What will 2026 UK speedway bring?

[szkocjasid]

With Championship clubs announcing season tickets, with only 8 hone league matches included, does that mean the Premiership is definitely going ahead?

If there's a chance of Ipswich & Sheffield not competing, leaving Leicester, Lynn & Belle Vue facing a drop down to the Champ, how can they plan season tickets?

[1 valve]

7 hours ago, szkocjasid said:

With Championship clubs announcing season tickets, with only 8 hone league matches included, does that mean the Premiership is definitely going ahead?

If there's a chance of Ipswich & Sheffield not competing, leaving Leicester, Lynn & Belle Vue facing a drop down to the Champ, how can they plan season tickets?

There is the distinct possibility that if they do not run in the Premiership then for a number of reasons they will not run in the championship either. 

[Bagpuss]

8 hours ago, szkocjasid said:

With Championship clubs announcing season tickets, with only 8 hone league matches included, does that mean the Premiership is definitely going ahead?

If there's a chance of Ipswich & Sheffield not competing, leaving Leicester, Lynn & Belle Vue facing a drop down to the Champ, how can they plan season tickets?

Because there will be a Premiership.

[TigerIain]

8 hours ago, szkocjasid said:

With Championship clubs announcing season tickets, with only 8 hone league matches included, does that mean the Premiership is definitely going ahead?

If there's a chance of Ipswich & Sheffield not competing, leaving Leicester, Lynn & Belle Vue facing a drop down to the Champ, how can they plan season tickets?

They are doing this as so people can buy them as Christmas presents.

The announcement did state that the ticket is based on a 9 team Championship, which suggests (but does not confirm) they will change them if the structure changes.

I do notice though that it covers 8 league, 2 BSN & 1 KO Cup match, so IF 3 teams joined the Championship you could make the ticket valid for 11 league matches, or for any 11 of the possibly 14 or 15 matches. They could also sell a top up to the season ticket to cover and extra 4 or so matches. 

Nothing about the situation is ideal, but I don't blame any promoter for trying to catch Christmas.

[IainB]

8 hours ago, szkocjasid said:

With Championship clubs announcing season tickets, with only 8 hone league matches included, does that mean the Premiership is definitely going ahead?

If there's a chance of Ipswich & Sheffield not competing, leaving Leicester, Lynn & Belle Vue facing a drop down to the Champ, how can they plan season tickets?

You get 11 meetings at Plymouth... they must be expecting a bit of a cup run 😂

[tonyd]

37 minutes ago, Bagpuss said:

Because there will be a Premiership.

you sound sure of that !

with three confirmed teams the season sounds exciting, we could be watching:-

League matches (play each other twice home and away)

Three team tournament on each track for a cup

best pairs meeting (two pairs from each team)

challenge matches against the other teams

and there you have a season of 9 home matches (11 if they play each other 3 times in the league)

With a possible season like that there will be queues of mugs (sorry fans) lining up to get in at every match. 😉🤣

[Pitch]

As Jason Doyle has decided to not ride in the uk this year, that can't be good for Ipswich or the Premiership. If anyone would be in the Know it would be him. He would definitely be in close contact with the current owners and any prospective new owners. The new owners would be desperate for him to ride, unless they told him that they couldn't afford him.

[IainB]

7 minutes ago, Pitch said:

As Jason Doyle has decided to not ride in the uk this year, that can't be good for Ipswich or the Premiership. If anyone would be in the Know it would be him. He would definitely be in close contact with the current owners and any prospective new owners. The new owners would be desperate for him to ride, unless they told him that they couldn't afford him.

I don't know, he'd obviously be in close contact with the existing owners, not so sure about any new prospective owners, maybe it's an indication that it's not looking good for any imminent sale of the Witches 🤷‍♂️

[Youhave2minutes]

1 hour ago, IainB said:

You get 11 meetings at Plymouth... they must be expecting a bit of a cup run 😂

WOW

[old bob at herne bay]

4 hours ago, tonyd said:

you sound sure of that !

with three confirmed teams the season sounds exciting, we could be watching:-

League matches (play each other twice home and away)

Three team tournament on each track for a cup

best pairs meeting (two pairs from each team)

challenge matches against the other teams

and there you have a season of 9 home matches (11 if they play each other 3 times in the league)

With a possible season like that there will be queues of mugs (sorry fans) lining up to get in at every match. 😉🤣

Don’t forget the jewel in the crown of modern day speedway….. The P Offs.

with only 3 teams to p off maybe they could invite the CL winners to a semi final p off . This would allow the spectacle of semi final p offs and a Grand Final p off. 
 

 

[Roger Jacobs]

5 hours ago, IainB said:

You get 11 meetings at Plymouth... they must be expecting a bit of a cup run 😂

8 League, 2 BSN, 1 KOC-Up

[dontforgetthefueltapsbruv]

23 minutes ago, old bob at herne bay said:

Don’t forget the jewel in the crown of modern day speedway….. The P Offs.

with only 3 teams to p off maybe they could invite the CL winners to a semi final p off . This would allow the spectacle of semi final p offs and a Grand Final p off. 
 

 

The Championship winners wouldn't do it

They would be shaking like a big girls blouse worried they may incur an extra fiver in costs to stage the meeting 

[Hamish McRaker]

34 minutes ago, old bob at herne bay said:

Don’t forget the jewel in the crown of modern day speedway….. The P Offs.

with only 3 teams to p off maybe they could invite the CL winners to a semi final p off . This would allow the spectacle of semi final p offs and a Grand Final p off. 
 

 

How many times did we hear Tatum & co last season more or less saying that playoffs is the real part of the season? In that case, just skip the majority of the season and stage playoffs in October between 4 clubs who want to and able do it. Leave team building until September with a high points limit so that riders no longer involved in Poland and Sweden can make a few extra bucks.

Call it the Bet Victor Super Series, get it onto YouTube tv, with 'Arry and Phil fronting the whole thing. Sorted!

[mikebv]

26 minutes ago, dontforgetthefueltapsbruv said:

The Championship winners wouldn't do it

They would be shaking like a big girls blouse worried they may incur an extra fiver in costs to stage the meeting 

Any rider who is doubling up for two of the teams in the play offs could wear "half n half" kevlars and helmet colours, with one side his Premiership team and the other his Championship team..

His scores each race would also count equally for both teams..

As pretty much most, if not all, the Championship winning team will double up with one of fhe three Premiership teams, it would be guaranteed to keep the scores close too, so a very exciting conclusion to yet another season of top class entertainment...

[The Dog]

And would still struggle to get the season finished by November.. 

[singy13]

4 hours ago, old bob at herne bay said:

Grand Final p off. 

Obviously you're taking the p regarding a serious professional sport. 

Can you, or any other forum poster, remember when speedway was classed as the second most popular UK sport? (after football). I'm not taking the p but maybe my old memory bank is letting me down?

[Teromaafan]

19 minutes ago, singy13 said:

Obviously you're taking the p regarding a serious professional sport. 

Can you, or any other forum poster, remember when speedway was classed as the second most popular UK sport? (after football). I'm not taking the p but maybe my old memory bank is letting me down?

When David Hemsley resurrected the Lions in 2011, I recall him telling me at the time it was the third largest spectator attendance sport after football and (this surprised me) rugby league. I did have my suspicions about his research source! I would have thought that one day/20-20 cricket would attract far more people.

[IainB]

39 minutes ago, singy13 said:

Obviously you're taking the p regarding a serious professional sport. 

Can you, or any other forum poster, remember when speedway was classed as the second most popular UK sport? (after football). I'm not taking the p but maybe my old memory bank is letting me down?

Based on the most recent attendance figures from 2023 and 2024 (including data from industry analysts Two Circles, government reports, and governing bodies), here are the top attended sports in the UK.

The "Big 5" Spectator Sports

These five sports generate the vast majority of all ticket sales in the UK, with football being the undisputed king.

1. Football (Men's)

 * Annual Attendance: ~55 Million+

 * Context: The Premier League alone draws nearly 15 million fans. When combined with the EFL (Championship, League 1, League 2), Scottish Premiership, and cups, it dwarfs all other sports combined.

 * Trend: Consistently breaking records; Premier League occupancy is at ~97%.

2. Horse Racing

 * Annual Attendance: ~4.8 Million

 * Context: Historically the UK's second-biggest sport. While numbers have dipped slightly from pre-pandemic highs (approx 6m), major festivals like Cheltenham (250k+), Royal Ascot (300k), and the Grand National still drive massive crowds.

3. Rugby Union

 * Annual Attendance: ~4 - 5 Million

 * Context: Driven by the Gallagher Premiership, the United Rugby Championship (Welsh/Scottish teams), and huge international crowds at Twickenham (82k capacity) and the Principality Stadium (74k) for the Six Nations.

4. Cricket

 * Annual Attendance: ~2.5 - 3 Million

 * Context: A mix of International Tests (The Ashes are huge), The Hundred (which has boosted numbers significantly), the T20 Blast, and County Championship matches. Lord’s and The Oval regularly sell out summer fixtures.

5. Women’s Football

 * Annual Attendance: ~2.1 Million (2024 Estimate)

 * Context: The fastest-growing spectator sport in the UK. According to recent reports, it has now overtaken Rugby League and other traditional sports to break into the top 5, driven by the WSL and Lionesses' success.

The "Chasing Pack" (Over 1 Million)

6. Rugby League

 * Annual Attendance: ~1.5 - 2 Million

 * Context: Concentrated heavily in the North of England. The Super League draws ~1.5m annually, with the Championship and Challenge Cup adding to the total.

7. Ice Hockey

 * Annual Attendance: ~1.25 Million

 * Context: Often cited as the UK’s biggest indoor sport. The Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL) set a new record in the 2023/24 season, with teams like Sheffield Steelers and Nottingham Panthers drawing large weekly crowds.

8. Greyhound Racing

 * Annual Attendance: ~1 - 1.2 Million

 * Context: Has seen a significant decline from its mid-20th-century peak, but the frequency of meetings (daily events at tracks like Romford, Hove, and Monmore) keeps the aggregate attendance numbers high.

Major Event & Rising Sports (Top 10-20)

Rankings in this section fluctuate based on annual events (e.g., if the UK hosts a World Cup or Commonwealth Games).

9. Tennis

 * Key Driver: Wimbledon (~530,000 attendees over two weeks).

 * Total: ~700k (including Queen’s Club, Eastbourne, and Davis Cup events).

10. Motorsport (Formula 1 & Bikes)

 * Key Driver: The British Grand Prix at Silverstone (~480,000 weekend attendance).

 * Total: ~1 Million (including MotoGP, British Superbikes, and BTCC).

11. Golf

 * Key Driver: The Open Championship (~250,000+).

 * Total: ~400k - 500k (including the PGA Championship at Wentworth and the Scottish Open).

12. Darts

 * Key Driver: The PDC World Championship (Ally Pally) and Premier League.

 * Total: ~350k+. The Premier League tour fills large arenas weekly for 4 months.

13. American Football (NFL)

 * Key Driver: The NFL London Games.

 * Total: ~250k - 300k. The 3 annual games at Wembley/Tottenham sell out instantly (80k+ per game).

14. Basketball

 * Key Driver: Super League Basketball (formerly BBL).

 * Total: ~200k+. Growing fast in urban centers, with high participation converting slowly to viewership.

15. Boxing

 * Key Driver: Stadium fights (e.g., Joshua/Fury bouts at Wembley/Tottenham).

 * Total: Variable. A massive stadium year can hit ~250k; a quiet year ~150k.

16. Speedway

 * Key Driver: The British Speedway Premiership.

 * Total: ~200k. Declining but retains a loyal following at tracks like Belle Vue (Manchester) and Ipswich.

17. Snooker

 * Key Driver: World Championship (The Crucible).

 * Total: ~100k (Limited by small venue capacities despite huge TV figures).

18. Netball

 * Key Driver: Netball Super League (NSL).

 * Trend: Rapid growth. The 2024 final drew a record ~8,500 crowd.

19. Athletics

 * Key Driver: Diamond League (London Stadium).

 * Total: ~80k - 100k annually.

20. MMA (UFC/Cage Warriors)

 * Key Driver: UFC London events.

 * Total: ~30k - 50k (Limited by few events, but always immediate sell-outs).

 

[TINYS]

57 minutes ago, singy13 said:

Obviously you're taking the p regarding a serious professional sport. 

Can you, or any other forum poster, remember when speedway was classed as the second most popular UK sport? (after football). I'm not taking the p but maybe my old memory bank is letting me down?

I can.

[singy13]

19 minutes ago, IainB said:

Greyhound Racing

Cheers for that excellent post....I'm puzzled re Greyhound racing because whenever I've watched it on SKY there seems to be more dogs than fans?