1 valve

So you believe Stuart Dickson wishes the Premier League to continue so that he can have/keep two jobs? And that’s it?

Strange comment for you to make & only applicable to blind lemmings? Surely, if you don’t want it, then don’t buy it is the more sensible course of action isn’t it?

The owners would not be selling only “fixed assets” but selling a “going concern” to include the assets and “good will” being an intangible value representing its brand, loyal customers, reputation and license to trade in speedway. Of course if no buyer can be found and the business closes then the “assets” are all that remains to be sold off in order to meet money owed to creditors.

When selling/buying a business as a going concern the balance sheet, although interesting is not the prime consideration. “Operating profit” is the figure used to value a business i.e the profit made before accounting for interest and tax. In some instances depreciation is also excluded. Depending on the likely growth prospects a multiplier of between 4x (poor) & 8x (good) of the operating profit would be used to value the business. Using your calculation, it would appear Louis is asking £200k for his business so using a moderate 6x multiplier it would indicate an annual profit (before tax & interest) of £33k. This would yield a gross return of 16.6% on the £200k investment which appears about right considering the state of UK speedway and the risk of investing in a volatile industry.

There is the distinct possibility that if they do not run in the Premiership then for a number of reasons they will not run in the championship either.

Doesn’t Ady Dayman do the earlier show? It’s Ben Jackson from 10

Would be interesting to know what Scunthorpe thought Josh had signed when announcing his signing for 2026...Doesn't appear to have been a contract.

You are correct - I'm not stupid. Further, I'm smart enough to recognise that there are many things wrong with UK speedway that need sorting out way ahead of the matter of a team manager "doubling up" across two entirely separate competitions. Although you raise "conflict of interest" within the context of damaging the credibility of the sport, there is in fact no conflict of interest given a conflict of interest exists when an individual has competing interests, which might impair their ability to make objective, unbiased decisions. - clearly that is not the case with Dickson as his two employers are more than happy for the arrangement to continue.

I do agree that unfortunately the guest system is and always has been a (sort of) requirement of speedway. However, it is too often used as a first option over R/R and in many cases gives the team to draft in a track specialist. I’d much rather see teams having to use RR in the first instance with guests allowed only if two or more riders are absent and then the guest to be used as a replacement for the rider with the lower average - RR for the highest.

If I have understood you correctly, rather than accusing me of being a part of a problem that I had no input in creating nor control of at any time, perhaps you could actually answer my initial question to your somewhat sarcastic post re Stewart Dickson's roles at Leicester & Berwick as damaging the credibility of the sport - How is this the case?

I do agree that unfortunately the guest system is and always has been a (sort of) requirement of speedway. However, it is too often used as a first option over R/R and in many cases gives the team to draft in a track specialist. I’d much rather see teams having to use RR in the first instance with guests allowed only if two or more riders are absent and then the guest to be used as a replacement for the rider with the lower average - RR for the highest.

Where is the damage to credibility? Two leagues, two entirely separate competitions with no conflict of interest. If you are genuinely concerned about identifying and removing matters which do damage to the sports credibility - start with the farce of allowing “guest riders” drawn from riders in the same league & competition.

Great shame that “they” are not the collective British speedway promoters working together for the future of the sport.

Who are “they”? The minority premiership promoters or the majority of the Championship? So long as it’s the former nothing for the new guys to be worried about is there? However, if as you say a Championship promotion has offered help, is that for Cradley to become a Championship or premiership club?

Who are “they”? The minority premiership promoters or the majority of the Championship? So long as it’s the former nothing for the new guys to be worried about is there? However, if as you say a Championship promotion has offered help, is that for Cradley to become a Championship or premiership club?

A great shame (although not surprising given the prominent me/I first attitude of promoters) that the entrepreneurs behind getting Crafley back into speedway have had to do so without credible support from the governing body. However why have you have picked out the Premier League to be shoved out of sight when the majority of the BSPL are championship promoters?

Remember, the BSPL is not an independent body, but collectively the bunch of promoters running clubs the breadth of the UK. The fallacy is to believe that the majority of the same said promoters care about the overall well being & future of the sport. It’s clear the promoters continue to deal with what’s in front of their noses to the exclusion of any long term plan thus we should not be surprised if the current farcical situation is made worse.

Big challenge to join the Championship. 1. None of the 2025 season riders would be returning 2. A new team manager required. 3. Highly doubtful any quality riders would be available. So, at a time when speedway folk apparently lament the loss of speedway stadiums to the villainous developers a purpose built facility will become dormant - and it will be of no surprise if some folk on this forum attempt to justify the needless stupidity of the situation.

Not all companies are poorly run just because they fail to turn a profit. Reddit (20yrs) Pelaton (13yrs) & Airbnb(16yrs) are three companies who have never made profit but continue to grow market share & their business with support from their investors. Unfortunately, I feel all three of those organisations will be profitable many years before UK speedway promoters can get their collective act together and build a positive future for the sport.

No didn't go bust, just that the promotion having been somewhat ambitious have now decided to focus on their two other teams. Although debatable, had the promotion gone with one senior club in the top flight and invested in the team building then the Spiers would have been a) more successful at home and b) more profitable.

Its a bit of a stretch to believe this could be the case, However as a promoter can't run two clubs in the same division and as CL has proven to be arguably the most competent of the current crop, maybe there could be some leverage going on within the top clubs knowing that a new owner & promoter for Ipswich can be found whilst he focusses attention on building and launching Northampton thus delivering a six club top flight. Interesting to see CL has resigned from the BSPL but not Speedway Ventures meaning his involvement in find a future for speedway continues and that is a positive sign.

No it doesn't. Which top flight club has gone bust in recent times? Any company can trade at a loss so long as the Directors acknowledge the matter and continue to find funding for their enterprise, avoid trading whilst insolvent and continue to develop their business. Unfortunately, for now, it appears there are insufficient promoters who are willing or able to invest in bringing some of the best riders to the UK and so the resultant mediocre (especially if there is only one league) "top flight" of speedway in the UK will be even less appealing than current to national sponsors, media.

As I said. It would very much be an option for the BSPL/ACU should the concept of a rival league arise alongside any claims for a "restraint of trade" being none applicable.

Its an absolute tragedy. What's just as shocking is there are folk on this forum justifying the direction the sport is going and (dare I say it) palpably celebrating the demise of more clubs.

Yes, absolutely. The total reason why speedway is well and truly on the way down & out in the UK. We don't want the very best. mediocrity will do so long as me/I is ok - so need for top riders, no need for national sponsors, no need for national TV - no need for ambition. Least of all no need for anybody who wants to try to make the sport better. Ok the sport wont actually grow and other countries will provide a home for any British rider with talent and aspiration to rise through the crud of UK speedway and move on from these shores - but at we'll always have somebody willing to ride around some track some where and we can still call it speedway - just.