Ipswich Witches 2026

[SPEEDY69]

1 minute ago, IainB said:

Isn't Mr Louis still involved at Mildenhall?

Don't think so no, gave that up a while back I think.

[IainB]

Just now, SPEEDY69 said:

Don't think so no, gave that up a while back I think.

Yeah, 2013, just checked... just Speedway Futures and BSPL then

[IainB]

1 minute ago, foreverblue said:

 there is no question of Sheffield not running.

Not so sure about that, their statement said the "with Thursday’s (September 25, 7.30pm) home meeting against Ipswich the last top-flight fixture under the promotion"

Could that mean the promotion would stay on in CL and/or NDL? If they've been rejected by the CL and there's no buyer... who knows 🤷‍♂️

What an utter shambles to potentially see 2 viable clubs with no worries over their venues not start the 2026 season... absolute madness with the current low level of operating clubs.

[foreverblue]

2 minutes ago, IainB said:

Not so sure about that, their statement said the "with Thursday’s (September 25, 7.30pm) home meeting against Ipswich the last top-flight fixture under the promotion"

Could that mean the promotion would stay on in CL and/or NDL? If they've been rejected by the CL and there's no buyer... who knows 🤷‍♂️

What an utter shambles to potentially see 2 viable clubs with no worries over their venues not start the 2026 season... absolute madness with the current low level of operating clubs.

Surely the sport cant let two more clubs go under.

[dontforgetthefueltapsbruv]

2 minutes ago, foreverblue said:

Surely the sport cant let two more clubs go under.

It can and will if it suits the right number of those left......

[1 valve]

36 minutes ago, dontforgetthefueltapsbruv said:

It can and will if it suits the right number of those left......

Utter madness and the perfect example of how the majority of promoters in the UK have only their own self interests at the forefront of their ambition. Of course the majority are championship promoters who have clearly been willing to take the benefit of taking riders from Premiership teams who have underwritten their losses so that UK speedway can see some of the worlds best riders race in this country.

If in 2026 there is going to be a  watered down version of two tier league speedway or even worse one league incorporating riders who can barely get out of the gate and turn the bike - then lets be clear, this isn't the fault of the riders but a reflection of the promoters capabilities to promote the sport....and still with two teams (Neither who race at weekends) being at the top and by comparison the others floundering in their wake.   
 

Edited 10 hours ago by 1 valve

[THE DEAN MACHINE]

10 hours ago, LisaColette said:

It doesn't matter what fans want though. Only what they want. They probably going to sit there til 6th Jan until someone agrees to move up. 

We are basically as you were on Nov 12th, so delaying sounds like a massive waste of time right now 😔

I just don’t understand why they insist 2 leagues when we are in the situation were in, there is either a tv or sponsorship deal looming and they don’t want to split the money or there is a we are better than them attitude towards the championship of which they are not, 5 teams is financial suicide, they must know this 

[Fromafar]

1 hour ago, IainB said:

Not so sure about that, their statement said the "with Thursday’s (September 25, 7.30pm) home meeting against Ipswich the last top-flight fixture under the promotion"

Could that mean the promotion would stay on in CL and/or NDL? If they've been rejected by the CL and there's no buyer... who knows 🤷‍♂️

What an utter shambles to potentially see 2 viable clubs with no worries over their venues not start the 2026 season... absolute madness with the current low level of operating clubs.

Really just the state of the sport in GB.The chickens are coming home to roost.Not a big surprise.

Edited 9 hours ago by Fromafar

[Bagpuss]

1 hour ago, LisaColette said:

Poole and Worky are announcing signings soon so seems that championship is as you were, so seems what Phil is saying is likely. Unless Championship teams are getting their teams publically known before any other teams come into the league. 

If it ends up being one league then some of those signings will mean very little as the points limit will probably change and some riders will want to stay with their former Prem club or go elsewhere for a better deal. 

[mikebv]

33 minutes ago, THE DEAN MACHINE said:

I just don’t understand why they insist 2 leagues when we are in the situation were in, there is either a tv or sponsorship deal looming and they don’t want to split the money or there is a we are better than them attitude towards the championship of which they are not, 5 teams is financial suicide, they must know this 

It is summising, (due to the lack of transparency from those who run the sport), if it was £60k they got last year from TV...

Over 13 guaranteed home matches that worked out at just over £4600 a match...

Meaning, at £25 a pop, the same as 184 paying punters..

I would suggest the lack of teams in the league, therefore meaning a lack of jeopardy and  variety, (even last year with seven), kept more than 184 punters from their track very regularly...

They will need a hell of a TV deal this year I would suggest, as I reckon you can add another 100 minimum to that 184 who will give plenty of meetings a miss with just four different teams..

And if they don't get a TV deal...?

Then heaven help them...

Get the prayer mat out!!!!

 

Edited 9 hours ago by mikebv

[SPEEDY69]

I've not commented on this news yet as still been taking it in.  If this results in Ipswich putting out a lower standard of speedway in 2026 then I will only attend maybe once/twice, rather than most weeks.  When they dropped down in 1989 I travelled to Reading for the next few seasons.  I'm afraid I prefer to watch the best in the world and one or two in each team is fine - if there's none of them then it holds much less attraction for me.  Sad times and must have been awful for Chris to have to pull out.

[Neila]

38 minutes ago, Bagpuss said:

If it ends up being one league then some of those signings will mean very little as the points limit will probably change and some riders will want to stay with their former Prem club or go elsewhere for a better deal. 

1 league simply won't work, several championship clubs are happy riding on a weekend day , so no top riders will be interested in riding away at say worky/Berwick on a Saturday when polish £s call . But the top league need more than 5 teams, if this happens you'll probably see the same teams 3 times at home or away, that would not encourage me to buy a season ticket, and would think twice of watching the same opposition every month 

[Aries]

3 minutes ago, SPEEDY69 said:

I've not commented on this news yet as still been taking it in.  If this results in Ipswich putting out a lower standard of speedway in 2026 then I will only attend maybe once/twice, rather than most weeks.  When they dropped down in 1989 I travelled to Reading for the next few seasons.  I'm afraid I prefer to watch the best in the world and one or two in each team is fine - if there's none of them then it holds much less attraction for me.  Sad times and must have been awful for Chris to have to pull out.

I’m in the same boat and agree with every single word you’ve written here. Some will still go whatever level it is, each to their own of course and good luck to them. 

[PhilTheAce]

7 minutes ago, SPEEDY69 said:

I've not commented on this news yet as still been taking it in.  If this results in Ipswich putting out a lower standard of speedway in 2026 then I will only attend maybe once/twice, rather than most weeks.  When they dropped down in 1989 I travelled to Reading for the next few seasons.  I'm afraid I prefer to watch the best in the world and one or two in each team is fine - if there's none of them then it holds much less attraction for me.  Sad times and must have been awful for Chris to have to pull out.

we all want to see the best, thats who we enjoy most, but lets not lie to ourselves, do the top boys produce best racing??? in poland yes where the level of competition is much more level.

 

over here 90% of the time, the kurtz, bewleys, doyles, frickes, emils, holders of this world just gate and clear off winning by the length of the straight, theirs only really heats 13 and &15 we look forward to, and then most of the time the tracks aint prepped to produce good racing anyway.

 

championship for me does have better racing due to most of them being on a similar level.

 

was it around 2016/17 when they changed the race format and all the top boys raced each other and the lower team raced each other, racing wise that was a phenomenal season, but obviously messed up riders averages, if they could bring that format again the sport could blossom with a premiership

Edited 9 hours ago by PhilTheAce

[Baldyman]

Even with 5 teams, bet they still can't get fixtures finished in time 

 

[Aries]

1 minute ago, PhilTheAce said:

we all want to see the best, thats who we enjoy most, but lets not lie to ourselves, do the top boys produce best racing??? in poland yes where the level of competition is much more level.

 

over here 90% of the time, the kurtz, bewleys, doyles, frickes, emiles, holders of this world just gate and clear off winning by the length of the straight, theirs only really heats 13 and &15 we look forward to, and then most of the time the tracks aint prepped to produce good racing anyway.

 

championship for me does have better racing due to most of them being on a similar level.

 

was it around 2016/17 when they changed the race format and all the top boys raced each other and the lower team raced each other, racing wise that was a phenomenal season, but obviously messed up riders averages, if they could bring that format again the sport could blossom with a premiership

Those world class riders can produce moments of absolute quality at times though Phil where they literally leave your jaw on the floor and you just know you’re watching the sports Elite. Emil at Leicester a few weeks ago for example, Fricke at the same venue earlier in the season when he made a terrible gate, etc etc. the last few years at Foxhall seeing Emil and Doyle in 13 and 15 was just magical. I’m sorry, you just don’t get that same buzz seeing King and Charles Wright in the same heats. You just don’t I’m afraid. 
 

As I say though, there are die hard fans of the sport who will go regardless, and good luck to them. But let’s not pretend a watered down product won’t majorly affect attendances. The attendances at Championship level generally, is pathetic bar one or two obvious exceptions. 

[PhilTheAce]

6 minutes ago, Aries said:

Those world class riders can produce moments of absolute quality at times though Phil where they literally leave your jaw on the floor and you just know you’re watching the sports Elite. Emil at Leicester a few weeks ago for example, Fricke at the same venue earlier in the season when he made a terrible gate, etc etc. the last few years at Foxhall seeing Emil and Doyle in 13 and 15 was just magical. I’m sorry, you just don’t get that same buzz seeing King and Charles Wright in the same heats. You just don’t I’m afraid. 
 

As I say though, there are die hard fans of the sport who will go regardless, and good luck to them. But let’s not pretend a watered down product won’t majorly affect attendances. The attendances at Championship level generally, is pathetic bar one or two obvious exceptions. 

no, totally get that and agree with you, of course i want the best here, i want more of them here though, just having 1 or 2 dont really work for me.

 

but im a die hard so ill go watch any speedway so suppose im the wrong guy to discuss this with 😂

[SPEEDY69]

7 minutes ago, Aries said:

Those world class riders can produce moments of absolute quality at times though Phil where they literally leave your jaw on the floor and you just know you’re watching the sports Elite. Emil at Leicester a few weeks ago for example, Fricke at the same venue earlier in the season when he made a terrible gate, etc etc. the last few years at Foxhall seeing Emil and Doyle in 13 and 15 was just magical. I’m sorry, you just don’t get that same buzz seeing King and Charles Wright in the same heats. You just don’t I’m afraid. 
 

As I say though, there are die hard fans of the sport who will go regardless, and good luck to them. But let’s not pretend a watered down product won’t majorly affect attendances. The attendances at Championship level generally, is pathetic bar one or two obvious exceptions. 

Agreed.  In recent seasons at Foxhall watching Doyle thread his way through opposition riders has been fantastic.

 

[dontforgetthefueltapsbruv]

16 minutes ago, PhilTheAce said:

championship for me does have better racing due to most of them being on a similar level.

There will be a similar disparity once the new normal settles in

Instead of Doyle v Hagon you will just have Wright v NDL random newbie

[SPEEDY69]

21 minutes ago, PhilTheAce said:

we all want to see the best, thats who we enjoy most, but lets not lie to ourselves, do the top boys produce best racing??? in poland yes where the level of competition is much more level.

 

over here 90% of the time, the kurtz, bewleys, doyles, frickes, emils, holders of this world just gate and clear off winning by the length of the straight, theirs only really heats 13 and &15 we look forward to, and then most of the time the tracks aint prepped to produce good racing anyway.

 

championship for me does have better racing due to most of them being on a similar level.

 

was it around 2016/17 when they changed the race format and all the top boys raced each other and the lower team raced each other, racing wise that was a phenomenal season, but obviously messed up riders averages, if they could bring that format again the sport could blossom with a premiership

On occasions but not as a rule and I don't agree the racing is better, not from the meetings I've seen on BSN.