TheTopDrawer

Fricke, Holder, Bewley, Kurtz, and a G.P. rider at Ipswich too?

Birmingham aren't running because their stadium was demolished from under them. Not because Nigel Tolley spat his dummy. If Birmingham stadium was still there, then Nigel Tolley would still be there.

That makes absolutely no sense. Meeting opposing teams twice in a league which runs roughly April to September means meeting twice in 6 months regardless of whether it's a 9 team league or a 6 team league. What you're suggesting is that the CL season lasts 16 weeks and the PL season lasts 10 weeks, which is nonsense.

or (c) Threaten to sell the business, but actually p1ss off to Australia and leave your loyal customers high and dry, and wondering what is going on. I'd have gone for option (b). Chris Louis seems to have gone for option (c). So what's your point?

It doesn't have to be the stadium being unavailable (although that is certainly the main reason for putting a licence on ice, like Swindon, Wolves, Peterborough etc), but Louis would have to show a "Force Majeure" as a reason for applying to put the licence on ice. That is an "unforeseeable, uncontrollable, event" which stops him running. I doubt that just fancying a year off counts as "Force Majeure". I think any application to put the licence on ice for no real reason would be knocked back.

LOL. That's exactly what they are. A testimonial is granted for someone who has been an asset of a club for 10 years. When a rider is tranferred they are entitled to a percentage of the transfer fee for each year they have been an asset. Thus to compensate someone who hasn't moved, for the years of missing out on a percentage transfer fee, they got a testimonial.

No. Ipswich stadium isn't closing. So there's no way he can apply to put the licence on ice for 3 years. If a promotion loses their stadium (like Wolves, Peterborough) they can ice the licence for up to 3 years while they seek another venue, because it is an "unforeseeable, uncontrollable, event". I can't see any unforeseeable, uncontrollable, event under which Louis could apply to ice the licence.

I'm working on the basis of what if Chris Louis packed it in and didn't run in 2026. With no licence, what's to stop someone new doing a deal with Spedeworth for a stadium lease, and applying to BSPL for a licence. No other club within 30 miles, so no reason to refuse them.

If there is a lease agreement in place, then, as you say, Chris Louis will be contractually obliged to pay it. Alternatively if there isn't a lease in place, what's to stop someone else doing a lease deal with Spedeworth, and setting up the Ipswich Warlocks.

How can anyone have a testimonial if there are no assets anymore?

So he'd rather wind up the club and get nothing, than accept an offer of some money?

Someone already has. It's down to Chris Louis whether or not he will accept an offer or whether he wants to close the club down.

I'm not convinced that Doyle won't be back. After all, wasn't it just a couple of weeks ago he was posting a photo saying he was back with his British mechanic for 2026? Failing that, if Sayfutdinov and Doyle are off the payroll, could there be a move for Robert Lambert?

And so are Sheffield, as they hinted yesterday that this good news was coming today. Just need to confirm Oxhamptonborough and Ipswich for a 6 team league.

Surely it's obvious that 4 are Belle Vue, King's Lynn, Leicester and Sheffield. Then the fifth is either Ipswich or the mystery Northampton/NorthamptonatOxford/Peterborough new team. Since Chris Louis wanted 6 teams and refused to compete in a 5-team league, maybe the addition of a 5th team, will encourage him to return and make Ipswich a 6th team?

Sheffield are suggesting that good news might be around the corner, so hopefully either Chris Louis has agreed a sale, or the other clubs are just cracking on without Ipswich.

British riders have their end of season average reduced by 2.5% for the following year's team building