YeOldPitGate

If rumours re Eastbourne are correct lets just hope the foundations are put in place so that the new promoters have every chance of success as we don't want a situation where they pull out after one year having done a 100k plus. I did think Northampton would be a huge risk but to be fair they have been a success even with a weak team it just worries me a bit that even when the Dugards were involved and didn't have to worry about stadium rent they had to shore up the finances pretty much every season.

Always look out for your posts Flagrag are you in a position to comment on the possible tv deal will it be enough to get a few more big hitters back and are we looking at six teams again in 2027 ?

Plus they snaffled a young Darcy Ward which helped the cause.

Problem is the BSPL don't have £500 in the coffers let alone £500k

What the issue re Swedish GP Arthur they must have had a round since the series started and the track in the middle of a forest normally provides great racing , finances ?

Sounds similar to what happended at Rye House M.D

Will need to a be a good tv deal though as personally think they would need to be offered a six figure cut to chance it.

Plus Hancock has his ear and will hopefully tell him to go to the UK at least for a few years, he does look another gem though for whoever lands him assuming he does come over.

Only in speedway Mike.

Call Tolley, would be a massive risk if they went straight back in the top league given struggles to make championship pay last time round, really hope they come to the tapes and it proves financially viable but would be a lot less risk for the would be promoters if they went into the championship.

They will be up there in 2027, Bailey would be the one everyone wants but if he doesn't do the UK and they end up with Landon he is capable of putting a couple of points on his average by the end of year 1 in the UK. Brady is easily the best prospect to come out of the US in the last decade and given Hancock's links with Poole they will most likely get first dibs.

Assuming no change in the championship, anyone any thoughts on where an extra 1-2 teams might come from ?

Richard playing the game again like a finely tuned fiddle

There's a market for everything Phil

But could all flip on its head if they end up with Beau Bailey or Brady Landon at reserve , if on the outside chance they got both of them they will be the team to beat yet again. Bailey is the more exciting rider of the two but Landon would probably go better at Poole as he's a trapper like his mentor Hancock.

I kind of hope so for their sake also Bagpuss given they struggled to be viable last time in the championship but other than them I can't see where another two teams are coming from even if points limit in the championship drops to the rumored 38 points

Can't see it personally, I'm leaning more towards a carrot being dangled towards Eastbourne if they are back.

Pretty much spot on the sickener was 1988 when we were probably favourites for the league with a power house team, I remember the opening meeting the place was rammed but roughly a third of the way into the season the usual Lynn jinx hit and we were bang average. Bo Peterson who cost a fortune went from unbeatable around Lynn to very beatable and dear old John Davis was better suited to longtrack he could gate with the best but would leave a gap on the inside you could sail the titanic through. King showed why he was so highly rated but a series of niggling injuries held him back after early promise.

Agreed Mike if I was ever a promoter my first job would be to get a survey put together for past fans to complete as to why they no longer go, granted we can guess most of the reasons but I bet there's a host of others to. The big challenge at the moment is even if you came in as a new promoter with say 200k you could burn through in a season without blinking, you put together an attractive side , you move fast to get quality replacements for long term injuries etc you know in the current environment visiting teams will be turning up every other week with 1-2 riders missing, r/r etc. So somehow its not enough to have 2-3 forward looking promoters you need every single one to agree to level up.

Martin Rogers was operating on a shoe string , Lee was a disaster , beat Erik Gunderson on his first race back but afterwards was missing half the time. In Simmo's book he mentions when him and Bill took over the deal was they would essentially take on the clubs debts and Martin could walk away. Martin came over as a decent bloke and the hard core crowd was always there even allowing for some dreadful teams in the mid eighties.

Colin Pratt wanted us booted out of the league.

Brilliant stuff Mick wishing you and your fellow committee members all the best.

My point is this has been going on for nigh on three years now and given the media exposure over that time and work done by Mick & co I find it a stretch for the council to hint that "we didn't realise anyone was fussed about saving the stadium"

I think 85 was the worst year from memory we didn't have a number one Lee disappeared early doors from memory and we ran with seven second strings/reserves all season ? Mark Courtney as number one ?

Remember the Andy Campbell and Paul Woods days Bagpuss , Bob Schwartz and six reserves