Ben91

Going to put a lot of points on his average in 2026 is he? Only way he'd be a second string in one big league.

It sounds like 2026 is going to be limping along as we were, not much more needs planning. Planning for 2027 should be well under way by now if the people in charge have any sincere interest in saving and reviving the sport here. The outcome of the AGM in January should be a long term plan, one that the fans are made fully aware of. It's easier to invest in another season of dross if there's a transparent plan for improvement in place and in full view for those who pay their way each week.

I do wonder whether this can be spun to a party line making it look as if the top riders bailed on Britain and that's why they've gone, not the indecision causing them to sign more secure contracts elsewhere. They jumped, they weren't pushed. The cynic in me can see Ipswich (for example) coming to tapes with a much weakened team and the justification that they almost didn't run at all so the fans should just be happy to have speedway at all. And undoubtedly the majority of happy clappers would swallow it hook, line and sinker.

Don't often agree with you @Aries but this is spot on. This isn't Ipswich specific, just my opinion in general. For me, a sports club/organisation exists for the fans first and foremost. There may be an owner/figurehead but everything always has to circle back to those who support the club. Without them there would be nothing. They turn up week in, week out. If they didn't then the club could fold. Seems a bit off that the person who they've been supporting and entrusted with the custodianship of their team can then just decide to pull the rug on them.

I'd like to know what is being put in place to ensure we're not in the exact same situation (but worse) in twelve months time. The number of clubs left makes one league more sensible. Clubs racing on a night that suits them also makes sense. What needs to be done is something to make that viable. The stumbling blocks all revolve around riders. Be it the international race nights which take preference and the lack of riders of a good enough standard to fill 14 teams without doubling up (impossible in one league). So there should be a big focus next season on getting British riders to a competitive standard at Championship level at least. A good pool of domestic talent will be important to mean sides can have carte blanche over their race nights (not a complete solution I'm aware). But, as we know the Championship teams are full speed ahead at building teams and there are no rules in place (rising star scheme for example) to promote British youngsters at that level. The Premiership isn't sustainable. The Championship sides haven't helped matters by not implementing a rising star scheme or similar. It needs to be changed for next season regardless of what has been signed already, or we're putting off change for good for at least another year. That's valuable time. Everyone needs to pull together in one direction for the good and future of British Speedway.

It makes perfect sense. A team who runs away with a league title without play-offs has won the title across the entire season. The best team over the season wins the title. It's the fairest way. A team can sneak into the play-offs at the last minute and win the league title due to late season form, possibly due to team changes, injuries elsewhere etc. With a league of only five teams, all bar one side qualifies. That renders all the league meetings next to pointless. Just don't be the worst side in the league. It opens the door to all sorts of average manipulation too. Meeting one should be as important as the last meeting of the season in the league campaign. Play-offs are often touted as good for TV. As it stands there is no TV and the whole play-off process makes the five team league even more tinpot.

Hear there's a new range of BSPL sticking plasters being released just in time for Christmas. A five team league is awful. With play-offs even more Mickey Mouse. Big change is needed (has been for years), nobody has the minerals to do it though. Easier to watch the sport die. Why should fans hand over their hard earned when all they get is treated with contempt. Hand over more money for a worse product year on year.

You're yet to prove you're right before anyone can prove you wrong.

Don't think they got as far as laying the pitch at Rye House. The track has been ripped up beyond recognition though I believe. Can't bring myself to venture over there to see what the state of the place is. Will mar some wonderful memories. A demise that was wholly avoidable too.

Competitiveness comes from teams of equal(ish) strength of course, not having a smattering of "world class" riders in the league. There's a "not enough riders" agenda whenever anyone mentions one league. The reality is that there are not enough riders of a suitable quality. It's not the same as there not being enough full stop. There are also not enough of these "world class" names to go around the top league in its current form. Hence having whipping boys like Birmingham and Oxford last season. The sport here wants to operate at a standard it can't sustain ultimately. A five team league is a horrible idea. It would be far, far too repetitive if the sides were to race a meaningful number of fixtures and then they'd probably still want to have play offs. Regardless of the quality of riders who might compete it would still be over exposure. Variety versus competitiveness has a sweet spot that it is probably impossible for British Speedway to meet in 2026, for me variety is more likely to make me go to meetings than seeing slightly better opposition but knowing they'll be coming to town again in a couple of weeks. And then again a couple of weeks after that. I suspect I'm not in the minority by having that opinion.

Looks an exciting side for Glasgow and two newcomers to British Speedway to boot. Goes to show there are other riders out there willing to come ride here. Applaud the promotion for sticking to their guns and not taking a bullet for the top tier.

Gone out of business then. But really at this point we’re splitting hairs. Businesses can operate at a loss of course, but they’re badly run businesses. They can’t run at a loss forever. You know that of course. Losing money hand over fist is a stupid business model. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work that out.

Wanting the best isn’t wrong. Living beyond your means to achieve it is. And eventually you’ll just go bust. Sound familiar? The sport cannot sustain having the best riders here. You must surely see that. All this “not enough riders,” stuff is nonsense. There are plenty but because of self-created circumstances over a number of years they’re not at the level they once were. There’s not an overnight fix but the situation can be rectified over time. The answer is to cut cloth accordingly now to ensure the possibility of one day being able to have a thriving sport here again, including the best riders in the world hopefully. It might not happen, but it might. Carry on as we are and it is a certainty to not happen. Sometimes you have to go backwards before you can go forwards. Being solvent is a pretty good first step.

Reaping what they sow by having the backbone to stand by their more sustainable model and not sacrificing one of their number to hold up the unsustainable top level for another year. The Premiership is the division killing off clubs, not the Championship.

I haven’t got a clue. Wouldn’t even know where to start. But just as I can’t show you’re wrong (if you are), you can’t show your figures are right. Nil points for either of us sadly.

Where are you getting your figures from? Appreciate your post and explanation don’t get me wrong, but unless the figures are facts then it’s just conjecture. I think the ultimate issue is that the sport can’t justify being professional/full time here. Riders need to get on board with that. Either ride where you can for what you’re offered, make it work, go part-time or get a proper job. All of us fans have to cut our cloth accordingly in life. But the promoters and riders seemingly don’t have to do that.

In fairness most sports are governed by a third party. The issue with speedway is the third party happens to be your competitors and not an independent body.

It’s been brought about by decades of self-interest and mismanagement across the board. The top league wasn’t sustainable, it was a money pit and that has been evident for longer than the last month or so. It’s not a knee jerk implosion. Let’s not kid ourselves that it is.

Fair play if he can afford to buy Poland just by pulling his sponsorship of Sheffield.

Shame the sport can't stockpile riders like Chelsea have with players.

The people who have left the sport in this mess ought to hang their heads in shame. Self-interest and letting the tail wag the dog have ruined what is one of the purest forms of entertainment out there. There will be excuses. There probably won’t be any accountability. It’s easier to blame external factors than acknowledge they could and should have done so much more.

It depends on the guise it takes. If riders sign up for a draft system knowing they have to go where they’re drafted then it’s not unfair in the slightest.

When Poole decided they couldn’t sustain top tier racing that should have been a huge red flag to the rest of the sport. For the best part of the last couple of decades they’ve been the standard bearers of British Speedway.

TNT has plenty of content. They operated (as BT) pre-European football. They’re now also part of the same family as Eurosport I believe, which is what led to Speedway being back on TNT. They already binned off British Speedway once, the sport is in a worse position now so why would they have it back at a cost? The GPs maybe as an outlier but the domestic game is not appealing to them. It’s barely appealing to speedway fans.

I can just imagine the big wigs at TNT heaving a sigh of relief that they can plug a European football gap with British Speedway. Give over.