Aries

Yes, we’re obviously missing something.

Interesting little nugget in today’s Speedway Star regarding Brennan. The good news from his personal side, is he expects to be back and ready to ride by the start of February so his plans for 26 hasn’t changed. But, maybe it won’t be Ipswich after all in UK. Maybe I’m reading too much in to his comments, but it sounds to me like somethIng new? ”There’s no difference to my team plans for 2026. I’m already back with Vastervik and Bydgoszcz, which I’m happy about”. ”I’ve got to sort out England still. The way it’s looking, it should be a really good option”.

https://ipswichwitches.co/louis-thanks-departing-sayfutdinov/ Really nice words. And interesting about him being “alienated” in some quarters for bringing him in because of the war.

“Generally quite negative” That’s the understatement of the year!

Tunners would put on a point at the bare minimum riding the NSS every other week. He’d be a far better signing for Belle Vue than anyone else IMO. Having watched a fair bit of PHB the last couple of years as well, he’d be a huge home favourite very quickly. Track is tailor made for him. Keeping the best top two in the league as well and you’d outgun everyone else in 13 and 15. If that is the team, I think we’d see @AceBellerise from the dead very quickly on here… 😉

Pretty sure we’re Doyle and Brennan at 1 and 5. Three others for a 36 point top five. This time last year we started daily announcements of the team, which was all confirmed BEFORE the AGM. Can’t see that happening this year..

Wouldn’t have thought a single Lynn supporter would be at all bothered with that. Maybe I’m wrong but I’d say the majority if not all, would be over the moon to sign up a genuine class number 1 and the leagues best rider this season just gone. Wasn’t just the heavy points he scored either, it was the way he scored them. Seemed very entertaining which I’m sure the Leicester fans will verify. Fricke would give the club and supporters a massive lift.

I’ve thought exactly this. If you’re going to reinvent a club from the past and stage their meetings elsewhere, why not a more recent and successful club like Coventry? Still wouldn’t be ideal but I’m sure they still have a big enough fan base that would travel to watch the Bees again. At least in the short term. The novelty would inevitably ware off with the travelling but by that time they’d hopefully have made progress in returning to Brandon or another location closer to home. Who on earth local to Northampton, is going to travel miles to watch a team ride there? It’s been an awful long time since Speedway was raced in Northampton so I’d be surprised if many there even know what the sport is!

You live in a world of unicorns. Any rider with ability will make it regardless. Those that don’t have it, just don’t have it. No “magic beans” will Suddenly make riders of limited ability suddenly make it to the big time through coaching. The greatest riders of all time could teach me all day long, I wouldn’t be able to get on a bike and compete let alone be successful!

And Ipswich the season before when Doyle’s season ended in May. Louis chucked offers at every top rider on the planet, and couldn’t get one. Michelsen came the closest to joining, but in the end there were one too many obstacles to overcome.

Crikey. Well you were talking about who would be able to afford these “top riders”. I’m not sure Fricke is cheaper than those you’ve mentioned. He certainly shouldn’t be being the best rider that currently rides here.

You’ve missed out Leicester. Unless you don’t think the best rider in the league is a “top rider”.

Is this a “sport” or not? Find me a footballer supporter who has watched their team get beaten most weeks, finished second bottom and ask them if they think it was a “successful season”. You’ll be hard pushed to find one so I don’t agree with you I’m sorry. A club not expected to stay up but avoids relegation against the odds, could consider it a successful season. But that jeopardy doesn’t apply here does it. “But it’s been good racing”. Again, find me a football supporter who would get up and cheer an opposing player banging one in to the top bin from 20 yards against YOUR keeper and saying “great goal son! Enjoyed that one” Appreciate it sure, you wouldn’t enjoy it though. Speedway supporters have long had a stigma attached to them. Programme boards, cr@p club jackets, some with badges attached, fishing chairs and tartan blankets, flasks, etc etc. I was going to say Speedway supporters are generally a bit weird but that’s too unkind. Let’s just say in the main, they’re a bit, erm, different!

This must be the only sport on planet earth where finishing second bottom of the table could be classed as “a successful season”. Absolutely bonkers Speedway supporters.

I’d say the biggest issue for Glasgow moving up is where they are! Much easier for supporters to get to a few meetings in the championship including the Scottish derby, than it is in the Premiership. They have the set up and crowd levels to make a go of it in the Premiership. It all comes down to how well clubs are supported as much as good sponsorship. You’re not going to make it pay with one or the other, you’ll need both. Unfortunately, the majority in the Championship just don’t have the fan base to make top flight Speedway work. Tolley lost a packet because the attendances at Birmingham were rubbish. He was quite public about the attendance figures he needed to break even, and they weren’t getting close to it. If you don’t have that guaranteed core base even when things aren’t going well on track, then you’ll end up out of pocket. Tinkering around with the rules, like doing away with guests and double uppers which some seem to hate, isn’t suddenly going to swell attendances up and down the country. In fact, it won’t make a jot of difference!

You’ve literally contradicted yourself in two sentences. If those people haven’t heard of the “current elite”, then they won’t know who’s been borrowed and from which club either and wouldn’t be bothered with it.

Agree can’t see hardly anyone being there to be honest. Strange time when people are at work and seems hastily arranged too. Not enough time for people to even book the day off work as not enough notice given. At least the groups of Romanian’s will be there to see it! Gathered around the cornhill on a daily basis making everyone else feel uncomfortable 🙄

At last someone who seems to understand the issues regarding “sharing” the top riders around. In either League! There’s only certain clubs who can afford the more pricey riders so the issue is not only can the less well off clubs afford a big hitter that now can’t be fitted in elsewhere, and will those riders now accept a lower deal because that’s the only offer left on the table. As I’ve said on other threads, you could end up losing riders to British Speedway because they’re not prepared to accept what a lower paying club will pay them. If a few of the top boys DO accept a lower deal somewhere where they didn’t want to go, is that in itself fair to said riders because of a restriction in the rules? You’ve also got the issue of local sponsorship. You’ll have riders that have acquired valuable sponsorship at the club they’re settled at, that they’ll now lose by being forced in to moving elsewhere. I personally hope any thoughts of “sharing” riders by enforcing new rules, doesn’t see the light of day and let all teams build how they like within the points limit.

Totally agree here. Dan was also on fire for us at Ipswich until he broke his wrist. Had his moments when he returned, but never regained that early season form. Maybe the wrist was manageable but still causing issues? Who knows but plenty of time to rest over the long winter months and come back 100% next year.

Mind you, a five team league isn’t appealing to anyone either I wouldn’t have thought. Don’t think any of us are happy with that idea. Fingers crossed at least one club can be persuaded/helped to make the move up.

Of course it’s about opinions! I’m responding to people’s “opinions” on what kind of racing they prefer and what division, not what they think their club can afford. People have given their OPINION that they prefer to see less of certain teams and riders throughout the season and prefer more variety. I’ve simply given mine.

I don’t get this narrative at all I’m sorry. I would absolutely have LOVED to see Hans Nielsen and Erik Gundersen visit Foxhall on a regular basis. All about opinions isn’t it? Me personally, would much MUCH prefer to see Kurtz and Bewley visit with Belle Vue several times a year, than watch the splendid “variety” of top tier talent like Tobias Thomsen, Jake Allen and Palovaara sparingly. The anticipation of seeing that array of talent that you don’t often see must be absolutely mouth watering. So jealous of the championship 😞