Grand Final 2nd leg Ipswich vs Leicester

[SUPERACE]

12 minutes ago, Bagpuss said:

Was his 'ban' in 2022 when he decided to ride in Poland and Sweden instead of the UK? 

He wanted to ride for Belle Vue, the rules prevented it, he'd already done a deal in Sweden. 

Lots of replies to my comment so will reply here, every year theres fan rumores of Dan signing for thier club and every year he signs for Belle Vue, he will do so again imo.  

Dan won't gain anything towards becoming world champion by riding Ipswich every week, the days of needing to ride small tracks to be world champion are gone.  One of the most techinical tracks in the GP was Cardiff, he won that 2 out of 3 times. 

[Aries]

12 minutes ago, Badge said:

Or Foxhole 🙄 we haven't had that lately 😜

Anyway the dust has settled,  I've finally managed to watch a recording,  thanks to YouTube and rifling data from hubby's phone due to Internet failure from Thursday afternoon until this lunchtime so thanks city fibre and EE 🤡,  it's hit me now that this Thursday in the pits, the magnificent 7 ( well 9) won't be there,  that's it😲

What a fabulous team we've had the privilege to watch and support. 

Some of them might be there Badge? We’ve got the Junior meeting next week and I know Louis wanted some of the senior Witches from this year to be there to help the youngsters with advice etc. I know what you mean though, collectively as an Ipswich team.

Edited 18 hours ago by Aries

[Steve Irving]

13 minutes ago, SUPERACE said:Dan won't gain anything towards becoming world champion by riding Ipswich every week, the days of needing to ride small tracks to be world champion are gone.  One of the most techinical tracks in the GP was Cardiff, he won that 2 out of 3 times. 

Totally disagree. Personally I think it would do him the world of good to have Ipswich or Leicester as him home track. Cardiff is nothing like Ipswich.

IMO he needs a move away from the NSS. Agree to disagree on this one.

[SUPERACE]

51 minutes ago, Steve Irving said:

Totally disagree. Personally I think it would do him the world of good to have Ipswich or Leicester as him home track. Cardiff is nothing like Ipswich.

IMO he needs a move away from the NSS. Agree to disagree on this one.

I disagree its nonsense hence the best riders in the world ride Poland.  Bewley has areas to improve none of them are to do with riding tiny tracks.  Unless Ipswich are going to get a GP, which they won't. 

Edited 17 hours ago by SUPERACE

[Aries]

2 hours ago, cowboy cookie returns? said:

It was great to hear Louis & Hawkins on the radio yesterday morning. 
 

Talking already about building a team to keep on winning. 

Soon to be “hard at work building another winning team”. Winning it is one thing, always that bit harder to retain it the following year as you have to weaken the side, or pretty much start from scratch and build something completely new.

We’ll be there or thereabouts though I’m sure.

[Steve Irving]

15 minutes ago, SUPERACE said:

I disagree its nonsense hence the best riders in the world ride Poland.  Bewley has areas to improve none of them are to do with riding tiny tracks.  Unless Ipswich are going to get a GP, which they won't. 

In your opinion it’s nonsense, in MY opinion, it isn’t. As I said, we’ll agree to disagree. There’s been far too many riders over the years to mention that have come out and said riding different size tracks was good for their careers and improved them as riders. Moving from the NSS would be a breath of fresh air for him. You disagree because you see him as a Belle Vue rider and nothing else and don’t want him to move.

[Aries]

2 minutes ago, Steve Irving said:

 There’s been far too many riders over the years to mention that have come out and said riding different size tracks was good for their careers and improved them as riders. 

Chris Louis was one of those. He admitted he had opportunities to leave Ipswich back in the day and should have moved to a bigger track for the benefit of his career. He just couldn’t bring himself to leave his hometown club that he loved.

[Steve Irving]

On 10/10/2025 at 7:33 AM, ouch said:

Glad to see the witches win after a long wait with a few near misses thrown in recently, after a similar wait I know how you must be feeling. I’ve seen heat 13 which was very entertaining and all played out in front of a superb crowd, oh to recreate that on a regular basis. 

Looking forward to our meetings next season and hopefully the powers that be don’t dilute things too much and we get to appreciate our stars battling it out on track.
It’s an even numbered year again so fingers crossed we keep our format going, 2022, 2024 & 2026?

 

[Steve Irving]

3 hours ago, ouch said:

I wouldn’t be so sure. Riders careers are short and financial gain kicks in more as riders mature. We all know The Aces have no chance of outbidding the witches if push came to shove and tapping up riders before the season has even gone cold is a well known trait of theirs. The patchwork nature of their teams, culled from the declarations over the years could easily see them poaching another Brit currently sitting second in his teams averages. 

Dan’s due a testimonial next season with us (should have been this season but for his ban in ‘22) so you’d hope he’d remained an Ace for that reason but money talks. 

 

Maybe if The Aces ever get a chance of clinching the play off cup in front of a home crowd, then we could finally present a podium to be proud of though I have to thank Sheffield & Leicester for giving us a fine podium to celebrate our achievements recently. 

.

Edited 17 hours ago by Steve Irving
Double post

[Arch Stanton]

4 hours ago, SUPERACE said:

The podium was British Speedways, it would have been at any track for the final. 

Well he clearly wasn’t just talking about the podium they were standing on was he 🙄 it’s obvious he was talking about the supporters and the atmosphere around it. They weren’t supplied by British Speedway.

Edited 16 hours ago by Arch Stanton

[Gavan]

4 hours ago, ouch said:

I wouldn’t be so sure. Riders careers are short and financial gain kicks in more as riders mature. We all know The Aces have no chance of outbidding the witches if push came to shove and tapping up riders before the season has even gone cold is a well known trait of theirs. The patchwork nature of their teams, culled from the declarations over the years could easily see them poaching another Brit currently sitting second in his teams averages. 

Dan’s due a testimonial next season with us (should have been this season but for his ban in ‘22) so you’d hope he’d remained an Ace for that reason but money talks. 

 

Maybe if The Aces ever get a chance of clinching the play off cup in front of a home crowd, then we could finally present a podium to be proud of though I have to thank Sheffield & Leicester for giving us a fine podium to celebrate our achievements recently. 

You clearly are a guy with serious issues regarding Ipswich and ‘poaching riders’ let me put your hat on straight buddy

Doyle… signed after Swindon closed .. you could have signed him

Ellis… signed after Sheffield SACKED him … not poached … SACKED

King.. Mr Ipswich 

Emil…. wasn’t signed from a British club … again Belie Vue could have got him 

Brennan… ah yes let go by erm Belle Vue who didn’t want to keep a promising young Brit and thought Blodorn would be a better option lol… had Isaias Birmingham 

Dan Thompson… was SACKED by Leicester… not poached..Sacked 

Your vendetta against who Ipswich have signed is borderline pathetic and wrong in every sense .. we have built this team and not poached anyone 

Any club could have signed Ellis or Thompson but didn’t and the stupidity of letting Brennan go when he was at Belle Vue was shown up massively this season when Belle Vue have riders like Blodorn and Cook who look like amateurs away from the NSS

I don’t expect Bewley to leave but maybe just maybe he wants a challenge … wants to ride on a more challenging track that can help him develop more … he has big fast tracks in Poland and Ipswich can help him learn a tougher track

If Bewley ever did move to Ipswich he knows how well the club is run and supported… arguably the best run and most supported club in the UK

He always says how much he loves riding Ipswich ….. Ipswich don’t need to poach riders …. Riders want to come to us because of how the club is run 

Now run along and see if your club decide to sign riders who can ride away from home …. Maybe someone like a Tom Brennan??

[Gavan]

45 minutes ago, Arch Stanton said:

Well he clearly wasn’t just talking about the podium they were standing on was he 🙄 it’s obvious he was talking about the supporters and the atmosphere around it. They weren’t supplied by British Speedway.

Spot on lol … he wasn’t talking about the construction he was talking about the support and was around at the end chatting to all fans 

[Bagpuss]

IF Bewley did move (don't see it personally if he's getting a testimonial) then it might not be anything to do with the track but simply the need for a fresh challenge and a change of club, sometimes that can be good for a sportsperson or what they feel they need.

[ouch]

Very on the nose re the witches team building ethic. I particularly like the goodbye to “Mr Ipswich”. Don’t let the door hit your ass on the way out! 

Belle Vue are more a family and that is why most of the team have only ever ridden for Belle Vue with some for many years. Three finals and two wins in five seasons is proof it works for us but I get others attraction to a team basically generated by AI, however disconnected any success feels to fans. The only downside for us is we need to lose riders year on year and haven’t had the luxury to strengthen up as the weaker teams from last season could. It’s a method of distributing the trophies among other teams which is a fine idea but difficult to watch when riders you’ve massively helped along are aiding your downfall. The perennial race to the bottom our sport so admirers. 

In the UK Dan rides around 50% of his meetings on gate’n’go tracks and the only thing he’d learn elsewhere is how to gate consistently. I’m more than happy with the exciting Dan we have now, a rider that all but two (one of which is another Belle Vue rider) of the riders in the world would want to emulate.  To suggest the NSS is holding back a riders development is bizarre, even for BSF given the amount of FIM medals amassed recently. 

[IainB]

12 hours ago, Bagpuss said:

IF Bewley did move (don't see it personally if he's getting a testimonial) then it might not be anything to do with the track but simply the need for a fresh challenge and a change of club, sometimes that can be good for a sportsperson or what they feel they need.

Testimonials aren't as lucrative as they used to be in this country especially to Ekstraliga riders. DJ Woff was due a testimonial this year and it was obviously not worth his trouble to organise one, he could probably make as much in a couple of races in Poland.

Edited 3 hours ago by IainB

[cowboy cookie returns?]

16 hours ago, Youhave2minutes said:

Rew back next season ?

I would say that a 95% probability.

[cowboy cookie returns?]

13 hours ago, Aries said:

Chris Louis was one of those. He admitted he had opportunities to leave Ipswich back in the day and should have moved to a bigger track for the benefit of his career. He just couldn’t bring himself to leave his hometown club that he loved.

Emil Said the same, when he signed for Ipswich as did Gollob before. Plenty of times that has happened.

[Aries]

1 hour ago, IainB said:

Testimonials aren't worth what they used to be in this country especially to Ekstraliga riders. DJ Woff was due a testimonial this year and it was obviously not worth his trouble to organise one, he could probably make as much in a couple of races in Poland.

Same with Doyle. Was due one, but seemingly hasn’t bothered 🤷🏼‍♂️

[cowboy cookie returns?]

5 minutes ago, Aries said:

Same with Doyle. Was due one, but seemingly hasn’t bothered 🤷🏼‍♂️

Doyle said at the beginning of the season that he had agreed with Louis to hold it next year. He wanted to focus on the GPs

I believe the question was asked by a supporter at the media day in Oxford.

[Gavan]

4 hours ago, ouch said:

Very on the nose re the witches team building ethic. I particularly like the goodbye to “Mr Ipswich”. Don’t let the door hit your ass on the way out! 

Belle Vue are more a family and that is why most of the team have only ever ridden for Belle Vue with some for many years. Three finals and two wins in five seasons is proof it works for us but I get others attraction to a team basically generated by AI, however disconnected any success feels to fans. The only downside for us is we need to lose riders year on year and haven’t had the luxury to strengthen up as the weaker teams from last season could. It’s a method of distributing the trophies among other teams which is a fine idea but difficult to watch when riders you’ve massively helped along are aiding your downfall. The perennial race to the bottom our sport so admirers. 

In the UK Dan rides around 50% of his meetings on gate’n’go tracks and the only thing he’d learn elsewhere is how to gate consistently. I’m more than happy with the exciting Dan we have now, a rider that all but two (one of which is another Belle Vue rider) of the riders in the world would want to emulate.  To suggest the NSS is holding back a riders development is bizarre, even for BSF given the amount of FIM medals amassed recently. 

If Danny King leaves after 21 years it will be his decision… he could have easily been sacked last year but wasn’t 

You talk so much crap it’s very hard to find the decent bits 

Give your head a wobble if you think Ipswich isn’t family run …. Louis family .. Woodward family … it’s a real family club 

I’m still waiting for evidence we poach riders …. Similar to you ‘poaching Cook from Birmingham