old bob at herne bay

I am with you midland red. BSPL have said " at least 5 teams" Trobuble with arithmetic ?

2 offers that didn’t meet Louis’s expectations, we are told ? Any ideas on what valuation you would give for Ipswich Speedway Ltd. ? Top 2 riders from 2025 unavailable, 2025 TM has retired, main sponsor from 2025 left the building ….. Maybe airfence , tractor and track prep gear worth a few bob , any ideas please ?

2027 surely will be one league and an "NDL" or equivalent. The "PL 5" in 2026 will struggle to avoid making heavy losses, (even if 5 come to the tapes) with an inferior standard of product which will not be attactive to their established fan base. Still hamstrung by Monday and Thursday operations, and with upward pressure on budgets due to lack of TV sponsorship, don't see any reduction in PL admission fees. Will all 5 come to the tapes in 2027? If one more club falls the PL will fall in 2027. The big guns have all departed to Europe in 2026 and I don't see them returning. As has been pointed out riders can operate across mainland Europe and Scandinavia with just one set of equipment mechanics and transport, avoiding duplicating eqipment and avoiding costly and time wasting air travel to UK. The current CL will form the one league, but not without challenges in 2027. UK based riders faced with only one league to earn money will either choose to retire , go semi professional, or race overseas. There might just be enough riders willing to race in one league and sustain the curent number of CL teams with no doubling up opportunities. Meanwhile we will see a whole raft of old chestnuts of defunct tracks and new tracks being touted as being the saviours of UK speedway. None seem attractive business investments.

Re my recent post, now found both local Sainsbury and Tesco supermarkets stock Speedway Star.. for folks who cannot get their copiy by subscription. TG Jones appear not to carry the magazine in this area ... Not surprised about Royal Mail . We only see a postman on Fridays it seems , unless I have a mail order parcel, andthe parcel comes with a bundle of letters with an elastic band. Fortunately all my local GP surgery appointments and my London Hospital appointments are all sent online.

If Christopher Louis cannot get a buyer for "Ipswich Witches Seedway Limited" (including start gate air fence tractor and flags), I guess Spedeworth could thank him for his past business, ask him to clear out his equipment from their stadium, and allow Terry Russell's newly formed Ipswich "Robins" Speedway Limited to do a deal with Spedeworth to rent the stadium . If the Robins supplied all thier own equipment and defrosted their former Swindon license , what could be the problem? Riders are all self employed so no issues there. In theory Russell could do a deal with former Robin Jason Doyle to race for him. Louis's retirement from the sport does not grant him a lifetime exclusive ownership of speedway promoting rights at the Spedeworth owned stadium ?

Final point the Fords don't also hang around if they are struggling at the halfway stage. Do they wait that long ?

Buster making an offer for Ippo ? That way he would be guaranteed at least one team on t he p.offs in 2026. Must havea few old riders he could draft iin to race for him ? A lifelong ambition I guess?

and the BSN CUP, the KOKcupUP and the p.offs Nothing to touch them in the championship.

With 100,000's of Russian troops amassing near the Belarus border with the Baltic States and Poland , one wonders what might happen during 2026.

Should have said " one club" riders not unique 🙂 🙂

How many unique riders will there be in the 2026 teams ? ie NOT doubling up riders.

It surely there’s room for Co operation between the leagues to allow clubs to operate on more profitable race nights? Running 5 clubs just on 2 nights isn’t great … and Monday isn’t a great choice ?

Phew that’s a long one … one valve. Also might add in the level of support over the past few years and projected attendance targets oh and why do the PL still have to stick to off peak Monday and Thursday racing ?Teams full of uk double uppers - no SGP sooperstars.

With no TV sponsorship , why a reduction? Even the double uppers will still demand increases to cover inflation ….and with so few riders available to race here in the UK …… with fewer meetings , expect season tickets to be at 2025 prices and a rise in gate prices

Five green bottles hanging on the wall , five green bottles hanging on the wall, and if one green bottle should accidentally fall ………?.?

He aint got a team ... they have all left the building 🙂

Having dug the hole that is "double uppers" , guess the BSPL knew that they would have to preserve a "league" just for riders to be able to double up ? One big league appears to be unattainanble with the present number of double uppers. Also it is clear no team in the current CL was interested in trying to run in the PL. Will be interesting to see how the gang of 5 (whoever they will be ) achieve a 6 rider starting CMA approaching 37 with so many of the top stars already declaring that they are not racing in the PL 2026. The 2026 5 team league is clearly only a 1 season solution whilst further negotiations must continue to seek a more permanent solution for the possible continuance of league speedway in the UK? All this speculation and hot air about so many defunct and new tracks suddenly starting up and joining the PL..... most have no track and others no planning permission. Recent evidence shows Oxford as the only "new" track joining the PL and then lasting only ONE season.

Don’t forget the jewel in the crown of modern day speedway….. The P Offs. with only 3 teams to p off maybe they could invite the CL winners to a semi final p off . This would allow the spectacle of semi final p offs and a Grand Final p off.

Well I ventured into Tesco for groceries and yes picked up a copy of Speedway Star. First one I habought for a couple of years. Great article on one of my favourite riders Simmo ….who I watched from a raw novice. An accomplished motorcyclist on trials grass and speedway. Good interview with Jason Doyle,in ehich he made some fair and reasonable points from an Australian rider’s perspective. Most of the rest was the usual out of season gossip … good to see it on the shelves at Tesco though.

The name “promoter”is inappropriate when talking about the bunch of folks who own the speedway clubs in the uk. They are Owners of the clubs, and thus collectively are members of the British Speedway Owners Limited. I doubt that promotion is seriously discussed by the owners as a group.

Long time since I retired from speedway and taking a sub to the Speedway Star. Randomly used to pick up the odd copy in WH Smith Canterbury. Is the magazine no longer stocked by what used to be W H Smith now known as T G I Friday or something ?? Failed to find a copy in the few local branches down this way in East Kent.

After the passing of Bob Dugard, who ran the sport at Arlington almost as his personal hobby, I agree that Ian Jordan finished Eastbourne speedway. Dugard businessmen will not trust another speedway promoter. Frankly who could blame them , with the uncertainty every season over league structures, team strengths etc etc. Too much hassle in a sport run by the "British Speedway Owners Club" , an exclusive group of owners , laughingly called the British Speedway Promoters Limited. The last thing on their agenda is promoting the sport. Clearly the car boys are a much more organised bunch and provide steady rental income for the stadium.

You don’t really do reading well in your haste to condemn anything and everything about Poole. Look 5 posts back from yours and you have your answer. With uncertainly surrounding the Premiership, many doubling up riders have looked to sign for a European team to try to safeguard their earnings. >>>>>>Nothing against Poole ... think they are a well run club .... Matt Ford is a good businessman who knows how to make money. Just struck me as pretty silly for any rider to sign for teams who both ride their fixtures on Wednesdays. Poole ride home fixures ONLY on a Wednesday ( unless absolutelty no other options) and all Danish league fixtures are on a Wednesday. Don't really care whehter Dickie Lawson rides for timbuctoo in the Championship on a Wednesday .... Lets hope Tim Lahti isn't injured and Lawson has a choice to make ??? Seems Charlie Rushen is also rumoured to be signing for a Danish side too .... although he's probably haggling over money with Oxford and Poole ...... so the Wednesday fixture clash might not arise.

MMMmm ... but all making a loss or barely scraping even if we believe what we are told ? With no TV sponsorship must make the viability of running in 2026 questioable ? They do it for the love of the sport.

MMMmm ... but all making a loss or barely scraping even if what we believe what we are told ? With no TV sponsorship must make the viability of running in 2026 questioable ? They do it of the love of the sport.