old bob at herne bay

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.

Good luck to the fixture planners with your number 1 riding for another Wednesday club. At least Brovsts fixtures are already announced to help Poole arrange their home meetings. It is amazing that the CL is building their teams regardless of the continuing debacle that continues in the “premier” league.

You cannot run a club in the league with no owners !!!!! Who would put up the guarantee bond ? without an y knowledge that they could finish a season ?? What self employed rider would ride for a club with no owners ???/ chances of not getting paid HIGH. Total nonsense

Signed for Brovst by the way. Fixtures most Wednesdays April to September.

He will only ride in away meetings for Poole in 2026. Denmark on Wednesdays.

Even with a cobbled together "Premier" league, with no TV sponsorship, budgets for team building will be very different from 2025.

That’s the solution then … BSPL will take that …. We have a government doing u turns and getting away with it … so why should the vbspl be any different. IMO still think that there will be a prem with one or two cl clubs “persuaded” to join . Wage. Control and a lower points limit in pl must surely be introduced to reduce costs ? Needs to be a phasing out of doubling up .

Ah that’s better one quote I wanteD to quote. Think most on here put their own cash in the promoters piggy bank every week during the season…….or more recently whenever they choose to consider to run a meeting …..

Ah that’s better one quote I wanteD to quote. Think most on here put their own cash in the promoters piggy bank every week during the season…….or more recently whenever they choose to consider to run a meeting …..

Come on guys, the writing has been on the wall for years in Uk speedway. You can speculate when it all started, but doubling up, over reliance on TV sponsorship, the loss of stadia to building developments, limited race nights due to Poland , and a steady dwindling of support at some have all contributed to the downward trajectory . To lay the blame for the current perilous state of the PL solely on Ipswich is IMO misplaced… one could look back and blame Swindon, Wolverhampton, Birmingham and Oxford “spires” . All have contributed to the slow and steady decline in Premier league speedway. The CL clubs have been complicit as well, failing to show any interest in accepting “ promotion” to the other league . We’re all right Jack comes to mind…….this is now surely about to be put to the test ?

100th anniversary of speedway - and OUT

Don't forget the fuel taps make a valid point, irrespective of how much £££ that anyone thinks a rider is paid. It is a fact with only one league they will not be racing in as many meetings per season and hence there will be less money on offer (assuming CL clubs arent going to suddenly double pay rates) Employing clubs may have to accept that a rider may not have 2 bikes, a mechanic and a van at every meeting ? Maybe each club should prepare a "track spare" available at every meeting should a rider have problems. There is certainly an air of the sport becoming more of a semi professional, or part time employment in the UK , with riders earning outside speedway and racing as a hobby. The days of every UK team member from 1 -7 turning up with 2 brand new bikes , a luxurious motorhome/van and a team of mechanics are surely over? Riders as self employed individuals have a choice.

That’s IF the 2025 CL promoters will accept them into their league? A few stumbling blocks in the way …… Rider availability …how many will ride in UK if only one league available ? doubling up riders …race nights….assessed CMA …….points limits in 2026 eg Dickie Lawson …..Poole or Kings Lynn ? Chris Harris …….??? etc etc Guess there was always going to be the final straw that broke the Camels back ……and that appears to be the retirement of Chris Louis.

Looks like the “premiership” has finally sunk ? Clearly the AGM scheduled for November wasn’t going to be a “rubber stamping” of decisions for 2026. Ipswich now up for sale, Sheffield up for sale , and allegedly Belle Vue running only NL. The AGM being postponed until January, signings continuing unabated in the Championship. Seems the CL will be running unchanged ……. all will be revealed in January’s AGM possibly THE most important in the history of the sport ?😂🤣

Four green bottles hanging on the wall…….

What’s the current asking price for a “speedway club” ? There seem to be a few available at the moment….which must make it a buyers market

What’s the current asking price for a “speedway club” ? There seem to be a few available at the moment….

Some very insular narrow minded thinking from head in the sands speedway “supporters” . Reflects fully the attitude of most “promoters” You never know you might get visitors to the show from the museum…… cross promotion of the event by parking some speedway bikes outside on a riders van .. or offering some freebies of club mercndise outside to promote the event. Really needs some on in PR at the BSPL to get off their a*** and do some work. Frankly I don’t hold out much hope…. But speedway lumbers along slowly sinking

Used to enjoy trips to West Row back in the day when the track was pretty much an oval with no straights, and the track material seemed to consist of shale with lumps of old turnips added. Wooden board fence then. An air display on the Sunday afternoons was a regular occurrence by the USAF. The track rakers with their strong suffolk accents were good for a bit of banter between heats 🙂 and really didnt like the Hackney Kestrels beating their "boys"🙂

Only because he is allowed to ride for 2 teams in the UK !