What will 2026 UK speedway bring?

[Triple.H.]

7 minutes ago, TTT said:

Keep saying it despite nobody agreeing, Glasgow in the PREM is the only option.

If it's one big League then I wonder what will happen to CHAMP clubs already announced signings?

Ipswich and Sheffield will surely want King and Pickering back as they'll lose Emil, Doyle, Brennan and both Holder's.

 

How can they ask for them back when riders are no longer club assets ?

[Fromafar]

11 minutes ago, Triple.H. said:

How can they ask for them back when riders are no longer club assets ?

They can ask but we know the answer.

[TB1]

18 minutes ago, Triple.H. said:

How can they ask for them back when riders are no longer club assets ?

Does anyone know the definition of an 'asset' in speedway terms. As an Ipswich supporter, my god have we been lucky with the last few years. However, as a speedway fan first and foremost I would happily watch an amateur or semi pro sport if it meant we got the famous names back such as Wolves, Cradley, Coventry,Swindon, Peterborough and anyone else I apologise for not mentioning. If the sport went back to this footing and became affordable then who knows. 

[TB1]

2 hours ago, IainB said:

The people running (ruining) our sport really are quite impressive

Is Rome burning? Or Rugby in this case!

[IainB]

6 minutes ago, TB1 said:

Is Rome burning? Or Rugby in this case!

There's certainly a bit of fiddling going on!

[TigerIain]

15 minutes ago, TTT said:

Keep saying it despite nobody agreeing, Glasgow in the PREM is the only option.

If it's one big League then I wonder what will happen to CHAMP clubs already announced signings?

Ipswich and Sheffield will surely want King and Pickering back as they'll lose Emil, Doyle, Brennan and both Holder's.

 

Nobody agrees because you're wrong.

Glasgow lose enough money in the Championship, and that is on their fans preferred race night, with lots of local derbies and rivalries. None of the 5 Premier teams hold any of the appeal of a visit from Edinburgh, Berwick or Poole. Or Redcar or Workington. 1 season propping up the Premiership and the financial losses associated with that could be the end of the current promotion and no one in Glasgow wants that. 

I genuinely can't see many Glasgow fans wanting to move up a division.

One other thing, where would Glasgow, or any other 6th team, get a competitive team from? An Oxford/Birmingham select from last year would still finish miles behind the other 5 teams, and would provide little excitement. 

That's partly why the Premiership is struggling, because whenever anyone steps up the others refuse to share their riders and the new team end up as cannon fodder.

 

[IainB]

13 minutes ago, TigerIain said:

Nobody agrees because you're wrong.

Glasgow lose enough money in the Championship, and that is on their fans preferred race night, with lots of local derbies and rivalries. None of the 5 Premier teams hold any of the appeal of a visit from Edinburgh, Berwick or Poole. Or Redcar or Workington. 1 season propping up the Premiership and the financial losses associated with that could be the end of the current promotion and no one in Glasgow wants that. 

I genuinely can't see many Glasgow fans wanting to move up a division.

One other thing, where would Glasgow, or any other 6th team, get a competitive team from? An Oxford/Birmingham select from last year would still finish miles behind the other 5 teams, and would provide little excitement. 

That's partly why the Premiership is struggling, because whenever anyone steps up the others refuse to share their riders and the new team end up as cannon fodder.

 

I agree... and as a Leicester fan I'd be more than happy to see us in the CL... the PL has failed

Edited 7 hours ago by IainB

[TB1]

Much has been said about riders and promoters but what about suppliers? Engine and parts providers for example? We all know standidised equipment can lower costs but what for example happened to the Sheffield experiment a few years ago with the Honda engines? Is it possible that the current part suppliers would be operating a cartel? Or as I always say 'Turkeys never vote for Christmas'

[LisaColette]

51 minutes ago, TigerIain said:

 

That's partly why the Premiership is struggling, because whenever anyone steps up the others refuse to share their riders and the new team end up as cannon fodder.

 

And there it is in a nutshell 👆 Also without a tv deal no club in the championship is even going to consider it. 

[Teromaafan]

1 hour ago, TTT said:

Keep saying it despite nobody agreeing, Glasgow in the PREM is the only option.

If it's one big League then I wonder what will happen to CHAMP clubs already announced signings?

Ipswich and Sheffield will surely want King and Pickering back as they'll lose Emil, Doyle, Brennan and both Holder's.

 

So what do you suggest, giving Glasgow an ultimatum? If you were operating as a business (although questionable in British Speedway), you would not be interested in the suggestions of other parties interfering with your operating model for the wider scale benefit of others, particularly if it is not your livelihood. In the current (dire) state of the sport, the BSPL has to tread carefully, due to the chronic shortage of clubs and riders out there.

 

[TTT]

1 hour ago, THE DEAN MACHINE said:

And throw away their local meetings with Edinburgh, worky Berwick and even Redcar, not a chance, the current situation that the premier league finds itself in isn’t Glasgow's problem, wasn’t caused by Glasgow and won’t be fixed by Glasgow, if anything Glasgow should be asking the top teams to join them in the Championship 

Let them keep matches against Berwick and Edinburgh on the side.

Do a 3 Team Tournament between them, Ride against each other H & A Twice and whoever finishes Top wins the Cross Boarder Trophy.

If Glasgow lose money by riding PREM then PREM clubs will have to chip in and cover the costs.

[TTT]

1 hour ago, Triple.H. said:

How can they ask for them back when riders are no longer club assets ?

They'll just kick up a fuss and another storm will hit the fan.

PREM Clubs won't run a Team full of no names due to CHAMP clubs already signing up the Heat Leaders.

[Sir Sidney]

2 minutes ago, TTT said:

 

If Glasgow lose money by riding PREM then PREM clubs will have to chip in and cover the costs.

And who chips in to cover the losses of other Premiership clubs?

[TTT]

10 minutes ago, Sir Sidney said:

And who chips in to cover the losses of other Premiership clubs?

They'll just have to take it on the chin if they want a PREM League featuring more than 5 Teams.

Somebody will have to be left unhappy and the blame lies with years of failure from those that have run our Sport.

[TTT]

What is the alternative on the table?

 

A -> Multiple PREM Teams not running at all in 2026 due to a 5 Team PREM that leaves certain Promoters cheesed off.

B -> Loads of CHAMP Teams get cheesed off with a full U-Turn in League structure for 2026 after already signing multiple riders or a full 1-7 within a 40.00 Limit for CHAMP Speedway.

C -> Pray that Northampton running at Oxford with no fan base becomes an option again.

[TTT]

37 minutes ago, Teromaafan said:

So what do you suggest, giving Glasgow an ultimatum? If you were operating as a business (although questionable in British Speedway), you would not be interested in the suggestions of other parties interfering with your operating model for the wider scale benefit of others, particularly if it is not your livelihood. In the current (dire) state of the sport, the BSPL has to tread carefully, due to the chronic shortage of clubs and riders out there.

 

I just don't see any other option at this moment in time.

If a CHAMP Team doesn't step up then we could see multiple PREM Teams not running at all in 2026 and the Sport can't have a that.

Ultimatum to Glasgow -> PREM Speedway for 1 Year with Financial guarantees of any losses being covered whilst allowing them to compete in a Cross Border Trophy Tourny with Berwick and Edinburgh.

Glasgow can put together a 1-7 within CHAMP rules for the Cross Border Trophy Tourny meetings.

After 2026 sack the PREM off altogether and do One Big League in 2027 with 5 Man Teams.

[THE DEAN MACHINE]

16 minutes ago, TTT said:

What is the alternative on the table?

 

A -> Multiple PREM Teams not running at all in 2026 due to a 5 Team PREM that leaves certain Promoters cheesed off.

B -> Loads of CHAMP Teams get cheesed off with a full U-Turn in League structure for 2026 after already signing multiple riders or a full 1-7 within a 40.00 Limit for CHAMP Speedway.

C -> Pray that Northampton running at Oxford with no fan base becomes an option again.

D a 6th team not mentioned brought back ?

[TTT]

1 minute ago, THE DEAN MACHINE said:

D a 6th team not mentioned brought back ?

That would be the saviour option that pleases all parties.

What's the whisper as nothing has done the rounds on here other than Northampton running at Oxford?

[szkocjasid]

3 hours ago, TTT said:

Keep saying it despite nobody agreeing, Glasgow in the PREM is the only option.

If it's one big League then I wonder what will happen to CHAMP clubs already announced signings?

Ipswich and Sheffield will surely want King and Pickering back as they'll lose Emil, Doyle, Brennan and both Holder's.

If it's one "medium" league, then I'm sure riders would want to renegotiate their contracts. Pickering may have asked for a amount based on scoring 13 points a match. If one league is stronger, he'd likely ask for more, if one league was weaker, Scunny may want to offer less.

[TigerIain]

1 hour ago, TTT said:

Ultimatum to Glasgow -> PREM Speedway for 1 Year with Financial guarantees of any losses being covered whilst allowing them to compete in a Cross Border Trophy Tourny with Berwick and Edinburgh.

Glasgow can put together a 1-7 within CHAMP rules for the Cross Border Trophy Tourny meetings.

And if Glasgow tell them where to stick their ultimatum?

Are you REALLY going to kick Glasgow out of speedway?? And kick Chris Harris, Kyle Howarth, Leon Flint, & Luke Harrison out of the Championship? Or are they just to ride your 4 meaningless meetings? (NB I've no idea who Glasgow have signed for next year, but those 4 have all been linked to Glasgow, but I expect the first 3 to be wanted back. I'm also reckoning that most Championship teams have already signed nearly all of their 7 for 2026 so couldn't fit three newly unemployed 2026 Tigers septet into their plans). 

So Tigers prop up the Premiership for one year with Janowski or some other nae user at number 1, no second heat leader and a team full of riders not good enough for the 5 existing Premiership teams, and then go back to one big league to sign the cast offs again? That is assuming that your 1 year propping up the Premiership with a dross team getting stuffed every week with a significant drop off in the racing (entertainment) against teams we don't care about (no rivalries of any sort) doesn't kill the crowd levels to the point it becomes not financially viable to continue?

Also how is this Championship level team going to work, is at a select team from other clubs (essentially 7 guests!) are we just bringing riders out of retirement. Or are we to have 4 Premiership riders plus 3 NDL reserves? (like that very sorry lived inter league trophy from 10ish years ago)

The 2026 Premiership problems are a direct result of 4 of the remaining 5 teams hoovering up all the talent and leaving the others to rot. KL made a decent fist of it, but Oxford and Birmingham were lambs to the slaughter and consequently aren't around any more (Brummies lost their stadium but there was no talk at all of trying to relocate). That is the reason that no one wants to step up. It's not the first time it happened either, Arena Essex / Lakeside were screwed over just the same when they stepped up. 

Ideally it needs a miracle resurrection of Coventry or Swindon or Peterborough or Cradley Heath but that isn't likely, and starting a Northampton team in a different location (like Oxford) with a weak team getting stuffed every week sounds like a recipe for disaster