Is It Finally Time For One League?

[Hawk127]

55 minutes ago, cowboy cookie returns? said:

Ipswich are fortunate as the area is truly a hotbed for the sport. It’s always difficult to put a figure on there attendance levels because Foxhall is so big.

The capacity is 12000 so way above anything else in UK speedway. Last week v Belle Vue I would suggest circa 2000 were there & probably an average of 1700. 
 

One thing is for certain Jason & Emil has been a big draw myself & a few others have returned as regulars, old school friends who used to take the pee out of speedway now attend.

Louis also seems to be extremely good at attracting sponsorship, a very good business man.

Spot on and the Ipswich promotion have always worked hard to get the backing needed to track a competitive team and you never hear of a rider not getting paid. All the years that I have been going, you know that Chris and John have always put heart and soul into making the witches a success. Other promotions could learn a thing or two from them when it comes to running a club. One minor concern is if it goes one league and the product is watered down that will not sit well with Chris. Maybe Emil and Jason’s recent performances could be down to being told that next year they cannot be fitted in so why bother busting a gut. Who knows but whatever the Witches do they will always have good support because they manage to create the feel good factor.

[cowboy cookie returns?]

1 minute ago, Hawk127 said:

Spot on and the Ipswich promotion have always worked hard to get the backing needed to track a competitive team and you never hear of a rider not getting paid. All the years that I have been going, you know that Chris and John have always put heart and soul into making the witches a success. Other promotions could learn a thing or two from them when it comes to running a club. One minor concern is if it goes one league and the product is watered down that will not sit well with Chris. Maybe Emil and Jason’s recent performances could be down to being told that next year they cannot be fitted in so why bother busting a gut. Who knows but whatever the Witches do they will always have good support because they manage to create the feel good factor.

I don’t think one league would sit well with Chris. When you see how far he has brought the club from being on the verge of of selling to Buster to getting the backing & the right riders in to make it a success.

For Emil & Jason who knows what is going on. Perhaps injures have finally caught up with Jason & Emil is having engine issues. Or maybe there is some average reduction going on. If it’s one league with only one rider above 8 permitted next year Emil on a sub 8 could be a master stroke. 

[mikebv]

18 minutes ago, cowboy cookie returns? said:

I don’t think one league would sit well with Chris. When you see how far he has brought the club from being on the verge of of selling to Buster to getting the backing & the right riders in to make it a success.

For Emil & Jason who knows what is going on. Perhaps injures have finally caught up with Jason & Emil is having engine issues. Or maybe there is some average reduction going on. If it’s one league with only one rider above 8 permitted next year Emil on a sub 8 could be a master stroke. 

Next years plan will definitely be known...

(You would hope)...

With the play offs pretty much sorted (dont think they count average wise do they?), it would be an opportune time to prep for next season for those clubs...

[stevebrum]

On 7/15/2025 at 8:30 AM, SteelShoe said:

Some of the Premiership Clubs must be haemoraging money if the TV crowds are properly representative of actual attendances. With rumours about the likes of Max Fricke being on £5k plus a meeting I would say there is very little chance of Glasgow or Poole who probably have the best crowd in the UK wanting anything to do with big financial losses and who would blame them?. 

Poole have always been one of the better run clubs and financially in a decent place for years.

6 hours ago, YeOldPitGate said:

 I love seeing the top boys on tracks where they can truly display their skills but we can't afford them. 

Who’s the WE? It’s well known outsiders or sponsorship deals pay for the top boys.

 

[mikebv]

I see from the Polish threads that even the 2nd tier over there are now using Thursdays....

One this evening and one already planned for August...

Good luck with putting  "one league" together with any credibility given only Monday is the day no other country uses...

PS. Good luck also to Ben this evening..😉

[YeOldPitGate]

7 hours ago, stevebrum said:

Poole have always been one of the better run clubs and financially in a decent place for years.

Who’s the WE? It’s well known outsiders or sponsorship deals pay for the top boys.

 

Agreed and yet 90% of clubs still make losses so the point is costs along with a multiple of other things show the format isn't working a top team of only 7 clubs with one definately gone and three rumoured under threat of running in the top league speaks volumes around costs/losses.

It might well be beyond the point of no return all i'm saying 3k turning up the other week at Poole shows people will still turn up to watch a team of premier league second strings and two point men in numbers so long as that team is put out 90%.

[DaveWayne]

21 minutes ago, YeOldPitGate said:

Agreed and yet 90% of clubs still make losses so the point is costs along with a multiple of other things show the format isn't working a top team of only 7 clubs with one definately gone and three rumoured under threat of running in the top league speaks volumes around costs/losses.

As you have mentioned this twice in a short time on this thread, can you please give links to any shred of evidence that Sheffield are under threat of not running next season ?

There is definitely nothing coming from the club to suggest this, so I assume it is just an internet rumour that is now taken as gospel ?

[SaddlebowRoad]

not saying this is true but its possible for something to have some substance and not be officially announced and not a made up rumour

speedway is a small community and people talk 

[Aries]

One league isn’t happening. Forget about it.

Edited yesterday at 07:43 AM by Aries

[gjcone44]

gonna have to go 2-3 steps back before can go forward i m o. not going to improve it next year.

[Sings4Speedway]

20 hours ago, mikebv said:

In fairness...

The promoters put demands on them to have the best kit...

Which costs several thousands for two bikes minimum...

To help them win something they shockingly then devalue by using such a ludicrous operating model..

An incredible business plan..

Bring back the track spare......limit riders to one bike each in the pits plus one spare bike per team......would massively reduce costs for riders like Vinnie Foord who could only bend one bike per meeting 😁

[DaveWayne]

46 minutes ago, SaddlebowRoad said:

not saying this is true but its possible for something to have some substance and not be officially announced and not a made up rumour

speedway is a small community and people talk 

Agreed, but as far as I can gather it all stemmed from stock cars being ousted, which was for reasons which would have no effect on speedway, so I am just trying to find out if there are any other factors involved.

[stevebrum]

5 hours ago, YeOldPitGate said:

Agreed and yet 90% of clubs still make losses so the point is costs along with a multiple of other things show the format isn't working a top team of only 7 clubs with one definately gone and three rumoured under threat of running in the top league speaks volumes around costs/losses.

It might well be beyond the point of no return all i'm saying 3k turning up the other week at Poole shows people will still turn up to watch a team of premier league second strings and two point men in numbers so long as that team is put out 90%.

By running one league at a lower level isn’t going to cut costs that drastically.

Whoever rides in the heat leader role is always going to demand more money for that responsibility.

So granted it might be cheaper for an established heat leader versus someone like Emil, Doyle etc however those costs are often offset by sponsors picking up the tab of the big name.

Im sure running Speedway isn’t the lucrative product it was in the golden eras of the sport however we live in different times now.

speedway isn’t the credible far reaching sport that it used to be. Tracks aren’t closing because of lack of attendances at all. The demand for land and the long standing tie in with Greyhound stadiums is the cause of the closures. Nothing else.

speedway has failed to look after its interests as a whole for many many years and hence why we now are in the situation we are in.

promoters have for too long used self interest as their primary motivation,

Thats why you have to applaud the NSS (which many said would never happen) for what it’s achieved in more recent times and the likes of Workington reopening.

with the right backing and promotion the sport can still survive as it is. Council protection can also be vital (and there is a glimmer of hope for Coventry).

Thats why keeping 2 leagues is vital because a watered down one level league isn’t going to work and has been pointed out there isn’t enough decent standard riders without the big boys from abroad to fill all team spaces.

Let clubs run when they want, give them back some ownership.

Or maybe the top flight can have a break away league under NORA and perhaps form a smaller league and join the Polish league like Germany does. Plenty of Brits travel to Poland to watch proper high standard teams perform so it’s not too hard a task to make happen. 
UK teams could have a squad system for Polish league meetings. 

[old bob at herne bay]

Some of the replies on here make me chuckle. 

Being an old bob, I recall some of the conversations in 1963 whe nspeedway was in decline. The  then old traditional " National " League  was running with fewer and fewer sides, with a new "Provincial " league running a bunch of clubs all of whom wanted nothing to do with the "National " League. 

they all joined one big league in 1964 and rejuvenated speedway in the 60's. So to say it cannot be done - well it can.  

 

 

 

 

[YeOldPitGate]

12 hours ago, Aries said:

One league isn’t happening. Forget about it.

But with no Brum and if Oxford drop out of Prem, Poole have no interest in moving up , nor Glasgow how do you see a five team league  (at best) functioning ?

[Aries]

41 minutes ago, YeOldPitGate said:

But with no Brum and if Oxford drop out of Prem, Poole have no interest in moving up , nor Glasgow how do you see a five team league  (at best) functioning ?

Won’t be one league. 

[LisaColette]

1 hour ago, YeOldPitGate said:

But with no Brum and if Oxford drop out of Prem, Poole have no interest in moving up , nor Glasgow how do you see a five team league  (at best) functioning ?

Let them worry about their own rubbish show. Championship way more the competitive league now. We don't even know who will finish bottom anymore let alone who gets 3rd and 4th in the playoffs! 

*as if I used the word rubbish - guess we are in PG mode lol *

Edited 14 hours ago by LisaColette

[SaddlebowRoad]

37 minutes ago, LisaColette said:

Let them worry about their own rubbish show. Championship way more the competitive league now. We don't even know who will finish bottom anymore let alone who gets 3rd and 4th in the playoffs! 

*as if I used the word rubbish - guess we are in PG mode lol *

thats an awful attitude

all clubs need to work together for the good of everyone and the future 

[The White Knight]

49 minutes ago, LisaColette said:

Let them worry about their own rubbish show. Championship way more the competitive league now. We don't even know who will finish bottom anymore let alone who gets 3rd and 4th in the playoffs! 

*as if I used the word rubbish - guess we are in PG mode lol *

You made mme laugh. 🤣🤣

Hence the 'Like'.

[DSC67]

On what night would this one big league run? Because I for one would not be attending meetings on any other night than a Saturday night