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. 

 

[dontforgetthefueltapsbruv]

4 minutes ago, Baldyman said:

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. 

 

Are there 35,000 willing participants?

[Baldyman]

Can't be worth more than 50 bags surely  

[YeOldPitGate]

42 minutes ago, dontforgetthefueltapsbruv said:

Are there 35,000 willing participants?

If that is even remotely true its no wonder there's no takers £35k would be nearer the mark given at the current time your being asked to buy into a failing business model with top level UK speedway as a whole.

[RoundTheBoards]

20 minutes ago, Baldyman said:

Can't be worth more than 50 bags surely  

Louis was certainly asking a lot more than that for it.   I have no idea whether someone has met his crazy high valuation, or whether he's negotiated down, but I understand a deal was done, and they were looking to tie it all up this week.  I think any delay is purely due to solicitors not being particularly keen to be doing a lot of work over Christmastime.  Assuming it's a consortium of people taking over, there may be several solicitors involved.  Hopefully, it's still all on schedule to be sorted before the AGM.

I was thinking that having Ipswich on board would cancel the need for the 5th team, which has been looked into, but I'm hearing that this is still going ahead too at the moment.  I'm sceptical, and it's hard to get good information, but I'm led to believe that Ipswich being sorted doesn't necessarily mean the 5th team will be dropped.  

[Steve Irving]

11 hours ago, YeOldPitGate said:

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.

Media wise absolutely. Knowing the inside info of Speedway clubs’ signings, especially these days, I’m not convinced.

No malice intended and as I’ve said, Steve is a sound fella and well respected, but I can’t ever recall him calling a correct signing on here before or breaking anything that wasn’t already known. 
 

Anyway, let’s hope @RoundTheBoards is correct and a deal is done for Ipswich to come to the tapes. The sport desperately needs them it’s as simple as that.

Let’s also hope that Flagrag was correct and Ipswich have a top number 1 GP rider and a competitive team. Having lost Doyle (for now) and Emil to the League, it will be a boost to get another top liner over here.

[Mau]

Does club anyone know who administers the 400 club?  I joined when it started in 1996 and will now have paid in to the fund around £1800. When it started it did have around 400 members although I believe there is probably less than half that number who still contribute. However after paying out the prize money at least £250.000 must have been raised but no accounts have ever been published and members have never been told what the money has been used for.  As my monthly £5 is still being collected it would be nice to have a little information.

[Aries]

9 hours ago, YeOldPitGate said:

If that is even remotely true its no wonder there's no takers £35k would be nearer the mark given at the current time your being asked to buy into a failing business model with top level UK speedway as a whole.

It’s both a risk for the buyer, AND the seller so it’s a very difficult one to value. On the face of it it certainly does currently look like a failing business model, but what if it turns around in 2027?

People will scoff at that suggestion and with good reason, but we know plans are being put in place to make sure next winter, isn’t like this one. 
 

People keep saying machinery, starting gates, and air fences are the assets.  But it’s the supporters who are the assets. 
 

A well supported club will always be worth more financially, than a poorly supported club for obvious reasons. Ipswich would be one of the plum pick ups because of the loyal core fan base. 
 

The difficulty is the valuation and trying to predict how much of an effect the negativity of a dwindling top flight, plus the loss of Doyle and Emil, will have on attendances. 
 

It’ll definitely have an effect for certain, but to what degree remains to be seen and that’s why it’s difficult to value. 
 

If Louis sells too low and the sport sorts itself out even marginally, and the crowds return, then he could end up losing out. 
 

If the buyer buys too high and the downward spiral continues and the crowds dwindle further, then they’ve made a poor investment. 
 

It ain’t easy. 

[Mau]

The club doesn't just need some rich benefactors. It still has to be run. Chris, with his wife and Richie Hawkins managed the club and they have all said they do not want to do that in the future. Who ever buys the club still has to find people with the time, the business know how, and speedway contacts to actually run it on a day to day basis.

[mikebv]

14 minutes ago, Aries said:

It’s both a risk for the buyer, AND the seller so it’s a very difficult one to value. On the face of it it certainly does currently look like a failing business model, but what if it turns around in 2027?

People will scoff at that suggestion and with good reason, but we know plans are being put in place to make sure next winter, isn’t like this one. 
 

People keep saying machinery, starting gates, and air fences are the assets.  But it’s the supporters who are the assets. 
 

A well supported club will always be worth more financially, than a poorly supported club for obvious reasons. Ipswich would be one of the plum pick ups because of the loyal core fan base. 
 

The difficulty is the valuation and trying to predict how much of an effect the negativity of a dwindling top flight, plus the loss of Doyle and Emil, will have on attendances. 
 

It’ll definitely have an effect for certain, but to what degree remains to be seen and that’s why it’s difficult to value. 
 

If Louis sells too low and the sport sorts itself out even marginally, and the crowds return, then he could end up losing out. 
 

If the buyer buys too high and the downward spiral continues and the crowds dwindle further, then they’ve made a poor investment. 
 

It ain’t easy. 

And you can add in a lack of TV money which may also reduce sponsors money as there will be less media coverage of their name...

I have seen that C5 covered The Worlds Strongest Man competition over Xmas...

They don't seen to have a huge sporting portfolio so maybe they could be interested in doing an hours worth of highlights using, for a fee, the streaming coversge from tracks, and BSN footage?

A relatively cheap show to produce, and gets some mainstream "free to air" coverage, rather than being behind a pay wall...