mikebv Posted 3 hours ago Report Share Posted 3 hours ago (edited) 44 minutes ago, IainB said: He must think the Ipswich fans are a right fickle bunch then 😁😉 In last weeks Speedway Star, Danny Ford specifically mentioned the tangible negative impact on the crowd level that any home defeat brings to the next meeting... Regardless of how well they are doing overall in the league, it can be an immediate drop... Hence, Poole winning is essential to their business plan, and as they "pay their mortgages" off the profits, rather than run it as a hobby, it has to be profitable... Maybe that is why they see no plus side to "moving up" as they could easily spend six figures more to win less home meetings... Let's face it, they are currently the biggest fish in the biggest pond, given the "puddle" that is the Premiership... So many Promoters want so many different things to ever make it succesfully work I would suggest... Therefore the majority who are quite happy with what they have got, and can deliver, will always hold sway.. Ritchie Hawkins mentions in the piece that the sport needs some "independent" leadership.. Is that a "new thing" amongst some Promoters "all of a sudden?"... However, given so many want so many different things from running a Speedway Team, if has gone well beyond that.. Maybe if an independent person/entity could fully sponsor the league, it could happen, but any promoter bank rolling their teams losses each season isn't going to let someone with zero financial input dictate the direction they should be heading.. Turkey's don't vote for Christmas.. The sport is knackered (over here), isn't it, (from a bona fide "serious sport" perspective)... Far too much to unpick, far too much self interest to allow radical change, far too many different needs and wants to get any general consensus as to a fit for purpose, future fit plan.. In last weeks Speedway Star, Paul Burbidge mentioned the legacy that a previous generation of promoters could have left, as, when the going was good, they didn't invest in purchasing tracks, which has left the sport threatend by land developers... 50 years later, however, these people would no longer be with us, and maybe their families would have taken over, or someone else had bought the track.. With these people possibly quite happy to sell up to developers given they would have seen, and been part of, the allowed, condoned, unchecked decline over the past two decades in particular.. And just imagine trying to deliver enough riders for Coventry, Peterborough, Birmingham, Swindon, Lakeside, Somerset and Wolverhampton today? Each meeting would need to be a "Best Pairs"!! It feels like its almost time for "snookers needed"... Edited 3 hours ago by mikebv 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hammer1969 Posted 3 hours ago Report Share Posted 3 hours ago I have been going to speedway since the mid 60s and I'm gutted at what is happening at Ipswich speedway I hope it continues to operate but am not holding out much hope. Chris standing down as Promoter must have been a really hard decision for him to make considering how long he and his dad before him have been associated with the club but I respect the decision he has made whatever the reasons maybe. It was well run and well supported and with a really good supporters club as well. I loved going there and will really miss it if this is the end as Oxford, Kings Lynn, Leicester, the next nearest clubs to me are between 2 to 3 hours traveling each way which will make going on a regular basis impossible. The question is why did I start going to Ipswich, the answer is simple it is not because of what league it was in it was because all the other clubs within traveling distance on a regular basis closed down and I would imagine there are many more fans like me who go to a club on a regular basis that just want to see 4 riders doing 4 laps round the track. I loved watching Emil and Doyle but I also enjoyed watching Dan T and Jordan along with the rest of the team just as much. Whether you call it Premiership, Championship, NDL or something else it still boils down to 4 riders doing 4 laps round a track. I don't want to see GP riders disappearing from UK teams but more than that what I really want is to see speedway in the UK continuing not dying a gradual death and that is what Promoters need to consider above all else when making any decisions and they need to make those decisions based on what is going to help the sport not on decisions that will benefit them personally. . 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YeOldPitGate Posted 3 hours ago Report Share Posted 3 hours ago 18 minutes ago, mikebv said: In last weeks Speedway Star, Danny Ford specifically mentioned the tangible negative impact on the crowd level that any home defeat brings to the next meeting... Regardless of how well they are doing overall in the league, it can be an immediate drop... Hence, Poole winning is essential to their business plan, and as they "pay their mortgages" off the profits, rather than run it as a hobby, it has to be profitable... Maybe that is why they see no plus side to "moving up" as they could easily spend six figures more to win less home meetings... Let's face it, they are currently the biggest fish in the biggest pond, given the "puddle" that is the Premiership... So many Promoters want so many different things to ever make it succesfully work I would suggest... Therefore the majority who are quite happy with what they have got, and can deliver, will always hold sway.. Ritchie Hawkins mentions in the piece that the sport needs some "independent" leadership.. Is that a "new thing" amongst some Promoters "all of a sudden?"... However, given so many want so many different things from running a Speedway Team, if has gone well beyond that.. Maybe if an independent person/entity could fully sponsor the league, it could happen, but any promoter bank rolling their teams losses each season isn't going to let someone with zero financial input dictate the direction they should be heading.. Turkey's don't vote for Christmas.. The sport is knackered (over here), isn't it, (from a bona fide "serious sport" perspective)... Far too much to unpick, far too much self interest to allow radical change, far too many different needs and wants to get any general consensus as to a fit for purpose, future fit plan.. In last weeks Speedway Star, Paul Burbidge mentioned the legacy that a previous generation of promoters could have left, as, when the going was good, they didn't invest in purchasing tracks, which has left the sport threatend by land developers... 50 years later, however, these people would no longer be with us, and maybe their families would have taken over, or someone else had bought the track.. With these people possibly quite happy to sell up to developers given they would have seen, and been part of, the allowed, condoned, unchecked decline over the past two decades in particular.. And just imagine trying to deliver enough riders for Coventry, Peterborough, Birmingham, Swindon, Lakeside, Somerset and Wolverhampton today? Each meeting would need to be a "Best Pairs"!! It feels like its almost time for "snookers needed"... Agreed Mike truly hope I'm wrong but I think its nearly the end for UK league speedway maybe the championship can carry on for a bit longer. As some on here have said a lot of the double uppers from the top league might not stay if its one league of 10-12 teams due to the earnings potential being to low to justify the cost/time of getting to the UK and back. It would be great if there's a pool of SGP2 under 24 standard riders ready to come to the UK to replace them if some of the premier league regular double uppers leave but I personally doubt it which could make filling more championship teams difficult unless we go the five man teams route. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPEEDY69 Posted 3 hours ago Report Share Posted 3 hours ago 46 minutes ago, Daniel Smith said: Do I seriously have to answer this?? Seeing as you asked, Guy Nicholls is a local business owner with a multi millions turnover, who is/was a fan of the sport/club. He chose Ipswich because that's where he's from. Zero to do with Ipswich being 'well-run'. I hear you ask, why did he sponsor King's Lynn & then Sheffield?? Because it was his best route to try & expand he brand, who are also located in Loughborough. The same questions can be asked of Sheffield, it's no coincidence with the standard of rider's signed under the TruPlant sponsorship. Without them, Sheffield could never afford both Holder's & Woffinden. Sheffield was well-backed, not well-run. Nicholls pulls his sponsorship, then all of a sudden Sheffield is up for sale. Could be coincidence but is it though?? Ipswich are not the Real Madrid of British Speedway. Ipswich are (to a point Sheffield) lucky feckers to have TruPlant around. If Guy Nicholls wasn’t a fan of the sport/club, the size of his business would go nowhere near it. As you speak for Mr Nicholls with so much knowledge of his view, I assume you either are him or his lover maybe? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Littleze Posted 2 hours ago Report Share Posted 2 hours ago 40 minutes ago, mikebv said: In last weeks Speedway Star, Danny Ford specifically mentioned the tangible negative impact on the crowd level that any home defeat brings to the next meeting... Regardless of how well they are doing overall in the league, it can be an immediate drop... Hence, Poole winning is essential to their business plan, and as they "pay their mortgages" off the profits, rather than run it as a hobby, it has to be profitable... Maybe that is why they see no plus side to "moving up" as they could easily spend six figures more to win less home meetings... Let's face it, they are currently the biggest fish in the biggest pond, given the "puddle" that is the Premiership... So many Promoters want so many different things to ever make it succesfully work I would suggest... Therefore the majority who are quite happy with what they have got, and can deliver, will always hold sway.. Ritchie Hawkins mentions in the piece that the sport needs some "independent" leadership.. Is that a "new thing" amongst some Promoters "all of a sudden?"... However, given so many want so many different things from running a Speedway Team, if has gone well beyond that.. Maybe if an independent person/entity could fully sponsor the league, it could happen, but any promoter bank rolling their teams losses each season isn't going to let someone with zero financial input dictate the direction they should be heading.. Turkey's don't vote for Christmas.. The sport is knackered (over here), isn't it, (from a bona fide "serious sport" perspective)... Far too much to unpick, far too much self interest to allow radical change, far too many different needs and wants to get any general consensus as to a fit for purpose, future fit plan.. In last weeks Speedway Star, Paul Burbidge mentioned the legacy that a previous generation of promoters could have left, as, when the going was good, they didn't invest in purchasing tracks, which has left the sport threatend by land developers... 50 years later, however, these people would no longer be with us, and maybe their families would have taken over, or someone else had bought the track.. With these people possibly quite happy to sell up to developers given they would have seen, and been part of, the allowed, condoned, unchecked decline over the past two decades in particular.. And just imagine trying to deliver enough riders for Coventry, Peterborough, Birmingham, Swindon, Lakeside, Somerset and Wolverhampton today? Each meeting would need to be a "Best Pairs"!! It feels like its almost time for "snookers needed"... The current situation, can’t help Peterborough & co.. they aren’t viable. Unless the *sport tries to punch up, it’s doomed imo. There are many small wins they could achieve, but they can’t even do that. It’s boring in all honesty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TTT Posted 2 hours ago Author Report Share Posted 2 hours ago 1 hour ago, Badge said: Although I've posted this on Aces thread, as all discussions seem to be here, thought I'd share here too. Mad how some Belle Vue fans want to sacrifice the opportunity of seeing the next Individual World Speedway Champion fly around the NSS again in 2026. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShanoXtra Posted 2 hours ago Report Share Posted 2 hours ago Jason Doyle posting this: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikebv Posted 2 hours ago Report Share Posted 2 hours ago 14 minutes ago, TTT said: Mad how some Belle Vue fans want to sacrifice the opportunity of seeing the next Individual World Speedway Champion fly around the NSS again in 2026. Against the same four (maybe three), teams ad nauseum all season...? For what? Maybe another year? Two years? It isn't Brady's fault the likes of him and others are not affordabe for more teams to join the "top league"... And it isn't the Championship Team's fault that some in the "top league" have such a one dimensional business plan, that they seem unable to change... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Smith Posted 2 hours ago Report Share Posted 2 hours ago (edited) 53 minutes ago, SPEEDY69 said: As you speak for Mr Nicholls with so much knowledge of his view, I assume you either are him or his lover maybe? Keep the insults coming, love these 😘 True though what I've said isn't it?!? Sheffield & Ipswich are almost a parallel over the last few years with the same sponsor but different owners. Edited 2 hours ago by Daniel Smith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveLyric2 Posted 2 hours ago Report Share Posted 2 hours ago 36 minutes ago, Littleze said: The current situation, can’t help Peterborough & co.. they aren’t viable. Unless the *sport tries to punch up, it’s doomed imo. There are many small wins they could achieve, but they can’t even do that. It’s boring in all honesty. There was something said in the budget today about a big investment into the Peterborough Sports Quarter? Does that have any effect on the Panthers return? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPEEDY69 Posted 1 hour ago Report Share Posted 1 hour ago 22 minutes ago, Daniel Smith said: Keep the insults coming, love these 😘 True though what I've said isn't it?!? Sheffield & Ipswich are almost a parallel over the last few years with the same sponsor but different owners. Ha, wasn't an insult, merely an enquiry 🙂 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikebv Posted 1 hour ago Report Share Posted 1 hour ago (edited) 2 hours ago, Daniel Smith said: Do I seriously have to answer this?? Seeing as you asked, Guy Nicholls is a local business owner with a multi millions turnover, who is/was a fan of the sport/club. He chose Ipswich because that's where he's from. Zero to do with Ipswich being 'well-run'. I hear you ask, why did he sponsor King's Lynn & then Sheffield?? Because it was his best route to try & expand he brand, who are also located in Loughborough. The same questions can be asked of Sheffield, it's no coincidence with the standard of rider's signed under the TruPlant sponsorship. Without them, Sheffield could never afford both Holder's & Woffinden. Sheffield was well-backed, not well-run. Nicholls pulls his sponsorship, then all of a sudden Sheffield is up for sale. Could be coincidence but is it though?? Ipswich are not the Real Madrid of British Speedway. Ipswich are (to a point Sheffield) lucky feckers to have TruPlant around. If Guy Nicholls wasn’t a fan of the sport/club, the size of his business would go nowhere near it. There is no doubt Chris Louis is/was, one of the most forward , modern thinking promoters... However, you have to say that the bar is very, very low... What did Ipswich average last year for a basic POQ against the likes of Oxford and Birmingham? 1700? 1800 maybe? In UK Speedway terms, undoubtedly very, very good, but, again, as the bar is set so low, it is hardly "Barnum and Bailey" promoting levels is it? (One for the teenagers there) The Hawkins comments come across as almost blaming others for not doing what Ipswich do, however, for many, they don't need to, as their other businesses bankroll their team, or, they own tracks with other revenue streams that can subsidise their teams.. Clubs getting, (and quite happily surviving), on crowds of 600 or so could spend plenty of money increasing their attendances, however even if they got a 25% increase (a huge actual % in reality), it would still only be 750 a night, and nowhere near enough to compete with other clubs getting double... As we have seen, some teams go bankrupt by winning Speedway Championships and close, therefore why would clubs attempt to compete with those who can sustain the costs of more expensive riders, and put their own existence at risk? It isn't the fault, nor incumbent of, the Championship Teams to take (the very, very clear) risks by "moving up" just because a small minority of clubs won't deviate from their own inflexible business plans.. Fair play to Chris Louis for getting out if his expectations and aspirations can no longer be met, and good luck to him, he will definitely be missed by UK Speedway, however, it isn't the fault of any other club that Chris didn't want to ride in a five team league or one "big league".. That was, in his opinion, a business decision he felt wasnt right for him and Ipswich, and he will know his business model better than anyone.. Let's hope he finds a buyer and Ipswich come to the tapes next season.. Edited 1 hour ago by mikebv 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89buttons Posted 1 hour ago Report Share Posted 1 hour ago 2 minutes ago, mikebv said: There is no doubt Chris Louis is/was, one of the most forward , modern thinking promoters... However, you have to say that the bar is very, very low... What did Ipswich average last year for a basic POQ against the likes of Oxford and Birmingham? 1700? 1800 maybe? In UK Speedway terms, undoubtedly very, very good, but, again, as the bar is set so low, it is hardly "Barnum and Bailey" promoting levels is it? (One for the teenagers there) The Hawkins comments come across as almost blaming others for not doing what Ipswich do, however, for many, they don't need to, as their other businesses bankroll their team, or, they own tracks with other revenue streams that can subsidise their teams.. Clubs getting, (and quite happily surviving), on crowds of 600 or so could spend plenty of money increasing their attendances, however even if they got a 25% increase (a huge actual % in reality), it would still only be 750 a night, and nowhere near enough to compete with other clubs getting double... As we have seen, some teams go bankrupt by winning Speedway Championships and close, therefore why would clubs attempt to compete with those who can sustain the costs of more expensive riders, and put their own existence st risk? It isn't the fault, nor incumbent of, the Championship Teams to take (the very, very clear) risks by "moving up" just because a small minority of clubs won't deviate from their own inflexible business plans.. Fair play to Chris Louis for getting out if his expectations and aspirations can no longer be met, and good luck to him, he will definitely be missed by UK Speedway, however, it isn't the fault of any other club that Chris didn't want to ride in a five team league or one "big league".. That was, in his opinion, a business decision he felt wasnt right for him and Ipswich, and he will know his business model better than anyone.. Let's hope he finds a buyer and Ipswich come to the tapes next season.. Kin hell a non Ipswich fan speaking sense and not just persecuting Louis and or the club for fun on this thread! Bravo Mike 👍 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WembleyLion Posted 1 hour ago Report Share Posted 1 hour ago Through my involvement with a few different riders over the years I have had an opportunity to witness at first hand how well some clubs are run. I have helped riders to manage their finances through completing their accounts, Tax Returns, VAT Returns etc. and in addition I often assisted them in the pits as well so I got to see a lot of the Speedway world at close quarters. One rider I helped rode for the Witches and unlike some other clubs he rode for, he was always paid on time and the paperwork was always spot on. Without doubt it was one of the best run clubs we had dealings with. I have nothing but admiration for the Witches promotion although I really hope the announcement last week will not result in the loss of Speedway at Foxhall. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OGT Posted 18 minutes ago Report Share Posted 18 minutes ago 3 hours ago, mikebv said: In last weeks Speedway Star, Danny Ford specifically mentioned the tangible negative impact on the crowd level that any home defeat brings to the next meeting... Regardless of how well they are doing overall in the league, it can be an immediate drop... Hence, Poole winning is essential to their business plan, and as they "pay their mortgages" off the profits, rather than run it as a hobby, it has to be profitable... Maybe that is why they see no plus side to "moving up" as they could easily spend six figures more to win less home meetings... Let's face it, they are currently the biggest fish in the biggest pond, given the "puddle" that is the Premiership... So many Promoters want so many different things to ever make it succesfully work I would suggest... Therefore the majority who are quite happy with what they have got, and can deliver, will always hold sway.. Ritchie Hawkins mentions in the piece that the sport needs some "independent" leadership.. Is that a "new thing" amongst some Promoters "all of a sudden?"... However, given so many want so many different things from running a Speedway Team, if has gone well beyond that.. Maybe if an independent person/entity could fully sponsor the league, it could happen, but any promoter bank rolling their teams losses each season isn't going to let someone with zero financial input dictate the direction they should be heading.. Turkey's don't vote for Christmas.. The sport is knackered (over here), isn't it, (from a bona fide "serious sport" perspective)... Far too much to unpick, far too much self interest to allow radical change, far too many different needs and wants to get any general consensus as to a fit for purpose, future fit plan.. In last weeks Speedway Star, Paul Burbidge mentioned the legacy that a previous generation of promoters could have left, as, when the going was good, they didn't invest in purchasing tracks, which has left the sport threatend by land developers... 50 years later, however, these people would no longer be with us, and maybe their families would have taken over, or someone else had bought the track.. With these people possibly quite happy to sell up to developers given they would have seen, and been part of, the allowed, condoned, unchecked decline over the past two decades in particular.. And just imagine trying to deliver enough riders for Coventry, Peterborough, Birmingham, Swindon, Lakeside, Somerset and Wolverhampton today? Each meeting would need to be a "Best Pairs"!! It feels like its almost time for "snookers needed"... It is indeed, a pickle and no mistake. 1 hour ago, 89buttons said: Kin hell a non Ipswich fan speaking sense and not just persecuting Louis and or the club for fun on this thread! Bravo Mike 👍 The voice of reason. I'd put him in charge TBH. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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