Ipswich Witches 2026

[old bob at herne bay]

1 hour ago, Iamnotanumber said:

Unless you/we/I run a promotion or help to fund it then we have no right to be more than the mushrooms in this situation. Wait and see. If someone invests cash and time into it, then we can enjoy it. If not, and we do nothing constructive ourselves, we have no right to complain when there's no speedway in our town.

Given the alleged  lack of profit or big losses involved in operating a speedway club business, I have always been of the opinion that the " promoters" do so for their own personal enjoyment.  The people who come along to watch just help them to achieve theri enjoyment. They choose thier own team, they choose which league they oeprate in ,and enjoy meeting up with other promotoers who are on the same ego trip with theri personal ambitions.  

To them, it matters not a jot what  their customers think, they are on an ego  trip to try and win the p.offs . All this dross about doing it for the "love of the sport" doesn't wash with me. Nor has it for many years when speaking face to face with "promoter X " or "promoter Y"  I have just been told " its my club and ill do what i want with it " or words to that effect.

Sadly with promoter X he ignored my (and many others) comments and lost a shed load of money taking"his club" into the 1st divsion. 

Never,  in RECENT years have I even had the decency of a reply to comments/criticism/suggestions to promoters team managers.  

So forgive me if i find this whole charade of the forgetful four , the famous five, the super six or the magnificent seven nothing more than  winter entertainment. 

Supporters will get what they are given.  

[Hamish McRaker]

3 minutes ago, 1 valve said:

At least we’ve got fan interest in Ipswich 😉

I get all of the Business/Corporate stuff about confidentiality and due diligence legalistically restricting what can be publicly disclosed, and when.

But local professional sports clubs such as Ipswich Witches are also deeply rooted in their local community, and whether they like it or not, have a strong psychological contract with the local population and more specifically with those who care for and support them.

If a big, bad corporste entity or local authority comes along to put a local club's existence into jeopardy, the locals mobilise themselves to campaign to help try and stave off that threat.

In that situation, the club's owners will often join with that campaign by stressing that it is a service of great "community value", and it's loss would harm the wellbeing and sense of community which the supporters and the wider local comnunity derives from it.

In these circumstances, hiding behind corporate walls of silence is shamefully breaking that psychological contract

[ShanoXtra]

19 minutes ago, 1 valve said:

At least we’ve got fan interest in Ipswich 😉

Do you think it’s piss poor to not have any info on their own media website, even just an update. Last thing we heard on the website was back in Nov about selling Emil DVDs.

[cowboy cookie returns?]

1 hour ago, ShanoXtra said:

Do you think it’s piss poor to not have any info on their own media website, even just an update. Last thing we heard on the website was back in Nov about selling Emil DVDs.

I’m indifferent to be honest. When Louis put the club up for sale it was clear it was either sold or would not run in 2026. 
 

At the time I said to myself well that’s that at least we went out on a high. Since then nothing I’ve seen connected to speedway really gives me much enthusiasm for 26.

In all honesty what updates are we expecting? He’d spoken to 2 possible buyers both were a non starter, the third maybe a sale between Christmas & New Year. Clearly that hasn’t happened any comment as to why would likely no increase the chance of a sale.

After the years of Doyle & Emil, a team with no real number one in a league that is at the point of implosion I really can’t be bothered with it.

 

[cowboy cookie returns?]

1 hour ago, ShanoXtra said:

Do you think it’s piss poor to not have any info on their own media website, even just an update. Last thing we heard on the website was back in Nov about selling Emil DVDs.

I’m indifferent to be honest. When Louis put the club up for sale it was clear it was either sold or would not run in 2026. 
 

At the time I said to myself well that’s that at least we went out on a high. Since then nothing I’ve seen connected to speedway really gives me much enthusiasm for 26.

In all honesty what updates are we expecting? He’d spoken to 2 possible buyers both were a non starter, the third maybe a sale between Christmas & New Year. Clearly that hasn’t happened any comment as to why would likely no increase the chance of a sale.

After the years of Doyle & Emil, a team with no real number one in a league that is at the point of implosion I really can’t be bothered with it.

 

[1 valve]

8 minutes ago, IainB said:

There was a lot of media and fan interest though... and the government even got involved!

At least we’ve got fan interest in Ipswich 😉

[1 valve]

4 hours ago, Hamish McRaker said:

I get all of the Business/Corporate stuff about confidentiality and due diligence legalistically restricting what can be publicly disclosed, and when.

But local professional sports clubs such as Ipswich Witches are also deeply rooted in their local community, and whether they like it or not, have a strong psychological contract with the local population and more specifically with those who care for and support them.

If a big, bad corporste entity or local authority comes along to put a local club's existence into jeopardy, the locals mobilise themselves to campaign to help try and stave off that threat.

In that situation, the club's owners will often join with that campaign by stressing that it is a service of great "community value", and it's loss would harm the wellbeing and sense of community which the supporters and the wider local comnunity derives from it.

In these circumstances, hiding behind corporate walls of silence is shamefully breaking that psychological contract

Putting to one side the understandable sentiment and connection with fans and the wider supporters of the sport, if since the last statement was put out there's not a lot to be said, if nothing has materially changed.
it would be fair to presume CL is not hiding behind anything like a corporate wall and as he always has been, will be sympathetic to the views of fans wanting to know more. So lets just wait and see what if anything transpires over the next week. 

[Hamish McRaker]

11 minutes ago, 1 valve said:

Putting to one side the understandable sentiment and connection with fans and the wider supporters of the sport, if since the last statement was put out there's not a lot to be said, if nothing has materially changed.
it would be fair to presume CL is not hiding behind anything like a corporate wall and as he always has been, will be sympathetic to the views of fans wanting to know more. So lets just wait and see what if anything transpires over the next week. 

Ive got a better idea. Let's not

[1 valve]

33 minutes ago, Hamish McRaker said:

Ive got a better idea. Let's not

"Lets not" what?

[YeOldPitGate]

10 hours ago, Steve Irving said:

Oh but they do Shano. @flagrag said so. Cracking GP rider at number 1 👍🏻

To be fair Flagrag is probably one of the best connected people on this forum to the powers that be, I remember him being the first one to highlight the Sky cash cow was soon going to be no more and he was spot on.

[Baldyman]

Don't see why all the fans that are bothered don't stump up a tenner each to buy the club to keep it going.