2026 Premiership is Go! - At least 5 teams

[TB1]

40 minutes ago, THE DEAN MACHINE said:

It just needs the cost of installing a new track which is not a little cost 

Minimum 6 figure cost then I guess 

[THE DEAN MACHINE]

50 minutes ago, TB1 said:

Minimum 6 figure cost then I guess 

Depends on who you know and the equipment you can get hold of 

[THE DEAN MACHINE]

1 hour ago, speedwaysliders said:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c07xe25r1xxo?at_format=image&at_campaign_type=owned&utm_social_handle_id=120319491340099&utm_social_post_id=640650027&at_link_type=web_link&at_link_id=74B7B056-E7CA-11F0-B1E9-E094E096F596&at_bbc_team=editorial&a

Yes i know, we have been corresponding with the stadium and entain but at the moment the door is shut to speedway, it’s very difficult to get to the bottom of what the issue is, why speedway was kicked out, the stadium say is wasn’t them, CVS says he is angry at it all but doesn’t say much else and entain are a multi billion dollar company that quite frankly don’t give speedway a second glance and they don’t give reasons just answers, I have my own theory after chatting with CVS and someone who worked at the stadium for 30 years but it’s just that a theory but I will with others will keep on trying, it may be a tiny-nil chance of ever going back there but it wolves only chance of ever coming back, time changes, people change, ideas change, you never know 

Edited Wednesday at 11:28 PM by THE DEAN MACHINE

[THE DEAN MACHINE]

I genuinely think I’ve become one of those people who use to go to speedway, not by choice either, with wolves closing and now Birmingham gone, my nearest track is Buxton and although I will go there a couple of times this coming season I just can’t see me going to watch speedway regularly any more, I might go to an odd match here and there but I’ve become my speedway friends, they still follow it but don’t go anymore, even having a skid myself was reduced to 2 meetings (worky IOW) in 2025, hardly worth the effort of keeping my bikes or the hours of driving to do it 

Edited Wednesday at 11:47 PM by THE DEAN MACHINE

[Teromaafan]

2 hours ago, SteveLyric2 said:

So the new Board has a change of balance with 3 of the 5 Premiership promoters on it., so it'll be interesting to see what potential changes may be considered for the future.

I'm a little disappointed that there was no reference to any changes for 2027. 

The 2027 season? Don’t worry it might not happen (as the saying goes). It baffles me that  some people think/hope that 2026 will be a blip and things will be put in place for a promised land in 2027 and beyond. The BSPL, as I understand it, represent the teams competing in British Speedway, but there is a divide because of the PL/CL split and own agendas of completing clubs. This insistence of clinging on to a top tier is becoming ridiculous, as has been proved for 2026. The sport has never been in a position to introduce promotion/relegation (yes it was tried a few years ago, move on), simply because it cannot generate a wide enough interest. Forget league structures, just start with getting teams to confirm that they will compete for a future season on preferred race nights. Build from there. See what league structure options are available on this basis. Only at this point should available riders be looked at. GP level riders will no doubt be unaffordable/uninterested, but you have to cut your cloth as they say. Nothing will change of course because UK speedway cannot accept/understand that the financial demands of top riders continually eat in to unsustainable resources.

[speedwaysliders]

1 hour ago, THE DEAN MACHINE said:

Yes i know, we have been corresponding with the stadium and entain but at the moment the door is shut to speedway, it’s very difficult to get to the bottom of what the issue is, why speedway was kicked out, the stadium say is wasn’t them, CVS says he is angry at it all but doesn’t say much else and entain are a multi billion dollar company that quite frankly don’t give speedway a second glance and they don’t give reasons just answers, I have my own theory after chatting with CVS and someone who worked at the stadium for 30 years but it’s jIt seeust that a theory but I will with others will keep on trying, it may be a tiny-nil chance of ever going back there but it wolves only chance of ever coming back, time changes, people change, ideas change, you never know 

IT seems the greyhound management at Monmore are not thinking that much clearer about the facilities they have there when a lot of their greyhound racing is is for afternoon bags when you only get a handful of people there,why are they ripping alovely seating area which has years left in it,the bar area is great,BUT it doesnt make sense to rip it all out just for an evening meeting or two at the track when what they already have  in place was more the adequate to deal with the paying public.Madness from their management when the fixtures and fittings were more then good enough ,theres no way they are going to get that money back and the main crowd will only be on a saturday night,with the bags fixtures for about 50 paying folk.Clueless managent again for what gain.

Edited Thursday at 01:01 AM by speedwaysliders

[P T Preece]

So after all the talk and debate, its the same as last year. At least they have got rid of the superheat.

[Son of Shaleman]

10 hours ago, mac101 said:

So you might only have 10 home meeting this season if you get knocked out in the first round of the cup completions or 11 if they get another cup to play for  maybe all Premiership teams should put together a 5 team NL Team to fill in all the blank weeks to keep people interested 

Lynn did 4 ndt matches last year. They built an audience and the riders provided plenty of entertainment. Enjoyed those meetings and hope Young Stars will be back in 2026.

[cowboy cookie returns?]

Earlier in the winter there was a thought that radical change could be coming.

Its certainly been a radical winter a u turn on ownership at Sheffield, Louis leaving Ipswich, Ipswich confirmed as running but no idea who is running it.

As far as radical change in how the sport is run which is needed well that’s zero change. I find it staggering that it’s more of the same.

[dontforgetthefueltapsbruv]

26 minutes ago, cowboy cookie returns? said:

Earlier in the winter there was a thought that radical change could be coming.

Its certainly been a radical winter a u turn on ownership at Sheffield, Louis leaving Ipswich, Ipswich confirmed as running but no idea who is running it.

As far as radical change in how the sport is run which is needed well that’s zero change. I find it staggering that it’s more of the same.

The required radical change not forthcoming

Chris selling up because 'values no longer align'

 

Hopefully we find out soon if the two are linked or whether 2+2=5

[mikebv]

44 minutes ago, cowboy cookie returns? said:

Earlier in the winter there was a thought that radical change could be coming.

Its certainly been a radical winter a u turn on ownership at Sheffield, Louis leaving Ipswich, Ipswich confirmed as running but no idea who is running it.

As far as radical change in how the sport is run which is needed well that’s zero change. I find it staggering that it’s more of the same.

Well...

If it ain't broken....

Oh. Hang on......

[Racin Jason 72]

50 minutes ago, cowboy cookie returns? said:

Earlier in the winter there was a thought that radical change could be coming.

Its certainly been a radical winter a u turn on ownership at Sheffield, Louis leaving Ipswich, Ipswich confirmed as running but no idea who is running it.

As far as radical change in how the sport is run which is needed well that’s zero change. I find it staggering that it’s more of the same.

Couldn’t agree more.  
the press release had far more questions than answers. Told us how many ndl teams but failed to name them !!! 

[YeOldPitGate]

12 hours ago, dontforgetthefueltapsbruv said:

Have seen this suggestion made 2 or 3 times

It just doesn't make any sense!

If he wanted to be involved he wouldn't be selling Ipswich

Agreed I can see no logic in selling possibly the most successful club in the UK with infrastructure already in place and then putting your sale proceeds into somewhere with zero speedway history , if Coventry revival was the rumoured sixth club and the stadium wasn't falling down then yes maybe.

[bruno]

8 hours ago, THE DEAN MACHINE said:

I genuinely think I’ve become one of those people who use to go to speedway, not by choice either, with wolves closing and now Birmingham gone, my nearest track is Buxton and although I will go there a couple of times this coming season I just can’t see me going to watch speedway regularly any more, I might go to an odd match here and there but I’ve become my speedway friends, they still follow it but don’t go anymore, even having a skid myself was reduced to 2 meetings (worky IOW) in 2025, hardly worth the effort of keeping my bikes or the hours of driving to do it 

Same as our group Dean. We used to go anywhere to watch any teams so when Wolves shut I thought I'd do more of the same. The first season I went to 2 meetings then last season none at all. I'm thinking of going to a few next year but who knows , I might never go again

[Phannan]

Couldn’t keep me away up to 5 years ago . Then it became the odd meeting because of work commitments. That effort to go now though has gone. The lack of respect for the people who pay the wages , us, is unacceptable. Kept in the dark, only informed as a last result. The lack of ambition and direction in the sport is unbelievable. Clubs telling the sport where they’ll race and where they won’t. I find that laughable for a so called professional sport. It’s on its last legs as is my enthusiasm for it. Remembering Those days in the 70’s watching Bradford Northern at Odsal are great memories. It’s a totally different proposition these days. 

[THE DEAN MACHINE]

7 hours ago, speedwaysliders said:

IT seems the greyhound management at Monmore are not thinking that much clearer about the facilities they have there when a lot of their greyhound racing is is for afternoon bags when you only get a handful of people there,why are they ripping alovely seating area which has years left in it,the bar area is great,BUT it doesnt make sense to rip it all out just for an evening meeting or two at the track when what they already have  in place was more the adequate to deal with the paying public.Madness from their management when the fixtures and fittings were more then good enough ,theres no way they are going to get that money back and the main crowd will only be on a saturday night,with the bags fixtures for about 50 paying folk.Clueless managent again for what gain.

On our first conversation with the stadium itself they were quick to point out it wasn’t them that kicked it out,it came from 2 Americans at entain who wouldn’t know speedway from a toilet duck so from that you can only think it’s some sort of financial decision and as documented last year those 2 people no longer work at entain, I was hoping that monmore was just a franchise of entain and make their own decisions as to what happens at the stadium but seems that isn’t the case, as long as the stadium is still there we will not give up 

Edited Thursday at 08:45 AM by THE DEAN MACHINE

[topaz325]

Interesting reading in the Star last week regarding the Swedish League set up where most tracks saw an increase in crowd numbers but some were still left in financial difficulties.

Yes different structure and maybe financial restraints to the UK but begs the question was the incomings far less than the outgoings ie rider payments? 

[THE DEAN MACHINE]

3 hours ago, bruno said:

Same as our group Dean. We used to go anywhere to watch any teams so when Wolves shut I thought I'd do more of the same. The first season I went to 2 meetings then last season none at all. I'm thinking of going to a few next year but who knows , I might never go again

The Black Country still has a really big speedway fan base, I was making this point to a councillor a month back, saying other than football I think speedway still has the second biggest demographic of people that follow sport in the Black Country , cricket, rugby are not big in the West Midlands at team level motox has a big participation levels but not really a fan sport, don’t think we have ice hockey in the Black Country so if they claim to pander to the electorate why is speedway not up there in their priority of sport and lesuire? 

[silverrocket]

1 hour ago, THE DEAN MACHINE said:

The Black Country still has a really big speedway fan base, I was making this point to a councillor a month back, saying other than football I think speedway still has the second biggest demographic of people that follow sport in the Black Country , cricket, rugby are not big in the West Midlands at team level motox has a big participation levels but not really a fan sport, don’t think we have ice hockey in the Black Country so if they claim to pander to the electorate why is speedway not up there in their priority of sport and lesuire? 

Do Solihull Barons or Telford Tigers count as the Black Country. 

[Hamish McRaker]

Possibly there'll be a drip-feed of further information during the upcoming weeks, beginning with Ipswich directly putting out a definitive statement.

Ideally, the BSPL should hold a press conference next week, with the new line-up of directors fielding questions relevant to their basic statement of yesterday, and on other subjects raised. This should be available for anyone to view via social media channels