known but I don’t think anyone who has even a passing interest in motorbike racing will not have heard of John McGinness and he is a big fan of speedway so maybe would be open to doing a little promo for the sport.

This is true but Guy Martin is much better known generally, was just a thought. Being from Grimsby he is almost certainly aware of nearby Scunny, think he had a wee taste of flatrack at King's Lynn....

So it's now very much Brian Can't then

The Rest Scunthorpe

I have reported your request to the mods and hope they act on our requests.

Mods, can this be pinned please?

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...