What will 2026 UK speedway bring?

[mikebv]

8 hours ago, Sir Sidney said:

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

Glasgow....

To You, To Me, To Me, To You. Etc, etc etc...

The seemingly unpalatable truth for some is that the level of the Premiership is clearly, and undeniably, untenable in the UK, for enough teams to make it viable and credible...

A dead horse that some still seem to want to keep flogging..

As was shown last season, seven is two too many given the lack of riders of the level needed, and the cost of them, with the team in fifth being no real challenge for the top four..

Running with five or six teams makes little difference anyway to running with four teams when it comes to credibility and variety of clubs visiting..

Listening to the arguments for a Premiership is like listening to the Dead Parrot sketch in Month Python... 

"This league is no more. It has ceased to be. It has expired and gone to meet it's maker!"...

Time to move on with "something else"...

As. Whatever it may be, it has to be better than a non competitive top tier with so few teams...

(Once Again)...

Edited 10 hours ago by mikebv

[RS50]

7 hours ago, THE DEAN MACHINE said:

D a 6th team not mentioned brought back ?

Ok so who would this be?

I'm not in the know, but could only realistically think that maybe Wolverhampton. Could the stadium owners decide they want the rent etc from speedway?

Also to get the top league up to 6 teams, would need Sheffield to be confirmed as a starter.

Not heard anything definite on this.

[Aries]

10 minutes ago, RS50 said:

Ok so who would this be?

I'm not in the know, but could only realistically think that maybe Wolverhampton. Could the stadium owners decide they want the rent etc from speedway?

Also to get the top league up to 6 teams, would need Sheffield to be confirmed as a starter.

Not heard anything definite on this.

Today’s Star says they’ll be represented at the AGM in January with the intention to run in any scenario. No sale yet, but plenty of interest.

They’ve lost Tru7 as a backer though which obviously isn’t helpful so fingers crossed they can get another suitable sponsor on board to replace them.

Edited 10 hours ago by Aries

[TTT]

One Big League isn't possible in 2026 without causing havoc due to those that run our Sport when jumping the gun by setting CHAMP Rules for 2026 at last year's AGM.

 

Just for example, Let's say the following.

Masters has signed 2 Contracts, 1 with Leicester and the other with Oxford.

Harris has signed 2 Contracts, 1 with King's Lynn and the other with Glasgow.

D. Thompson has signed 2 Contracts, 1 with Leicester and 1 with Edinburgh.

King has signed 2 Contracts, 1 with Ipswich and 1 with Plymouth

 

The infighting will then begin as both the PREM & CHAMP Team will be adamant about not losing their Rider as they already have signed and valid contracts for 2026.

The signed Riders will then demand much more money to cover the loss of income when it comes to a PREM place and bidding wars will then commence.

Once the bidding wars are over, Said Riders will then have to be in breach of contract when breaking off the contract with one of their Clubs to ride for their other Club that offered the most money.

This will then leave Clubs who've lost key Riders causing a major issue as they won't be able to replace them and their entire planing for 2026 would be thrown out of the window.

How many Clubs will refuse to run then knowing they've got a 0% chance of putting out a Team that is anywhere close to a satisfactory standard?

 

That is the key reason as to why the PREM has to exist for 1 More Year and then One Big League can start from 2027.

Current PREM Teams aren't happy to go with a 5 Team PREM so another Team has to be found as it's the only solution.

If it's not possible for example let's say Coventry, Northampton, Peterborough, Wolverhampton etc. to become that 6th PREM Team then the only other option is to get a CHAMP Team to fill that void for 1 Year.

 

Also Danny Ford has stated that Poole have 6 Riders for 2026, Rob Godfrey has said he's got all 7 Riders for 2026 and Redcar have confirmed that they're announcing the full 1-7 at the yearly Christmas event and that's just what we know of as well as a few confirmed signings.

Higher Ups Voiding CHAMP Contracts across the board and throwing Clubs entire 2026 Plans out of the window is also going to cause a lot of infighting that'll see a lot of backlash across the board so that is also NOT an option that can be explored.

Edited 8 hours ago by TTT

[SteveLyric2]

Just a thought.... Could/Would any of the current Prem clubs run a 2nd team in the Prem?

[arnieg]

8 hours ago, TTT said:

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 problem with ultimatums is that if you are in the weaker position they are likely to be ignored - as history teaches us.

Let me take you back to 1963/4 when the National League desperately needed a 7th team. The SCB instructed Provincial League champions to move up. Wolves said no and the PL ended up running a pirate operation in 1964.

In 1964 West Ham saved the day, in 2026 it was supposed to be Northampton ....

[StarBoy]

31 minutes ago, SteveLyric2 said:

Just a thought.... Could/Would any of the current Prem clubs run a 2nd team in the Prem?

Assuming you meant could any Champ teams run a 2nd team in the prem? The only financially realistic teams for that would be Glasgow and Poole. Poole would almost certainly decline after refusing to enter the Prem KO Cup in 2025, so only leaves Glasgow…

[shippy22]

Would Peterborough running from King's Lynn be viable?

 

[szkocjasid]

If 2 leagues are needed for 2026, why not just run to Championship level leagues?

Have a strong league 50 points limit and a weak league 36 points limit?

Use Champ averages. Teams like Glasgow & Poole may prefer to be in a "strong" Champ? Any clubs thinking of moving up (Mildenhall) or new clubs, may find the weaker champ more affordable.

Not ideal, but a way for British Speedway to survive?

[TTT]

Will UK Speedway even take place in 2026 if Sheffield don't come to tapes and nothing happens on the Wolverhampton front?

CHAMPIONSHIP Clubs won't tolerate 1-7's been ripped up and a full U-Turn in League Structure that leaves them chasing shadows imo.

[noaksey]

There was an interesting rumour a few weeks ago regarding Monmore and the owners of a current speedway club but I've not heard anything on that of late 

[SteveLyric2]

1 hour ago, StarBoy said:

Assuming you meant could any Champ teams run a 2nd team in the prem? The only financially realistic teams for that would be Glasgow and Poole. Poole would almost certainly decline after refusing to enter the Prem KO Cup in 2025, so only leaves Glasgow…

No I didn't mean Championship clubs running a Prem league club as well!! I meant any of the current Prem clubs running a second Prem team eg. Belle Vue Aces and BV 'Kings'? Kings Lynn Stars and KL 'Planets'? Etc etc.

[THE DEAN MACHINE]

So the bspl don’t tell the public the AGM isn’t happening till January until after it was supposed to happen yesterday even though through gossip we knew anyway, the contempt for the fans is off the scale with these people,over the last few month or so the governing body have really shown their colours, they don’t answer the phone, they don’t reply to emails and they don’t give support to clubs trying to come back or start up,they don’t turn up to the speedway show on Saturday even though it is literally peanuts to have a stand,I’m holding back here I could say more but I don’t hold up much hope for the future of my sport and yes every one of us own this great sport 🤢

Edited 5 hours ago by THE DEAN MACHINE

[YeOldPitGate]

49 minutes ago, noaksey said:

There was an interesting rumour a few weeks ago regarding Monmore and the owners of a current speedway club but I've not heard anything on that of late 

Come on Noaksey give us a few more hints ? lol

[Pitch]

1 hour ago, TTT said:

Will UK Speedway even take place in 2026 if Sheffield don't come to tapes and nothing happens on the Wolverhampton front?

CHAMPIONSHIP Clubs won't tolerate 1-7's been ripped up and a full U-Turn in League Structure that leaves them chasing shadows imo.

I would imagine that the championship could take place in 2026, with no bother. They might even get a couple of extra clubs like Leicester and Kings Lyn  join the ranks.

[YeOldPitGate]

2 hours ago, shippy22 said:

Would Peterborough running from King's Lynn be viable?

 

Again huge risk it would most likely have to be midweek and Peterborough to Lynn is roughly an hour each way without traffic hold up's , plus loads of boro fans not happy with Buster due to how it all ended at Peterborough, I can't realistically see more than 300-400 people turning up best case so whoever took it is most likely looking at six figure loss .

[Tinker]

The top brass don't seem to have any long term plan and go from one mess to another. We were told that some major changes were happening next year and that the AGM was only going to be a case of finalising everything. But look where we are now!

They should have foreseen what was happening and definitive plans should have been put in place months if not a year ago. Essentially, scrap the two league system and run one league. If that league mirrors the Championship more than the Premiership then so be it. Still entertaining racing to be had with more variety of teams and riders. If things had been thought out properly I'm sure they could come up with 14 or so balanced teams.

It's all been said before but a 5 team Premiership is totally unviable, teams meeting each other at least 6 times over a season just will not work. Quite frankly it's laughable. 

Belle Vue v Kings Lynn for the third time ....  no thanks!

Belle Vue v Glasgow for the first time .... yes please!  

Etc etc.

[TTT]

45 minutes ago, Pitch said:

I would imagine that the championship could take place in 2026, with no bother. They might even get a couple of extra clubs like Leicester and Kings Lyn  join the ranks.

What happens for example if Belle Vue and Ipswich join the ranks too and the following happens?

Belle Vue and Ipswich to Redcar -> We're having Jake Mulford and Jordan Jenkins and that's final because we're going to give them better deals than the ones they've already signed with you.

Riders will have to maximise earnings due to them losing out on a Team place in the UK so Redcar will be hung out to dry by everyone as the signed 1-7 will go up in smoke.

Plenty more situations like that will unfold as well due to incompetence by those who run out Sport when they jumped the gun at last year's AGM in regards to CHAMP Regulations for 2026.

Edited 5 hours ago by TTT

[YeOldPitGate]

Sadly as many on here have said this has been coming since I went in the mid 80's to early 90's with the gradual drop off of clubs, more competition these days for your pound than in 1985, Poland taking over as the main speedway hotbed, ageing fanbase also now catching up.

Its taken a lot longer than I thought to arrive here and I'm not really sure how things can continue other than some other team being given a six figure sum to come up for maybe one season to get six teams for the Prem league to limp on for one more year.

Even the above is difficult to see given most teams losing money and rumors of no tv deal to pay for the number one's, the arguments about a lot of riders probably leaving if no doubling up available also has merit so no easy fixes.

I think the top league will be finished in 2-3 years if we had 8 Chris Louis promoters with some money to plough in we would be in a good place, i still think Buster loves speedway so keeps Lynn going but his aim is to not risk massive losses and to be fair being close to retirement you can't blame him.

It could be in 3-4 years team speedway in the UK is over and it will just be various individual meetings 10-12 times a year if punters are interested.

Even on here there's only maybe 50 odd of us knocking about praying that something turns up to save this once great sport.

[noaksey]

1 hour ago, YeOldPitGate said:

Come on Noaksey give us a few more hints ? lol

It was possibly to do with a potential take over of the greyhounds at Monmore that would have potentially opened the door for speedway again at MG 

File it under very unlikely