Ipswich Witches 2026

[Youhave2minutes]

18 minutes ago, Aries said:

Wonder if we’ve managed to sign up a top number 1..

I’m off for a number 2

[TTT]

25 minutes ago, Aries said:

Wonder if we’ve managed to sign up a top number 1..

Just a case of who imo.

Woffinden or Lambert would be the most likely names.

Fully expect Brady to be back at Belle Vue but it's taken an awfully long time for them to announce him but that's the longest of long shots imo.

[Aries]

It’s been mentioned before on this thread but I can’t find it. What is the usual average reduction for missing a full season injured?

[dontforgetthefueltapsbruv]

3 minutes ago, Aries said:

It’s been mentioned before on this thread but I can’t find it. What is the usual average reduction for missing a full season injured?

8% is stated elsewhere but it seems to only relate to the Championship 

[Phannan]

1 hour ago, Youhave2minutes said:

I’m off for a number 2

How was it .. bet it didn’t touch the sides eh ..

[Aries]

1 hour ago, TTT said:

Just a case of who imo.

Woffinden or Lambert would be the most likely names.

Fully expect Brady to be back at Belle Vue but it's taken an awfully long time for them to announce him but that's the longest of long shots imo.

 

[spin king junior]

15 minutes ago, Aries said:

It’s been mentioned before on this thread but I can’t find it. What is the usual average reduction for missing a full season injured?

On the 2026 rules and regs it states-

 

"010.2.3 Amended MA’s
With the approval of the BSP LTD GC or Directors for: -
a) riders who have been absent from British Speedway racing for 
more than 3 seasons (the table in 10.2.2 will be used as a 
reference, the MA may be increased or decreased) 
b) riders who have been absent for more than 1 full season due to 
a speedway injury"

 

Doesn't mention any amount of percentage of reduction- however, I'd read that as woffinden could apply for a reduction under the current rules.

[IainB]

8 minutes ago, Aries said:

It’s been mentioned before on this thread but I can’t find it. What is the usual average reduction for missing a full season injured?

You planning Ippo's 2027 team? 😂

Edited 12 hours ago by IainB

[TTT]

I'd say Tai will be given an 8.00 Average.

Woffinden's current GSA after 2.5% Reduction would be 8.45.

But will get a further Reduction on that for being injured for a full season, Say another 5% Reduction which would take it down to 8.03 so the higher ups may as well just hand Tai an 8.00 average.

Edited 11 hours ago by TTT

[Youhave2minutes]

1 hour ago, Phannan said:

How was it .. bet it didn’t touch the sides eh ..

Skidded the pan so it did

[noaksey]

Last I heard it won't be either Woffinden or Lambert but it's gone quiet again so...

[cowboy cookie returns?]

11 hours ago, Steve Irving said:

What makes you say that? You’ve hinted that you’ve heard something, care to share?

The joys of being old  self employed & semi retired. I had a long lunch on Monday with a client on who has been going to Foxhall since the 70s, 
 

Anyway from what they had to say the deal is done between Louis & the buyer but there is a minor 3rd party hold up. Which should be resolved in the next couple of days & that the team is signed up.

We’ll see 

[Steve Irving]

7 hours ago, noaksey said:

Last I heard it won't be either Woffinden or Lambert but it's gone quiet again so...

It’s difficult to imagine that with the contacts and influence Mayfield undoubtedly has in the sport right now, that they don’t announce their purchase of a Premiership club with an eye catching number 1 signing. They’ll get one of the GP boys in surely.

[Aries]

Looking at the rider averages for each of the last three seasons on the BSPL website, there is a clear downward trajectory of Doyle and Sayfutdinov which suggests losing them isn’t quite the blow it first seems

Doyle

2023- 9.88 GSA 9.24

2024- 10.00 GSA 9.29 (only seven meetings due to season ending injury in May)

2025- 8.69 GSA 7.91

Sayfutdinov

2023- 10.73 GSA 10.07

2024- 9.52 GSA 9.01

2025- 8.75 GSA 8.07

Now you wouldn’t refuse either back, but those stats suggest age and injury has caught up with them. Doyle hasn’t looked the same rider since that season ending crash at Lynn in 2024 and it’s quite an eye opener to see Emil averaging TWO points less last season than his first season here.

ironically we finally ended up winning the title when they both had their poorest seasons by some distance!

[macky]

I am not an Ipswich supporter though it is now my nearest track, though at the moment not nearest team but I suspect the fact that Richard Lawson, Danny King and Charles Wright have not been announced anywhere yet they may well be the engine room of an Ipswich team to be announced soon as I cannot believe that no other team would not want these riders unless they were committed elsewhere.  I know a lot of Ipswich supporters do not like Danny King but they are the idiots that expect him to be beating the number ones of the opposition, Danny is not a number one but a reliable three or four who has never let Ipswich down. 

[Aries]

3 minutes ago, macky said:

I am not an Ipswich supporter though it is now my nearest track, though at the moment not nearest team but I suspect the fact that Richard Lawson, Danny King and Charles Wright have not been announced anywhere yet they may well be the engine room of an Ipswich team to be announced soon as I cannot believe that no other team would not want these riders unless they were committed elsewhere.  I know a lot of Ipswich supporters do not like Danny King but they are the idiots that expect him to be beating the number ones of the opposition, Danny is not a number one but a reliable three or four who has never let Ipswich down. 

Nobody expects him to do that. 
 

Lawson and Charles Wright are earmarked for Northampton. 

[cowboy cookie returns?]

30 minutes ago, Aries said:

Looking at the rider averages for each of the last three seasons on the BSPL website, there is a clear downward trajectory of Doyle and Sayfutdinov which suggests losing them isn’t quite the blow it first seems

Doyle

2023- 9.88 GSA 9.24

2024- 10.00 GSA 9.29 (only seven meetings due to season ending injury in May)

2025- 8.69 GSA 7.91

Sayfutdinov

2023- 10.73 GSA 10.07

2024- 9.52 GSA 9.01

2025- 8.75 GSA 8.07

Now you wouldn’t refuse either back, but those stats suggest age and injury has caught up with them. Doyle hasn’t looked the same rider since that season ending crash at Lynn in 2024 and it’s quite an eye opener to see Emil averaging TWO points less last season than his first season here.

ironically we finally ended up winning the title when they both had their poorest seasons by some distance!

I agree they were both on a downward spiral. However Doyle has had 2 bad injuries in recent seasons & Emil for some reason really struggled with his engines last year.

The biggest loss is their presence in the pits & interaction with the supporters. Lambert may well out score them but he doesn’t come across as a team player in the same way as those other 2. 
 

Woffy I think will struggle to get to a 8 pt average.

[kevin bass]

9 minutes ago, Aries said:

Nobody expects him to do that. 
 

Lawson and Charles Wright are earmarked for Northampton. 

If Northampton don't happen the might be a few riders without a team, Ipswich can't fit in Brennan, King, Rew, Lawson, Wright, Becker plus an out and out No1, also Tungate and and the Aussie from Belle Vue.

Edited 1 hour ago by kevin bass
Correction

[Aries]

2 minutes ago, cowboy cookie returns? said:

I agree they were both on a downward spiral. However Doyle has had 2 bad injuries in recent seasons & Emil for some reason really struggled with his engines last year.

The biggest loss is their presence in the pits & interaction with the supporters. Lambert may well out score them but he doesn’t come across as a team player in the same way as those other 2. 
 

Woffy I think will struggle to get to a 8 pt average.

Emil had “engine” issues the season before too. Started the 2024 season really poorly by his standards. An experienced rider like him can’t be using engines as an excuse though. The fact is, whether age, injury, or both, both riders look to have seen their best days and are on the way down. 
 

Take your point about being team players though. Both excellent in that regard. But we have to face the reality that things are now going to feel completely different at Ipswich. Recruitment criteria based on team players and integrating in to the “Ipswich way” may well be a thing of the past. 
 

Got to let the new people put their own stamp on things now. It’ll be interesting to see what they do going forward and how they go about things. Louis wanted to significantly increase the banking at Foxhall last winter by lowering the inside but that was shelved when they realised it involved uplifting the drains and came at quite an expense. Maybe the new owners will do that next winter to help improve the racing?

Who knows. But it’ll be interesting to see what happens. 

[Aries]

10 minutes ago, kevin bass said:

If Northampton don't happen the might be a few riders without a team, Ipswich can't fit in Brennan, King, Rew, Lawson, Wright, Becker plus an out and out No1, also Tungate and and the Aussie from Belle Vue.

I was sent a team last night that included Woffinden at number 1. That apparently came from a current team manager up the road! We’ll soon find out.