Is It Finally Time For One League?

[marko]

They say it can’t get any worse, with the current lot in charge, oh yes it can!

Everytime a new promoter comes into the sport with fresh ideas like Stuart Douglas did, they get pushed back by the old guard who continue to drive it into the ground.

[MattB]

2 hours ago, marko said:

They say it can’t get any worse, with the current lot in charge, oh yes it can!

Everytime a new promoter comes into the sport with fresh ideas like Stuart Douglas did, they get pushed back by the old guard who continue to drive it into the ground.

This seems to be a common trend unfortunately.  The moment anyone with anything resembling vision and foresight touches British Speedway, the small-minded promoters around close ranks and hound them out.

Its our ball.  You can't play with it.

[IainB]

8 minutes ago, MattB said:

This seems to be a common trend unfortunately.  The moment anyone with anything resembling vision and foresight touches British Speedway, the small-minded promoters around close ranks and hound them out.

Its our ball.  You can't play with it.

They're so protective and small minded, I think new promoters don't even get a vote until they've served time promoting... in case they ruin the model that has so obviously worked in the past. 

Edited 18 hours ago by IainB

[IainB]

16 hours ago, mikebv said:

What we have now is surely the very bottom, so, as the song said, the only way is up!...

Can they do it right this time and build some clear future with growth? 

Historical evidence isn't on their side, but let's hope..

To be fair it was probably at its lowest immediately post covid when the Poles imposed limitations on "their" riders, since this was relaxed and Mr Morris has been running the show I do feel as though things have improved (despite his pay off clanger). The sport has not been helped by the sudden loss of Wolverhampton and the not so sudden losses of Peterborough & Brum but I don't think these were down to operational speedway issues but stadium owners wanting to cash in on their land. The clubs that have replaced these lost clubs have really struggled to be competitive.  Whether speedway did enough to invest in its own future during the Sky years is a different question (the answer is no they didn't)

Edited 17 hours ago by IainB

[FishersGate]

Just to clear a few comments up from previous post, I want the biggest and best names in British speedway. Watching Fricke the other week in that insane heat from riding from 15metres back was something special. 

Since Leicester have moved up the premiership the crowds have reduced, not massively but enough that its noticeable.  I know not every club is like mine but nobody has given more one decent solution on how to fix the premiership. Not one. We can barely run it on 7 teams and its going to be reduced to 6 and you never know about Oxford, Sheffield etc. We need change and right now can anybody actually say that the current system works? It doesn't one bit. A 5/6 team premiership doesn't work for me and 7 is still too low. Now the premiership isn't just root cause of all British speedways problem, we can go on for pages about the issues we already have. The reason why I'm so passionate for change is that I am not even 30 yet and I'm dreading what it looks like in another 30 years time. I want to be able to take my kid to watch Leicester one day and I fear it isn't going to happen. I'm willing to make a sacrifice in quality if it meant I can still support my club for many years to come. I want every single club in British speedway to actually MAKE money, not lose it or scrap the barrel every season. 

[KevtheRev]

How are Sweden and Denmark doing?

How about an Anglo-Saxon League - 5 teams from UK, 5 from Sweden and 5 from Denmark? Better still 6 if possible, and then a local KO Cup.

Would that work?

[FishersGate]

On 7/19/2025 at 8:29 AM, Aries said:

And yet the biggest cheer of the season apparently was when your GP star Fricke came from 15 metres to win on the line in spectacular fashion. I’m sorry but you ain’t getting that kind of star quality from the Thompson’s or even Ryan Douglas. 
 

How people are happy to see these riders depart is beyond me. 
 

Like I said, its not about quality of riders for me. I wouldn't be happy seeing great riders go but if it meant the future of speedway is more secure then so be it. I'm sure when Poole lifted the championship title last season they weren't thinking about the quality riders. 

[gjcone44]

you could say that sponsorship of some clubs is basically charity

[IainB]

19 hours ago, IainB said:

Heat 7, no super stars, no passing, brilliant Speedway... just saying

 

48 minutes ago, FishersGate said:

Like I said, its not about quality of riders for me. I wouldn't be happy seeing great riders go but if it meant the future of speedway is more secure then so be it. I'm sure when Poole lifted the championship title last season they weren't thinking about the quality riders. 

Heat 07: Hook, Zischke, Mountain, D.Kennedy 5-1 28-14 58.29
Line Up: Zischke, Hook, D. Kennedy, Mountain
Comments: From Gate. Great team riding by Zischke to stop Mountain

[gjcone44]

some good races even though big win, gonna try get up there next couple of weeks

[Diamonds85]

I really don't understand the mindset of we have to have the big names... no we don't. We need races with riders of equal standard against eachother.

I'd rather watch a race of dan Thompson, danyon hume, Connor Mountain and Jordan Jenkins (first 4 riders of semi equal ability that came into my head)

As opposed to Max Fricke, Jason Doyle, Jake Mulford and Joe Thompson.

With all due respect to Jake and Joe... the first race is going to be much closer and much more entertaining than watching Max and Jason half a lap ahead of two others...

[RS50]

3 hours ago, KevtheRev said:

How are Sweden and Denmark doing?

How about an Anglo-Saxon League - 5 teams from UK, 5 from Sweden and 5 from Denmark? Better still 6 if possible, and then a local KO Cup.

Would that work?

I believe something similar was proposed a few years ago, more like a cup competition than a league. Also included Poland. Never happened though.

[ouch]

2 hours ago, Diamonds85 said:

I really don't understand the mindset of we have to have the big names... no we don't. We need races with riders of equal standard against eachother.

I'd rather watch a race of dan Thompson, danyon hume, Connor Mountain and Jordan Jenkins (first 4 riders of semi equal ability that came into my head)

As opposed to Max Fricke, Jason Doyle, Jake Mulford and Joe Thompson.

With all due respect to Jake and Joe... the first race is going to be much closer and much more entertaining than watching Max and Jason half a lap ahead of two others...

What you have described happens once in heat 4, other heats have riders of a similar calibre more often than not. We run an RS system to promote British rider development so we will have one or two heats where the standard might seem great. Would it be best to drop the scheme?

 

[Diamonds85]

2 hours ago, ouch said:

What you have described happens once in heat 4, other heats have riders of a similar calibre more often than not. We run an RS system to promote British rider development so we will have one or two heats where the standard might seem great. Would it be best to drop the scheme?

 

Nah not drop the scheme at all. But the RS should never come up against an oppositions number 1 or 5 really. I actually think somehow developing a race format that allows 2 RS riders would be better. With a slightly loosened rule set for the number 6 RS. With riders who could still develop even at an older age being considered, such as connor mountain. However they should only really come up against the other teams reserves and second strings where they stand more of a chance.

I stopped going to the speedway years ago now because I was sick of seeing spread out races. Times might have changed now I dunno.

I do miss it sometimes because there's been some brilliant memories, but the sport in the country just has a sombre feeling about it that I don't feel in Poland, Sweden or Denmark and I just can't put my finger on what it is.

[Teromaafan]

4 hours ago, Diamonds85 said:

I really don't understand the mindset of we have to have the big names... no we don't. We need races with riders of equal standard against eachother.

I'd rather watch a race of dan Thompson, danyon hume, Connor Mountain and Jordan Jenkins (first 4 riders of semi equal ability that came into my head)

As opposed to Max Fricke, Jason Doyle, Jake Mulford and Joe Thompson.

With all due respect to Jake and Joe... the first race is going to be much closer and much more entertaining than watching Max and Jason half a lap ahead of two others...

Totally agree. So if a league restructure results in GP level riders deserting the UK, crowd levels will be impacted? The sport in the UK is already on its arse and will continually be propped up (although for how much longer I don’t know) by a loyal aging population who will be there most weeks accepting whatever crap is served up. This last couple of seasons there has been a decent representation of GP (or similar level) racing in the UK. Crowds haven’t exactly been flocking back have they? The sport has to be targeting new people and the ‘ yeah, I used to go to speedway, do so and so still have a team?’ brigade. There are people out there that could be tempted to visit a track through decent marketing (yawn, here we go again) that couldn’t name a current GP rider and would be quite contempt if they saw decent racing with riders of similar ability. They would soon adopt their own rider favourites that represented their own team and probably wouldn’t care less about riders that they don’t get to see. Team sports generally have a tribal appeal to the working class. Speedway is (should be) a working class sport. 

 

[szkocjasid]

3 hours ago, Diamonds85 said:

Nah not drop the scheme at all. But the RS should never come up against an oppositions number 1 or 5 really. I actually think somehow developing a race format that allows 2 RS riders would be better. With a slightly loosened rule set for the number 6 RS. With riders who could still develop even at an older age being considered, such as connor mountain. However they should only really come up against the other teams reserves and second strings where they stand more of a chance.

I stopped going to the speedway years ago now because I was sick of seeing spread out races. Times might have changed now I dunno.

I do miss it sometimes because there's been some brilliant memories, but the sport in the country just has a sombre feeling about it that I don't feel in Poland, Sweden or Denmark and I just can't put my finger on what it is.

The old Elite League fast track format was like that.

I thought it was a really good format, heat leaders meet more often, reserves meet more often, should mean closer racing, which is beneficial to the fans & help develop the riders too.