What will 2026 UK speedway bring?

[Marky_Mark]

28 minutes ago, M.D said:

More Paul Dugard who is a director of the stadium and represents Margaret, Bobs widow who owns the stadium along with Eric.

What reason is given though? It seems strange knowing how much Bob loved the speedway that it’s just a straight no?

[M.D]

1 minute ago, Marky_Mark said:

What reason is given though? It seems strange knowing how much Bob loved the speedway that it’s just a straight no?

Would you blame them?

they got done by Ian Jordan for a lot of money and speedway is not a great business model these days.

Arlington stadium has been in existence since 1928, it has been updated over the years but is a money pit.

I don't know but they must make a bit with the stocks, why go through the aggravation of allowing a promotion to run speedway with another risk?

They are first and foremost, a business family.

[ruckerroo]

Jordan poisoned Eastbourne , the wretch. Also the circumstances are now different too before. Lovely thought tho .

[old bob at herne bay]

After the passing of Bob Dugard, who ran the sport at Arlington almost as his personal hobby, I agree that  Ian Jordan finished Eastbourne speedway. 

Dugard  businessmen will not trust another speedway promoter. Frankly who could blame them , with the uncertainty every season over league structures, team strengths etc etc.  

Too much hassle in a sport run by the "British Speedway Owners Club" ,  an exclusive group of owners , laughingly called the  British Speedway Promoters Limited. The last thing on their agenda is promoting the sport. 

Clearly the car boys are a much more organised bunch and provide steady rental income for the stadium. 

 

[Marky_Mark]

1 hour ago, M.D said:

Would you blame them?

they got done by Ian Jordan for a lot of money and speedway is not a great business model these days.

Arlington stadium has been in existence since 1928, it has been updated over the years but is a money pit.

I don't know but they must make a bit with the stocks, why go through the aggravation of allowing a promotion to run speedway with another risk?

They are first and foremost, a business family.

I hear you but as you say the stadium is a money pit and they have the choice of some income v no income 

[Marky_Mark]

Still trying to think outside the box, what’s the state of play at Wolverhampton, Rye House, Kent (Sittingbourne)  Do they still have tracks down?

[Ben91]

13 hours ago, Aries said:

Not particularly no, but it kind of depends how competitive and I mean equally competitive, those five teams are. I’d rather watch four teams visit three times each if they look attractive, than several teams visit for “variety” where you’ll know the result before the tapes go up in heat one.

We had that even in a seven team league this year. Our poorest attendances at Foxhall this year were unsurprisingly when Birmingham and Oxford came to visit. 
 

Is it really a positive thing to get more teams involved for the sake of variety, if those extra teams end up as cannon fodder like Birmingham were this year? The reality is there’s such a small pool of top class riders that want to ride over here, that our top division doesn’t suit a league with large numbers.

Competitiveness comes from teams of equal(ish) strength of course, not having a smattering of "world class" riders in the league. 

There's a "not enough riders" agenda whenever anyone mentions one league. The reality is that there are not enough riders of a suitable quality. It's not the same as there not being enough full stop. There are also not enough of these "world class" names to go around the top league in its current form. Hence having whipping boys like Birmingham and Oxford last season. The sport here wants to operate at a standard it can't sustain ultimately. 

A five team league is a horrible idea. It would be far, far too repetitive if the sides were to race a meaningful number of fixtures and then they'd probably still want to have play offs. Regardless of the quality of riders who might compete it would still be over exposure.

Variety versus competitiveness has a sweet spot that it is probably impossible for British Speedway to meet in 2026, for me variety is more likely to make me go to meetings than seeing slightly better opposition but knowing they'll be coming to town again in a couple of weeks. And then again a couple of weeks after that. I suspect I'm not in the minority by having that opinion. 

[THE DEAN MACHINE]

24 minutes ago, Marky_Mark said:

Still trying to think outside the box, what’s the state of play at Wolverhampton, Rye House, Kent (Sittingbourne)  Do they still have tracks down?

No wolves dig up and grown over, rye house is an all weather pitch and I think kent grown over too 

[SteveLyric2]

2 hours ago, Marky_Mark said:

What reason is given though? It seems strange knowing how much Bob loved the speedway that it’s just a straight no?

That's why I suggested a few days ago that new WSRA President Barney Kennett could have a word with the Dugards.....

Edited 9 hours ago by SteveLyric2

[norbold]

1 hour ago, Marky_Mark said:

Still trying to think outside the box, what’s the state of play at Wolverhampton, Rye House, Kent (Sittingbourne)  Do they still have tracks down?

Or Yarmouth?

[Chris116]

1 hour ago, norbold said:

Or Yarmouth?

Yarmouth is a dreadful shape for modern speedway and the stadium owners would never want a shale track. Also it would not suit the car racing for it to be shale.

[Preston Comet]

5 hours ago, Chris116 said:

Yarmouth is a dreadful shape for modern speedway and the stadium owners would never want a shale track. Also it would not suit the car racing for it to be shale.

Looks a similar shape to Northampton. Too long, and tight turns?

But then Leicester does OK.