cowboy cookie returns?

I love the debate that comes around guests necessary evil etc etc & what the alternative is. Its not a necessary evil, Poland & Sweden run with out guests they use a squad system. Back in the day the old National League under the management of Stekesbury & co banned the use of guests. At the time the NL was a fair better & more professional outfit than the BL. Guests & doubling up come about because of the absolutely ridiculous operating model that the uk have gone with. If you go back to the 80s & early 90s every team had a junior team which meant most clubs had their regular 1-7 with them a back up of anywhere between 4-7 good junior/second half riders. If you were running in the NL basically you had a squad of 11-13 guys the juniors would be called in to the team to cover injuries. The promotors decided to bin that off reducing the number of available riders though lack of opportunities to race remember those juniors rode in their own league match’s each week. While every other ‘professional’ sport have invested in increasing their squad systems & opportunities to compete & train British speedway has done the opposite. There is a route out however that will take time vision & creative thinking. The out of control guest & doubling up system is a condition unique to British speedway brought about by the way the governing body has chosen to operate the sport. It wasn’t ever necessary!

The BSPL / Speedway futures have issued a new line of promotor inspired t shirts

The BSPL / Speedway futures have issued a new line of promotor inspired t shirts

I don’t think even speedway futures know what they are doing

I remember the old National league having an outright ban on guests. You used your own junior's or RR to cover injuries but if RR you had to name a number 8. However there was a certain amount of doubling up certainly in the mid 80s Carl Blackbird rode for Mildenhall in the NL & Ipswich in the BL Richard Knight rose for Mildenhall & Wimbledon & Nigel Flatman spent many years riding for both Ipswich & Peterborough. Granted none of the above was a full on as today.

Ray Morton also rode for Wimbledon in the NL

I wonder if the Norwegian kid will be arriving?

Only throttle jockeys with little skill refer to Ipswich as that.

Are they the new owners?

If it’s true about the new owners at Ipswich then hopefully it might work out. British speedway is in even more of a mess than when BSI got involved at Reading. British speedway needs this to work.

If the new owner has deep pockets & can share a vision maybe they can temp Emil back with the reduced fixture list. He is only riding in Poland & Denmark 😂

As Ipswich have been confirmed in the premiership it must mean that the BSPL are happy with whoever it is & if needs be an experienced promoter is lined up to over see the new owner.

But a Foxhall track specialist. Who knows

Hopefully not Woffy or Lawson

Janowski really?? He was shocking everywhere last season & worse than shocking at Foxhall

No to Woffy, to many injuries now & they need to be looking to a younger generation. Same with Barker as well. The second line up looks ok but with someone else at number 1. Having said that can you really see Danny King not being involved.

The mystery new owner

Hawkins is working with those two (Doyle & Ellis) on an individual basis in 2026 nothing to do with Ipswich. His post on x states on to the next chapter.

Earlier in the winter there was a thought that radical change could be coming. Its certainly been a radical winter a u turn on ownership at Sheffield, Louis leaving Ipswich, Ipswich confirmed as running but no idea who is running it. As far as radical change in how the sport is run which is needed well that’s zero change. I find it staggering that it’s more of the same.

If the club is sold then he wouldn’t be risking his money & if that gets a deal done then maybe he would.

I’m going to go with a similar scenario to when Berry sold out to shears. A new buyer/ownership group confirmed this week with Louis staying on board in 2026 to assist with running the club before a full hand over prior to 2027

I’m going to go with a similar scenario to when Berry sold out to shears. A new buyer/ownership group confirmed this week with Louis staying on board in 2026 to assist with running the club before a full hand over prior to 2027

Will who ever is running the club get Doyle to change his mind? Unlikely I would say so Brennan Rew King Ellis Newcomer Jenkins Edwards

They would still struggle to know who has qualified for the 4 team play off by cut of date.

It was the poles last week.