What will 2026 UK speedway bring?

[TTT]

All could've been resolved this week by announcing One Big League in 2026 if the higher ups didn't jump the gun by giving CHAMP clubs the green light to sign 1-7's within a 40.00 Limit that only contained One Rider Over 8.00.

All UK clubs should've been put on notice in advance to not make any signings or plans for 2026 until the future structure of British Speedway was a 100% certainty.

A mess has now become an even bigger mess.

[IainB]

54 minutes ago, Tinker said:

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.

You would have hopped that they would have had some kind of contingency plan to immediately switch to in the likely event that the TV contract was not going to be renewed. 

[Mick Bratley]

4 hours ago, shippy22 said:

Would Peterborough running from King's Lynn be viable?

 

That ain’t never going to happen.

[TigerIain]

1 hour ago, Tinker said:

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

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

Etc etc.

Don't knock fixture repetition too much, Glasgow hosting Edinburgh for the 5th time last season was an absolute cracker of a match. Lots of passing, close races, crashes, breakdowns, riders unexpectedly popping up with great rides (and the odd unexpectedly duff one), a last heat decider and some dodgy refereeing (the ref accidently leant on the ref lights button halfway through a race). Best meeting I've seen in the 40 years that I've been going to speedway

[Tinker]

34 minutes ago, TigerIain said:

Don't knock fixture repetition too much, Glasgow hosting Edinburgh for the 5th time last season was an absolute cracker of a match. Lots of passing, close races, crashes, breakdowns, riders unexpectedly popping up with great rides (and the odd unexpectedly duff one), a last heat decider and some dodgy refereeing (the ref accidently leant on the ref lights button halfway through a race). Best meeting I've seen in the 40 years that I've been going to speedway

Yes, I know what you're saying but Glasgow v Edinburgh is a local derby where away fans will travel in numbers to create that "special" atmosphere. I probably watched the match you're referring to on BSN and it certainly was a cracker.

I only used BV v KL as an example. A Monday night meeting and I can't see KL bringing many fans (if any) to either Match 1, 2 or 3 plus the KO Cup if they were drawn together! I'm basically crying out for some variation and I personally don't care what standard of riders we have as long as they are evenly matched with close racing.

[TTT]

What should happen instead of praying on long shots like Northampton and Wolverhampton acutally coming off.

Belle Vue, Ipswich, King's Lynn and Leicester bosses should all apply maximum pressure by threatening to sell up along with Sheffield unless a PREM takes place with 6 or more Teams.

Everyone knows British Speedway can't run the risk of losing 5 Clubs all in one go so it'll force the hand and the only option they'll be left with is to make some very unpopular decisions that won't go down well with certain CHAMP Clubs.

[dellbob]

British speedway is in a sorry state 

[therefused]

12 minutes ago, TTT said:

Everyone knows British Speedway can't run the risk of losing 5 Clubs all in one go 

exactly which is why no one would take it seriously. I think its time to admit the illusion of a top league has failed and to cut their cloth accordingly and drop to one big league with less riders per team. 

[TTT]

26 minutes ago, therefused said:

exactly which is why no one would take it seriously. I think its time to admit the illusion of a top league has failed and to cut their cloth accordingly and drop to one big league with less riders per team. 

Who does One Big League benefit though?

Riders don't want it, PREM Clubs don't want it and CHAMP Clubs will have to stump up extra cash as rider demands will be Double than what CHAMP Clubs are currently paying.

Edited 7 hours ago by TTT

[poole keith]

57 minutes ago, TTT said:

What should happen instead of praying on long shots like Northampton and Wolverhampton acutally coming off.

Belle Vue, Ipswich, King's Lynn and Leicester bosses should all apply maximum pressure by threatening to sell up along with Sheffield unless a PREM takes place with 6 or more Teams.

Everyone knows British Speedway can't run the risk of losing 5 Clubs all in one go so it'll force the hand and the only option they'll be left with is to make some very unpopular decisions that won't go down well with certain CHAMP Clubs.

TTT this and almost all your other posts assume that prem Clubs have some cards to play, they really don't, they're almost in a beggers can't be choosers position.If belle vue/ipswich owners/promoters decide they'd rather sell then so be it

[1 valve]

5 hours 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.

Although plausible, if Leicester for one did join the Championship & presuming they would need to race on nights other than Monday & Thursday even just for away meetings, they would have to find replacements for Fricke, Douglas & Becker and hope that Howarth, Masters, Kemp & Thompson agree to give up there plans to race for other championship clubs in favour of the Lions - which if of course they did would put other clubs plans in disarray.  
Throw in , Ipswich, Kings Lynn, Belle Vue & Sheffield thing to do likewise and we are left with complete & utter carnage for 2026. 
This is why nothing like one league will work in the UK unless there is universal agreement by the promoters to run one with no more the eight or nine clubs and the others running junior and individual meetings.  

[dontforgetthefueltapsbruv]

4 minutes ago, 1 valve said:

Although plausible, if Leicester for one did join the Championship & presuming they would need to race on nights other than Monday & Thursday even just for away meetings, they would have to find replacements for Fricke, Douglas & Becker and hope that Howarth, Masters, Kemp & Thompson agree to give up there plans to race for other championship clubs in favour of the Lions - which if of course they did would put other clubs plans in disarray.  
Throw in , Ipswich, Kings Lynn, Belle Vue & Sheffield thing to do likewise and we are left with complete & utter carnage for 2026. 
This is why nothing like one league will work in the UK unless there is universal agreement by the promoters to run one with no more the eight or nine clubs and the others running junior and individual meetings.  

To have one league would surely need all clubs to accept running on the basis of Monday/Thursday if it was to have any chance of attracting enough riders

[1 valve]

1 hour ago, TTT said:

What should happen instead of praying on long shots like Northampton and Wolverhampton acutally coming off.

Belle Vue, Ipswich, King's Lynn and Leicester bosses should all apply maximum pressure by threatening to sell up along with Sheffield unless a PREM takes place with 6 or more Teams.

Everyone knows British Speedway can't run the risk of losing 5 Clubs all in one go so it'll force the hand and the only option they'll be left with is to make some very unpopular decisions that won't go down well with certain CHAMP Clubs.

The top clubs applying pressure is clearly required. Threatening to close (their business) is not a wise ultimatum to bring to the table. 
Strong negotiating is the way forward using robust and deliverable plans for the future as an incentive for everybody to willingly come on board. 
And that’s where I hope something is in the offering, if not for 2026 then for 2027 and beyond. 

[1 valve]

4 minutes ago, dontforgetthefueltapsbruv said:

To have one league would surely need all clubs to accept running on the basis of Monday/Thursday if it was to have any chance of attracting enough riders

Indeed it would, yet some have already indicated their opposition to the concept .

Edited 6 hours ago by 1 valve

[TTT]

Say we do go down the one Big League route, It's not going to be all rosey like most fans think.

It will throw up some serious issues that are currently being swept under the carpet.

 

1.

Rider demands will be doubled so Championship clubs will have to spend double the amount of money that they currently spend on the HL D/UP's

CHAMP Clubs don't want to run in the PREM because of the extra costs but the extra financial costs will land on their doorstep anyway if they want to keep hold of Richard Lawson, Chris Harris and co. in 1 Big League.

2.

The One Rider Over 8.00 Rule for Championship Clubs in 2026 was being bought in to level the League out.

How's that going to work out with 14 Teams instead of 9? When we won't even have 14 No.1's to pick from? It'll just result in an unbalanced League with some severly weakend Teams.

3.

High probability of riders retiring once they have to get regular jobs outside of Speedway, Will they run the risk of getting injured as part of a hobby that could have consequences when it comes to a regular paying job outside of Speedway?

[THE DEAN MACHINE]

2 hours ago, TTT said:

What should happen instead of praying on long shots like Northampton and Wolverhampton acutally coming off.

 

Where has all this Wolverhampton talk come from ? Wolves ain’t coming back anytime soon and even if it did it wouldn’t be under CVS 

[TTT]

Just now, THE DEAN MACHINE said:

Where has all this Wolverhampton talk come from ? Wolves ain’t coming back anytime soon and even if it did it wouldn’t be under CVS 

It was a rumour on here, Either way it's just a pipe dream that's got no chance of happening imo.

[ouch]

Could someone with time on their hands put up the teams and (guessed at) riders for each team so we can see where we are at in terms of riders for each club?

[TTT]

49 minutes ago, dontforgetthefueltapsbruv said:

To have one league would surely need all clubs to accept running on the basis of Monday/Thursday if it was to have any chance of attracting enough riders

The Ford's won't give up Wednesday's.

[Bagpuss]

4 hours ago, IainB said:

You would have hopped that they would have had some kind of contingency plan to immediately switch to in the likely event that the TV contract was not going to be renewed. 

Stop rabbiting on 🐇