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Northampton is happening so lets get behind it and stop being negative about it. good luck to them

Anders Thomson, Freddy Lindgren, Robert Lambert, Dan Bewley all had a lower average in Poland last year than Jason Doyle, and yet Doyle had a poor year here in the UK. Poland is and has always been, a terrible indicator of what happens in this Country average wise. Thorssell has shown a liking to tracks over here in the past and even if he’s regressed as a rider since then, that is negated by the fact the league he would be returning to has been watered down. Thorssell is more than capable of a 6.5 average in this league, so anyone that grabs him on a 4.5 is getting a two point average jumper right off the bat.

Good post. Promoters are always bleating about the lack of punters coming through the gate despite their (apparent) efforts to promote the sport, yet here we are with a team supposedly ready to compete in the next few weeks and nobody in the area is aware of what is going on! If this was a business venture, you'd expect the owner to at least make the public aware of their intent and efforts to be up and running this season, with a back up scenario of being ready for the following season if time runs out. This happened when Leicester returned, with the initial intention of running in 2010, but did not come to tapes (can't remember the reason) until 2011. The difference here though is that Leicester had a fan base in place because their campaign to brought the sport back to the City. The situation is being totally driven by the BSPA. My glass remains half empty, but like everyone else on the forum, I'd love to see it work.

"The Premiership with five teams is a joke..." Northampton rumoured to be joining. "No point doing that, it will never work." Northampton likely to be announced shortly to boost both the Premiership and British speedway. "What's the point? Won't have a fanbase and will be gone by the end of the third year." Honestly, the negativity on here is unbelievable. You either want British speedway to expand and do well or you don't. And if not, it begs the question why?! The fact we have a new team running should be cause for positivity and support, not derision and ridicule from quite a few on this forum. Joke.

At the rate they are going, Manchester City will be found guilty before the fixtures are out...

It's all about the money !! In 1997, both Stock Cars and Speedway were kicked out of Odsal by the Bulls as the Super League had recently come into existence and Sky were throwing money at it, so they no longer needed the rental income. Plans for a fully enclosed 'Superdome' were published, which obviously would have made motorsports unfeasible. From 2012 to 2017, the Bulls went into administration 3 times, also dropping out of the Super League in 2014, and the 3rd one ended in liquidation. The Bulls that exist now are a completely new entity formed in 2017. During that first period of administration the RFL had to step in and purchase the leasehold on the stadium to help keep the club afloat. At the end of the 2019 season, they were still struggling financially and could no longer afford the rent so they moved out to Dewsbury for 2 seasons, leaving the RFL with an empty stadium. During the winter of 2020, the last Stock Car promotion to run at Odsal (Startrax), negotiated a return to Odsal with the RFL and made agreement with the Bulls to come back in with them. Allegedly, this was very beneficial to the Bulls, as rumour is that they had fallen out with the Dewsbury chairman and were going to be homeless in 2021. Since the return, the pitch has never met the minimum size specified in the rule book, but the RFL seemed happy to overlook this. However, now they have been 'promoted' back to the Super League, it has become more of an issue. Unfortunately for Stock Car racing, this promotion means the Bulls will be far better off financially, and it also coincides with the Bulls taking over the leasehold on the stadium from the RFL, giving them far more control over what happens. Despite the Stock Car promoters still having several years on the lease agreement, they are no longer welcome at Odsal, and I believe legal proceedings have taken place, but the rumour is that this was more about compensation than any possible return. The fact is, that without Startrax reopening Odsal in 2021 (a massive gamble as we were still under Covid restrictions at the time), the Bulls would not be playing there now, and would certainly not have been in the position to be rejoining the Super League. Then their fans wonder why all stock car fans are wishing for them to get relegated, go bust, or both !!

I just cannot, and will not be able to square away the fact that a track can be opened where nobody is calling for it, yet there have been multiple clubs that it would have been much easier to save but weren't rescued over the last let's call it a decade or so. It's compounding years of bad business with some more bad business.

The trouble with any pricing policy is that you are competing for a dwindling pot of disposal income. If a family of four have for example Sky and one of the other streaming services it could feasibly be costing circa £100 per month, then if the children have mobile phones that is another potential £80 to £100 per month for all four and then the children have other activities which have associated costs and then you can see with general household expenditure and a mortgage etc, not a lot left to spend on going out. That is where you look at value for money and you then hit the argument of x amount for tickets for fifteen minutes of entertainment and compare that to say banger racing or stock cars where you get several hours of racing. Not an easy problem to solve but punters will probably look at value for money and speedway does not cut it if you are trying to attract a new generation of supporters at a price point that makes it an attractive option with everything else that is trying to attract your hard earned pound.

I agree. We would pick and choose meetings at Somerset and Swindon after Newport closed down but it never felt the same. Probably 5 a year at Somerset and even less at Swindon. I actually think we went to Somerset more when Newport were running than after

I think regularly attracting any worthwhile amount of supporters from defunct tracks is a myth...

Completely agree, the negativity on here has been pretty staggering. At least let it happen before slagging it off! Its been happening for a long time, all the best to everybody involved.

I normally make a point of not commenting on here as it can just descend into petty arguments, but I feel I should respond to some of these. We completely respect everyone’s right to decide whether to renew there season ticket, but it’s worth clarifying a few things about the fixtures. Season tickets are sold on the basis of a set number of meetings between March and October — that hasn’t changed. Gaps in the schedule aren’t “missing” fixtures; they’re largely there to accommodate away meetings on shared race nights and to hold reserve dates for semi-finals and finals in competitions like the Knockout Cup and BSN Series, its ok to say what if we don't qualify for them, but what if we do? Last season there was heavy criticism about fixture congestion late in the year during the cold wet months, so spreading key dates across the calendar is a responsible approach. A lot of the gaps have now been filled with Saturday NDL fixtures to maintain continuity, as we did successfully last season and the date for the Under 21 final is still to be announced to fill another gap. The idea that there must be a home meeting every single week isn’t really how modern sport operates. In most professional leagues, home and away fixtures alternate weekly or even fortnightly. For example, the NFL regular season consists of just 17 games across 18 weeks — and it remains one of the strongest sports brands in the world. Experience shows that when additional meetings such as challenge matches or individuals are added, they unfortunately don’t receive the support needed to justify them. In reality, it’s about quality over quantity — ensuring the fixtures we stage truly matter.

Wait and see what others come up with.Maybe they will throw in a Christmas Card as well.👍

It will be tough sell, just as the rest of the teams find... Particularly in areas with plenty of other established sports... The days of attending several professional sports in the local town are long gone for many given modern livings stretch on disposable income... In the mid 90's I could go to Old Trafford, Kirky Lane, and watch Wigan Warriors, several times a month out of my salary, and still pay a mortgage and "live".... Not a chance of visiting United, The Aces and The Warriors nowadays, several times a month, and that is without a mortgage to pay... One promoter once told me that you lose half of an opening night crowd the next meeting, (novelty factor brings in plenty of other fans), and then half that again over the season... Let's hope, if still true, they get five or six thousand to that first meeting... The standard of racing will be a key factor I would think, and, I presume, they will be racing on a Thursday due to the Stox meetings at weekends will require plenty of track maintenance? Will that mean only the Aces run on a Monday? Best of Luck to whoever takes over...

That’s good to hear Phil. People have said on here one extra track makes little difference but I totally disagree. One more/less club in a division with a high number of clubs I agree makes little difference, but the lower number you go, the bigger difference that one club makes. A six team Premiership is far far better than a five team Premiership no matter what some naysayers will tell you. Just hope they can put something decent together team wise to make it a reasonable success. Nobody wants a weak marooned team at the bottom that everybody else is beating every week

I’m personally glad about that. Not a fan of the same people running two clubs in the same division.

He definitely is, but Ipswich will have to find a way of getting him motivated and back to his best which was only a couple of seasons ago. In Sheffields title winning season, he topped their averages over the season above Woffinden posting a season average of 9.35 with bonuses. That comfortably outstrips anything Doyle or Emil posted in Ipswich’ title triumph last year. Things then started to go downhill which began with the farcical situation at Kings Lynn where he looked uninterested, then picked up an injury, and then completely disappeared. Then last year he rarely hit the heights, but then again it was a bit of a car crash situation at Birmingham where they all struggled as a team, and they all knew it was the clubs last season. Maybe it’s just a case of two wrong moves and clubs for him. He’ll now be at a well run club (or WERE, remains to be seen if that’s still the case under new owners), and riding in front of a good crowd every home meeting which absolutely does make a difference to riders. Let’s see if that gets him going again because there’s no doubt about it, Musielak is a fine rider capable of much more than his current average. He’s good to watch as well when he’s in the mood and on song. Has ridden Ipswich well in the past too.

Take your point. If they start charging it is not going to go down well. I would rather watch Mildenhall if that charge is introduced. I use to avoid speedway meetings when the tendency was for six man teams with that guy using the pseudonym of R/R. Now they want to charge you to park, an exorbitant amount to get through the gate for which you get just fifteen minutes of entertainment, a programme that no longer fits the board bought twenty years ago and the current cost of a cup of tea use to buy you three pints of Watneys Red Barrel or two and a half pints of Double Diamond back in the early seventies. What is the world coming to, I need to get me coat and get back on the trolley bus to New Cross.

Good call in the 80's & early 90's you had bills like the mortgage, utilities and food but in the modern world you can add on as you say Sky, Streaming, Wifi, mobiles, subsidising kids mobiles ,easily another £150- £200 a month going out the door on things now viewed as essentials that speedway didn't have to compete against thirty years ago.

Maybe they may do it for the best interests of the sport 😝

Birmingham, with Cradley, Coventry and Wolverhampton, (and even Stoke), within reasonable commutable distance, certainly would back up that opinion... Getting a new track should be something to celebrate, but you do feel that there is a certain amount of desperation with this venture, with allowing riders to double up (as we know how important that is), being the main reason for another top tier team... Let's hope whoever takes over can truly promote a high octane, adrenaline fuelled, exciting and dangerous sport, which brings in plenty of fans who then become regulars... If they can, then maybe it can become a template for others to do the same...?

The premiership with 6 teams is still a joke. Northampton have no fans as of yet. These are stone wall hard truths. I'm really hopeful Northampton gets thousands turning up week in week out but there aren't even any fixtures out yet. No advertisement. No news. Nothing told to the locals of Northampton speedway. Just rumours. So the people turning up are already speedway fans but they don't even support Northampton. I'm positive there is a new club, but I'm not exactly jumping for joy either. That's because we've lost so many clubs in recent times. Sorry for the negativity but if we all stop moaning nothing changes. Everything just carries on as normal. The fact that many fans online have voiced there concerns of a 4/5 team league has forced Phil Morris to add a new club. I honestly think if everyone pretended everything is great they would have done a 4 team league. Without us negative trolls things would get even worse. Fans have a voice and I'm using it to force change. Change like Northampton which is great news. Shame this couldn't have been sorted months ago...

Maybe so, good luck to all involved BUT the season officially starts in less than 4 weeks, Easter is 7 weeks away, prime attendance time if the weather is good, no track built, no fixtures out for away fans to plan journeys, no team announced, no local promotion can be done as no one knows what is happening. This is not just Northampton it the whole of premiership speedway, it's a fookin joke 😗

6 teams is less than ideal, BUT, with what it looked like in December its not to shabby and is a perfect number to get through this season before hopefully a complete reset in 2027 which i imagine

i see what you are saying, but just because nothing is public doesnt mean nothing is happening, nothing will be rushed, a lot of stuff been going on behind the scenes.

i think 99% on here wish them all the best Phil and would be more than happy to be proved wrong and it ends up being a resounding success. My worry is that it seems to have been rushed without any testing for public appetite for the Sport in Northampton. Given how hush hush its been I can imagine 99% of the Northampton population have no idea anything is even going on with the new season weeks away. Over the years I have seen numerous promoters come into speedway loose a bundle of money then exit a year later, if the other promoters are all going to chip in you still have a situation where Leicester and Sheffield both lost money last year, Lynn and Ipswich maybe made a small profit ?, Belle Vue no idea do they make money or operate at a constant loss. But you still have at least two of the five above who might be being asked to shell out a contribution on top of expected losses for 2026 and no tv money either. I would be delighted for anyone to say to me "i told you so" this time next year and i want to see the sport thrive but think it will need another Tolley character to finance a large chunk of it. Your way better connected than myself so hopefully the venture will be in experienced, long term planning, wealthy hands.

It also surely isn’t really practical to run NDL meetings on the busiest night for the Championship, as so many riders will be unavailable, it’s possible that 8 of the 9 sides could be racing at the same time. In other news, Jody Scott on the Bears Facebook Live tomorrow night and also revealing the date for the U21 Final. Monday 7pm

Complin & Boxall

Free exit before the end of a painfully boring meeting or no charge for sugar with a hot drink unless it is soup. Alternatively, how about a second half with NDL riders to give both punters and riders some optimism that the sport has a future.

Absolutely.... Then add in a less than authentic operating model which means that so important emotional attachment to "Your Team" becomes a tenuous one at best, (you almost have to collude along with a promoter that a UK Speedway meeting has relevance given the lack of any major tangible rewards), and you do have some serious obstacles to overcome... A big challenge, but hopefully those involved have the skill set to deliver a successful venture..

Sheffield are “freezing” their admission price of £25. So a book of 10 meetings totals a grand old saving of, ZERO pounds! Yes, you get a few little bits and bobs thrown in, team photo, birthday card etc, but who on earth is going to lump up £250 in one hit rather than “pay as you go” for the same price?

so Sheffield have come out with 10 meetings for £250. £25 a meeting in an even worse league. Surely take a hit on price and try get more through the door?

YOUNG STARS 2026: Simon Lambert 9.20, Jake Mulford 8.67, Mickie Simpson 8.42, Jacob Clouting 7.03, Connor King 3.39, Kenzie Cossey 3.25, Ollie Binns 2.00. Total 41.96. this is from the kings lynn press release, although i havent checked if the averages are correct.

I would’ve wanted rew in my engine room this coming season

Can I borrow your crystal ball?

I like the new badge.

Line up for Inzell World Championship, 14/15th March:

Will only be able to put together a team of 6 pointers as that's all there is. No top riders interested in riding in UK, especially without TV. Could be like KL last year with Mulford/Harrison as RS?

What we say on here will have zero effect. I for one will be going, when the Lions aren't racing, as it's only an hour down the road but it's very high risk. I can see the first season being a relative success, due to novelty factor, the limited fixtures these days and probably most importantly the catchment of defunct and existing tracks (Leicester, Coventry, Peterborough, Oxford, Birmingham) all within an hours travel. Good luck to 'em 🤞

all this just so his son got a track to race at when hes old enough. what a father

Is Greta free that weekend ?

Because the new stand on the pits turn has supporting legs that are very close to the outer edge of the track. The likelihood of a stock car going over the fence is far less than that of a speedway rider, and even if they did they would be protected by the car they were in. I know that riders clearing fences doesn't happen often, but it does happen, and therefore the risk could not be taken.

Sounds like Hayley Stadium Newport, don't want anyone else to run it, set it on fire !

Personally I don't think it was ever going to happen, my opinion is them in charge kept talking about or dropping hints about Northampton to divert most people attention from the bigger issues of a 4 or 5 ? team premiership and now 4 weeks before the official start of the season (klindt testimonial) NO fixtures have yet been released

It is a shame that Eastbourne is not available having just watched a video of a recent banger meeting at Arlington. I am sure you have many detractors from the idea that a former track could run temporarily if the funds are guaranteed and the covenant is good even if it is for one year while someone develops Northampton. Money speaks volumes if the right figure is on the table and it could be that Swindon, Newcastle and even Wolverhampton could be an option as along as it is temporary. I am sure that more contributors on this forum could come up with other options. Even Iwade or Kent could be thrown into the mix as a short term solution. I just feel that in the case of Northampton a fool and their money will be soon parted if they dive in to the league at this late stage in the preparation for the new season.

As Jamie has stated speedway is very , very different now and with only nine teams, four of which run on a Friday then there are bound to be gaps in Friday night fixtures. The NDL fixtures would have been the gap fillers but it seems they only want to run on weekends now so Middlesbrough have become a Saturday night fixture. I agree about strange decisions but thats the state speedway has got itself in, we all yern for the good old days but thats gone and we just have to accept it. Better occasional, inconsistent speedway than non at all.

Speedway riders are mercenaries it's all about what they earn . Winning is nice but getting paid is better . In a sport we're winning a title means nothing and there no financial reward you get the best deal you can

Is he Danyon's brother lol

I was an Area Manager covering Bradford for one of the UK's biggest businesses... And one of my stores had, (using loyalty card info), a 95% Asian customer base.. Hence, the range of products I put in was very much tailored for sub continent customers... The store in question had 30,000 visits per week... Definelty not a city with enough of a demographic to follow Speedway I would suggest... ..

I think we can almost guarantee it... In the Speedway Star, Matt Ford mentions how those previous generation of promoters basically left a very poor legacy, and when the going was good, they didn't invest money back into the sport, and today's promoters get all the blame and stick from fans for the current malaise... Ford is someone I do have a lot of respect for but the previous promoters haven't watched over the last ten to fifteen years or so worth of unchecked decline have they? They didn't make "DU'ing" so fundamentally important, nor run Guestfests after Guestfests, nor indeed just pick and choose what league to race in whenever the moment came along to suit themelves.. And. Instead of "going it alone" when the GP's and Poland took over, they instead pandered to others and let their own operating model become defined by these outside influences... The result? Team Speedway in the UK simply isn't an authentic product to sell, which then hugely impacts its relevance, and therefore fan engagement. . This winter's goings on is just a "new way" of making the sport look the way it does, no doubt there will be other ways to keep the same reputation in the future...