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Just got back from the Arenacross at the NEC Birmingham and thought it worth mentioning a couple of things. Firstly Dan Bewley is a respectable motocross rider, it was only in the whoops which are Supercross specific really that he was losing time in a decent Pro-AM class. Secondly the presentation compared to even the Cardiff GP was so much better. 3 good presenters who ramped up the crowd and kept the interest going between races, probably all a bit shouty for an old bloke like me but the youngsters lapped it up and sport needs the likes of them more than the likes of me for the future. Lots of flashing lights, loud music and freestyle MX/ girls dancing with fire and a guy chucking free kids T shirts randomly into the crowd all accompanied with encouragement for the crowd to make a lot of noise and be involved between races and while the track was graded. (Graded incidentally by the son of Ace of Aces Promoter Ian Barclay) All in all despite decent rather than great racing we came away having had a great time and Speedway could take some lessons from the Promoters of this series. Might not be practical for every meeting but a lot of what they did could be applied to the bigger events and most certainly the GPs.

£59 per seat at what I think was the price for the majority.. I think the cheapest were £44 and the view from anywhere would have been pretty good. The most expensive VIP tickets I didn't look at but imagine somewhere between extortionate and daylight robbery ☺️ Hence why I said bigger events and especially the GPs. They are in it to make money though so these events must be turning a decent profit. As above, but a lot of the enthusiasm shown by the promotion would cost next to nothing and would make for a more exciting night out. I'd guess in that hall you'd be looking at 250m max or maybe 200m with air fences. I went to the Classic car show a few years back at the NEC and as best I can remember some of those halls were bigger and could have a reasonable track built in but would need stands built as well. What the cost of those halls are though I have no idea. I reckon a small track with a few top riders at this time of year and with the same presentation could work well if filled to capacity like the arenacross. Just looked it up and capacity in that hall is 15,600 which would be a better atmosphere than a half full Cardiff.

Every track in the top flight will take a hit on the attendances they’ve had previously I think that’s a given. It’ll be interesting to see how much of a hit though. The one team that I can see getting away with it to a degree, is Lynn. They now have the top rider in the league which they haven’t had for an awful long time, and the two young lads at reserve should pique their interest. The league set up will please nobody though and it’s been an incredibly damaging winter that has left a bad taste in the mouth that’s for sure.

Sorry, but that’s a ridiculous statement in relation to the Ipswich takeover. I have said before that if they complete the financial and legal due diligence in 6-8 weeks, then that would be some going. Just on the legals; Spedeworth will have a head lease with the ultimate owners and a sub lease with Louis. Both leases will have required a full legal review and the head lease may have restrictive covenants about who Spedeworth can sub let to and probably requires prior approval of the ultimate owner to any novation of an existing lease or creation of a new sub lease. I seem to remember reading somewhere, quite a while ago that the ultimate owner is the original Ipswich Speedway which if true means that entity was formed many years ago and may have a complex ownership structure e.g. some form of Trust structure and be governed by a Trust Deed, etc which would complicate decisions and approvals even more. The sale and purchase of a business is a complex and time consuming process.

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.

Continuing the hospital analogy, it's about time that these "bed blocker" riders that are holding the sport to ransom are sent to dignitas if they refuse to stop doubling up and let some of the maternity ward patients have an opportunity (young riders). I'm sure that after a period in the real world on the building sites that many will soon be back realising that they can make it pay after all. Some of them only have a few years left in the sport anyway and are just hoping that the sport lasts long enough to give them a last few easy paydays.

Ipswich are holding the sport to ransom and the bspl are letting them, well fine but when the crowds are gone don’t go blaming anyone else, it’s a farce and in part it’s caused by Chris Louis and Ipswich, this should of been sorted months ago not weeks away from the season

Rumours that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor to join the board at Speedway Futures. Looking for new opportunities

Usual audio problems this week... wouldn't be the same without them 😂

cant stand the sport, thats why ive only been going 60 years.

You're missing out on some great content 👍🏻😁

Tyson Fury keeps saying he’s quitting aswell. Believe it when I see it.

And that’s the mentality that closed Buxton down last time,the sport never learns from our mistakes

Would have to find a job that pays silly money.

Theres always been a decent hardcore at Lynn even when I started going in 84 we were truly awful until Bill Barker took over and brought in the dream team that also flopped .From possibly 84-87 we were woeful but the crowds held up pretty well. When Barker and Simmo took over and we looked powerhouse, opening match there must have been 4-5k turn up. I also remember when Poole turned up one bank hol Monday with Holder and Ward and Buster said it was the best crowd since the mid 70's which again proved run on the right days for the punters with half attractive teams and they will come.

I paid just under £50 last night, there were cheaper tickets available and also some more expensive. You could get a family ticket for £100. They also do numerous VIP upgrades and you can also buy a track walk package.

I have simply outlined the challenges, complexities and timescales as they relate to the sale and purchase of a business. You can ignore those realities if you so choose. I assume from your comments that Louis should have been prohibited from selling his own business and must continue to own it ad infinitum - bizarre on a number of levels. I have made no reference to the BSPL or Speedway Futures, so not sure how I am giving them a free pass.

That right you keep giving the powers that be a pass and nothing changes, Ipswich have done damage to premiership in the eyes of the public this season, they with the bspl and speedway futures have made a terrible situation absolutely dire and it’s unacceptable

At this stage we don't know which company Mr Coleman will use although the events company was recently founded. We also don't know how these companies will be capitalised although lenders will want cross guarantees and covenants in place or a PG with Mr C. This doesn't make the business flush with cash but will be in a great position if it performs financially. If he is the new owner he is to be applauded for taking the risks. Don't get carried away with "loads a money" it's about the business end of matters.

A lot of predictions are putting Worky out of the top 4 in here. I personally think we have a very strong team. We have three potential heat leaders, with tate and the young Dane to back them up, making it a good top 5. Vinnie should push on this season, with with only true weakness being our number 7. I think we'll surprise many

Witches fans...

I attended one in Manchester a few years ago.. I said at the time that every UK Speedway promoter should go and see how motorbike racing could be presented.. My lad caught a T shirt and I got roped in to entering the text raffle to win a mini MX bike, which was hanging from fhe ceiling, at a fiver a ticket... They must have paid for that bike several times over given how many phones were in use! Music. Lights. Noise. Colour. Excitement... And a hyped up prize too, where it was said they were racing for a £200k first prize... The reality was that this was the total paid out over the five rounds to the riders.. But nothing wrong with a bit of hype that increases your profile and standing...

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.

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

Liars? Mate you have no idea or neither do I how much riders really earn? But like I've said riders that don't double up still come back! You can't argue with that. IL have what your having jesus. You really think we should tell riders to RETIRE do you? That literally kills British speedway . The NDL would simply die . Every rider started off somewhere. Literally doing it for fun. Investing time and money for the hope they one day can make it. So would you get rid of the NDL? The fact you think riders like Lambert should retire is an insult to him. He's been a great servant to British speedway over years. Promoting the sport by taking his bikes into schools and never giving up. Your head is completely in the sand regarding the current state of the sport in the country. Your just so happy to carry on as normal when there are so many issues right now. Clubs are closing down every year don't you realise that? Your happy with that are you? For riders to double up and bankrupt clubs ? You haven't still answered my questions have you? Or anyone else's? Typical champagne premiership fan.

Well you may not buy it, but you need to consider the realty of what one league means in terms of earnings. Assuming rates of pay remain the same then one league would mean a rider such as Howarth would lose at best 35% of his current pay but in reality more likely 50%. So quite reasonable that in such circumstances a rider would need to quit the sport to take up full time employment and no, in today’s job market, unlike yesteryear there is far less opportunity for a family man like Kyle to double up with conventional employment and riding speedway.

so by your logic when the prem is finished (which will probably be next year )everyone in the champ will have to retire..🤣

That's an assumption. He could easily drop form ..Simon Lambert ain't got a prem club . Should he quit speedway? What about some of the younger riders not good enough for the premiership yet. Should they quit and also and hold the fans and clubs to ransom? Drew Kemp will likely get dropped again at some point, I imagine he earns much less than Kyle in the championship. Quit again? Connor Mountain? I could go on...

So let's say Kyle Howarth gets dropped by Leicester this year for poor form and doesn't find another club. Should he quit Glasgow?

Racing around the flat packed beds and the dining tables? Flat pack racing... I like it... Could catch on...

Perhaps Becker is giving UK a miss, same as Rew. Only two there that I’m confident will be in the line up, are Brennan and King.

Little difference. I don’t think it’ll happen either but Lambert on 8.00 would be a far better signing than say Fricke on 9.89. Not saying Fricke is a poor signing by Lynn either btw. Just there’s far more scope for an average increase in Lambert’s figure than Fricke’s and that’s the name of the game.

You’ve missed out King.

If he signs for the Witches I think he should come back on a 6

If he chooses Lambert over Voulas he deserves a kick in the knads

Hence the rumours around Woffy I guess he's possibly Englands greatest ever rider but personally I think his days at the very top are over plus he's coming back from horrific injuries, I don't like how he drops f bombs every thirty seconds when kids are potentially within earshot but on the flipside his courage and mental strength are something to be admired. Equally can't blame him for taking the wild card I just hope he stays safe and injury free for the coming year he's overdue a run without his body taking more knocks.

I wondered how long it would be before it was Belle Vue’s fault (as one of the other Premiership owners). Took longer than I thought but it’s finally arrived. I’ll bring it up with them when I next see them so if you could provide some bullet points as to their wrong doing I’ll post their response.

I don't mind waiting as long as it takes, Just as long as the wait is worth it.

Thought you said jack schmelt has signed this morning, make yer mind up 😛

Would be a great signing if they could get him, if you can't have Emil he is probably as good a replacement as you could hope for.

Len was a very smart cookie...

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 😡

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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.

Woke up this morning, stretched out my elbows, No Wooden sides ! another day to be grateful for .

Not sure I’m going to be on anymore, I’ve spit my dummy out over not being asked on this week 😂 joking aside I am slightly annoyed at not being asked on this week and how they went about it,,what’s the point of doing it if people like Godfrey are not held accountable on it ?also I’ve really had the wind knocked out of my sails over other things in speedway over the last few weeks and it’s really tested my love of the sport, I’m sure I’ll get over it at some point but at the moment sod speedway

Dean when your next on can you address the viewers with a set nail clippers close up lol 😆

RG was good but him and Lambert's interaction was annyoing blowing smoke up each others backsides when no one else gives a toss.