What will 2026 UK speedway bring?

[Byker Biker]

5 hours ago, mikebv said:

A few years ago, somewhere in the UK, when they had ten teams down from eleven the previous year...

"Great, one less team this year, I could maybe get some of their riders and make my team better"..

Then, the next year when they had nine, down from ten..

"Great, one less team this year, I could maybe get some of their riders and make my team better"...

Then, the next year when they had eight, down from nine..

"Great, one less team this year, I could maybe get some of their riders and make my team better"..  

Then the next year when they had seven, down from eight...

"Great, one less team this year, I could maybe get some of their riders and make my team better"..

Then the next year when they had five, down two, from seven..

"This is absolutely ridiculous, we cannot run the sport like this, something should be done about all these tracks closing, there isn't enough teams for my team to race against now. Some of the second tier teams need to come up to my  league. Some promoters are so selfish, and just look after themselves, they should all be like me, a proper team player"...

 

 

 

You forgot "and a bigger share of the TV money for me"

[therefused]

37 minutes ago, THE DEAN MACHINE said:

You’re not that stupid that I need to explain,but here goes it’s doubling up, it 2 teams in the same sport,it’s conflict of interest, it’s a joke in a team sport that this is even a thing, sport teams are supposed to be territorial,it has no credibility whatsoever to the outside world looking in on our sport, is that good enough for you ? 

I absolutely hated watching the Peterborough promotion celebrating their league win a few years ago knowing a few days later they would be at Kings Lynn with their merch on. 

[1 valve]

49 minutes ago, ouch said:

Whilst I’m not condoning the system, guests have always been with us. On Saturday 18th of May 1974 there were six top flight meetings and four of them had guests. Thousands attended those meetings as the sport was riding high in people’s consciousness and nobody seemed to bother about it. I had it in my head that we hardly used guests back then but by using the excellent Speedway Researcher website I was able to check that wasn’t true. It’s ironic that MikeBV bangs the drum the loudest about this subject when for the last 4/5 seasons his team have hardly used any guests, in fact way less than during the sports halcyon days. 

I do agree that unfortunately the guest system is and always has been a (sort of) requirement of speedway. However, it is too often used as a first option over R/R and in many cases gives the team to draft in a track specialist.  
I’d much rather see teams having to use RR in the first instance with guests allowed only if two or more riders are absent and then the guest to be used as a replacement for the rider with the lower average - RR for the highest.  

[YeOldPitGate]

5 hours ago, TTT said:

Josh Pickering saying he's going to pick Sheffield over Scunthorpe in the Speedway Star if it's One Big League.

I did tell you what would happen to CHAMPIONSHIP Clubs big hitters if One Big League was to happen.

You do have to question the intelligence of the fella to come out with that publicaly even as you say if it is a shoe in, now if a bodge is put together and their are two leagues in 2026, he's alienated pretty much every Scunthorpe fan and potential local sponsor in that area to. Talk about getting a 12 baur shotgun and deciding to aim it at your own foot at point blank.

[1 valve]

2 hours ago, THE DEAN MACHINE said:

You’re not that stupid that I need to explain,but here goes it’s doubling up, it 2 teams in the same sport,it’s conflict of interest, it’s a joke in a team sport that this is even a thing, sport teams are supposed to be territorial,it has no credibility whatsoever to the outside world looking in on our sport, is that good enough for you ? 

You are correct - I'm not stupid.
Further, I'm smart enough to recognise that there are many things wrong with UK speedway that need sorting out way ahead of the matter of a team manager "doubling up" across two entirely separate competitions. 
Although you raise "conflict of interest" within the context of damaging the credibility of the sport, there is in fact no conflict of interest given a conflict of interest exists when an individual has competing interests, which might impair their ability to make objective, unbiased decisions. - clearly that is not the case with Dickson as  his two employers are more than happy for the arrangement to continue. 

[IainB]

42 minutes ago, YeOldPitGate said:

 he's alienated pretty much every Scunthorpe fan

No more than they deserve 😉😂

[1 valve]

6 hours ago, TTT said:

Josh Pickering saying he's going to pick Sheffield over Scunthorpe in the Speedway Star if it's One Big League.

I did tell you what would happen to CHAMPIONSHIP Clubs big hitters if One Big League was to happen.

Would be interesting to know what Scunthorpe thought Josh had signed when announcing his signing for 2026...Doesn't appear to have been a contract.  

[TTT]

35 minutes ago, 1 valve said:

Would be interesting to know what Scunthorpe thought Josh had signed when announcing his signing for 2026...Doesn't appear to have been a contract.  

Madness to announce Picko when nothing was signed off in regards to League Structure.

Riders will take a page out of Alexander Isak's book if a U-Turn in League Structure takes place.

Edited 5 hours ago by TTT

[Fromafar]

23 minutes ago, TTT said:

Madness to announce Picko when nothing was signed off in regards to League Structure.

Riders will take a page out of Alexander Isak's book if a U-Turn in League Structure takes place.

Typical Picko money means everything.

[Fromafar]

23 minutes ago, TTT said:

Madness to announce Picko when nothing was signed off in regards to League Structure.

Riders will take a page out of Alexander Isak's book if a U-Turn in League Structure takes place.

Typical Picko money means everything.

[Byker Biker]

28 minutes ago, TTT said:

Madness to announce Picko when nothing was signed off in regards to League Structure.

Riders will take a page out of Alexander Isak's book if a U-Turn in League Structure takes place.

That's because it's media spin, better known as Bullsh1t! The "contract" is actually a "rider agreement" form and doesn't usually take effect until it's been registered and countersigned by the BSPL thereafter the opening date of the season. Promoters are really telling their competitors "he's mine, hands off"

[THE DEAN MACHINE]

1 hour ago, 1 valve said:

You are correct - I'm not stupid.
Further, I'm smart enough to recognise that there are many things wrong with UK speedway that need sorting out way ahead of the matter of a team manager "doubling up" across two entirely separate competitions. 
Although you raise "conflict of interest" within the context of damaging the credibility of the sport, there is in fact no conflict of interest given a conflict of interest exists when an individual has competing interests, which might impair their ability to make objective, unbiased decisions. - clearly that is not the case with Dickson as  his two employers are more than happy for the arrangement to continue. 

But not smart enough to see that little things might seem nothing and immaterial but when added to lots of little things make a big thing, Dickson should have one job in the sport and that’s it and that goes for anyone in the sport, but typical of speedway at the moment is just money drip for too many in the sport, one thing I will praise Phil morris for is on race days he understands optics, the perception of what the general public see on the tv matches, it’s the little things which might go unnoticed to us because we are use to it but to a newbie or potential sponsor it stands out like a sore thumb and I hope in the not to distant future Dickson little odd job is nipped in the bud 

Edited 4 hours ago by THE DEAN MACHINE

[mac101]

57 minutes ago, Fromafar said:

Typical Picko money means everything.

What if it goes one league and Sheffield don’t want to use him as number 1 because he  uses up 25% of the team building and has to back  begging to scunny 

Edited 3 hours ago by mac101

[THE DEAN MACHINE]

7 hours ago, TTT said:

Josh Pickering saying he's going to pick Sheffield over Scunthorpe in the Speedway Star if it's One Big League.

I did tell you what would happen to CHAMPIONSHIP Clubs big hitters if One Big League was to happen.

Brilliant way to get the Scunthorpe faithful wanting to come and spend their money and support you every week 🙄

[therefused]

14 minutes ago, THE DEAN MACHINE said:

Brilliant way to get the Scunthorpe faithful wanting to come and spend their money and support you every week 🙄

Mercenary 

[THE DEAN MACHINE]

1 minute ago, therefused said:

Mercenary 

Unfortunately speedway has too many mercenary’s and hangers on for its own good, we missed a trick in 2020 to reset the sport onto a different better path and it looks like we are going to miss another chance and plod our way into 2026 

[TigerIain]

41 minutes ago, mac101 said:

What if it goes one league and Sheffield don’t want to use him as number 1 because he  uses up 25% of the team building and has to back  begging to scunny 

I kinda hope that Scunthorpe ditch him first and don't let him back into the Championship. 

Not much chance though given the lack of options

[dontforgetthefueltapsbruv]

10 minutes ago, TigerIain said:

I kinda hope that Scunthorpe ditch him first and don't let him back into the Championship. 

Not much chance though given the lack of options

Hang on, hang on

But there are loads of riders and one big league could work wonderfully 

Now all of a sudden a missing Pickering would cause a lack of options!!

Edited 2 hours ago by dontforgetthefueltapsbruv

[TB1]

Serious question here, given the clear impasse that the sport is at in this country. Could we have a scenario where nothing is agreed and everyone takes home their ball meaning no uk speedway in 2026? 

[IainB]

10 minutes ago, TB1 said:

Serious question here, given the clear impasse that the sport is at in this country. Could we have a scenario where nothing is agreed and everyone takes home their ball meaning no uk speedway in 2026? 

The CL seem pretty sorted, the only question for me is are PL going to run with 3, 4 or 5 and if not will they be "allowed" into the CL.

9 CL clubs vs 3, 4 or 5 PL clubs, without a TV deal, puts the PL in a tremendously weak position. 

It doesn't matter how "fully committed" Leicester are to Premiership racing as written in their statement today, that commitment could be severely tested if the other 2, 3 or 4 clubs aren't also committed. 

Talk of a sixth club is clearly pie in the sky stuff, along with a new TV deal and the saviour of British Speedway... Harry Redknapp.