Spidvej

Richard Coleman, head of Mayfield Sports Events, has recently come under scrutiny regarding his involvement in the FIM Speedway Grand Prix (SGP), his appointment within the Tech3 MotoGP team, and prior ties to European Rugby League. Mayfield and FIM Speedway Mayfield Sports Events, founded by Coleman and based near Silverstone, was appointed by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) to take over global promotion of the Speedway Grand Prix series starting from 2026 following the departure of Warner Bros. Discovery Sports. Despite initial excitement over Mayfield’s appointment, concerns have grown within the speedway community about Coleman’s lack of first-hand experience in running large-scale motorsport championships—outside of previously organizing the Cardiff Speedway GP as a local promoter. Detractors have questioned whether Mayfield possesses the operational depth required to deliver a unified, global SGP product over multiple countries and venues. Links to Tech3 Road Racing Team Coleman’s parallel appointment as Team Principal of Tech3 MotoGP, alongside new team owner Günther Steiner, beginning in 2026, has intensified concerns within motorsport circles. The flamboyant Steiner, a former Formula 1 team principal, will become the new boss of the French team, while Coleman will take over the day-to-day running of the team, stretching him even further, as with running a MotoGP team and the Speedway Grand Prix series, there will be times when Coleman will be needed in two places, two circuits at once. How will these inevitable clashes in the racing calendar be managed? Poorly is the answer from some within the industry. While these moves signal his deepening presence in motorsport, commentators perceive it as a potential conflict of focus, particularly with Tech3’s restructuring under Steiner’s consortium, and some believe Coleman to be sorely out of his depth. Richard Coleman : Tech3 will not be disrupted. The HQ will remain based in the south of France, Nicolas Goyon will continue to serve as Technical Director, and Hervé Poncharal will ensure the transition, remaining involved during this delicate phase. The team takeover places Coleman in a major leadership role just as Mayfield is expected to reshape the FIM Speedway brand—raising doubts about whether he can effectively manage two world championship-scale operations at once. European Rugby League Connections Coleman’s history with European Rugby League (ERL) adds another layer to his multidomain career. Appointed in 2022 as an independent director, he was brought in to help expand ERL’s commercial reach. His background in sponsorship acquisition and sports marketing—having brokered deals across Formula 1, cycling, and football—initially bolstered ERL’s executive credentials, but people within these sports suggest that his broad network of concurrent roles demonstrates an inability to remain dedicated to specific sporting ventures. Summary In essence, Richard Coleman is stretched across several major sports entities—Mayfield Sports Events for FIM Speedway, Tech3 MotoGP as incoming team principal, and links to European Rugby League—each demanding significant time to be managed at a satisfactory level. Coleman’s experience in motorsport marketing is extensive, yet questions persist over whether he can effectively steer the FIM Speedway Grand Prix through its crucial transitional phase given his fragmented commitments and limited direct experience with running global rider-based series. Richard is a marketing man, not a guy that can run the day to day logistics of a motorsport series. There are some within the world of two wheeled motorsport who suspect that Coleman and his team, basically just his wife Anoushka, have bitten off more than they can chew, and that the FIM are starting to wonder if they need to put a contingency plan in place, which may even include a return to the pre SGP days of a series of qualifying rounds and a one off world final, especially as we are now in mid October 2025, with as yet no sign of the 2026 SGP Calendar on the horizon. Of course, the real issue is that the FIM were so short of Interest in taking over the SGP series from Warner Brothers Discovery that Mayfield took control of the SGP series by default. Only time will tell whether Mayfield can deliver a viable SGP series, but unfortunately, experience, knowledge and time are against them. https://www.paddock-gp.com/en/The-World-Endurance-and-Speedway-Championships-will-be-hosted-by-Claude-Michy-and-Richard-Coleman-from-2026/ https://www.paddock-gp.com/en/MotoGP-Steiner-offers-Tech3-and-will-rely-on-Coleman-who-has-made-his-assessment.-It-is-a-team-with-exemplary-functioning./ https://europeanrugbyleague.com/articles/2156/european-rugby-league-appoint-richard-co...?

Surprised that some people still haven’t worked out that IainB is a lot like his avatar, clueless ! He largely posts compete rubbish to get a reaction from people, he is best ignored. Even a broken clock is correct twice a day, IainB can’t even match that. IainB is probably known as “thrush” by people that know him in real life.

Sagar retiring is confirmed on page 46 of the November 2nd edition of the speedway star.

Zagar has retired, only did a handful of meetings last year. I guess he could be tempted back for a good pay day, but father time has caught up with Matej, like it does with all riders eventually.

Your premise is spot on, but the problem is, even if Peter Adams gets involved, would Nigel Tolley have the finances to sign a team of riders that would like to ride for Peter ?

The ideas are there, but infighting, self interest and inertia stops them being implemented.

Did barely a lap on his Leicester debut at Swindon, broke his ankle If I Recall Correctly , and never rode for the Lions again.

Awww bless, it’s the school holidays, so your mummy and daddy have let you stay up and play on the computer a bit later than usual, you little completely un-knowledgeable nasty tyke.

Definitely take cash, to both Pardubice and Prague, otherwise you will go hungry and thirsty. Having been to several Golden Helmet weekends plus the Tomicek meeting, vendors that offer card payments are pretty much non existent, whereas of course all vendors take cash. In Pardubice, teenage boys and girls bring beers and other drinks to your seats, which must be paid for in cash. Whilst debit and credit cards are widely accepted in bricks and mortar shops in the Czech Republic, they are a rarity at speedway tracks in the Czech Republic. If you haven’t already, watch “Prague Honest Guide” on YouTube, a new episode every Sunday for about 10 years. “Real Prague Guides” on YouTube is also worth a watch.

Ah yes, but Najjer, as you probably realise by now, some of the jokers on this forum think speedway ends at Dover ! Shamek was really good in 1. Liga this year. Should either or both Pawlicki brothers end up in riding in the UK at any point this season, they will be fine. The unpalatable truth for some is that the British Leagues aren’t what they used to be. UK speedway itself is what’s on the wane.

Gone off ? Oh dearie me, it’s not even December, and yet the snowflakes are already out !

Wow ! You think that’s a personal attack ? What a sheltered life you must lead !

Awwww, did someone pee in your coco pops ? Jason Doyle could have the pick of almost every club to ride for. but chooses Ipswich, which is not your club, so you decide to make yourself look a complete idiot on the forum, and not for the first time ! By your completely batrubbish reckoning, every sportsman and sportswoman only ever compete for a particular club solely because of money ! Are there some mercenaries like that ? Of course there are, “Rental Robert” of Norfolk springs to mind, but to suggest absolutely every rider is a mercenary is completely incorrect ! I’ll bet you’re fun at parties !

Peter has already gone on record as saying he won’t be managing any team in 2024 https://britishspeedway.co.uk/sports-insure-premiership/adams-going-nowhere/

Before Oxford announced the Spires in the Premiership, Masters was heavily rumoured to be Leicester bound. Last season, Birmingham struggled financially in the Championship. I do wonder if riders might fight shy of joining Brum in the Premiership, fearing that they may have trouble getting paid.