What will 2026 UK speedway bring?

[Cross Roads]

If as seems likely we will have a 5 team league. Surely we must now incorporate a pairs comp in the form of a series at each track, clubs decide on there riders so if the GP guys are committed in Europe use other riders from the team, along with a British Final series. An event at each premiership track like a mini GP with the final round at Belle Vue. On a Saturday evening allowing more fans nationally to travel for the event hopefully televised....?

[IainB]

34 minutes ago, Cross Roads said:

If as seems likely we will have a 5 team league. Surely we must now incorporate a pairs comp in the form of a series at each track, clubs decide on there riders so if the GP guys are committed in Europe use other riders from the team, along with a British Final series. An event at each premiership track like a mini GP with the final round at Belle Vue. On a Saturday evening allowing more fans nationally to travel for the event hopefully televised....?

And a 5's competition (and maybe a 3's and 4's also)

... I've been trying to think what is radical and not radical in normal terms but radical in BSPL terms and I've come up with a "guest" team! Something similar to the Harlem Globe Trotters (remember them?), so a team of riders not affiliated to any of the other 5 clubs that travel around to the other teams as part of the league programme, they did something similar years ago when they went 18 heats with the "ghost" rider. 

Of course it's completely ludicrous but just the type of thing the brains at BSPL towers are likely to come up with!

[gjcone44]

well as they say in the dragons den, I'm out...

[Bagpuss]

Some interesting comments from Buster at the Lynn awards evening last night, when asked about league structures he suggested that the top division will remain but it would take a few promoters putting some money in each to make it happen. Whether that means to replace TV money or to get Northampton off the ground who knows.

[FishersGate]

If it's a 5 team league Il probably end up going just 4 home prem meetings all season and follow the junior meetings

 

[mikebv]

4 hours ago, IainB said:

And a 5's competition (and maybe a 3's and 4's also)

... I've been trying to think what is radical and not radical in normal terms but radical in BSPL terms and I've come up with a "guest" team! Something similar to the Harlem Globe Trotters (remember them?), so a team of riders not affiliated to any of the other 5 clubs that travel around to the other teams as part of the league programme, they did something similar years ago when they went 18 heats with the "ghost" rider. 

Of course it's completely ludicrous but just the type of thing the brains at BSPL towers are likely to come up with!

Who has leaked you the plan for next season?

Edited yesterday at 03:44 PM by mikebv

[YeOldPitGate]

2 hours ago, FishersGate said:

If it's a 5 team league Il probably end up going just 4 home prem meetings all season and follow the junior meetings

 

It there's no tv deal that would be my choice if only 5 teams keep the current points limit once home and away then top four into play offs and maybe run a second team in the second division would hopefully help minimise losses and people should turn up as you would only see the top men once or twice at home.

[Cross Roads]

In all honesty as with any business you have to continually promote your product and within the entertainment business with so many other options for the general public now days even more.

Not taking the p)24 but general Q does the sport have a marketing team with a strategy…. is the likes of Redknapp engaged. Year on year we all have these conversations and it seems to me little change.
Time is seriously running out in this country and a 3–5-10 year plan must be in place surely.

I’ve supported this sport from my dad taking me Blckbird Road in the late 70s then I have taken my kids but the average age in the crowds now is a worry. If Your a promoter surely you see this.  It needs independent governing body with transparency to the public.

I know people knock the poles but I go there a couple of times a year to watch the league racing Sunday afternoons party atmosphere full of kids and families. Do the British promotions engage with there counterparts over there…… End of day as in life it is about revenue and balancing the books which unfortunately the uk cannot sustain.

Come on BSPA let’s give it one final push as I believe if not within 3 seasons it may well be a amateur sport with individual events for decent price money a few times a year..

[THE DEAN MACHINE]

5 teams won’t work, surely they know this, at this rate by 2027 we will have the equivalent of the Oxford/Cambridge boat race 

[BluPanther]

20 minutes ago, THE DEAN MACHINE said:

5 teams won’t work, surely they know this, at this rate by 2027 we will have the equivalent of the Oxford/Cambridge boat race 

With Phil Morris in charge of track prep, boats wouldn't be out of place...

[Pitch]

On 10/24/2025 at 10:43 PM, mikebv said:

Home and away twice is just eight home meetings,...

With a maximum ten if you reach the play off final..

And what do you do with KO Cup as at least three teams are in the semis?

Mickey Mouse made up nonsense...

I agree with you 100% , odd that some people on hear and some clubs think keeping Emil and Co in a 5 team league is more important than having one league of 14 championship level clubs.

 

[ouch]

25 minutes ago, Pitch said:

I agree with you 100% , odd that some people on hear and some clubs think keeping Emil and Co in a 5 team league is more important than having one league of 14 championship level clubs.

 

The trouble is when you remove the big hitters all the others move up and subsequently start asking for an increase due to riding at number one and this happens throughout the new team. They don’t get Emil money but they get more than they were worth as their value has increased overnight due to supply and demand. IMO it’s not 7 or 8 top stars that are bankrupting speedway (they bring crowds in), it’s the lower order riders asking for big bucks due to trying to emulate the GP lads with increased machinery costs, vans, mechanics and tuners. Pointing the finger at 15% of your product and blaming it is a misreading of the entire league set up and it’s associated costs. 

[IainB]

2 minutes ago, ouch said:

Pointing the finger at 15% of your product and blaming it is a misreading of the entire league set up and it’s associated costs. 

That's not what Pareto's Law suggests 🤔

[Sotonian]

22 hours ago, IainB said:

And a 5's competition (and maybe a 3's and 4's also)

... I've been trying to think what is radical and not radical in normal terms but radical in BSPL terms and I've come up with a "guest" team! Something similar to the Harlem Globe Trotters (remember them?), so a team of riders not affiliated to any of the other 5 clubs that travel around to the other teams as part of the league programme, they did something similar years ago when they went 18 heats with the "ghost" rider. 

Of course it's completely ludicrous but just the type of thing the brains at BSPL towers are likely to come up with!

Just like the Southern Rovers in the SAL in 1956.

[IainB]

4 minutes ago, Sotonian said:

Just like the Southern Rovers in the SAL in 1956.

Haha, it's already been done? I should have known 😂

[mikebv]

15 hours ago, THE DEAN MACHINE said:

5 teams won’t work, surely they know this, at this rate by 2027 we will have the equivalent of the Oxford/Cambridge boat race 

With Manchester Uni guesting for one or the other...

[singy13]

17 hours ago, THE DEAN MACHINE said:

5 teams won’t work, surely they know this, at this rate by 2027 we will have the equivalent of the Oxford/Cambridge boat race 

5 teams is just so ridiculous.....but sadly it might happen..Therefore the sport will continue to go down the pan. 

But apart from a handful of fans on this forum, who can see the danger, it will as ever be down to the small majority who have the say on ruining UK speedway via their own views (big mouth promoters and riders) on why it's best to be two small divisions = total collapse.

[Phannan]

A 5 team league? Will the fans of the team who tops the other 4 seriously celebrate it as a wonderful achievement? It’s embarrassing if you think about it. What a shame its sank to this. 

[YeOldPitGate]

As we all know no easy/good answers, I've said before personally I would try to go for a top league of 8 teams once home and away at a standard slightly above championship level and the 2nd division would be 10-12 teams slightly above national development league level.

A top league of five teams just won't work unless its once home and away if its 3x3 it will be so stale, people mention adding a pairs competition but they did that a couple of years back and you had the better riders ducking out of it and again its the same old faces so pretty much a guaranteed loss.

If its true no tv deal its going to be even harder to get anything over the line, cmon Flagrag use your dulcite tones to get Sky back.

[Hawk127]

21 hours ago, THE DEAN MACHINE said:

5 teams won’t work, surely they know this, at this rate by 2027 we will have the equivalent of the Oxford/Cambridge boat race 

Agree with that and you would hope that the top table realise that. Perhaps I am missing the point but if you reduce the number of home meetings, stadium owners are still going to want a decent return on the asset or decide it is not worth leasing the stadia out to speedway if the revenue is not coming in from rent food and drink. I guess if you normally run a season of 16 meetings which is agreed under the lease and you end up running eight, the rental cost will remain the same as if it were 16 and so no real saving on that overhead. It may even go up because of the loss of the profits on food and drink. Unfortunately so many issues affecting a sport which is on its knees with no real appeal to joe public and the mainstream media having long since deserted the sinking ship. Fingers crossed someone somewhere can bring something to the table.