Ipswich Witches 2026

[mikebv]

12 minutes ago, cowboy cookie returns? said:

I don’t buy that.

The vast majority of fans switch off at the end of the season & come back at the start of the new one. It’s only us on here that get our knickers in a twist, a small percentage of those who actually attend.

If the side ends up getting beaten week in week out then yes the attendance will drop, but the goings on this winter won’t make much difference to the attendance at the start of the season 

Every season, fans start off enthusiastically after a long winter of no Speedway....

Often, by the end of May, for too many, that enthusiasm has worn off...

Let's hope this season, more than ever, each team can keep its "opening night crowd" numbers for most of the season..

[ouch]

12 hours ago, mikebv said:

On what average?

I presume it will be assessed down to the exact decimal point that fits under the allowed team average total...

 

Not again. “Reduce Crumps average or I’ll sell the club” No problem Chris.

[ouch]

53 minutes ago, Tapewrecker said:

Need they  bother. No one wants to see a pathetic looking team just to make the numbers up. Even if it’s six teams, it’s a pathetic state of affairs.

Ipswich were more than happy to take Tom off Birmingham and see them “make up the numbers”. Tom had ridden part of their season at number 1 after we released him. When you consider the top two the witches had in place, tapping up Tom seemed unnecessary if looking at the bigger picture. It did however achieve what Louis wanted with his league win, and that’s all that mattered to him. 

[hasta la vista]

2 hours ago, TTT said:

Scrap the Team.

Pile up the Top 5 and get a Rider like Mitch McDiarmid in @ No.6.

 

1. T. Brennan 7.05

2. D. King 6.50

3. R. Lawson 6.81

4. N. Klindt 6.46

5. T. Musielak 6.63

6. M. McDiarmid 3.45 (5.18 divided by 1.5)

7. J. Edwards (RS)

= 36.90

Klindt on a British licence so gets the reduction for team building.

[dontforgetthefueltapsbruv]

5 hours ago, Aries said:

“Week and a half” is the likely timescale for a sale confirmation. So we’re looking at middle of next week, not this week. 

 

5 hours ago, PhilTheAce said:

Thorsell not happening now apparently, not sure why, his GF diddnt want him doing 4 leagues so maybe that was something to do with it, or maybe he was just sick of waiting 

Which shows how quickly any agreement can change/disappear

Until the announcement nothing is guaranteed 

Whilst I expect it to happen I'm almost of a mind that it may be best that it doesn't so that the whole house of cards collapses and forces a real reset

[KevtheRev]

The longer this goes on the more worrying this becomes.

Maybe certain riders are wanted by Ipswich but they are being held back for Northampton or wherever.   Ipswich are then threatening to pull out if they are not being allowed to sign riders, which would be understandable.

Edited 5 hours ago by KevtheRev

[BluPanther]

[TTT]

38 minutes ago, KevtheRev said:

The longer this goes on the more worrying this becomes.

Maybe certain riders are wanted by Ipswich but they are being held back for Northampton or wherever.   Ipswich are then threatening to pull out if they are not being allowed to sign riders, which would be understandable.

I dread to think what both Clubs will look like if they're both after the same Riders.

[Hawk127]

1 minute ago, TTT said:

I dread to think what both Clubs will look like if they're both after the same Riders.

Could that add a new dimension to doubling up?

[TTT]

3 minutes ago, Hawk127 said:

Could that add a new dimension to doubling up?

No but nothing would shock me with the higher ups considering the stuff they come up with tbh.

[KevtheRev]

I'm sure if the delay was just contained within Ipswich, then the club could/would make some announcements as to riders etc. 

The fact that nothing has been broadcast means that the issue is due to a wider issue within the premiership.

Edited 4 hours ago by KevtheRev

[TB1]

18 minutes ago, KevtheRev said:

I'm sure if the delay was just contained within Ipswich, then the club could/would make some announcements as to riders etc. 

The fact that nothing has been broadcast means that the issue is due to a wider issue within the premiership.

Bspl Brewery staff p1ss up lol!

[Dave_minall]

1 hour ago, Hawk127 said:

Could that add a new dimension to doubling up?

Would that be classed as "Doubling sideways"?

I can see the powers that be spinning that into a marketing ploy to try desperately to make it seem appealing

"Doubling Sideways, switching pits mid-skid"

[Aries]

6 hours ago, Col said:

Sheffield 2023.
Overall.
Jack Holder            9.40
Tobiasz Musielak    9.35
Tai Woffinden          9.12

Away
Tobiasz Musielak        8.50
Tai Woffinden              8.33
Jack Holder                8.00

That doesn't suggest if motivated and in a competitive team that Musielak will struggle to win heats home & away.

The problem there Col, is it’s 2026, not 2023. You’ve picked an anomaly of a season there which is the exception rather than the rule. Put up the season stats for the seasons prior, and after 2023 for a fairer evaluation of his skills in a heatleader position.

[Aries]

3 hours ago, dontforgetthefueltapsbruv said:

 

Which shows how quickly any agreement can change/disappear

Until the announcement nothing is guaranteed 

Whilst I expect it to happen I'm almost of a mind that it may be best that it doesn't so that the whole house of cards collapses and forces a real reset

Mind numbingly boring now though isn’t it 😴

[Steve Irving]

The fact someone is signing Scott Nicholls in 2026 in a “Premiership” team says everything really. That’s no slight on him either. He’s been a fine rider for many years but come on now the bloke is on the slippery slope to 50 and just spent nearly a year out injured. It’s all a bit desperate.

[mikebv]

2 hours ago, Hawk127 said:

Could that add a new dimension to doubling up?

I think my half n half kevlars idea could actually become a reality, and a winner!!!..

Keeps the scores close as the rider scores exactly the same for both teams...

And doubles his points each ride, so he earns more money...

And loads of close, exciting, dead heats if he wins!!!

Come on BSP and SFL, you now it makes sense...

(And cannot t be any more ludicrous than some of the ideas implemented over the years)..

This time next year, we'll be millionaires!!!

[foreverblue]

18 minutes ago, Steve Irving said:

The fact someone is signing Scott Nicholls in 2026 in a “Premiership” team says everything really. That’s no slight on him either. He’s been a fine rider for many years but come on now the bloke is on the slippery slope to 50 and just spent nearly a year out injured. It’s all a bit desperate.

He was used many times as a guest at Ipswich in recent times, he definitely knows the quickest way round Foxhall and would be a good addition to the team.

[Aries]

17 minutes ago, foreverblue said:

He was used many times as a guest at Ipswich in recent times, he definitely knows the quickest way round Foxhall and would be a good addition to the team.

He was, but that was before his injury that saw him spend most of last year out injured. In all of the guest appearances he made at Foxhall for the Injured Doyle two seasons ago, he didn’t hit a single double figure score. Pretty sure I saw that stat somewhere.

[Haza]

Thinking back to much better and happier times late 90s early noughties  both Ipswich and Northampton would have been given a 31st January deadline to  give a definite intention to race if not by that date that would have been it until the following season but we are in very desperate times in 2026 even if it’s at best a 6 team league unless there is a rabbit out of the hat signing  the top 4 in the league already  sorted .