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Maybe your team should run an NDL team

imagine the scenes if the volunteers turn up tonight to be greeted by Buster handing out track rakes.

Eni Aluko being announced as the new Team Manager would sum this entire winter up.

Well hopefully someone who is attending can find out what the hell is going on and then let us know!

see even our jokes go back to 70s and 80s. we are all stuck in the mud. 🤣

Absolutely correct. Those in charge are deluded and while one league could work using a broader scale of riders (excluding GP riders and those plying the trade in Poland etc..) the sport in the UK is beyond redemption. If UK speedway continues to believe that it has a role to play on the world stage it is kidding no one but itself. Individual riders may make it to the top but the run of the mill league speedway rider in the UK may produce the odd one or two who can crack the mould and reach the top but most are average but still very capable of entertaining the punters who will then feel that they are getting value for money from an entertainment perspective. 2027 needs planning now but whether those in charge acknowledge this is another issue. Statements to date from the BSPL leave the door open but who can trust them as custodians of the sport?

You've literally mentioned every single rider currently riding Speedway at one point or another 😂

They really need to announce something soon just to shut some of yous lot up 😅 this is getting worse by the day

Those that are managing/controlling this Ipswich campaign are running the risk of losing the good will of not just the Ipswich fan base but that of the entire Premiership where those declared clubs are seemingly being held to ransom over the indecisiveness or one or more parties when it comes to the fixture list etc. The dwindling fan base who like to plan ahead to support their team at away matches are ignored to the point where that particular contribution that fans make in terms of travelling support falls on deaf ears of those in charge. Promoters are happy to take the punters money but pay scant regard to realising the importance of keeping supporters on side and the mushroom syndrome is the mantra that suits the promoters business model. Many more will find other things to do on race nights and pick and choose those meetings they want to attend yet those running the sport seemingly have their respective heads buried in the sand so much so that you feel they could not find themselves a way out of a paper bag let alone solve the issues of. the self inflected mire the sport finds itself in and actually go out of there way to ignore the contribution the die hard supporters offer this great sporting spectacular. Speedway could be so good if promoted as something special and run by those who had a vision to expose it to broader audience, but the insular way in which it is runs means this will not happen in the short to medium term. Get rid of the old guard and things might change, but leave it as is and it will pass into history.

Aa a pundit she was/is an absolute "crock of...." Didn't deserve both barrels from Barton but certainly didn't deserve new contracts either

No I believe he is now the manager of the French wonder kid Lotti Sèmen

I use ignore on him but people keep quoting his posts so you see his inane ramblings. Personally think he adds nothing to the debates

As much as I hold Scott in high regard, He is good on the smaller more technical tracks but I feel He would struggle on the larger (Belle Vue, Sheffield, Kings Lynn) tracks so I wouldn't choose to have him in the team.

And the award for the most ridiculous post of the day goes to...🤡🤡🤡

Not really sure why you picked Eni Aluko as an example. The way she and others were slandered, bullied, etc by Barton was an absolute disgrace. She would probably make as good a fist of it as some of the TM’s over the years.

Ive heard the 1st Nigerian speedway rider could be signing for the Witches at reserve.. He qualifies sfor a visa as 1 of his parents is British.. Maballza Ritchie

I’m not stressed, Ian. I just don’t think we should normalise low standards. British speedway repeatedly forces its fans to accept the bare minimum as success. That mindset is contributing to the slow death of the sport we love. I’ve raised valid points around logistics, accommodation, hospitality, governance, etc. and those points don’t disappear because the inept BSPL have issued the fixtures over a month later than last season, despite the sport’s blatant decline.

I do get frustrated by the rhetoric continually posted on here. There’s a fallacy that things were different in speedways heyday and the problems blighting our sport are of the modern era. The other week I posted about the excessive use of guests on one Saturday night in ‘74 and the fact that most teams did NOT ride at the weekend, yet people will still point the finger as these being the failings of modern speedway Taking the now famous ‘73 KO Cup final as an example. Belle Vue used a guest and Reading ran R/R. The 2nd leg wasn’t run until the last week of the season, some 3 weeks after the 1st leg as due to the late running it was hit by the bad weather. Sounds familiar? Jim Mcmillian had been knocked out in an earlier round but enjoyed his “winners” medal as a guest for the Aces. We had been running a guest since June. The rules stated in the event of a draw it had to be re run but this was jettisoned in favour of a run off. All this was carried out on a cold Wednesday late October night. All those people who attended that night and in ‘74, ‘75, ‘76, 77 etc did not suddenly experience amnesia, they DECIDE not to attend. During its heyday we had ALL the ills currently affecting the sport, the big difference is that of the customers - they have changed massively and we need to find the holy grail to attract them back. The league is as meaningful as ever. The guests & R/R as prevalent as ever. The UK FIM golds are pretty much as regular as in our heyday. Our “gaters paradise” tracks are still here as they were back then, etc, etc. If we keep kidding ourselves that the sports ills are new then we will waste an awful lot of time and energy trying to fix the bits that are not the reason for our downfall. Speedway is primarily populated by old blokes who think the old days were better, but the reality is that’s not the case and it is to our peril that we get bogged down by this dogma instead of looking to the future and how we engage with modern customers in the modern era.

I'm sure I am not the only one who is thinking this but it looks like we have acquired a spammer on the forum. It is becoming very obvious that this individual comments practically every day on almost every subject in order to make sure they are seen. I'm not naming the poster but I'm sure you will all know who it it. There's nothing wrong in putting forward an opinion but the forum should not be a place for spamming. The moderators know who it is and should be taking action. Hey I'm just wondering what the odds will be of them being the first to comment on this thread.

Ive never put anyone on ignore but Im close to it, its having a detrimental effect on the forum IMO

That mad bloke with a time in his name! Must have escaped from the local nut house or he aint taking his medication. Moderators should ban the geezer.

Who's bothered about that 😃 and most matches will kick off after midnight UK time, so plenty of time to get home and make your Coco and the football will send you asleep no problem 🤪

``to be fair I at first thought you said spanner.

Think I was the first person to mention Scott Nicholls this winter. I think it would be a shrewd signing @ No.2. If Scott is in then I assume we've got a No.1 too.

It is possible but I don’t believe Louis would do that, there is definitely beef between the bspl members despite rob godfrey saying they are all friends and they all get along but them not liking each other is a healthy thing if there was an independent body running the sport but there isn’t so it’s to the detriment of the sport

and if you build it up, likely it will be anti-climatic Not sure any of the thinking is actually joined up ?

I think the new owners are building up the suspense because they have managed to sign up a real blockbuster team, bringing back Doyle and Sayfutdinov, backed up by Lindgren, Robert Lambert, Zmarzlik, Lebedevs with Tai Woffinden as rising star. The 37 points limit was waived….or else! As the new owners said.

the guy is a complete idiot, wouldnt worry about it.

I’ve taken the view throughout that completing the sale of a business takes time and that the formal confirmation/announcement will be made whenever that process is complete. However…..it is getting a bit strange now, particularly in the context of this evening’s little soirée.

In all seriousness Buttons makes a good point. Someone official has to be there don’t they? It’s all getting a bit bizarre

Perhaps the signing on night will be rained off, in the interests of speedway?

I have sent in my details. Good luck to those doing the hard work! Having moved from the area I now go to Oxford throughout the season. It would delight me if Coventry could be another phjoenix and rise from the ashes like Oxford. There does need to be a serious rethink by the governing body about the sport but this is not the first time that it has faced difficulties. Good luck to all those who are trying to do something positive!

You can stop checking your phones people. Now “very unlikely today”. 😂

ridiculous.

Don't like some of the big gaps in home fixtures for Poole, 7 weeks without a home fixture is not good

... if you build it, they will come. They used to think that about the crowds, now they think that about the riders!

The pessimist in me is thinking it’s Ipswich with the bad news. The wording “there will be some sort of update on Tuesday” doesn’t fill me with confidence that they will be announcing either a completed sale, or any rider signings today. Just another non update of “sorts”. I could be completely and utterly wrong of course. Let’s hope I am.

Bad news is always buried behind good news 😛 pick which one is bad news

Will there be an announcement today, Tuesday? It would clash with the much-heralded and long-awaited release of the 2026 Championship fixture list ...

Anyone checked under the tree - has he been yet?

I’ve heard that the great Ivor Biggin has been practicing & could be about to make a cum back!

And just like that today is the day!

I think don’t worry about it, soon the day will come and you’ll wonder what all the stress was about 🧘

You've got to laugh at Reid Battye's quote about Berwick...... “I’ve heard it’s a really big speedway town and it’s on the coast. I live near the beach in Australia so it’s probably the same – just a bit colder!” Me thinks he's in for a bit of a shock

And we had Kenny Carter . I know he turned out a wrong un but what a talent and character who loved nothing more than racing and winning for his country. Nationally known aswell as Peter Collins , Michael Lee etc . We could do with a few more like him but without the dark side.

The one before the calm

Northampton Cobbledtogethers have announced their exciting new team to take on the 2026 Premiership. Spearheaded by the new Norwegian sensation, Redd Herring, the Cosmopolitan line-up will also include; Nevva Urdavim Legg Traylor Lass Tagane Myles B. Hind Novvi Swobbla Ove Andout

The fixtures have been released to the clubs, so expect general release soon, some riders seem not best pleased at the gaps in fixtures