What will 2026 UK speedway bring?

[1 valve]

3 minutes ago, gjcone44 said:

i dont get how some people on here insist premiership needs to run even with only 5 teams, you cant rebuild it in that scenario. the championship  standard  is the only way it can keep going, at a team level.

Almost every team sport I can think of has differing levels of competition albeit that the top flight does not necessarily produces the best entertainment all of the time when compared with the lower tiers of the same said sport.  
However, having multi levels/divisions/leagues of any particular team sport should serve to create ambition and aspiration to reach the very top of the chosen sport. This objective is applicable to owners, players and fans alike with a clearly defined pinnacle being the significant attraction for sponsors, investors and TV companies which ultimately creates interest in the lower echelons or "grass roots" as it is often referred too. 

Unfortunately, UK speedway looks like it is heading towards creating one (low) level of competitiveness with no reason/need for a team/promotion to do anything other than to survive year on year. As such, rather than having a professional sport striving to grow from within and increasing its fan base speedway is in danger of  looking more like a circus coming to town. And it is son much more than that. 

Conversely, having an elite top flight  league in the UK acting as a show piece for the sport creates the opportunity for ambition and aspiration to be encapsulated in order for the sport to flourish at all levels.

There can be no doubt that a five team premier league, missing many of the recent top riders who have raced in the UK is far from ideal. However, and I say this more in hope than belief, keeping a top flight in 2026 is paramount to plans for 2027 and beyond, if during this coming year it is used as a catalyst to establish new significant sponsorship, investment & TV coverage. 

I know if I was marketing the sport, I would need that clear demarcation and it would be of no surprise if Speedway Futures were also of that opinion.   

[gjcone44]

7 minutes ago, 1 valve said:

Conversely, having an elite top flight  league in the UK acting as a show piece for the sport creates the opportunity for ambition and aspiration to be encapsulated in order for the sport to flourish at all levels.

its not working , its making things worse, as the last few years has proved.

[Phannan]

1 hour ago, THE DEAN MACHINE said:

Not sure you got the sarcasm on his post 

I know he didn’t . Oh well 

[1 valve]

2 hours ago, THE DEAN MACHINE said:

No I stated many times I don’t know why they insist on a premier league when it’s in this state but he like riders do seem to be making their decisions for themselves rather than the good of the sport, of course I’d be happy to listen to your or anybody’s explanation of why they insisting there is a premier league giving it was broken last year with tv money and more tracks 

I agree, the premiership was broken last year - unfortunately, rather than working to repair and get the thing moving in the right direction the majority of the BSPL appear not to have the will, money, courage, acumen or foresight to do anything about it. 

Having a Premiership is very good or even essential for UK speedway. As the pinnacle of the sport it should create the target for ambition and aspiration of riders/promoters and fans which in itself drives the need by clubs for planning aimed at continually delivering year on year improvements.  

Regrettably, The majority (not all) of promoting organisations within the BSPL, far from working in unison insist operating in individual silos with next to no regard to other promotions and a big picture, long term approach thus with an absence of a vision for the future the outcome continues to be a disjointed and ineffectual organisation destroying the very fabric of what could be possible. 
   

[PhilTheAce]

T-minus 3 mins. 6pm. Hold your breath folks 

[PhilTheAce]

5 team top league confirmed

[Phannan]

7 minutes ago, 1 valve said:

I agree, the premiership was broken last year - unfortunately, rather than working to repair and get the thing moving in the right direction the majority of the BSPL appear not to have the will, money, courage, acumen or foresight to do anything about it. 

Having a Premiership is very good or even essential for UK speedway. As the pinnacle of the sport it should create the target for ambition and aspiration of riders/promoters and fans which in itself drives the need by clubs for planning aimed at continually delivering year on year improvements.  

Regrettably, The majority (not all) of promoting organisations within the BSPL, far from working in unison insist operating in individual silos with next to no regard to other promotions and a big picture, long term approach thus with an absence of a vision for the future the outcome continues to be a disjointed and ineffectual organisation destroying the very fabric of what could be possible. 
   

If the premiership should be the target for all clubs , the pinnacle as you say, how do you achieve that without a route to it if it’s to be a credible sport? Promotion and relegation could be an answer. Jeopardy,  credibility, meanfull meetings would then apply . A total fresh start would be the answer in my opinion. 

[SPEEDY69]

1 hour ago, mikebv said:

I would choose a format that is affordable, and sustainable, for as many teams as is possible...

A format that makes the sport look like a "National One" covering the length and breadth of the country, and not some "By invitation only" one using a few random selection of teams scattered across England..

And a format that ensures ring fenced spaces for UK rider development, and not one that has riders riding for several teams, clogging up spots..

Currently you can win a league with some expensive GP stars, or win a different league with some NDL developing "wobblers"...

The financial reward and wider mainstream media publicity is pretty much the same for both leagues...

Put together a race format similar to the one used a few years ago whereby the HL's rode against each other more, as did the second strings and reserves, and build the sport again from scratch...

The optics of a five team league in a pro sport look shockingly bad...

Therein lies your flaw. What is affordable to one team, as they've drawn in good sponsors, built their crowd is not affordable to the next team where they sit back and only spend what comes to them. They then slowly disappear as they can't attract a good team. 

There has to be a collective approach. 

[gjcone44]

4 minutes ago, SPEEDY69 said:

There has to be a collective approach. 

not happening is it.

[mikebv]

1 hour ago, 1 valve said:

Almost every team sport I can think of has differing levels of competition albeit that the top flight does not necessarily produces the best entertainment all of the time when compared with the lower tiers of the same said sport.  
However, having multi levels/divisions/leagues of any particular team sport should serve to create ambition and aspiration to reach the very top of the chosen sport. This objective is applicable to owners, players and fans alike with a clearly defined pinnacle being the significant attraction for sponsors, investors and TV companies which ultimately creates interest in the lower echelons or "grass roots" as it is often referred too. 

Unfortunately, UK speedway looks like it is heading towards creating one (low) level of competitiveness with no reason/need for a team/promotion to do anything other than to survive year on year. As such, rather than having a professional sport striving to grow from within and increasing its fan base speedway is in danger of  looking more like a circus coming to town. And it is son much more than that. 

Conversely, having an elite top flight  league in the UK acting as a show piece for the sport creates the opportunity for ambition and aspiration to be encapsulated in order for the sport to flourish at all levels.

There can be no doubt that a five team premier league, missing many of the recent top riders who have raced in the UK is far from ideal. However, and I say this more in hope than belief, keeping a top flight in 2026 is paramount to plans for 2027 and beyond, if during this coming year it is used as a catalyst to establish new significant sponsorship, investment & TV coverage. 

I know if I was marketing the sport, I would need that clear demarcation and it would be of no surprise if Speedway Futures were also of that opinion.   

All laudable aims..

However..

That ship has passed a long, long time ago..

Belle Vue are the only current team that hasn't dropped down into Div 2 in the last 20 years, showing that, there really is, and has been for years, nothing "aspirational" about the top flight...

And how could there be when the majority of riders compete in both top leagues?

It is now truly time for a 100% total reset, building from the bottom up, as "top down" hasn't enough at the "top" to be even a starter..

With the "positive" being so few attend Speedway, so you are pretty much starting again, and, surely, that means that the only way is up!!!?

 

[mikebv]

54 minutes ago, PhilTheAce said:

5 team top league confirmed

Get in there!!!!!!!!

What a time to be alive!!!!!

Edited 1 hour ago by mikebv

[THE DEAN MACHINE]

51 minutes ago, PhilTheAce said:

5 team top league confirmed

Can’t help feeling deflated by this announcement, 5 teams is just not enough, just hoping another couple of teams can be resurrected before the start of the season, I know they are trying bspl and others are working behind the scenes but it’s going to need a miracle

[ouch]

2 hours ago, Chris said:

I couldn't give two sh1ts if it's easier for Danny King or Dickson keeps his two jobs. My team were withdrawn by the BSPL in 2018 but I've shaken my head from afar with the level of doubling up. It makes the sport look completely mickey mouse and a sport not to be taken seriously. You can just about accept a young upcoming rider doubling up at reserve for a league above but we have basically the same riders in two different leagues riding for two different clubs.

Offer riders 40 meetings a year in British Speedway and if they don't want it then off you pop and get a job. One league-26 league matches, KO cup and early season regional competition with the odd individual thrown in. Harry Redknapp and Phil Davies might even be able to get a Super League together offering a few quid. Triffic.

The doubling up was crazy over the last few years. It would have been good if teams restricted their double uppers to just two in the top six. It would have made things more credible and do away with the scenario of having a rider at number one for both his teams. I doubt any team could have managed this over the last few years as restricting it to just two out of six isn’t easy and whether it could be achieved moving forward is a big ask, if we ever move forward that is. 

[THE DEAN MACHINE]

Just had a quick whiz through the reaction to the bspl announcement of 5 team premier league, I say to the bspl read the room 

[Gambo]

5 hours ago, THE DEAN MACHINE said:

No I stated many times I don’t know why they insist on a premier league when it’s in this state but he like riders do seem to be making their decisions for themselves rather than the good of the sport, of course I’d be happy to listen to your or anybody’s explanation of why they insisting there is a premier league giving it was broken last year with tv money and more tracks 

Maybe they 'insist' because the Championship promoters will not allow PL clubs back into the CL?

[THE DEAN MACHINE]

8 minutes ago, Gambo said:

Maybe they 'insist' because the Championship promoters will not allow PL clubs back into the CL?

Maybe,but if that’s the reason then tell us 

[TTT]

Far from ideal but a 5 Team PREM is better than no PREM at all.