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Attended this meeting on Monday as my first visit to Northampton and to play devils advocate here I absolutely loved it from the first impression. One of the promoter’s out the front greeting supporters was a really classy touch and made a world of difference. I entered feeling already valued as a spectator. The food was of a decent quality. The drinks whilst on the penny side come with a nice souvenir Foxes cup which is a nice touch. Merch is of a decent quality and I understand they are constantly refreshing and adding to it. The team is obviously sub-par but they’ve not exactly been pushovers, they could have easily won this meeting if Batchelor (get rid btw) & Jeppesen showed up a bit earlier. A quality rider up top and a better effort from Jeppesen and this team will win its home meetings which is vital to keeping good crowd levels. Yes the track needs work; and it is always going to struggle after Stox & Bangers meetings but it isn’t far off being a good race track as was shown in the latter heats. This has made me a fan and is a better option to me as a Coventry fan than visiting and supporting Leicester. I will 100% be back. Well done Northampton.

They should have stuck with the proposed 3 team play off to make it a little bit more competitive. 1st straight through to Final. 2nd vs 3rd in SF.

First visit for me and I didn't like the look of the steel posts behind the fence which had foam blocks over the top of them. Did wonder how they got away with the Mildenhall debacle with the protection they were going to provide to their posts. But then I remembered - they needed another team in the Premiership.

Sounds like it.Just another rule make up on the back of day packet.Can see it being scrapped next season when everyone will probably have 2 rider over 8 at the end of this season.Then the sh*t will hit the fan.

Just out of interest, Ove, who is now 93 and no.1 on the list has just been for a motor bike ride, starting from his home in Tranås Sweden, first to Karlskrona for an overnight ferry to Gdynia Polen, made a short break in Mragowo, then to Kaunas and a night stay, next Vilnius and Riga, where he had planned to spend the night, but the forecast was for a bad rainstorm the next day so he carried on to Tallin. He then woke up to terrible rain and got to the ferry terminal very wet for the ferry to Stockholm He said afterwards, "After a most enjoyable trip I loved every minute on the bike. Now I am home and my wife Ioana is happy as she worries when I am away on my bike ride." Just to repeat - he is now 93 years old!

I am part of the track curator team at Northampton, i have sent ianb a msg to call me, I will give him all the true facts!! Regarding the track prep, ect, sponsor boards, but as of yet he has not called? I will give him time to respond, but clearly if he doesn't, then he really isn't interested in facts, then it will show he doesn't want the truth, just wants to have a dig at a brand new club, who's staff are going well above and beyond to try and make it a success.

Money doesn’t always buy you happiness, sometimes you’re left with a dummy spitting Aussie

Sharing track equipment, air fences, and hinges...

Nice to hear the so called big clubs can't always buy success by splashing the cash. Well done Berwick and jj

https://ipswichwitches.co/witches-season-ticket-holders-entered-into-free-draw-to-win-leicester-ko-cup-final-tickets/ This is something new, and again, I like it.

Despite a very very good offer from "elsewhere" JJ chose to stick with the club where he has revived his career......

Leigha Cartmell (Jay's mother) said that both Charles Wright and Cookie gave up their rides so that the younger riders could have a go.

Excellent Post... From exactly the type of person that Northampton need to 100% listen to... A keen, glad to have Speedway back on his doorstep, passionate fan... If the track was poor then the club tell everyone why, not via a PM to individuals, and, more importantly, what they will do to resolve the issue... Yours and Iain's feedback should be "Gold" to any new business wanting to succeed... I used to spend the first three months of any new store I opened receiving as much criticism as I could get, as I could then review it and, if accurate, make positive changes.. The danger is they go down the route of many others who simply haven't listened (refused to listen?) to an ever disenfranchised fanbase, a fanbase which many of still closely following the sport, and even attend individual and overseas meetings, but don't see UK Speedway as being relevant enough for them to attend.. One of the big advantages they have is to NOT do what so many others have done, and use the obvious mistakes of others to guide them in their decision making.. The whole "we should be glad Northampton exists" attitude is complete nonsense, as that is as low a level of expectation as it is conceivably possible to have, (and almost then gives justification for things not going to plan).. If the sport ever wants to be taken seriously then its the professionalism of it, and its off and on track infrastructure, which will determine its success, not whether it just exists.... Hope you and a seemingly decent number of others who attend can keep interested enough to make the season overall a success, and also keep constructively criticising where required.. They seem to have done a lot of things well to get themselves open, so now need that feedback from you and others to improve their "night at the Speedway".. Looking forward to going to watch the Aces there to tick another track off the list...

Personally I think this was pushed by Poole knowing only Thompson and Lawson were over 8 and knowing they had cairns and rushen coming in at reserve.

Why only a proposal for a possible Speedway site. Why not build the Speedway Stadium first, then do the landscaping and play areas, finally build the homes.

At the start of the season Mr cooks average was 7.99 so within the rules

Says only interested in weekend rides

He need not bother

Mildenhall have got a air fence rather than the poly foam fence that Scunthorpe Lynn Berwick and Northampton use which is the biggest difference and slightly worryingly have purchased the old air fence from Ipswich which is not fit to use as it’s over ten years old now.

Lynn are crap. Comfortable witches win

I’ve been told that basically the 8pt rule was for team building purposes only and that you could sign a 2nd 8pt rider after the first match.

I bet he wishes he could have ridden against Northampton last season as he could get his 12-13 points against those so so tough Foxes. Better than the single figure scores he banks against other teams that see his average from those meetings almost identical to that with the unprofessional Brummies. Figure sans Northampton 7.18 Brummies figure 6.87. Difference due to not riding in the harder number 1 position. 0.31, inc bonus. As has been said you can tell which Musielak you get when you see which club sign him. Brummies = Witches. Dam those facts & statistics.

Luckily we have all our own fence etc now.

Harry Fletcher is a bit good isn't he?

No, the F1 World Final is being run at Northampton by Yorstox who are hiring the track from Spedeworth. Trackstar who run Kings Lynn have one of the F1 World Semi Finals on 25th July.

It would have been easier and less expensive for Northampton to share Leicester's track and by the same token a Peterborough team could race at Kings Lynn. Maybe thats the way forward? you have riders doubling up, why not tracks so long as its not more than a hours drive between the two and the stadiums would spend less time just sitting their not attracting revenue.

Leigha Cartmell (Jay's mother) said that both Charles Wright and Cookie gave up their rides in the top scorers race so that the younger riders could have a go.

Where do you think that hinge is? 🤔😂

Full line-up: 2026 FIM SPEEDWAY UNDER-21 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP (SGP2) SERIES LINE-UP (in ranking order with rider numbers): 505. Wiktor Przyjemski (Poland) 97. Mikkel Andersen (Denmark) 121. Maksymilian Pawelczak (Poland) 802. Kevin Malkiewicz (Poland) 108. Villads Nagel (Denmark) 545. William Drejer (Denmark) 145. Will Cairns (Great Britain) 79. Adam Bubba Bednar (Czech Republic) 305. Antoni Mencel (Poland) 27. Mitch McDiarmid (Australia) 173. Beau Bailey (Australia) 63. Nicolai Heiselberg (Denmark) 99. Rasmus Karlsson (Sweden) 138. Sven Cerjak (Slovenia) 28. Slater Lightcap (USA) SGP2 SUBSTITUTES 911. Janek Konzack (Germany) 131. Tate Zischke (Australia) 54. Luke Killeen (Great Britain) 271. Mario Hausl (Germany)

Surely not? I'd expect Poland to flex their muscles & tell a rider to drop a league to ride there (most would). Anyway, my comments about Wright & Klindt were bases on the 8 point rule. But if Klindt's already riding in 4 league, Wright joining him ar Redcar wouldn't change anything? Unless Poland "allowed" because it was a temporary gig?

Officials from Lublin visited Tarnow yesterday with a view to using the stadium in 2027 whilst the Lublin stadium is re built. Apparently one problem is the track lighting does not meet Extraleague specification and one answer might be to move the lights from Lublin to Tarnow temporarily.

Perfect timing for them Phil... Crowds are (as expected), levelling off, so... I would think the crowd would be one of their best over the last few meetings, given Brady is there.. Which you expect will be advertised locally.. Meaning a "last gasp" victory would generate some fresh impetus at a key time of their development, and maybe boost the crowds up again for the next few matches, and a decent turn out when the Aces visit again... It won't make any difference to the Aces Play Off Qualification and it would be good to see a very close meeting on my visit....

i am not having a go at Lasse just showing current averages, with the new gsa he would have dropped to reserve so who knows he may have done well. But i can see Berwicks dilema with the way Jordan has been riding, and no doubt other clubs would have taken notice as well.

That was the obvious move to make.

The two to miss out will be Northampton and Kings Lynn. Therefore the other 4 will make the highly anticipated play offs . I also predict Poole will come top of the chumpionship. The excitement is building week by week.

I just cannot believe how unlucky Lynn are. Fricke down on last season also Harris & Kvech. Cook also not consistent. Packo awful but now gone , we await what Jenkins can do however he’s had injuries so needs to be given time. Just can’t believe it’s down to Rushen and if he hadn’t hit the ground running where would they be. Scott is doing well in my opinion.

Iain's comments were very fair I would suggest, and given his opinion is based on facts, very relevant, and should be seen as constructive, especially given so many tracks seem to have lost the Quality Control that Phil Morris brought in.. To be honest, he came in and made changes that were, for me, quite embarrassing in their basic nature... Why Promoters needed some Quality Control checklist which included starting meetings on time, having the centre green tidied with the sponsors prominent, and riders ready for the next race as soon as the last one ended, was as low level as it could be... Never mind "grabbing the low hanging fruit" he was picking it up off the floor!!! Yet, this season, without him, we are seeing some of the "old ways" coming back.. Given the nature of the sport, incidents can easily happen which elongate the evening, therefore, starting on time has to be a given to ensure punters get home at a reasonable time... A new venture in particular should strive for excellence in everything it does, and all adverse feedback is often what it needs for longer term growth..

Those within the Speedway Bubble are often a part of the problem... They become "Three Monkeys" like, and, worse, make excuses on behalf of those they volunteer for, or work alongside... I have been impressed with the Speedway Star over the last 12 months or so, as they have constructively challenged much of the nonsense those within "The Bubble" believe to be acceptable and fit for purpose.... From what you say, the danger is, (once again)... "Any Speedway, is better than nothing".... Which is then seen as acceptable, and almost a measure of success.. As we know, crowds have dropped significantly over the last two decades or so, on the back of that "Mission Statement"..

I hate to be critical of such a new venture, I really do, but there are some basics that need to be addressed and soon... The whole show seems a bit slap dash, they haven't yet once started on time! Craig Saul, as good and informative as he is at interviews etc. is no hype man! The team manager, the less said about him the better... but the track! The promotion may not be able to control many things, such as rider performances etc. but they can control the track and last night was the worst yet... yes there'll be the usual excuses, couldn't get on the track in time, the bowser broke down etc. but on each and every occasion it has been too dry and dusty to generate any grip for the riders and last night they had the added bonus of giant stones and rocks hitting them. BSN were towing the usual Speedway line last night in that we must be grateful that they have come to the tapes... NO! They are (or should be) a professional outfit operating in the top tier of British Speedway and what they're putting out, especially with the track, is just not up to muster and the "fans" are already voting with their feet.

Heard he gave up his ride to the young Mickie Simpson to give him track time

Jenkins on his way as his 28 days is up at Berwick

Looks like Premier Sports are taking a holiday and ignoring Round 9 next Tuesday and Wednesday and return for rounds 10 and 11 on Tuesday and Wednesday 21st and 22nd July.