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Ipswich Witches 2026


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If Thorssell is out of the picture, it HAS to be Jeppesen doesn’t it? Forget his up and down form for Birmingham, it was clearly a poor environment to race in with all the uncertainty and every rider there didn’t do particularly well understandably. But in his 10 meetings for Berwick he settled straight away and averaged 9.67 with bonus’ and shot straight to number 1.

Leicester are built in a similar way to Ipswich and are the only ones with Kemp and Gilkes who could push the Ipswich reserves, but Jeppesen and Edwards should be dominant over all the others who look weak in that area.

Edited by Steve Irving
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10 hours ago, Phannan said:

Depends on whether Brady can be arsed this time 😁

The last ten fixtures at Foxhall prior to the witches title winning year were DLLLWWWLLW with one of those losses being a last heat decider. 50% success rate for the witches. 

Last year was a disaster for The Aces particularly the early KO cup fixture where Brady was saving himself for the final GP some 22 weeks later.

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20 hours ago, JamesHarris said:

I seem to remember 20 years ago the then promoters of the Speedway Grand Prix bought into Reading. They renamed them the Bulldogs, threw shed loads of money on riders and didn't even win the league. The whole business model was unsustainable and a year later is all went boom.  I hope for you Witches fans (assuming they will still be called that) history does not repeat itself. 

I hope that Mayfield sports are more savvy than the old GP organisers were when they bought Reading in the 00's and made many mistakes like p@ssing money on ridiculous wages and changing an iconic nickname. I trust someone has mentioned the ill fated Reading Bulldogs venture to Mayfield sports given its likely they won't have any knowledge of it? 

 

Also Ipswich speedway is a completely different level to what Reading speedway in the 00's was as the Witches must be the best supported track in the Country while Reading at that time wern't well supported and had been subsidised by the greyhounds at Smallmead for many years.

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18 hours ago, RoundTheBoards said:

Weird that Ipswich are just referring to their new owner just as "Coleman" without his first name.

The statement revealing the new owner on the Ipswich website doesn't use his first name   

https://ipswichwitches.co/mayfield-acquires-british-speedway-champions-ipswich/

And the statement that the new Ipswich promotion have sent to the BSPL again also only uses his surname.

It's only in his open letter to Ipswich fans that he reveals his first name!

 

Despite the teething problems with the new promoters' press release, I'm not going to be critical.  The BSPL promoters I have spoken to recently seem welcoming of Richard Coleman and think he'll be an asset to British Speedway.  Hope they're correct.

 

 

 

 

 

 

More cock up than conspiracy, it is to be hoped

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24 minutes ago, TB1 said:

What did he say?

Interesting comments obvs 😂🤷‍♂️

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44 minutes ago, TB1 said:

What did he say?

Didn’t “have the pick of the rider market” due to how late this deal happened, so basically tempering expectations for this year, but they’ve already “got an eye on where the club will go beyond this year”. My personal take on it, was it sounded like we’ve already suggested. Stick with us this year, real business starts next year. 
 

Also discusses UK speedway in general and the state it’s in. A lot of it was just repeating what was in the press release. 

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2 hours ago, Aries said:

Didn’t “have the pick of the rider market” due to how late this deal happened, so basically tempering expectations for this year, but they’ve already “got an eye on where the club will go beyond this year”. My personal take on it, was it sounded like we’ve already suggested. Stick with us this year, real business starts next year. 
 

Also discusses UK speedway in general and the state it’s in. A lot of it was just repeating what was in the press release. 

UK Speedway is clearly hamstrung by doubling up..

Neither league can pay those top tier third HL's/SS's, and 2nd tier "one and fives" individually, what these lads want to earn..

Therefore, they share the costs, to ensure so many teams can  actually exist at the level they want to run at, and riders get what they want..

The top tier need to have some "top talent" to justify their "top tier" status...

And those who run the sport as a hobby have zero interest in what the top tier do, and have even less than zero interest in joining them, but do like using riders they couldn't afford if the top tier didn't subsidise them..

In short...

Doubling up, and Guestfest after Guestfest, (196 in the top two tiers last year), actually renders the sport a ridiculously "hard sell" to both sponsors (from outside the Speedway bubble), and potential new followers....

(Not promoted well Richard? Really? How do you actually promote that?)

Sorting this sharing of riders is the No1  issue, and the biggest barrier to the sport ever becoming seen as "authentic" by those who no longer attend, or wish to sponsor clubs..

To the likes of Richard Coleman, I say...

Good luck...

Many before have seen the huge potential in such a unique concept of motorbike racing in a town environs...

And all then basically, gave up, and cleared off, disillusioned, given those incumbents who run the sport, are more than happy with their lot..

Us fans may see potential, those who run it, particularly as a hobby, don't feel any growth is needed...

(Especially If it impacts them)..

 

Edited by mikebv
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4 hours ago, MajorMauger said:

I hope that Mayfield sports are more savvy than the old GP organisers were when they bought Reading in the 00's and made many mistakes like p@ssing money on ridiculous wages and changing an iconic nickname. I trust someone has mentioned the ill fated Reading Bulldogs venture to Mayfield sports given its likely they won't have any knowledge of it? 

 

Also Ipswich speedway is a completely different level to what Reading speedway in the 00's was as the Witches must be the best supported track in the Country while Reading at that time wern't well supported and had been subsidised by the greyhounds at Smallmead for many years.

Agreed the plus side is they have bought one of the two best supported clubs in the country agree re Reading money was p-ssed away on industrial scale.

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42 minutes ago, TB1 said:

The supporters club are organising the annual meet the riders on March 26th at Venue 16 in Ipswich. Shouldn't it be at Area 51:rofl:

I did wonder if this type of thing would continue so good on the supporters club for carrying it on.

The other, was the professional photo shoot that Chris always carried out at Ipswich Sports club on the morning of press and practice. Wonder if that will continue also.

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20 minutes ago, mikebv said:

UK Speedway is clearly hamstrung by doubling up..

Neither league can pay those top tier third HL's/SS's, and 2nd tier "one and fives" individually, what these lads want to earn..

Therefore, they share the costs, to ensure so many teams can  actually exist at the level they want to run at, and riders get what they want..

The top tier need to have some "top talent" to justify their "top tier" status...

And those who run the sport as a hobby have zero interest in what the top tier do, and have even less than zero interest in joining them, but do like using riders they couldn't afford if the top tier didn't subsidise them..

In short...

Doubling up, and Guestfest after Guestfest, (196 in the top two tiers last year), actually renders the sport a ridiculously "hard sell" to both sponsors (from outside the Speedway bubble), and potential new followers....

(Not promoted well Richard? Really? How do you actually promote that?)

Sorting this sharing of riders is the No1  issue, and the biggest barrier to the sport ever becoming seen as "authentic" by those who no longer attend, or wish to sponsor clubs..

To the likes of Richard Coleman, I say...

Good luck...

Many before have seen the huge potential in such a unique concept of motorbike racing in a town environs...

And all then basically, gave up, and cleared off, disillusioned, given those incumbents who run the sport, are more than happy with their lot..

Us fans may see potential, those who run it, particularly as a hobby, don't feel any growth is needed...

(Especially If it impacts them)..

 

Doubling up became a total joke. One season an ENTIRE premiership team was made up of double uppers and there were two other riders used in that team who were also double uppers making it NINE in total. Promoters such as this one have presided over the steep decline of our sport, usually from a position of power at the top table. Little wonder we find ourselves where we are with this kind of promoter running the show. 

 

Danny King (Poole)

Craig Cook (Glasgow)

Jason Crump (Plymouth)

Jake Allen (Redcar)

Paul Starke (Kent)

Anders Rowe (Edinburgh)

Drew Kemp (Edinburgh)

 

Cameron Heep (Kent)

Jordon Stewart (Redcar)

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24 minutes ago, mikebv said:

UK Speedway is clearly hamstrung by doubling up..

Neither league can pay those top tier third HL's/SS's, and 2nd tier "one and fives" individually, what these lads want to earn..

Therefore, they share the costs, to ensure so many teams can  actually exist at the level they want to run at, and riders get what they want..

The top tier need to have some "top talent" to justify their "top tier" status...

And those who run the sport as a hobby have zero interest in what the top tier do, and have even less than zero interest in joining them, but do like using riders they couldn't afford if the top tier didn't subsidise them..

In short...

Doubling up, and Guestfest after Guestfest, (196 in the top two tiers last year), actually renders the sport a ridiculously "hard sell" to both sponsors (from outside the Speedway bubble), and potential new followers....

(Not promoted well Richard? Really? How do you actually promote that?)

Sorting this sharing of riders is the No1  issue, and the biggest barrier to the sport ever becoming seen as "authentic" by those who no longer attend, or wish to sponsor clubs..

To the likes of Richard Coleman, I say...

Good luck...

Many before have seen the huge potential in such a unique concept of motorbike racing in a town environs...

And all then basically, gave up, and cleared off, disillusioned, given those incumbents who run the sport, are more than happy with their lot..

Us fans may see potential, those who run it, particularly as a hobby, don't feel any growth is needed...

(Especially If it impacts them)..

 

The reluctance to go back to basics  and 1 League (albeit slower standard)is going to kill the sport of completely.

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8 minutes ago, ouch said:

Doubling up became a total joke. One season an ENTIRE premiership team was made up of double uppers and there were two other riders used in that team who were also double uppers making it NINE in total. Promoters such as this one have presided over the steep decline of our sport, usually from a position of power at the top table. Little wonder we find ourselves where we are with this kind of promoter running the show. 

 

Danny King (Poole)

Craig Cook (Glasgow)

Jason Crump (Plymouth)

Jake Allen (Redcar)

Paul Starke (Kent)

Anders Rowe (Edinburgh)

Drew Kemp (Edinburgh)

 

Cameron Heep (Kent)

Jordon Stewart (Redcar)

What was once a laudable development idea, that gave those moving up a "safety net", should their higher division aspirations be beyond them...

Became the ONLY reason two tiers can pass themselves off as a professional entity..

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