Ipswich Witches 2026

[Badge]

 

[THE DEAN MACHINE]

1 hour ago, Badge said:

 

Should be ??? Should we be worried ? 

[JamesB]

5 minutes ago, THE DEAN MACHINE said:

Should be ??? Should we be worried ? 

I’ve said it on here before and now Louis directly references it in this latest interview.

Due Diligence, both Financial and Legal is a critical element of the sale process of any business and takes place after the parties have agreed the terms of the sale/purchase.

I will remain nervous until confirmation that contracts have been signed.

[ArthurRudge]

So has team building commenced or will we find that out in 2 weeks?

[Aries]

2 hours ago, Badge said:

 

Thanks for the link Badge. Well this is quite interesting to me because I was convinced he would be running things on behalf of the new people/person, at least in the short term but that doesn’t seem to be the case. I was also pretty sure he was involved still in putting the team together but reading that I’m not convinced that’s the case either!

He really doesn’t seem to want anything to do with the sport anymore which is a surprise I’m sure to many! That stance may change in the future who knows.

[Aries]

1 minute ago, ArthurRudge said:

So has team building commenced or will we find that out in 2 weeks?

He did say “work was well underway” on the team in the update last week so who knows whether that meant he was working on it, or he knew the potential new owners were working on it. 
 

Very much doubt though we’ll see any rider confirmed until the sale has been completed. 
 

Still lots of questions unanswered. Are some of the current team (as in the volunteers who helped Chris at the club) staying around in their roles? Or are the new people going to have an awful lot to do and find a new track man, presenter, etc as well as a new team manager? These were all very loyal to Chris Louis as much as Ipswich Speedway. 
 

 

[Hawk127]

Promoter Chris Louis plans to take time away from speedway once the sale of Premiership champions Ipswich Witches is complete.

Louis hopes to be able to confirm the name of the buyers within the next two weeks.

He put the Witches up for sale in November after they beat Leicester Lions to win the title for the first time in 27 years, and it is now going through due process. 

"Once we're in a position where the sale is complete then everything will move very quickly," Louis told BBC Radio Suffolk.

"I had two or three other offers that didn't suit me personally or my vision of putting the club in safe hands.

"It's unfortunate because it feels like the club is so far behind the other teams coming into 2026, but I'm very proud of the fact that we've found what I believe to be the right owners and hopefully it all goes through smoothly."

• Ipswich Witches agree sale to new owner

   

  • Published
    3 days ago

• Doyle confirms GB speedway exit with Ipswich up for sale

   

  • Published
    11 December 2025

Ipswich have confirmed their place in what, at the moment, will be a five-team Premiership this year but have yet to finalise a rider roster.

"The way I've done things in the last few years, season ticket sales would have started at the beginning of December and the team would have been announced before Christmas.

"It's different in 2026 but it's to be expected, it's a big thing to sell a business and it takes a bit of work with all the due diligence to do.

"But I think we've found the right people for the club, I don't think it could be in better hands and I'm excited to see what they do with it and what the future holds." 

Louis plans to attend meetings at Foxhall Stadium in the new season but does not, at present, intend to have any direct involvement in the sport.

"I received an offer from a Polish club three days after putting the club up for sale but it would have meant far too big a life change for me, moving to Poland," he added. 

"I want out of the sport, it's time for a change. I'm looking forward to a different lifestyle, I won't be travelling around quite as much. No firm plans yet."

Chris Louis was speaking to BBC Radio Suffolk's Wayne Bavin

[norbold]

Does that mean Kelvin won't have Chris at his side to correct him during the GPs ?

[GeneralMelchett]

4 minutes ago, norbold said:

Does that mean Kelvin won't have Chris at his side to correct him during the GPs ?

It was a bit like James Hunt and Murray Walker at times wasn't it!😅

[PotteringAround]

2 minutes ago, GeneralMelchett said:

It was a bit like James Hunt and Murray Walker at times wasn't it!😅

Louis certainly seems to have been a bit of a "James Hunt" this winter.

[WookieboyDon]

37 minutes ago, PotteringAround said:

Louis certainly seems to have been a bit of a "James Hunt" this winter.

You 🤡

[Steve Irving]

With Louis admitting they’re way behind the other clubs because of the sale uncertainty, I think it’s clear that Ipswich are going to have to pick the bones out of what’s left this season. What the Ipswich faithful need to do though, is not judge the new owner on the back of potentially putting together a less than stellar line up. They’re coming in very late in the day so the supporters need to back the new owners and give them the benefit of the doubt. Next winter will be the time to judge their ambition when they’ve had a year to get their feet under the table.

The worst thing that could happen, is the support to dwindle to a level where the new person makes a significant loss, and then simply sacks it all off in 12 months time on the back of it. That would put the sport in Ipswich in all kinds of trouble! Even if you’re disappointed in the line up, back them. At least in the short term.

Edited 2 hours ago by Steve Irving

[YeOldPitGate]

2 minutes ago, Steve Irving said:

With Louis admitting they’re way behind the other clubs because of the sale uncertainty, I think it’s clear that Ipswich are going to have to pick the bones out of what’s left this season. What the Ipswich faithful need to do though, is not judge the new owner on the back of potentially putting together a less than stellar line up. They’re coming in very late in the day so the supporters need to back the new owners and give them the benefit of the doubt. Next winter will be the time to judge their ambition when they’ve had a year to get their feet under the table.

The worst thing that could happen, is the support to dwindle to a level where the new person makes a significant loss, and then simply sacks it all off in 12 months time on the back of it. That would put the sport in Ipswich in all kinds of trouble! Even if you’re disappointed in the line up, back them. At least in the short term.

With Northampton having the remaining scraps of the bones if they turn up.

[YeOldPitGate]

The new lot seem well funded so hopefully will get one top line rider on board, I just hope they don't make the same mistake as the fella who took over Rye House and put a load of riders on huge guarantees and then went bust at the end of the season.

[Steve Irving]

Just now, YeOldPitGate said:

With Northampton having the remaining scraps of the bones if they turn up.

Well that’s another issue. If Ipswich are currently picking the bones out of the scraps left already, god help a potential sixth team. That’s why all those moaning at a lack of variety with only having five teams, need to understand that a top league only suits five clubs because of the lack of available riders of a certain pedigree!

We had a seven team league in 2025, but let’s be brutally honest here, only five of them were competitive. Is it really worth adding more teams, if they’re just going to be cannon fodder like Oxford and Birmingham were last year?

[Hamish McRaker]

26 minutes ago, Steve Irving said:

Well that’s another issue. If Ipswich are currently picking the bones out of the scraps left already, god help a potential sixth team. That’s why all those moaning at a lack of variety with only having five teams, need to understand that a top league only suits five clubs because of the lack of available riders of a certain pedigree!

We had a seven team league in 2025, but let’s be brutally honest here, only five of them were competitive. Is it really worth adding more teams, if they’re just going to be cannon fodder like Oxford and Birmingham were last year?

I think the 37 point limit, with 6 teams all confirmed by early November, would have resulted in a competitive league with no lame ducks. 

As it is, some riders made early decisions to secure contracts elsewhere, which would now make 6 equal strength teams difficult to achieve. Once Belle Vue confirm Kurtz i think we can wave goodbye to there being a 6th team this year

[YeOldPitGate]

Just now, Hamish McRaker said:

I think the 37 point limit, with 6 teams all confirmed by early November, would have resulted in a competitive league with no lame ducks. 

As it is, some riders made early decisions to secure contracts elsewhere, which would now make 6 equal strength teams difficult to achieve. Once Belle Vue confirm Kurtz i think we can wave goodbye to there being a 6th team this year

You would have thought so or your in the position Tolley ended up in 2025 where your laying out top dollar for average riders on ever decreasing crowds and that's before you factor in your a nomad team on someone else's track or trying to build a brand in a town/city with no previous speedway following.

If there is someone genuinely interested the sensible thing would be to park it and plan for 2027 with a view to helping them but given this is british speedway if they find someone who doesn't know any better they will be rushed in and then served up the scraps.

[Fromafar]

8 minutes ago, YeOldPitGate said:

You would have thought so or your in the position Tolley ended up in 2025 where your laying out top dollar for average riders on ever decreasing crowds and that's before you factor in your a nomad team on someone else's track or trying to build a brand in a town/city with no previous speedway following.

If there is someone genuinely interested the sensible thing would be to park it and plan for 2027 with a view to helping them but given this is british speedway if they find someone who doesn't know any better they will be rushed in and then served up the scraps.

Surely the Premiership can’t survive for another 2 years.

[TTT]

Wouldn't worry about Team Buillding, Fair share of good riders still available due to the Points Limit.

[TB1]

11 hours ago, YeOldPitGate said:

Who was stingray ?

Ray Morton, I'm sure that's what Dave Lanning used to call him at Wimbledon.