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Its hard to knock him really. Shows hes a grafter. Plastering alone is a physically demanding job and riding in two leagues plus abroad , hes making a very decent living for himself.

Following the Bates announcement on Monday, it's clear that the Premiership can't continue to exist in its current form in 2027. In the past 18 months we've lost Oxford and Birmingham and it seems certain that Sheffield won't be back for another year. Decades of the sport's mismanagement has finally come to a head. Bending over backwards to comply with an agenda dictated by Poland has had its day. British speedway needs to set its own agenda and not kowtow to foreign stipulations. If it means saying a permanent goodbye to riders preferring to seek their fortunes elsewhere, so be it. For survival we need a single nationwide league of 12/14 teams of riders committed 100% to British racing between March and October. A 24/26 match league programme plus a further 8/10 matches in a split north-south KO cup competition will guarantee teams a weekly match programme (just as it used to be!) The loss of a few "fancy-Dan" racers to Poland will mean much more money available to the rest who wish to compete in the UK, and a sensible rider payment policy will provide ample earnings potential for riders over a guaranteed 36-match season. It now really is a battle for survival of the sport; was it Einstein who said that to go on doing the same things expecting different results is the definition of madness?

Up until a few years ago I never missed a meeting home or away,, now I hardly ever go,, once this year so far. I'm sure I will be the same next year. Same old teams every few weeks, racing more or less non existent, no real characters you look forward to seeing, presentation still the same as 50 years ago, just bored of it now. 25 quid to stand around getting bored doesn't do it for me

I think you're right. Speedway has bred a generation of riders who want to have their cake and eat it: they want to earn their bread and butter in the UK leagues and chase the Polish Zloty to put the jam on top. This forces the British promoters to dance to the Polish tune when trying to plan the home fixture list. This can't go on. We've blamed the promoters for years for the mess we're in, but nobody points the finger at the greedy riders whose jet-setting international ambitions leave the promoters tearing their hair out week after week to put on a do-able programme of racing. If British speedway is to survive, 2027 has to be the year when we revert to a single nationwide league (see my previous posting) and riders are forced to decide: either sign a contract to race exclusively for one of the 15 teams in a revived British speedway league, or clear off and ply their trade elsewhere. I reckon the promise of 36+ guaranteed matches per season without the need for expensive international travel - albeit in a slightly less competitive league - will be more than attractive to the vast majority of riders. For the rest we're probably better off without them. And for those people who always argue that there aren't sufficient riders around to run a 15-team league without doubling up, it may come as a surprise to learn that the list of registered riders on the BSL website runs to 249 names. It's time for speedway to bite the bullet or face the inevitable.

This is such an uplifting forum. When I’m feeling a bit down I love coming on here to read everyone’s cheery positive thoughts on the ol Speedway 😁

I'll still attend, probably until the bitter end, but I'll no longer be attending matches where a rider has decided that he'd rather be elsewhere. Dan Thompson did that when Lions visited Sheffield earlier in the year and I made my protest then by not attending. Injuries are part and parcel of the sport, but riders not showing for their clubs due to riding or being sat in the pits elsewhere is the final straw for me. The reasons why attendances are down are numerous and have all been discussed ad infinitum across this forum, so I'm not going to rehash them

Doesn't make you any less of an idiot.

Yep he is the blue print for any UK rider that realises they won't reach the gp aside from needing to work on his presentation skills when turning up for a meeting he has played the game like a finely tuned fiddle in both leagues in the UK.

Doesn't Lawson work as a plasterer as well? If so good on him for earning a living away from the sport. At least he isn't one of these teenager prima donnas who get everything top of the range and turn up and span yet do sod all on track.

Yep and you reap what you sow. Don’t start bemoaning that punters have walked when you failed to listen to feedback. All on here and probably some lapsed supporters would not want the sport to disappear altogether but those in charge are testing the loyalty and patience of supporters across the spectrum. They do not appeal to the younger generation and are ostracising the hard core fan base who have been so loyal over the years by failing to be proactive to arrest the situation and put the sport on a firmer footing. None so blind as those who do not want to see sums up the BSPL and club owners/promoters who believe everything in the garden is rosey. Dream on the bunch of custodians who supposedly have the best interest of sport at heart, they don’t and they are failing every supporter and worse still every aspiring rider who wants to succeed but is not given the breaks they need or deserve.

...More depressing than a Smiths album cover!

Don't be so mean Iain Kind Reageds Iain

Because it's 2026 and not 1986

Where do live mate?.. I'll be around about seven tomorrow...

That's a good quality reserve.

Until speedway has a credible product it will be difficult to get the tv coverage it needs. You won’t attract a decent sponsor until the tv deal is in place. we need two equal sized leagues with promotion and relegation so all meetings are relevant. Champions of the league decided by who tops the league and play offs for promotion and relegation. for this to truly work it must be run by a independent board with financial backing for the teams getting promoted to not only survive but to actually compete with the others

👋 Surely the likes of Dan Thompson can't make a living from watching Speedway sat in the pits in Poland? And he needs to remember that when signing his contracts.

Crowds will probably return for the pay offs (the effort matches)... and who can blame them? Where's the jeopardy in the rest of the league meetings when the top 4 in a league of 6 qualify🤷‍♂️ It's truly laughable! Although, perversely, the injury to Jack Holder has probably made Sheffield's season a bit more interesting with King's Lynn on their heels for the final pay off slot.

Does this mean you'll be leaving the forum? 🤞😉

Kennett guesting for Poole at Scunthorpe, at reserve

then in 2027 we can hope everyone limps through to 2028 and repeat

He is a true old National Leaguer in many ways - combined both and probably did / does pretty well out of it. Means he has an income out of season too.

He is actually, possibly, the perfect kind of rider the UK version of the sport needs.... A part time Speedway rider.. Six months work riding Speedway, 12 months doing some other job...

Doesn't Lawson work as a plasterer as well? If so good on him for earning a living away from the sport. At least he isn't one of these teenager prima donnas who get everything top of the range and turn up and span yet do sod all on track.

Wow!! Marketing....????? Who knew?????

Never said he couldn't. I was questioning others saying it was a signing. You totally missed the point as per.

My names not Iain mate

Announced teams & riders for Nora Pairs Championships sponsored by "Racing in the East" Saturday 25th July 1. Mildenhall Fen Tigers Alfie Bowtell & Harry Sadler 2. Kent Eagles Ben Morley & Jack Kingston 3. Cradley Heath Heathens Luke Harris & Seth Norman 4. Anglian Angels Simon Lambert & Tayla Street 5. Wisbech Mickie Simpson & Sam Woods 6. Ipswich Adacamy Ashton Vale & Harrison Rogers As always subject to change (esp. Kenzie Cossey, who broke ribs at Iwade on Sunday) Edit Tayla Street replaces Kenzie Cossey.

My last reply to your burner account IainB as I have a life outside of this forum unlike yourself. I'm mindful of the fact that you're clearly not a mentally well person so I'm going to be polite in my final reply. I hope that you can seek the specialist help that you need in order to overcome your mental illness because it's clearly got a strong hold over your day-to-day life. Kind regards TTT

I would at a guess 70-80% on here are ex fans desperate to see it succeed but equally as things currently stand wouldn't be tempted back.

When you say I you mean we will still attend. The Premier league will unfortunately have to be watered down to encourage 2 clubs to come up The championship then needs to be watered down and some how incorporate some of the development league Not sure Mayfield like it, unless they are able to help the sport source a big TV deal I personally still feel an extended British Championship is most likely to attract new fans to a one-off big meeting than a local club has of attracting a new fan to be a regular

Very good Mike, if only mind it was thus, mind you i'm doing some investment mentoring to my youngest son and his best friend for their A levels tomorrow. The drill for his friend is turn up tomorrow at 10 am in t shirt and shorts on we will do a couple of hours on asset allocation start the bbq at midday crack open a couple of beers and you will be home by 2pm. Before they both head off I will shatter the illusion that unless you get lucky and have a great idea your looking at 40 years of graft so enjoy today.

Or, as Ian Thomas used to say, "Happiness for a promoter is 15 4-2s"

It is, and has been for a long time, a "chicken and egg" scenario... To gain major investment from outside the Speedway Bubble, they need to ensure they deliver a credible sport, with each meeting actually meaning something, and an ultimate prize which generates interest... To deliver a credible sport, with each meeting actually meaning something, and an ultimate prize which generates interest, it needs major investment from outside the Speedway Bubble already in place to achieve it... Basically. Neither can be achieved without one or the other already being in place.... And that is a huge challenge for them...

All these reasons that are being said are truly valid and obviously costing speedway a lot. I go to Redcar regularly, but it is becoming a luxury. The working man’s wage just hasn’t risen with inflation over the past X number of years. In 2024 I went to Berwick, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Worky, Scunny, Oxford, Cardiff and more. Never been to an away match since May 25 so far. Moneys tight, fuels expensive, admission high but not excessive. All reasons the fan has to contend with. Missed 4 home matches early this year so I could go on holiday, extra £200 to spend in the sun. All coming down to priorities now I’m afraid🤷‍♂️

What does everyone think about the streaming of meetings across the League in general? Personally I don't see the logic in it because it encourages fans to stay at Home and watch the meeting for a cheaper price which surely has an impact on Clubs attendances and finances. Fan staying at Home watching a live streaming means a Club is potentially losing out on the following. £10 per an Adult for a ticket, £4 for a Programme and potentially another couple of quid for a Hot drink and parking. x that by 100 for example and a Club is losing out on £1,600+ per a race day.

As a loyal Tigers supporter since 1966, following the Bates announcement I'm fully expecting that 2026 will be the death knell for the sport in Sheffield. The only hope in my opinion is a single nation-wide league of 12/14 teams, and if that means saying a permanent goodbye to riders who prefer to ride for big bucks in Poland, so be it.

Well done once again, Richard Coleman. 19 quid instead of 25 quid full price, will hopefully tempt SOME of those who have been tempted to stay away and watch the stream at 15 quid a pop, to attend and watch it live for only 4 quid more.

We need young riders and a bloody ton of them too. Britain needs to scrap the current setup and completely start again from scratch. Training camps, standard machinery, with the league that is somewhere between the second and third divisions, and split regionally, they may even need to cease running a league because of a lack of riders and go back to what they did in 1928 with a series of individual meetings and match races, until enough riders can be found to run a league with no doubling up because it WILL be just one league, with some scratch races after for riders under 15. The longer they keep sticking a plaster on it, the harder and more expensive it will be to repair it properly or maybe not at all.

Is this on Sky?..

Who's Nellie from Workington, if your gonna try and out me / upset me at least get me name right 🤣🤣. As much as I give stick to pilots fans on here, it's all done in good taste. Maybe meet some next week when I'm in town for a couple of days 😎. Gonna check if sunseekers have me boat built 😜

That meeting had it all. Heat 14 and we were about 6 points down and we brought in Emil Lindqvist as a tac sub for one of the reserves and Wato as a golden double tac from 15 metres back. Glasgow gated on a 5-1 but Lindqvist dived under one of the Glasgow riders on turn 2 and the Glasgow rider come down. By the time Emil got back to the pits there was a crowd of Glasgow riders , management and mechanics waiting for him at the pits gate and he was pulled from his bike and stamped on on the floor. That tosser Beveridge was the one to cause his shoulder to pop out which effectively ended his career. in the rerun Smart replaced Lindqvist and we got the 8-1 and won the meeting. Wato was sensational that day, possibly the best performance I ever seen from him in a Newport race jacket. Superb. Think he got 19. i have said it before but Lindqvist would of gone on to become a top rider. He came over with Sweden under 21s and got the most faultless 15 point maximum I have witnessed at Newport against the Wasps. Beat Wato from the back three times and wiped the floor with Henriksson three times. When he signed for us a few weeks later his team riding was another level for such a young rider. He could gate, pass and team ride. That shoulder injury finished him, he did come back that season but i think his shoulder popped out mid race and he crashed again. Tim Stone told us that the plan was for him and Anders to spearhead the 2000 side the following season and he was going to bring his top gear and set ups over. Obviously never happened. i seen iversen come over and he was impressive to say the least but Lindqvist, for me, would of been better.

Play off for third place is 8pm on Saturday.

Luckily we got to see Kurtz pass everyone in heat 13 when he missed the gate though to make up for others only gating.

Hadn’t yet returned to speedway in 2019, so missed this, but that’s ridiculous. Good to hear the person was banned. I don’t care if it’s a glass pint, a plastic tumbler or a toothpick; anti-social behaviour needs a hard line. The law of averages dictates a few idiots are inevitable amongst a crowd of thousands. During a meeting last season, I saw a grown man steal from the snack bar on the back straight at Ashfield. Ordered, took his food & drinks and walked straight out. The young boy behind the till was in shock, but what can you do? It’s also worth noting Ashfield is in one of the country’s most deprived areas, so again, the odd Neanderthal is almost unavoidable.

Delighted to hear KJP is as well as can be, given what happened. Ecstatic. The speed and the angle at which he hit that fence, then the way he lay, had me feeling a way I’d never felt. RE Cluff apologising. Good boy. Matter closed, but thousands were still witness to his act of self-serving narcissism at the expense of another riders’ safety and prevention of his medical treatment. That can’t be erased.

If he’s back in again that surely has to be the end of any chance of a comeback. Ever

Best place for hin