Ipswich Witches 2026

[ShanoXtra]

Statement with no information other than delayed due to renewal of the stadium. Don’t believe it unfortunately, the renewal would have been known about for months leading up towards this moment. If Louis was to keep the team and not sell it are we saying he still wouldn’t have named a team due to not signing a renewal contract of the stadium lease? It’s not a top secret of being owners of a speedway club so why not just announce yourself now? Whether you have a team or not. 

[IainB]

6 minutes ago, Steve Irving said:

Because as the latest statement says, it still hasn’t been completed yet due to stadium related issues. They’re clearly a professionally run outfit unlike the cowboys who run other clubs in this Country and won’t be making a full, detailed announcement until all legalities have been completed. And rightly so.

On the team, again the statement says only five of the team have actually signed, two close. Perhaps they want to announce the full team, together with their announcement of the purchase of the club, in one go? That again makes total sense.

Will they announce the team on opening night (if there is one) it'll at least maybe get a crowd in (for one meeting anyway).

There's absolutely no reason not to announce yourself as prospective buyers, other sports clubs that have changed ownership don't hide behind a curtain of secrecy so why would Ipswich Speedway's?

[cowboy cookie returns?]

23 minutes ago, TB1 said:

I asked the question a couple of weeks ago for those of us a bit older! Can anyone remember the timescale (roughly of course) between the handover between Chris Shears and Dave Pavitt in 88/89. The only reason I ask is because I do remember some doubts about the club then? Including a suggestion we may have run out of Mildenhall.

I’m not sure I can’t remember however companies house lists Ipswich speedway promotions Ltd as being incorporated on March 13th 1989 which is the company that was set up by Pavitt & co. The same company that is now being sold.

A incorporated date of March would suggest it was finalised very late.

[Steve Irving]

7 minutes ago, ShanoXtra said:

Statement with no information other than delayed due to renewal of the stadium. Don’t believe it unfortunately, the renewal would have been known about for months leading up towards this moment. If Louis was to keep the team and not sell it are we saying he still wouldn’t have named a team due to not signing a renewal contract of the stadium lease? It’s not a top secret of being owners of a speedway club so why not just announce yourself now? Whether you have a team or not. 

Because they’re not yet owners of a Speedway club are they? They’ll announce themselves, when they are!

What on earth are people struggling with here?

[TTT]

I'll go with Woffy @ No.1.

Nobody knows who is @ No.1 for sure because only 5 Riders have been signed.

[ShanoXtra]

7 minutes ago, Steve Irving said:

Because they’re not yet owners of a Speedway club are they? They’ll announce themselves, when they are!

What on earth are people struggling with here?

“The club sale had (past tense) stalled due to renewal of the track. Now this has been signed and within the next couple of weeks will be completed”. The point I made is why is it taking over 4 months to renew a contract when you knew clearly even this time last year when the renewal was needed, therefore the sale could have happened sooner. No struggle around here. Just questions of poor business decisions.

[TTT]

Basically Mayfield will be confirmed as new owners within the next two weeks, Get the last 2 Riders signed in that period and in the takeover statement we'll also get the Team reveal.

Late February and it's all done and dusted.

[THE DEAN MACHINE]

Yet again stringing supporters along, utter contempt for the customers 

[BluPanther]

I'm past caring...

[Aries]

7 minutes ago, BluPanther said:

I'm past caring...

Aren’t you excited to see what team of undesirables and misfits they’ve managed to cobble together?

😁

[Hawk127]

15 minutes ago, Steve Irving said:

Because as the latest statement says, it still hasn’t been completed yet due to stadium related issues. They’re clearly a professionally run outfit unlike the cowboys who run other clubs in this Country and won’t be making a full, detailed announcement until all legalities have been completed. And rightly so.

On the team, again the statement says only five of the team have actually signed, two close. Perhaps they want to announce the full team, together with their announcement of the purchase of the club, in one go? That again makes total sense.

The stadium issue which is seemingly lease related will have been known for some considerable time and the renewal date would have been set out in the terms of the previous lease so no excuses. It was possibly a matter of public record if the lease/sub lease was registered but I am not prepared to pay a fee to corroborate the position.
Even if the lease or sub lease was not registered, CL would have known the position and could easily have made a short statement  regarding the lease coming to the end of its term and hence a delay could be expected.

Yes the lease holder (Spedeworth) need to carry out due diligence on the new will not want to be in a position that is materially different to that which they were in with the JL (e g bank guarantees underpinning rent payments etc..).
I do not think it is a case of the new owners being more professional, anyone involved in acquiring a business that has a leased asset would face the same issues and potential delays. But you have to go back to the fact that the date would have been known so to point the finger at Spedeworth as being the reason for the delay is a tad unfair. When JL decided to sell he would have been fully aware of the lease position.

The team building and release of names does make sense but in the overall scheme of things, all parties have a made a dogs dinner of proceedings and the statement does little to deter the detractors of the sport who think it is run by amateurs who have little business acumen and that is why it cannot attract any decent sponsorship that would make a real difference and give it a modicum of credibility.

All who have been involved have done the sport no favours.

[TTT]

It's very poor for the fans not to get a statement earlier in regards to the lease for the stadium being the hold up.

Should have had clarity on that a lot earlier.

 

[Aries]

1 minute ago, Hawk127 said:

The stadium issue which is seemingly lease related will have been known for some considerable time and the renewal date would have been set out in the terms of the previous lease so no excuses. It was possibly a matter of public record if the lease/sub lease was registered but I am not prepared to pay a fee to corroborate the position.
Even if the lease or sub lease was not registered, CL would have known the position and could easily have made a short statement  regarding the lease coming to the end of its term and hence a delay could be expected.

Yes the lease holder (Spedeworth) need to carry out due diligence on the new will not want to be in a position that is materially different to that which they were in with the JL (e g bank guarantees underpinning rent payments etc..).
I do not think it is a case of the new owners being more professional, anyone involved in acquiring a business that has a leased asset would face the same issues and potential delays. But you have to go back to the fact that the date would have been known so to point the finger at Spedeworth as being the reason for the delay is a tad unfair. When JL decided to sell he would have been fully aware of the lease position.

The team building and release of names does make sense but in the overall scheme of things, all parties have a made a dogs dinner of proceedings and the statement does little to deter the detractors of the sport who think it is run by amateurs who have little business acumen and that is why it cannot attract any decent sponsorship that would make a real difference and give it a modicum of credibility.

All who have been involved have done the sport no favours.

Someone else has just said that also, but neither of you know that. The fella who I’m not going to name, can be a very awkward customer. It’s entirely possible the goalposts would have been moved when someone other than Chris Louis was negotiating the lease.

[Aries]

5 minutes ago, TTT said:

It's very poor for the fans not to get a statement earlier in regards to the lease for the stadium being the hold up.

Should have had clarity on that a lot earlier.

 

That could have harmed negotiations though TTT. He was never going to release an update until the ink was dry on the agreement, which came yesterday.

[Phannan]

It’s a lot of fuss and excitement over nothing really imo. Just pick and choose which meetings you want to see , for your own enjoyment and fix , every now and again. Show them the contempt they show their customers in what after all is a tinpot league where you can be crap most of the season but still come out on top at the end. 

[InTheDeepStuff]

1 hour ago, TTT said:

Who do we think the signed 5 are?

Brennan, King, Jenkins, Edwards and ??????

I’d say the confirmed 5 as Brennan, King, Musielak, Nicholls and Edwards

[Hawk127]

55 minutes ago, Aries said:

Someone else has just said that also, but neither of you know that. The fella who I’m not going to name, can be a very awkward customer. It’s entirely possible the goalposts would have been moved when someone other than Chris Louis was negotiating the lease.

Chris Louis said the lease was the issue in the statement released. If you take a look at the statement in which he said “the club sale has stalled due to the renewal of the stadium lease” so I am not sure why you think that the other poster and I do not know that. If CL is saying why are we wrong? Renewal of the lease would suggest that it was due to expire or has expired. It does not suggest that JL had forfeit the lease and new terms needed to be agreed with new tenants. It is irrelevant anyway but the whole point is the sport has been dragged down over this and other factors. It is a shambles and Ipswich/JL and others are complicit in making the situation worse than it needs to have been.

Edited 29 minutes ago by Hawk127
Amendment

[Aries]

15 minutes ago, InTheDeepStuff said:

I’d say the confirmed 5 as Brennan, King, Musielak, Nicholls and Edwards

11.27 left for final two. An eight point number 1 looks unlikely then.

[TTT]

14 minutes ago, InTheDeepStuff said:

I’d say the confirmed 5 as Brennan, King, Musielak, Nicholls and Edwards

You're probably right tbh.

As long as British Speedway doesn't have a TV deal then I fully expect Nicholls to be in the side as every Team will have to have a Rider on a low 5 ish GSA or high 4's.

[mikebv]

1 hour ago, ShanoXtra said:

Statement with no information other than delayed due to renewal of the stadium. Don’t believe it unfortunately, the renewal would have been known about for months leading up towards this moment. If Louis was to keep the team and not sell it are we saying he still wouldn’t have named a team due to not signing a renewal contract of the stadium lease? It’s not a top secret of being owners of a speedway club so why not just announce yourself now? Whether you have a team or not. 

Maybe with potentially less meetings the rent has needed to be renegotiated?