TigerIain

I've never understood the concept of fining a council though. The money gets diverted away from providing services, and then they put up council tax to cover the shortfall. So the ones causing the problem suffer no more punishment than the average Joe Public (and less effectively if they live in a different council area). Some other, more direct form of punishment of the individuals should be available

Do you think it's pure coincidence that there were 9 riders on 8+ and a rule was brought in saying each club can only sign 1 rider on 8+?? The actual number would be adjusted so that it so worked out at 1 per club, or you go to rider grading, possibly right through the 1-7. The negotiations would not be done just so that Ipswich and Belle Vue can ruin the Championship clubs the way they ruined the Premiership. Intelligent promoters in the Championship would see right through that and ensure that all clubs had a chance at signing a competitive team to protect the league itself, just like they have done/proposed with the 2026 Championship

Would you rather I used pictures next time? And 5 clubs telling 9 clubs we're are all having a league with only 8 teams and only on the nights we want you to ride and we're having 5 of the 8 spots is the same staggering arrogance that caused your Premiership to get to the brink of failure in the first place

Interesting how so many Premiership team fans on here are convinced that if it went to one league, the Premiership teams would royally screw the Championship teams by hoovering up all the top riders and leaving the dregs for the Championship teams. And they wonder why no-one wants to join their failing league! The 9 Championship teams this year agreed to share out league strength by having only 1 rider over 8 points. This was to ensure that all teams had done strength after last seasons disparity. In one league of 14 teams, why would 9 teams vote to allow 5 teams to screw them over? Just to clarify, as I question the intelligence of some, 9 is bigger than 5. For 2 years the 5 "big" teams screwed the Spires and Brummies, and no longer have them in the league. The Championship promoters chose not to go down that route. Yes Poole, Glasgow and Redcar will be relatively weaker next season, but they chose the intelligent option of making sure that the didn't kill off the 'weaker' teams. If Chris Louis is the messiah like promoter some are holding him up to be, why didn't he and his cronies take their foot off the throat of Oxford and Birmingham before they killed them off? (Yes I know Brummies lost their track but for all the plans to keep the Premiership going, not one has been keep the Brummies going at another venue as the promoter walked away from the Premiership and the fans didn't support an obviously canon fodder team). IF the Premiership fails and joins the Championship, to make it one league, then the points limit and team building rules would be set at a level where the Premiership teams could not do that to the Championship teams because the bullying majority would be the minority.

Who says Championship clubs are trying to destroy the Premiership? It's failing on its own. I think what is happening is that no Championship club wants to risk their business by stepping up and taking huge losses. Remember also there is a history of teams stepping up being screwed over and having to sign the dregs as the Premiership teams won't share out the heat leaders to help a new team at least be competitive to protect their business. They are all too focused on winning and keeping the new team as whipping boys which racks up the financial losses as fans rarely support an uncompetitive team in big numbers. Plus from a Glasgow perspective, there would be no special fixture in the calendar to sell. No Edinburgh (you could easily sell a Glasgow v Edinburgh contest at anything), no Berwick for localish rivalry, no Poole (silverware rivals). No offence to anyone but the fixture list would all be a bit 'meh'

Only "superstars" can have top quality races??? Look up Heat 14 from the Glasgow v Edinburgh playoff semi (British Speedway Network posted it on their Facebook page on 27th September) It was a fantastic race between Perry, MPT & Flint swapping places. Then contrast that with the dross that was GB v Poland at the same track which had Bewley, Woffinden, Zmarzlik and Janowski, 3 of the 4 riders that had just competed in whatever they call the World Pairs final these days, and next to no passing all night. It was one of the worst meetings ever at Ashfield. The only worse ones I can think of were ruined by rain. Glasgow fans are very happy with the entertainment on show at Ashfield every week. Star names do not mean better races. Glasgow fans want to race Fridays, and the promotion fought long and hard to get it. They also have the derbies with Edinburgh and Berwick and rivalry with Poole, and to a lesser extent Redcar and Workington. They also have a competitive team. And they run with (what the promotion deem to be) acceptable losses each year. All of which would be lost propping up the failing Premiership. The Facennas are working hard to build up the speedway at Glasgow but that move would not make any sense and could jeopardise the future of the Tigers.

Great band. Seen them live a few times

I'm confused. You state that the Premiership isn't a failure, then list lots of failures. Essentially all are that clubs cannot afford to run in the Premiership. The other big issue is that the top teams won't share out the top riders and never have so no one wants to risk bankruptcy to be the new whipping boys. What the Championship have done for 2026 in helping the weaker teams should have been done in the Premiership at least a year ago (and probably before that). Your only proposed solutions to date are to force another team to join the failing Premiership against their will.

The parking at the bottom of the photo above is accessed from Victoria Road. Looks to be barrier controlled entry so you may want to contact the University in advance to ask about access to that car park for the event

10 round series announced with a double header at the NSS. Guessing there won't be a stampede to join the Premiership after all FIM Speedway - News - 2026 FIM SPEEDWAY CALENDAR REVEALED https://share.google/5nxGEhmaKlpAQiBlM

Don't knock fixture repetition too much, Glasgow hosting Edinburgh for the 5th time last season was an absolute cracker of a match. Lots of passing, close races, crashes, breakdowns, riders unexpectedly popping up with great rides (and the odd unexpectedly duff one), a last heat decider and some dodgy refereeing (the ref accidently leant on the ref lights button halfway through a race). Best meeting I've seen in the 40 years that I've been going to speedway

But if you read the British Speedway article from 3rd November, David Howe is quoted as saying "Josh comes in on a high average so we have had to look at riders who we feel will improve their own average, and I am quite happy with the balance of youth and experience in the team" I read that as them having signed a full team, but have only announced their star number 1. That doesn't fit with your narrative of Scunthorpe signing Pickering knowing that there would not be a Premiership. Even if the conference had been moved to January (which it does appear to have been) there will be plenty of discussing ongoing between promoters to try and find a workable solution prior to that. The conference is normally about formally signing off on the new big changes, with maybe the odd smaller matter brought up at the time

And if Glasgow tell them where to stick their ultimatum? Are you REALLY going to kick Glasgow out of speedway?? And kick Chris Harris, Kyle Howarth, Leon Flint, & Luke Harrison out of the Championship? Or are they just to ride your 4 meaningless meetings? (NB I've no idea who Glasgow have signed for next year, but those 4 have all been linked to Glasgow, but I expect the first 3 to be wanted back. I'm also reckoning that most Championship teams have already signed nearly all of their 7 for 2026 so couldn't fit three newly unemployed 2026 Tigers septet into their plans). So Tigers prop up the Premiership for one year with Janowski or some other nae user at number 1, no second heat leader and a team full of riders not good enough for the 5 existing Premiership teams, and then go back to one big league to sign the cast offs again? That is assuming that your 1 year propping up the Premiership with a dross team getting stuffed every week with a significant drop off in the racing (entertainment) against teams we don't care about (no rivalries of any sort) doesn't kill the crowd levels to the point it becomes not financially viable to continue? Also how is this Championship level team going to work, is at a select team from other clubs (essentially 7 guests!) are we just bringing riders out of retirement. Or are we to have 4 Premiership riders plus 3 NDL reserves? (like that very sorry lived inter league trophy from 10ish years ago) The 2026 Premiership problems are a direct result of 4 of the remaining 5 teams hoovering up all the talent and leaving the others to rot. KL made a decent fist of it, but Oxford and Birmingham were lambs to the slaughter and consequently aren't around any more (Brummies lost their stadium but there was no talk at all of trying to relocate). That is the reason that no one wants to step up. It's not the first time it happened either, Arena Essex / Lakeside were screwed over just the same when they stepped up. Ideally it needs a miracle resurrection of Coventry or Swindon or Peterborough or Cradley Heath but that isn't likely, and starting a Northampton team in a different location (like Oxford) with a weak team getting stuffed every week sounds like a recipe for disaster

Nobody agrees because you're wrong. Glasgow lose enough money in the Championship, and that is on their fans preferred race night, with lots of local derbies and rivalries. None of the 5 Premier teams hold any of the appeal of a visit from Edinburgh, Berwick or Poole. Or Redcar or Workington. 1 season propping up the Premiership and the financial losses associated with that could be the end of the current promotion and no one in Glasgow wants that. I genuinely can't see many Glasgow fans wanting to move up a division. One other thing, where would Glasgow, or any other 6th team, get a competitive team from? An Oxford/Birmingham select from last year would still finish miles behind the other 5 teams, and would provide little excitement. That's partly why the Premiership is struggling, because whenever anyone steps up the others refuse to share their riders and the new team end up as cannon fodder.

Glasgow could sign both, along with Flint and Howarth if they build along the same lines as last year. For all the talk of the weak reserves, Glasgow were only 1 point or 1 ride away from being Playoff Champions, so might build the same way this year

Dan Thompson has signed for Edinburgh. He goes well at Armadale, but hasn't ridden at 1 or 5 before now (at least not last year and not regularly for Plymouth) so it will be a big step up. Very good rider, but wasn't quite the same after his wrist injury last year (not sure if the injury wasn't quite healed properly, psychological issue, or just coincidence). I hope the move works out for him, but it is a bit more of a risk with the extra pressure or being the number 1, although he should prove to be a better number 1 than Sedgmen or Palovaara were last year.

Batchelor would fit in well. Good gater, which is essential for Wimbore Road. Just had a season at number 1, and dropping to the slightly easier number 5 in a weakened league means he should increase his average

Dan Thompson previously mentioned on a podcast that he needed a new Championship team for next year due to the 1 rider over 8 rule (Tigers will almost certainly have Harris back). Scunthorpe suggested that they had signed 7 riders and Poole have said that they have signed 6 and seem to have fell out with the 7th causing a problem with replacing them. Redcar are rumoured to have all 7 in place. Plymouth have announced 2 riders who would be Champ heat leaders. It would be a major shock then if there wasn't 2 leagues, but if the rumour is true about the annual conference being moved to January then there could be a major shock incoming. It does seem that the Championship will be essentially as expected but could be that the Premiership is still to be decided which could be behind a potential delay to the conference? Not that we know, as us fans aren't important enough to let us know when the conference is. And maybe I'm not getting my season ticket for Christmas

Riss is not intending to ride in the UK next year per an interview in the Speedway Star. Jenkins' Facebook post suggests it was his choice to leave Oxford for a 'new challenge'. Nicholls leaving was circumstance last year, and likely his choice not to return. If they don't want to ride for Oxford, then there is nothing that the promotion can do to make them. It does start to leave questions about top end strength to support Masters though (assuming that he is back at Oxford).

There were times at Ashfield last year when it felt that the tractors were out for ages going round, sometimes without moving any shale. It would help if something was said as to why the tractors were out for longer than normal. In general, there is a lack of info for fans at track side as to what's happening with delays and things (breakdowns, injuries, why Palovaara wasn't excluded in heat 1 of the playoff SF). Often people watching live streams know more than those in the stadium (On occasion I've had to message people watching the live stream, or sign in whilst at the stadium to find out what's happening in the match that I'm attending).

I'm beginning to think that they are delaying it because someone leaked the date!! Maybe they think is fans are gonna turn into the January 6th rioters or something! If it is delayed, hopefully it is too allow something good to happen, rather than their trying to stop something bad happening, but so knows. They don't like to tell the fans. They are not building teams, seeing budgets or offering contracts at the conference. They are signing off on the structure and rules for next season hoping that FANS will support their decisions (or at least not walk away from the turnstiles). You can't please all the fans, but surely speedway needs to focus on what brings fans through the gates and paying money in to keep the sport going. Fans aren't the only consideration but they are just as important as the other stakeholders in the sport. I do find is strange that given importance of what is agreed at the conference with regards to what hairdryer the next season, I find it strange that they don't tell fans when the will hear the league structure, points limits, rule changes etc. And it also seems that some years they forget to announce some of the rule tweaks etc

Why shouldn't Glasgow be allowed to compete in the Championship? Tigers currently have wealthy promoters but that has not always been the case, in fact it's rarely been the case in our history. Moving up would eliminate any sort of local rivalry. And further reduces the number of teams to race against. Moving up would force Tigers to give up the Friday night that their fans prefer (by a significant margin over other times/days). More importantly, where would Glasgow get a non cannon fodder Premiership team from? (Never mind not being able to build the type of entertaining team that the promotion and fans want). A combined Oxford and Birmingham team from last year would still have finished miles off the pace. If rumours are true, Glasgow make a not insignificant loss every year, despite the promotions best efforts, in the Championship. Moving up to the Premiership would make that worse and might drive the Facennas away, quite possibly ending speedway in Glasgow. I think I speak for most Tigers fans when I say I don't want the Premiership.

I'd be surprised if they haven't talked to him, but Blobby is broadcasting that Dan Thompson is off to the Monarchs next year

Sounds like the Monarchs are still trying to sign a number one for tuppence ha'penny and a couple of ginger bottles then

Scott Nicholls is just below 8 so Plymouth could sign a rider above 8. However Nicholls is more than capable of being number 1. Depends if they want top heavy or strength in depth. Either way it was a great way to start their team building