Ipswich Witches 2026

[ouch]

2 hours ago, Racin Jason 72 said:

Would YOU be prepared to underwrite any losses that Ipswich speedway incurs next season. ? We already know that £60k needs to be found to replace the tv money. A new air fence also needs purchasing too.  
less fixtures with a much weaker product and more repetition is going to lessen income too. 
oh yes I’d definitely risk my house for it. 

 

That makes sense at face value but with a little unpacking Louis motives become a little clearer. 

At the end of October he knew the tv deal was over and that his team would be weakened by the departure of Emil. So that’s the tv deal and weaker product covered. The air fence is another known item Louis still had to contend with whilst openly planning for 2026. 

Now we come to the fixture issue. If it’s five teams you’re basically dropping a Birmingham type team for extra visits from Belle Vue & Sheffield. Only Louis can say which is best financially, through we probably all have our own thoughts. BTW, it’s less fixtures with the same repetition or the more repetition with the same fixtures. 

The house seemed at equal risk in October as it did 2/3 weeks later but imo that’s not the issue, it’s purely down to not getting his own way. I kind of don’t blame him as the trait of almost all speedway promoters is one of “I’m alright Jack, screw you.” Owning that mindset is another thing and we continually get this smoke screen from clubs PR and social media trolls that everything they do is for the good of the sport.  

Hopefully he doesn’t kill off the club as they have been a welcome addition to the top league recently and their true fans don’t deserve to have the rug pulled after their cup win only a few weeks ago. 

 

[JamesB]

2 hours ago, Aries said:

We don’t know that’s the case. People on here claim to know all sorts when the reality is they don’t know their @rse from their elbow. 

The statement clearly said that ‘the Premiership will feature a minimum line up of five teams’. Therefore, one of the following must have been true at the time of the announcement:

1. The sale of the Witches was all but done bar the paperwork.
or
2. A new team had agreed to run in 2026.

Clearly, in light of the Louis update, 1. had not happened. If 2. had happened then would they not have been better off confirming that fact, even if it was subject to formal agreement at the AGM which surely would be a ‘give un’.

I am not convinced that either of the above had/have happened.

My view is that their preferred outcome is that the sale of the Witches is completed and that they compete in the 2026 Premiership. If this doesn’t happen, then I suspect that there is a cobbled together Plan B that they will fall back on. 

[TB1]

Let's all get one thing clear. At best it will be 5 teams unless someone is prepared to underwrite another loss making venture.

[Racin Jason 72]

1 hour ago, ouch said:

 

That makes sense at face value but with a little unpacking Louis motives become a little clearer. 

At the end of October he knew the tv deal was over and that his team would be weakened by the departure of Emil. So that’s the tv deal and weaker product covered. The air fence is another known item Louis still had to contend with whilst openly planning for 2026. 

Now we come to the fixture issue. If it’s five teams you’re basically dropping a Birmingham type team for extra visits from Belle Vue & Sheffield. Only Louis can say which is best financially, through we probably all have our own thoughts. BTW, it’s less fixtures with the same repetition or the more repetition with the same fixtures. 

The house seemed at equal risk in October as it did 2/3 weeks later but imo that’s not the issue, it’s purely down to not getting his own way. I kind of don’t blame him as the trait of almost all speedway promoters is one of “I’m alright Jack, screw you.” Owning that mindset is another thing and we continually get this smoke screen from clubs PR and social media trolls that everything they do is for the good of the sport.  

Hopefully he doesn’t kill off the club as they have been a welcome addition to the top league recently and their true fans don’t deserve to have the rug pulled after their cup win only a few weeks ago. 

 

Another view is he could have continued and lost enough money to not be able to continue in 27. 
maybe the bombshell has just been dropped 12 months early. The end result is still the same.  

[arnieg]

46 minutes ago, JamesB said:

The statement clearly said that ‘the Premiership will feature a minimum line up of five teams’. Therefore, one of the following must have been true at the time of the announcement:

1. The sale of the Witches was all but done bar the paperwork.
or
2. A new team had agreed to run in 2026.

Clearly, in light of the Louis update, 1. had not happened. If 2. had happened then would they not have been better off confirming that fact, even if it was subject to formal agreement at the AGM which surely would be a ‘give un’.

I am not convinced that either of the above had/have happened.

My view is that their preferred outcome is that the sale of the Witches is completed and that they compete in the 2026 Premiership. If this doesn’t happen, then I suspect that there is a cobbled together Plan B that they will fall back on. 

Or:

3. The BSPL were hoping [in the words of Mr McCawber] that something might turn up.

[dontforgetthefueltapsbruv]

21 hours ago, IainB said:

Has a Birmingham look about it 😂

I'd say that's exactly what to expect - at best!!

[Steve Irving]

8 hours ago, Teromaafan said:

I’m neither for or against Louis but such criticism is unfounded when you do not know the figures involved with the financial operation of the club. 

It isn’t unfounded though is it? He’s threatening to close a viable Speedway club because he’s gotten the hump over something he “can’t talk about”!

Of course none of us know the figures involved, but if Ipswich are losing money then so is every single club up and down the Country! And if that’s the case, close it all down now.

Somehow, I don’t think that’s the case.

The fact is, clubs in the top flight who are not as well backed both via sponsorship or via gate receipts, are all coming to tapes in March. The man who is lucky enough to be backed by Thousands of loyal supporters, more than any other club in the top flight, is threatening to end Speedway for those very supporters.

Nobody is suggesting he stays where he is forever, but if he can’t find a buyer before January the 6th, why can’t he do just one more year to keep Speedway going in Ipswich that has been running since the 50’s? That will give him plenty of time to find someone to take over for 2027 (if there is one).

Just shutting up shop and closing Ipswich Speedway, should NOT under any circumstances be defended or accepted.

[ShanoXtra]

8 hours ago, Teromaafan said:

I’m neither for or against Louis but such criticism is unfounded when you do not know the figures involved with the financial operation of the club. Take speedway out of the equation and ask yourself whether you would like people telling you what to do with your money and be criticised for not being prepared to risk making a loss just to make other people happy?

Those last few sentences make me laugh, everyone should feel sorry for speedway promoters and we should never criticise them or tell them what we think is best, do you not think the biggest sport in the world, football, doesn’t have the same for football owners? Majority of football team don’t make a profit either incase you are unaware.

[Steve Irving]

7 hours ago, ouch said:

 

That makes sense at face value but with a little unpacking Louis motives become a little clearer. 

At the end of October he knew the tv deal was over and that his team would be weakened by the departure of Emil. So that’s the tv deal and weaker product covered. The air fence is another known item Louis still had to contend with whilst openly planning for 2026. 

Now we come to the fixture issue. If it’s five teams you’re basically dropping a Birmingham type team for extra visits from Belle Vue & Sheffield. Only Louis can say which is best financially, through we probably all have our own thoughts. BTW, it’s less fixtures with the same repetition or the more repetition with the same fixtures. 

The house seemed at equal risk in October as it did 2/3 weeks later but imo that’s not the issue, it’s purely down to not getting his own way. I kind of don’t blame him as the trait of almost all speedway promoters is one of “I’m alright Jack, screw you.” Owning that mindset is another thing and we continually get this smoke screen from clubs PR and social media trolls that everything they do is for the good of the sport.  

Hopefully he doesn’t kill off the club as they have been a welcome addition to the top league recently and their true fans don’t deserve to have the rug pulled after their cup win only a few weeks ago. 

 

It absolutely is. I listened to his radio interview weeks ago where he was happily stating that he was already attempting to put together another “title winning side”. There was absolutely nothing in that interview that hinted he was offski, nothing.

You say you kind of don’t blame him, but is his stubbornness at things not going the way he wanted, worth depriving thousands of loyal supporters of their Speedway club? 
 

Clubs have gone to the wall in recent years which has been heartbreaking. Far far too many in recent years. But in each case from memory, those closures were forced due to one reason or another.

To have another close, and one that seemingly still has an awful lot going for it despite the poor state of the sport in general in this Country, is unforgivable. I’m struggling to comprehend some on here defending Louis for threatening to pull the damn plug on a fine Speedway Club!

[Aries]

By all accounts the latest potential buyer isn’t one of the two that Louis told us he was in discussions with a few weeks ago. Both of those walked away after not getting close to his valuation.

Remains to be seen if this latest interested buyer, can be more successful..

[ShanoXtra]

If we make it into the new year and C.Louis and Ipswich speedway fail to have a buyer or provide any kind of update then it’s really time to say they have failed the fans. This kind of fiasco will overshadow last year’s triumph if they are not careful. 

[Aries]

4 minutes ago, ShanoXtra said:

If we make it into the new year and C.Louis and Ipswich speedway fail to have a buyer or provide any kind of update then it’s really time to say they have failed the fans. This kind of fiasco will overshadow last year’s triumph if they are not careful. 

Agree. But he was quoted on Christmas Eve saying he hoped a sale would go through between Christmas and new Year, so let’s keep everything crossed that we hear something positive next week.

[dontforgetthefueltapsbruv]

40 minutes ago, Steve Irving said:

It absolutely is. I listened to his radio interview weeks ago where he was happily stating that he was already attempting to put together another “title winning side”. There was absolutely nothing in that interview that hinted he was offski, nothing.

At that point i dont think there was any intention of not being in charge for 2027

Quite the opposite - I believe deals were already agreed to the point that without such a dramatic unexpected shift we could have been hearing Cooper Rushen announced for a different East Anglian team today for example.....

I think the original threat/refusal to be part of a 5 team league was meant more as a bluff with the hope to push towards either a club moving up or pushing for a talks towards a joining into one

There mustve been quite an unexpected response to the move to cause Chris to feel his only option was to sell

[Aries]

1 minute ago, dontforgetthefueltapsbruv said:

At that point i dont think there was any intention of not being in charge for 2027

Quite the opposite - I believe deals were already agreed to the point that without such a dramatic unexpected shift we could have been hearing Cooper Rushen announced for a different East Anglian team today for example.....

I think the original threat/refusal to be part of a 5 team league was meant more as a bluff with the hope to push towards either a club moving up or pushing for a talks towards a joining into one

There mustve been quite an unexpected response to the move to cause Chris to feel his only option was to sell

Agree with this also. The lad Pollestad was due in also I believe. It’s all blown up very late in the day.

[Steve Irving]

10 minutes ago, dontforgetthefueltapsbruv said:

At that point i dont think there was any intention of not being in charge for 2027

Quite the opposite - I believe deals were already agreed to the point that without such a dramatic unexpected shift we could have been hearing Cooper Rushen announced for a different East Anglian team today for example.....

I think the original threat/refusal to be part of a 5 team league was meant more as a bluff with the hope to push towards either a club moving up or pushing for a talks towards a joining into one

There mustve been quite an unexpected response to the move to cause Chris to feel his only option was to sell

So he threatened to quit and the others have called his bluff, and he’s now dug himself in to such a huge hole that he now can’t get out of? Silly boy, and all very sad tbh.

[hasta la vista]

Neither Pollestad or Rushen were ever signing with Ipswich.

Some of the stuff on here is so fanciful.

[cowboy cookie returns?]

Maybe another local company is looking at it, involved in sponsorship of another local team but as yet not involved in speedway. 
 

Question is if it’s non speedway people looking at it how does that sit with the BSPL?

 

[cowboy cookie returns?]

40 minutes ago, dontforgetthefueltapsbruv said:

At that point i dont think there was any intention of not being in charge for 2027

Quite the opposite - I believe deals were already agreed to the point that without such a dramatic unexpected shift we could have been hearing Cooper Rushen announced for a different East Anglian team today for example.....

I think the original threat/refusal to be part of a 5 team league was meant more as a bluff with the hope to push towards either a club moving up or pushing for a talks towards a joining into one

There mustve been quite an unexpected response to the move to cause Chris to feel his only option was to sell

It’s obvious that something went dramatically wrong between October & mid November. What that was I guess we will never know.

However if that was enough that it makes Louis running Ipswich unprofitable then I don’t think we can blame him for wanting to get out.

[dontforgetthefueltapsbruv]

11 minutes ago, hasta la vista said:

Neither Pollestad or Rushen were ever signing with Ipswich.

Some of the stuff on here is so fanciful.

We will never know for sure now

[Bagpuss]

12 minutes ago, hasta la vista said:

Neither Pollestad or Rushen were ever signing with Ipswich.

Some of the stuff on here is so fanciful.

No idea on Pollestad but I think Cooper was only ever ending up at the two places he's signed for.