Ipswich Witches 2025

[Aries]

4 minutes ago, cowboy cookie returns? said:

Cooper & the team around him seem very level headed. I think everyone would love to see Cooper become a Witch.

However I think if Coopers team decides it’s too early then he’ll give it a miss. If he is picked he doesn’t have to accept the rs position.

Louis could well be one of those who is advising him who knows. 

Of course anyone that is picked doesn’t have to accept it that’s a given. I think that’s unlikely however. The financials and the chance to ride with world class riders would be too tempting to turn down. 
 

It also doesn’t matter how much Louis would want him unless he signed him at number six which wouldn’t happen. If Ipswich give up their retention of Edwards, they’d have to sit and wait for their pick and I’m sure someone would go for Rushen before Ipswich got their chance. 
 

Unless Cooper did what Jenkins did last year, reject the advances of other clubs that picked them first and then accept Ipswich’ offer when it’s their turn!

Another reason why this rising star scheme doesn’t work and is a total nonsense. No rider should be forced to ride where they’re told, that should NEVER have been the case and good on Jenkins for sticking to his guns and riding where he wanted. 
 

Scrap it. 

Edited 9 hours ago by Aries

[therefused]

4 hours ago, Aries said:

Of course anyone that is picked doesn’t have to accept it that’s a given. I think that’s unlikely however. The financials and the chance to ride with world class riders would be too tempting to turn down. 
 

It also doesn’t matter how much Louis would want him unless he signed him at number six which wouldn’t happen. If Ipswich give up their retention of Edwards, they’d have to sit and wait for their pick and I’m sure someone would go for Rushen before Ipswich got their chance. 
 

Unless Cooper did what Jenkins did last year, reject the advances of other clubs that picked them first and then accept Ipswich’ offer when it’s their turn!

Another reason why this rising star scheme doesn’t work and is a total nonsense. No rider should be forced to ride where they’re told, that should NEVER have been the case and good on Jenkins for sticking to his guns and riding where he wanted. 
 

Scrap it. 

The scheme should be in the championship and it should be two riders to be honest. There is one promoter that wants two in the Premiership, which to be honest im not wholly against IF the riders were a good enough standard, which they aren’t.

One thing I think should happen is there should be a bigger reduction in UK riders averages at the end of the season instead of the 2.5(?) percent. Even if it was a higher discount for riders under 24 to encourage teams to sign them.

[Ben91]

5 hours ago, Aries said:

No rider should be forced to ride where they’re told, that should NEVER have been the case and good on Jenkins for sticking to his guns and riding where he wanted. 
 

Disagree. The riders know what they’re signing up for. If you want a chance to ride in the top league then you enter the draft. If you’re drafted somewhere then you ride for the team who pick you. If you don’t like it, don’t enter the draft.  

 

[Aries]

29 minutes ago, Ben91 said:

Disagree. The riders know what they’re signing up for. If you want a chance to ride in the top league then you enter the draft. If you’re drafted somewhere then you ride for the team who pick you. If you don’t like it, don’t enter the draft.  

 

Don’t even know where to start with that. Yeah, let’s just agree to disagree and we’ll leave it at that. 

[Ben91]

Just now, Aries said:

Don’t even know where to start with that. Yeah, let’s just agree to disagree and we’ll leave it at that. 

They’re not owed a ride. It’s an opportunity they sign up for to have a team spot. That can be at any of the clubs in the top league and it’s known in advance. Don’t like it, don’t sign up. That’s not unfair in the slightest. 

[Aries]

 

[mikebv]

31 minutes ago, Ben91 said:

Disagree. The riders know what they’re signing up for. If you want a chance to ride in the top league then you enter the draft. If you’re drafted somewhere then you ride for the team who pick you. If you don’t like it, don’t enter the draft.  

 

A typical well meaning rule to try and even up the league more...

And then also, typically in UK Speedway fashion, they eff it up by allowing the No1 pick to say "I'm not riding there"...

(Which I get if offered more money and have local sponsors elsewhere)..

In the US draft system, the bottom team gets several concessions from the teams who want their pick, should they not want to use that player ..

Eg The team with the highest average last season would have needed to offer Birmingham either money or a rider/riders..

Instead we had Birmingham being out of their depth again which did them, nor Speedway, any favours .

Basically. Either do it properly, or don't use it at all...

Personally, out of their depth No7's do nothing for the sport, nor them, in any league ..

[Arch Stanton]

1 hour ago, Ben91 said:

Disagree. The riders know what they’re signing up for. If you want a chance to ride in the top league then you enter the draft. If you’re drafted somewhere then you ride for the team who pick you. If you don’t like it, don’t enter the draft.  

 

You’re being harsh here. The whole idea is to give young British riders a helping hand to make their way up the speedway ladder. It’s not as black and white as you’re making out. Jenkins has been mentioned so let’s use him as an example. He had to be careful what he said, but he all but admitted Birmingham approached him but he wanted to stay with Ipswich in the main due to local sponsorship he’d acquired there. 
 

Ipswich were realistically never going to sign him in their 1-6, so rising star it had to be. So you’re saying, that he should have had no say in where he went, gave up the sponsorship he’d have got at Ipswich, and either accepted Birmingham’s offer or missed out completely? How is that helping the young British riders? Extremely harsh. All the rising star’s should have been left to negotiate with whoever they wanted.

It wasn’t a bad idea in theory, but poorly executed and if the rising star system is kept then the priority “picks” part of it needs to be removed. 

Edit: Found the article in question 

https://ipswichwitches.co/2025-signing-jordan-jenkins/
 

“It’s probably been the most stressful two months of my career. I’ve always been in a fortunate position where I’ve had a club to go to no matter what but after riding for Ipswich last year I wanted to be back and made no secret of that. Before the season was finished, I was injured and was speaking to Chris (Louis) and Ritchie (Hawkins) about how much I wanted to be back, but it wasn’t confirmed that I would be eligible to be a Rising Star, so it was a bit up in the air. Chris and Ritchie will be glad to get it done as I have been hounding them every week for the past two months! It shows what a good club Ipswich are.

“With the draft system and the way it is, it means Birmingham had first pick. When a club and a rider want to work together, and you have developed a fan base and sponsors in and around that club I don’t think it should be able to be dictated that way. But that’s all ifs and buts, I’m at Ipswich now and I couldn’t be happier.”

Edited 2 hours ago by Arch Stanton

[Ben91]

9 minutes ago, Arch Stanton said:

You’re being harsh here. The whole idea is to give young British riders a helping hand to make their way up the speedway ladder. It’s not as black and white as you’re making out. Jenkins has been mentioned so let’s use him as an example. He had to be careful what he said, but he all but admitted Birmingham approached him but he wanted to stay with Ipswich in the main due to local sponsorship he’d acquired there. 
 

Ipswich were realistically never going to sign him in their 1-6, so rising star it had to be. So you’re saying, that he should have had no say in where he went, gave up the sponsorship he’d have got at Ipswich, and either accepted Birmingham’s offer or missed out completely? How is that helping the young British riders? Extremely harsh. All the rising star’s should have been left to negotiate with whoever they wanted.

It wasn’t a bad idea in theory, but poorly executed and if the rising star system is kept then the priority “picks” part of it needs to be removed. 

Edit: Found the article in question 

https://ipswichwitches.co/2025-signing-jordan-jenkins/
 

 

“It’s probably been the most stressful two months of my career. I’ve always been in a fortunate position where I’ve had a club to go to no matter what but after riding for Ipswich last year I wanted to be back and made no secret of that. Before the season was finished, I was injured and was speaking to Chris (Louis) and Ritchie (Hawkins) about how much I wanted to be back, but it wasn’t confirmed that I would be eligible to be a Rising Star, so it was a bit up in the air. Chris and Ritchie will be glad to get it done as I have been hounding them every week for the past two months! It shows what a good club Ipswich are.

“With the draft system and the way it is, it means Birmingham had first pick. When a club and a rider want to work together, and you have developed a fan base and sponsors in and around that club I don’t think it should be able to be dictated that way. But that’s all ifs and buts, I’m at Ipswich now and I couldn’t be happier.”

It isn’t harsh. Professional sports enforce their rules regardless of whether someone is inconvenienced or not.

[2ndbend]

On 10/17/2025 at 10:01 AM, PersonalResponsibility said:

Not sure if it's a typo, but it's driving me mad on a boring Friday workday: who's Thomas M?

Tobiasz Musielak