Ipswich Witches 2026

[cowboy cookie returns?]

Louis delayed his radio interview until Monday now. I wonder what he’ll have to say & what the reasons could be for delaying again.

[SteveLyric2]

1 hour ago, SPEEDY69 said:

Phil Morris gave evidence in person at the save coventry speedway enquiry and did a good job.  He has also made the show slicker by standardising things and meetings over the last couple of seasons have moved through more quickly.

Good to see its all worked well then!

[Preston Comet]

Does anybody think Chris Louis could be persuaded to continue / change his mind?

[RoundTheBoards]

Genuine question to Ipswich fans:

Are you worried that there might be no Speedway at Ipswich in 2026?   

If "Yes", are you busy organising "Save our Speedway" campaigns and petitioning Louis not to quit?

If "No", how do you think it will pan out?   Someone will buy the club, or Louis will back down and continue?

 

[cowboy cookie returns?]

34 minutes ago, RoundTheBoards said:

Genuine question to Ipswich fans:

Are you worried that there might be no Speedway at Ipswich in 2026?   

If "Yes", are you busy organising "Save our Speedway" campaigns and petitioning Louis not to quit?

If "No", how do you think it will pan out?   Someone will buy the club, or Louis will back down and continue?

 

To be honest, it would be a sad day if I lose my team. However looking at the future I just can’t see any sort of future for league speedway in this country.

As hard as it is it might be better to go out on a high.

[SPEEDY69]

52 minutes ago, RoundTheBoards said:

Genuine question to Ipswich fans:

Are you worried that there might be no Speedway at Ipswich in 2026?   Yes

If "Yes", are you busy organising "Save our Speedway" campaigns and petitioning Louis not to quit? No

If "No", how do you think it will pan out?   Someone will buy the club, or Louis will back down and continue? Either someone will buy it or it will not operate in 2026

 

 

Edited 19 hours ago by SPEEDY69

[SPEEDY69]

2 hours ago, cowboy cookie returns? said:

Louis delayed his radio interview until Monday now. I wonder what he’ll have to say & what the reasons could be for delaying again.

what radio station is that and any idea what time?

[cowboy cookie returns?]

21 minutes ago, SPEEDY69 said:

what radio station is that and any idea what time?

He was due to be on gen x this morning now delayed until Monday at 9:45

[blue witch]

1 hour ago, cowboy cookie returns? said:

He was due to be on gen x this morning now delayed until Monday at 9:45

just after he's announced as a promoter of a new team???

[Hawk127]

Perhaps what was supposed to be to happen with Buster in 2018 might be on the cards again with Chris still involved as manager. 

[Racin Jason 72]

4 hours ago, RoundTheBoards said:

Genuine question to Ipswich fans:

Are you worried that there might be no Speedway at Ipswich in 2026?   

If "Yes", are you busy organising "Save our Speedway" campaigns and petitioning Louis not to quit?

If "No", how do you think it will pan out?   Someone will buy the club, or Louis will back down and continue?

 

Yes I am worried there may be no speedway. 
we had a save our speedway in 1995 and like many others I’m a member of the 400 club some 30 years on 

but this scenario isn’t a financial one at the moment. The club is extremely well run and has many sponsors and is viable. 
however next season there won’t be no tv money which is rumoured to be £60k.  Not only that will the sponsors want to pay the same money for no national tv coverage ? Unlikely. 
if the league is reduced to 5 teams will fans pick and choose or stop coming so often because it’s the same old faces ? 
Chris Louis deserves a lot of credit and respect for what he has done for our club and I can only imagine this is his last resort. 
im guessing as this is his primary income he isn’t going to gamble it away in a 5 team league. 
Maybe some of the other teams which are subsidised by their owners are willing to? Who knows. 
I don’t agree with some saying he has thrown his toys out. Like all democratic organisations you reform from within but he seems to have reached a point where he has had enough and doesn’t like the direction the sport is going. 
there had been no mud slinging just a for sale notice going up at foxhall. 
im desperately hoping a resolution can be reached and Chris will carry on but I’m less optimistic. 
But thank you to John and Chris for providing us with such service over so many years. 
 

[noaksey]

Perhaps he's delayed it as a deal is close to being concluded....

Fingers crossed if so 

[THE DEAN MACHINE]

3 hours ago, blue witch said:

just after he's announced as a promoter of a new team???

I did get told today that he is the promoter at Northampton and there is a tv deal imminent although it’s not a financial one, who knows, it’s a rumour and to be honest I’m getting sick of it all, 6 team league is not enough imo and I just wanted sorted now 

[cowboy cookie returns?]

25 minutes ago, THE DEAN MACHINE said:

I did get told today that he is the promoter at Northampton and there is a tv deal imminent although it’s not a financial one, who knows, it’s a rumour and to be honest I’m getting sick of it all, 6 team league is not enough imo and I just wanted sorted now 

The rumour a couple of months ago was that Louis would be involved at Northampton.

Personally I can’t see it happening now as he has put Ipswich up for sale as things in British speedway no longer align for him.

Also going from a stable club to one that could be a money pit isn’t the sort of thing I can see Chris gambling on.

[THE DEAN MACHINE]

34 minutes ago, cowboy cookie returns? said:

The rumour a couple of months ago was that Louis would be involved at Northampton.

Personally I can’t see it happening now as he has put Ipswich up for sale as things in British speedway no longer align for him.

Also going from a stable club to one that could be a money pit isn’t the sort of thing I can see Chris gambling on.

This is exactly what I thought, I can’t see it but they are desperate so who knows 

[Falcon1983]

I can't see Chris selling up at Ipswich to then take on Northampton to enable the premiership to run with Ipswich part of that Premiership... doesn't make any sense at all...

Could he sell up to be part of sorting Northampton out to run in 2027 then yes as it will take time to get that off the ground at their HOME track

I can see a 5 team Premiership happening with Ipswich, Leicester, Kings Lynn, Sheffield and Belle Vue

Home & Away Twice giving 16 meetings

League "winner" direct into the play off Final, 2nd and 3rd place into a two legged semi final...

Potentially they may resurrect the best pairs competiton to be held at each venue to just expand and add a bit of variety 

The clubs simply can't take a year out, some form of prem will run maybe a bit on a budget such as 5 rider teams with a 35 point team building limit then having 2 x U24 Commonwealth reserves and maybe tweaking the format to have 2 x reserve races then 2 & 6 vs 2 & 7 and the other way round to give the U24s a better chance...

All this should be done with a view of then sorting out a one league format for 2027 onwards whether thats regional or not 

 

 

[TB1]

4 hours ago, THE DEAN MACHINE said:

This is exactly what I thought, I can’t see it but they are desperate so who knows 

I'm surprised more riders haven't stuck their heads above the parapit to voice their concerns (other than the ones that already have). I guess many if them are waiting on outcomes before they sign contracts. And by that I don't mean the GP riders. Will the for want of a better expression, the run of the mill riders already by looking for other jobs if the promoters cannot make up their minds? Thus potentially losing even more riders.

[IainB]

8 hours ago, TB1 said:

I'm surprised more riders haven't stuck their heads above the parapit to voice their concerns (other than the ones that already have). I guess many if them are waiting on outcomes before they sign contracts. And by that I don't mean the GP riders. Will the for want of a better expression, the run of the mill riders already by looking for other jobs if the promoters cannot make up their minds? Thus potentially losing even more riders.

You'll be waiting for a hell of a long time for any of that... they just move on to the next club.

It amazes me that whenever a club closes you never really hear anything from the riders other than something like "it's a shame"... and then they pop up and ride elsewhere and leave it to the fans to fight the fight. I can tell them all it's more than a shame, it's absolutely bloody devastating!