What will 2026 UK speedway bring?

[SteveLyric2]

1 hour ago, THE DEAN MACHINE said:

Then I urge all the promoters do what’s best for their business and come march no fans turn up anywhere at any track and see how that business works, the fans are number 1. My business which is as successful as I want it to be is so because I see what the customer requires and I deliver that service and they all require different service,customers are the be all and end all of any business, without them you don’t have a business 

Yes but none of that is directly relevant to when the AGM is held! The outcomes are, but not the date of the agm.

Edited 20 hours ago by SteveLyric2

[Arthur54]

And still not one rider signed for a premiership team yet, unlike the championship 

[castrolargh]

8 hours ago, Arthur54 said:

And still not one rider signed for a premiership team yet, unlike the championship 

Perhaps they are getting signed just in case there is a u turn from what is expected, and there is only 1 senior league? Only need to look at Coventry and Peterborough in 2011 i think it was, they got shafted at the agm after pre agm plans were changed  

[1 valve]

13 hours ago, Arthur54 said:

And still not one rider signed for a premiership team yet, unlike the championship 

 Scunthorpe announced on their website that not only have they signed Josh Pickering for next season, they will also be competing in the Championship...... Does this mean we can stop wasting time contemplating "one big league"
BTY, in another topic on this website, its been revealed that Dan Thompson will be riding for Leicester next year apparently brought about by a good sized sponsorship deal for him. Ok I appreciate that this is not a formal announcement but does appear to sow the seeds that Lions will be riding in a top flight division given Dans possible continuation with Glasgow or if not, with other fixtures on the continent.

Think this look like meaning two leagues for 2026 with doubling up to make it possible....?

[mikebv]

2 minutes ago, 1 valve said:

 Scunthorpe announced on their website that not only have they signed Josh Pickering for next season, they will also be competing in the Championship...... Does this mean we can stop wasting time contemplating "one big league"
BTY, in another topic on this website, its been revealed that Dan Thompson will be riding for Leicester next year apparently brought about by a good sized sponsorship deal for him. Ok I appreciate that this is not a formal announcement but does appear to sow the seeds that Lions will be riding in a top flight division given Dans possible continuation with Glasgow or if not, with other fixtures on the continent.

Think this look like meaning two leagues for 2026 with doubling up to make it possible....?

Mark Lemon in the Speedway Star article seemed quite adamant there would be three leagues..

Regardless of TV deal or not, and track numbers...

He talked about "ideal" numbers but it did appear that if they had to go with five, and no TV contract, then they would...

Home and Away three times I presume, with three teams getting a bye to the KO Cup semis, with two holding a "quarter final"...?

Without that "top league" the 30+ riders who DU'd last year could be seriously out of pocket...

With many losing their highest income stream..

Who will have to fill that black hole in their finances? Their ONE club?

 

 

[THE DEAN MACHINE]

15 minutes ago, mikebv said:

Mark Lemon in the Speedway Star article seemed quite adamant there would be three leagues..

Regardless of TV deal or not, and track numbers...

He talked about "ideal" numbers but it did appear that if they had to go with five, and no TV contract, then they would...

Home and Away three times I presume, with three teams getting a bye to the KO Cup semis, with two holding a "quarter final"...?

Without that "top league" the 30+ riders who DU'd last year could be seriously out of pocket...

With many losing their highest income stream..

Who will have to fill that black hole in their finances? Their ONE club?

 

 

And right there is the bspl arrogance, 5 teams is a joke,supporters don’t want it, just go one league, I’m convinced we are at rock bottom but the bspl keep coming back to show there is still further we can fall, I’m also convinced the bspl is broke financial and what you see on their balance sheet every year is the bond for each track 

[1 valve]

17 hours ago, THE DEAN MACHINE said:

Then I urge all the promoters do what’s best for their business and come march no fans turn up anywhere at any track and see how that business works, the fans are number 1. My business which is as successful as I want it to be is so because I see what the customer requires and I deliver that service and they all require different service,customers are the be all and end all of any business, without them you don’t have a business 

Of course all trading businesses need to ensure that their customers are satisfied...No customers, no business. However the point I was making, perhaps poorly, is that the concept of saying yes to everything a customer wishes or wants, is not always possible and other considerations influence any final offering.
so, for instance,
There is no point speedway promoters saying we will race on any night of the week when the majority of stadiums are not available every night. Or saying they will get all sixteen GP riders to race every week at weekends (or any day) as that is clearly unaffordable to do so.
And as much as I am sure you actually do everything possible to meet your customers expectations, If one or more insisted, that despite reducing their annual requirement from you by 20% they wanted you to ensure twenty four hour availability i.e. open 24 hours and with a 30% price reduction you'd be pretty pushed to see any merit in meeting that expectation. 
That all said, As much as I fear the BSPA do not  (unlike you) adequately consider their customers first & foremost, they also are devoid on a plan which would guide them towards profitably growing their business, and we should all bear in mind that any business continually failing to make profit is not actually a worthwhile business but a hobby for those wishing to find and fund the associated cost.
  
 

[THE DEAN MACHINE]

1 minute ago, 1 valve said:

Of course all trading businesses need to ensure that their customers are satisfied...No customers, no business. However the point I was making, perhaps poorly, is that the concept of saying yes to everything a customer wishes or wants, is not always possible and other considerations influence any final offering.
so, for instance,
There is no point speedway promoters saying we will race on any night of the week when the majority of stadiums are not available every night. Or saying they will get all sixteen GP riders to race every week at weekends (or any day) as that is clearly unaffordable to do so.
And as much as I am sure you actually do everything possible to meet your customers expectations, If one or more insisted, that despite reducing their annual requirement from you by 20% they wanted you to ensure twenty four hour availability i.e. open 24 hours and with a 30% price reduction you'd be pretty pushed to see any merit in meeting that expectation. 
That all said, As much as I fear the BSPA do not  (unlike you) adequately consider their customers first & foremost, they also are devoid on a plan which would guide them towards profitably growing their business, and we should all bear in mind that any business continually failing to make profit is not actually a worthwhile business but a hobby for those wishing to find and fund the associated cost.
  
 

My service is 24 hours but very rarely gets used, make no mistake promoters and riders run this sport for themselves, riders more so, until the customer and credibility get put to the front of that pecking order we will fail 

[mikebv]

7 minutes ago, 1 valve said:

Of course all trading businesses need to ensure that their customers are satisfied...No customers, no business. However the point I was making, perhaps poorly, is that the concept of saying yes to everything a customer wishes or wants, is not always possible and other considerations influence any final offering.
so, for instance,
There is no point speedway promoters saying we will race on any night of the week when the majority of stadiums are not available every night. Or saying they will get all sixteen GP riders to race every week at weekends (or any day) as that is clearly unaffordable to do so.
And as much as I am sure you actually do everything possible to meet your customers expectations, If one or more insisted, that despite reducing their annual requirement from you by 20% they wanted you to ensure twenty four hour availability i.e. open 24 hours and with a 30% price reduction you'd be pretty pushed to see any merit in meeting that expectation. 
That all said, As much as I fear the BSPA do not  (unlike you) adequately consider their customers first & foremost, they also are devoid on a plan which would guide them towards profitably growing their business, and we should all bear in mind that any business continually failing to make profit is not actually a worthwhile business but a hobby for those wishing to find and fund the associated cost.
  
 

And are only ever one major benefactor away from not affording to run their business...

It's often quoted on here that the "top riders" get some, if not all, their salary paid for by key sponsors...

If ever there was something built on sand then this is it....

Sponsors money should really be some icing on the cake, not a huge part of the cake itself...

 

 

[TigerIain]

2 hours ago, 1 valve said:

 Scunthorpe announced on their website that not only have they signed Josh Pickering for next season, they will also be competing in the Championship...... Does this mean we can stop wasting time contemplating "one big league"
BTY, in another topic on this website, its been revealed that Dan Thompson will be riding for Leicester next year apparently brought about by a good sized sponsorship deal for him. Ok I appreciate that this is not a formal announcement but does appear to sow the seeds that Lions will be riding in a top flight division given Dans possible continuation with Glasgow or if not, with other fixtures on the continent.

Think this look like meaning two leagues for 2026 with doubling up to make it possible....?

Dan Thompson previously mentioned on a podcast that he needed a new Championship team for next year due to the 1 rider over 8 rule (Tigers will almost certainly have Harris back).

Scunthorpe suggested that they had signed 7 riders and Poole have said that they have signed 6 and seem to have fell out with the 7th causing a problem with replacing them. Redcar are rumoured to have all 7 in place. Plymouth have announced 2 riders who would be Champ heat leaders. 

It would be a major shock then if there wasn't 2 leagues, but if the rumour is true about the annual conference being moved to January then there could be a major shock incoming. It does seem that the Championship will be essentially as expected but could be that the Premiership is still to be decided which could be behind a potential delay to the conference? Not that we know, as us fans aren't important enough to let us know when the conference is. 

And maybe I'm not getting my season ticket for Christmas

 

[THE DEAN MACHINE]

Good to see a couple of teams will be represented at this weeks speedway show, maybe me calling them out for not doing it has pricked their conscience but then again it’s the bspl members and they are oblivious to what’s going on in the speedway world let alone what I dribble out 

[topaz325]

3 hours ago, TigerIain said:

Dan Thompson previously mentioned on a podcast that he needed a new Championship team for next year due to the 1 rider over 8 rule (Tigers will almost certainly have Harris back).

Scunthorpe suggested that they had signed 7 riders and Poole have said that they have signed 6 and seem to have fell out with the 7th causing a problem with replacing them. Redcar are rumoured to have all 7 in place. Plymouth have announced 2 riders who would be Champ heat leaders. 

It would be a major shock then if there wasn't 2 leagues, but if the rumour is true about the annual conference being moved to January then there could be a major shock incoming. It does seem that the Championship will be essentially as expected but could be that the Premiership is still to be decided which could be behind a potential delay to the conference? Not that we know, as us fans aren't important enough to let us know when the conference is. 

And maybe I'm not getting my season ticket for Christmas

 

I think we can safely say there will not be one League.