What will 2026 UK speedway bring?

[Lionsman66]

Can the premiership survive? Time will tell , but with 5 teams ( allegedly) I don't see that It can be feasible 

Edited yesterday at 12:09 PM by Lionsman66

[noaksey]

2 minutes ago, Lionsman66 said:

Can the premiership survive? Time will tell , but with 5 teams ( allegedly) I don't see that It can be feasible 

If you take Oxford's statement at face value then there's an "exciting new era" for British Speedway about to kick off

That most certainly won't be a continuation of the existing set up whichever way it might try to be dressed up

[BTFC LION]

Just read the Oxford statement,  it says only running 2 teams next season, but it doesn't say in which league the cheetahs will be in, ?

[LisaColette]

45 minutes ago, BTFC LION said:

Just read the Oxford statement,  it says only running 2 teams next season, but it doesn't say in which league the cheetahs will be in, ?

I think they don't say because they also massively hint at prem and Champ merging, so prob might not be called championship or premiership but something else next year? 

[noaksey]

1 minute ago, LisaColette said:

I think they don't say because they also massively hint at prem and Champ merging, so prob might not be called championship or premiership but something else next year? 

Presumably they can't prempt an official statement from the BSPL either..

[PhilTheAce]

maybe the exciting new times is there will be an even better top league with a even bigger TV deal and sponsor money so the premiership can form an even bigger and better premiership with less double uppers and oxford want part of that but with the OG name cheetahs 

[PersonalResponsibility]

11 minutes ago, PhilTheAce said:

maybe the exciting new times is there will be an even better top league with a even bigger TV deal and sponsor money so the premiership can form an even bigger and better premiership with less double uppers and oxford want part of that but with the OG name cheetahs 

Which would be great news, but why did they mention the "growing speculation" about the leagues merging in their statement? Strange thing for an official statement to mention IMO.

[mikebv]

One "top league" with some rider control to ensure all competitive, (and guest free)...

(Five riders per team if that is the only way of delivering it)

And sell that to the wider media...

And one "2nd tier" for those who cannot keep paying out money that they cannot sustain, but can be very, very useful in developing a conveyor belt of talent, whilst putting on an entertaining. night out for their punters, on a night their punters want to attend ..

(In the 2nd tier using all the current make it up as you go along rules if needs be)..

Sharing around the likes of Kurtz, Bewley, Doyle and Sayfutdinov, J and C Holder, and Max (and maybe others who wish to join in), would be a tremendous starter for ten for the top tier...

Who knows, run the "flagship top tier" with credibility, so no Mickey Mouse rules, and you may get some sponsors from outside the speedway bubble who see it as a positive to their overall business model...

Let's hope those in charge can see further than the end of their own nose....

What "is" clearly doesn't work, so let's hope and pray that the custodians of our sport can stop the current race to the bottom and innovatively grasp the opportunities that exist .

[IainB]

Call me an old cynic but "exciting new era" sounds very much like a "5 year plan" to me and look what happened to the last "new era" that WBD brought us!

I do hope I'm wrong but there has been no change in the personnel in charge and they've proven themselves over the years to be devoid of any ideas to revive the sport. 

Edited 19 hours ago by IainB

[cowboy cookie returns?]

Harry Reddknapp has secured some major financial backing to provide a 8 team top flight along the lines of Poland while the championship also benefits from a major cash injection with Mildenhall, Northampton, Eastbourne & a couple of other returning sides join the remaining 2025 championship teams making up an excellent 12 team Championship.

Or more likely the leagues are merging while admission prices are going up meaning supporters being asked to pay more for less once more. I hope I’m wrong but experience tells me not to expect to much other than shuffling the pieces & weakling the product.

Edited 20 hours ago by cowboy cookie returns?

[Ben91]

The sport in Britain is in a real mess. Whatever happens will be unpopular in some quarters. What needs to be done is what is in the best interests of the longevity and improvement of the sport here. 

As a fan all I want is to see close, competitive racing without too many delays between heats. I believe that is all most Speedway fans ultimately want too. We fell in love with the sport for the bikes on the track, not the convoluted rule book that comes with it. That’s the part that has turned a lot of fans off over the years.