Agm? What can we expect?

[The White Knight]

1 hour ago, FAST GATER said:

Scott  will be pushing 48 yrs old by the time the next season starts ,thought he would of had a final season at Oxford ( he had said he would finish there in the past ) so maybe wants to break the half century as  a rider !

Why not?

Jimmy Squibb did.

[TB1]

Surely we really need to start blooding youngsters and fast if speedway in this  country is to survive.  Does anyone have a rough figure of say 13 to 16 year olds who if given the right support can be blooded in the next 4 to 5 years and be racing ready? Some insight into this would be great.

Edited 15 hours ago by TB1
Spelling

[Hawk127]

35 minutes ago, The White Knight said:

Why not?

Jimmy Squibb did.

What a good rider he was for anyone who watched him. Peter Moore was another one with an unusual handlebar for his machine and one of the fastest away from the gate particularly during his time when riding for Rayleigh. Those were the days.

[Fortythirtyeight]

53 minutes ago, TB1 said:

Surely we really need to start blooding youngsters and fast if speedway in this  country is to survive.  Does anyone have a rough figure of say 13 to 16 year olds who if given the right support can be blooded in the next 4 to 5 years and be racing ready? Some insight into this would be great.

Just look at the British Youth competitors, there’s very little coming through , maybe half a dozen as the drop out rate when they lose interest , or money , is very high .

[old bob at herne bay]

With only a passing interest in speedway nowadays, I just read online that another season of slow decay had been completed. 

I took in the SoN online and frankly that reminded me of why I packed in attending speedway.  What dross.  I thought Polish tracks were maent to produce good racing ??? 

News of another club closing (Birmingham) and huge uncertainty over the future of another (Sheffield) 

There is an ever growing "ghost league"  of defunct clubs, all with decaying tracks and with dreams of reopening, but none look even remotely likely for 2026.  

Patching up the situation will no doubt take place with tweaks to "points limits", but making a silk purse out of a sows ear will tax the bunch of speedway promoters even with thier best  rose tinted specs.  

No idea what attendances were like in 2025 (its always been a closely guarded secret) but aside from a few historically well supported clubs would be surprised if anything but holding even was the norm. Fixtures becoming more irregular with gaps in the summer, then a mad scramble in early winter really cannot help. Some non P.off clubs finishing fixtures by late August doesnt help.  Same old same old 15 heat format across all meetings. 

The ever decreasing band of ageing  "hard core" supporters will probably be served up something for a few more seasons until the sports 100th anniversary in 2028, but i wouldn't hold my breath for any dramatic changes of direction ....... .  

 

[mikebv]

7 hours ago, old bob at herne bay said:

With only a passing interest in speedway nowadays, I just read online that another season of slow decay had been completed. 

I took in the SoN online and frankly that reminded me of why I packed in attending speedway.  What dross.  I thought Polish tracks were maent to produce good racing ??? 

News of another club closing (Birmingham) and huge uncertainty over the future of another (Sheffield) 

There is an ever growing "ghost league"  of defunct clubs, all with decaying tracks and with dreams of reopening, but none look even remotely likely for 2026.  

Patching up the situation will no doubt take place with tweaks to "points limits", but making a silk purse out of a sows ear will tax the bunch of speedway promoters even with thier best  rose tinted specs.  

No idea what attendances were like in 2025 (its always been a closely guarded secret) but aside from a few historically well supported clubs would be surprised if anything but holding even was the norm. Fixtures becoming more irregular with gaps in the summer, then a mad scramble in early winter really cannot help. Some non P.off clubs finishing fixtures by late August doesnt help.  Same old same old 15 heat format across all meetings. 

The ever decreasing band of ageing  "hard core" supporters will probably be served up something for a few more seasons until the sports 100th anniversary in 2028, but i wouldn't hold my breath for any dramatic changes of direction ....... .  

 

As the saying goes. ..

"If it ain't broken, why fix it"....

[Ben91]

A two team Premiership made up of Belle Vue and Ipswich. They will race each other home and away 15 times. Top two reach the play-offs to decide the winner. 

[arnieg]

18 minutes ago, Ben91 said:

A two team Premiership made up of Belle Vue and Ipswich. They will race each other home and away 15 times. Top two reach the play-offs to decide the winner. 

Been done already, the German Bundesliga has run with two teams (although it has now expanded by a massive 50% to three)

[PersonalResponsibility]

41 minutes ago, arnieg said:

Been done already, the German Bundesliga has run with two teams (although it has now expanded by a massive 50% to three)

And look at Germany now - SON2 gold medallists! They've cracked it. It's better than any Rising Star scheme.

[IainB]

12 hours ago, TB1 said:

Surely we really need to start blooding youngsters and fast if speedway in this  country is to survive.  Does anyone have a rough figure of say 13 to 16 year olds who if given the right support can be blooded in the next 4 to 5 years and be racing ready? Some insight into this would be great.

There's been enough talent retiring over the last number of years to fill every team in the league, but for one reason or another they've been lost to the sport.

[topaz325]

11 hours ago, Fortythirtyeight said:

Just look at the British Youth competitors, there’s very little coming through , maybe half a dozen as the drop out rate when they lose interest , or money , is very high .

I disagree there are plenty of riders coming through wether they get the opportunity or have the backing in the future is debatable 

[Fortythirtyeight]

24 minutes ago, topaz325 said:

I disagree there are plenty of riders coming through wether they get the opportunity or have the backing in the future is debatable 

If all of those currently competing on  250’s & 500’s continue I’d call that less than 10 and that’s based on the current numbers still riding in the next few years which is doubtful based on current losses to the sport.

As for the backing, I agree , what backing ? Vatcher giving them half a dozen rounds to race at ( and pay for ) with the odd coached session midweek for those that can make it,  is not great backing. What happened to all those tracks providing juniors with race meetings ? The premiership junior league? etc etc.

[Daniel Smith]

What we can expect from the AGM i hear you say??

How about, it'll be like Prince Andrew doing an 'Ed Gein' & pretending to be Harry Styles.