Ipswich Witches 2026

[Tapewrecker]

6 minutes ago, WookieboyDon said:

Everyone can relax now. 
 

Confirmation the Witches are running. A year of consolidation in ‘26 with ‘27 the real acid test (much like the Premiership). I’m sure Mayfield will do a great job. 
 

Exciting times at Foxhall Stadium.

Yes now hopefully my bowel upset will be over. Been awful carrying that commode around with me. Thankyou Tena for the disposable pants, much appreciated.

Edited 6 hours ago by Tapewrecker

[IainB]

21 minutes ago, Aries said:

https://ipswichwitches.co/new-ipswich-co-promoter-richard-coleman-writes-to-witches-fans/

 

Well, that'll have probably gone down like a turd in a swimming pool at BSPL towers.

A few home truths delivered which historically haven't been listened to, most notably from the previous Ippo promoter and various other here today gone tomorrow promoters. The majority of the current crop just ain't up to the job, most notably the guy at the top.

Coleman will have his work cut out to make any change but let's hope he can succeed where so many others in the past have failed.

At the moment we'll have to take him at face value 🤞

[ShanoXtra]

3 minutes ago, bigcatdiary said:

To be fair it’s probably accurate as is him saying speedway in the UK is woefully promoted, I’m not sure many of the UK fan base will argue with that after the winter we have just had.

Whether he will make a difference remains to be seen, reminds me a bit of Posselwaite at Reading, this was a bloke who was going to do wonders and rubbish cucumbers and achieved very little after spending an awful lot of money and famously changing the Racers to Bulldogs, more like Bull$hyte.

My point was though, you cannot write a whole statement about basically ‘make speedway great again and we want to bring new fans into the sport’ and then take a dig at another sport, if I were a darts fan (which I’m not) I would read that statement and think F U and make sure to stay clear of speedway, as someone in a position of his, you need to be more media versed to writing segments online.

Chris L has not left the witches in good hands as he promised if the new owners class it as a “rescue mission”.

If these people fail, they have no loyalty to Ipswich and will just fold the club, whereas John and Chris has attachments to Ipswich and you would like to think wouldn’t have folded it(although by the sounds of it Chris almost did).

I don’t know the future obviously but I’m just saying let’s keep it honest and not get too excited. One poor financial season and all the comments about supporters being in their mind will be forgotten when their business comes first.

[TTT]

Appreciate the honesty from Mayfield in regards to building a competitive team instead of the usual statement we normally get from Clubs in British Speedway where poor 1-7's get hyped up to the max.

Despite the frustration this winter I'll still make various trips down to Foxhall to support the 1-7 even though I know full well in advance that it's destined for the wooden spoon if Northampton don't run.

I'll go with a mindset that 2026 is a write off and then start fresh on a level playing field in 2027 assuming we have a PREM.

The stress is finally over in regards to the Club coming to tapes and that's the main thing.

[old bob at herne bay]

Ah well, all is forgiven Chris.
 

The Ippo fans will all return to watch whatever is served up in 2026 in a 5 team “premier” league. 

Slowly British Speedway continues its slide downwards…… another “exciting “ season lies ahead with a cobbled together 3 league structure until the next hiatus in 2027 when the Polish Leagues impose their restrictions on riders . 

[Hamish McRaker]

49 minutes ago, Siggytastic said:

In the statement it says they look forward to sharing the full 1-7 on Monday.

So that'll be Monday 23 March, i'd presume

[IainB]

They also seem a bit light in experience in the management team, while the name Hurry is steeped in Speedway history, I can't help but think that an Adams, CVS, Machin type might have been brought in, in an advisory capacity in their initial season to oversee the admin etc.

[TTT]

15 minutes ago, Aries said:

Interesting there’s no quotes from Louis in either of those statements. 

I would think he'd realease a seperate statement or a video message on X/Twitter.

[THE DEAN MACHINE]

1 minute ago, IainB said:

They also seem a bit light in experience in the management team, while the name Hurry is steeped in Speedway history, I can't help but think that an Adams, CVS, Machin type might have been brought in, in an advisory capacity in their initial season to oversee the admin etc.

Unless they have changed the rules a current or previous promoter has to shadow the new promotion for a season, maybe Louis is doing it ? Anyway crack out the fixtures now and plod on with the season 

[mikebv]

1 minute ago, IainB said:

Well, that'll have probably gone down like a turd in a swimming pool at BSPL towers.

A few home truths delivered which historically haven't been listened to, most notably from the previous Ippo promoter and various other here today gone tomorrow promoters. The majority of the current crop just ain't up to the job, most notably the guy at the top.

Coleman will have his work cut out to make any change but let's hope he can succeed where so many others in the past have failed.

At the moment we'll have to take him at face value 🤞

"Great to have you on board Richard, and we appreicate your thoughts on how the sport has been promoted in the UK, however, for most of us here within UK Speedway, it is nothing more than an affordable hobby that we enjoy running. Hence, to ensure ir remains affordable, we run the sport in a way where we can just pretty much make things up as we go along, and don't really go in for too much authenticity when compared to properly ran professional sports"...

"I am sure we all look forward to listening to what great ideas you have, before obviously just cracking on and doing the same things as always"...

 

[Byker Biker]

3 minutes ago, IainB said:

They also seem a bit light in experience in the management team, while the name Hurry is steeped in Speedway history, I can't help but think that an Adams, CVS, Machin type might have been brought in, in an advisory capacity in their initial season to oversee the admin etc.

They will have to have a BSPL minder for a short while on race nights unless RFG and the insurers have done away with that requirement too...

[TTT]

4 minutes ago, old bob at herne bay said:

Ah well, all is forgiven Chris.
 

The Ippo fans will all return to watch whatever is served up in 2026 in a 5 team “premier” league. 

Slowly British Speedway continues its slide downwards…… another “exciting “ season lies ahead with a cobbled together 3 league structure until the next hiatus in 2027 when the Polish Leagues impose their restrictions on riders . 

I'll still blame Chris for all of the batterings the Witches will take this season as he's put the Club behind when it comes to Team Building.

Mayfield could've done a slightly better job on the Team Building front imho in order to make the Witches more competitive on the road but nothing too drastic like signing a proper No.1 as it was far too late for that.

For what it's worth, I would've signed Brennan, Lawson and Musielak even if Team Building commenced at the same time as BV, KL, LEI and SHE.

[Byker Biker]

2 minutes ago, THE DEAN MACHINE said:

Unless they have changed the rules a current or previous promoter has to shadow the new promotion for a season, maybe Louis is doing it ? Anyway crack out the fixtures now and plod on with the season 

Sorry Dean we must have been keying simultaneously 

[THE DEAN MACHINE]

1 minute ago, mikebv said:

 

"I am sure we all look forward to listening to what great ideas you have, before obviously just cracking on and doing the same things as always"...

 

Or running off into the sunset after realising you can’t change the status quo as many an out the box thinking people have done in the past 

[mikebv]

1 minute ago, THE DEAN MACHINE said:

Or running off into the sunset after realising you can’t change the status quo as many an out the box thinking people have done in the past 

You already know how this ends.....

Like so many before...

Hobbyists rule...

[ArthurRudge]

Apparently, they purchased it for a pound

[Gavan]

The team was signed ages ago

Brennan Nicholls Lawson King Musielek Edwards

It’s either Thorsell or Jeppesen at number 6 as there have been issues with Thorsell 

[Steve Irving]

35 minutes ago, TTT said:

Appreciate the honesty from Mayfield in regards to building a competitive team instead of the usual statement we normally get from Clubs in British Speedway where poor 1-7's get hyped up to the max.

Despite the frustration this winter I'll still make various trips down to Foxhall to support the 1-7 even though I know full well in advance that it's destined for the wooden spoon if Northampton don't run.

I'll go with a mindset that 2026 is a write off and then start fresh on a level playing field in 2027 assuming we have a PREM.

The stress is finally over in regards to the Club coming to tapes and that's the main thing.

If ever there was a season where you’re not the least bit bothered whether your team wins the title or not, it’s this one. Time to just go and watch some racing with little expectation, and hopefully there’s something actually worth winning in 2027.

[MattB]

38 minutes ago, IainB said:

Well, that'll have probably gone down like a turd in a swimming pool at BSPL towers.

A few home truths delivered which historically haven't been listened to, most notably from the previous Ippo promoter and various other here today gone tomorrow promoters. The majority of the current crop just ain't up to the job, most notably the guy at the top.

Coleman will have his work cut out to make any change but let's hope he can succeed where so many others in the past have failed.

At the moment we'll have to take him at face value 🤞

Good luck with that.  Normal protocol with forward-thinking new promoters is for the existing, small-minded ones to close ranks until they tire of talking to a brick wall and walk away.

"It's our ball.  You can't play with it".

[ArthurRudge]

49 minutes ago, arnieg said:

Sounds familiar:

https://www.sportcal.com/pressreleases/bsi-announce-acquisition-of-reading-speedway/

 

I miss my trips to Reading