Leaderboard

You’re posting pics of the track before any work has taken place and declaring it a death trap! They know what needs to be done to make it a speedway racetrack and like every other track in the country it will be subject to a full independent inspection before it’s granted a license from the SCB. It amazes me, most people said this had no chance of happening, even suggested the 6th team was made up for the BSPL press release. And yet when it is announced, rather than be happy that we have a new team in the league and we have a premiership of 6 teams, everybody can’t wait to mock it or tear it to shreds before it’s even opened. And you wonder why there isn’t a lot of people willing to run/keep a speedway track going for us?

Have the bspl become so desperate and tunnel visioned in their quest to get Northampton running they have forgot what their actual job is ? They have practically isolated and ignored the fans and even the other 4 teams to a degree since November to the point now where even the most loyal fans are getting fed up and if like me thinking is it worth it anymore, this winter has been one of the most damaging to its credibility winters the sport has ever had

I just cannot, and will not be able to square away the fact that a track can be opened where nobody is calling for it, yet there have been multiple clubs that it would have been much easier to save but weren't rescued over the last let's call it a decade or so. It's compounding years of bad business with some more bad business.

And yet, here you are. The amount of moaning that five teams is not good enough, makes a mockery of the sport...a sixth team looks likely to appear and STILL moaning. 🤦‍♂️

Welcome to all of their fans... it's only fair they have their own topic thread 👍🏻

Hard to understand why anyone would be anti a new venue being created per se, and i'm not seeing much or indeed any of that being expressed. However, there is considerable concern and scepticism over the chances of it being ready on time, and successful and sustainable, with time constraints being one of the main concerns over effective local marketing and publicity. These concerns and doubts can be expressed in humourous or serious ways, and are sometimes wrapped up within more general concerns about speedway in the Uk and the way it is being run. These are mostly perfectly valid concerns, made in good faith and with the underlying well-being of speedway in the UK at their heart. Whether the above could be justifiably deemed "moaning" is rather irrelevant, especially as the definition of what constitutes "moaning" is likely to vary greatly. I'd liken it to "complaining", and there doesnt seem to anyone complaining that a new venue could be happening. But there are doubts and concerns being expressed, which for the most part seem to be perfectly valid

I suppose I could of asked for more money but I didn’t really care, I just wanted to race speedway, the privilege of being part of a team was for me what speedway was all about, it always made me more determined to beat whoever it was if I knew they were on a good screw from their team, I think I was one of the lowest paid riders ever to race for 21 years but not only did I achieve my lifetime ambition I also did alright for myself so looking back what else could I ask for in life

Majority on here seem very negative towards this new venture. A shame really as they need to have fans behind them. Peterborough, Birmingham and Coventry are lost and fans could easily head over to Northampton to give their support. I wish them all the best in this venture. It’s going to be hard to start from scratch in a town not known for speedway. Hopefully the locals will come out to see what it’s all about and a fanbase can be built. Good luck to them.

And the final nail in the coffin of the Northampton venture 🤐

Not sure the size of track makes for good racing,, it's the room on entry and exits of the corners that make for good or bad racing.

This is literally the same as posting a picture of a field before the new Workington track was laid and saying "it's a bit bumpy at the new Worky track" 🤣

I don’t understand all the cynicism here. GB was a joke of a team year after year but Painter, Blackwell, Allen, Stead, Vatcher plus the professional team around them involving fitness, psychology, physiotherapy and media profile have produced some world beating performances. No more pizzas and beer but pride in the job instead. And top class sponsors. It’s not been just a one day job either with qualifiers and finals in the same week resulting in the squad being together for 4 or 5 days. GB has team spirit, team uniforms and, allowing for 2025 being a hiccup, great results since it changed to the current management team. Olly and Simon have worked well together but they will acknowledge they are only one part of the whole set up. When domestic speedway in UK, especially the way the top league is going, is a clown show, and is working its way down and down, the national team has shown that we still have good people with great skills in this country. And Simon has been one of the key players. We should be thanking him and not making smart ass comments about his wish to devote more time to his family, his job and Sheffield speedway.

We must surely be approaching the point where they say it's too late to get this done. This waiting isn't fair on the riders, it's not fair on the other clubs who have declared they're running but can't get properly organised, and most importantly it's not fair to the supporters who can't be blamed if they decide that after the farce of this winter it's finally the time to walk away from the sport. I hope Northampton do start. The circumstances in which it happens isn't ideal but it would still be exciting to see a new track enter, and wouldn't it be great if we were all here in 7-8 months time looking back at a successful first season. But you can't keep everyone waiting around forever, there has to be a deadline.

The sport is more of a hobby for too many to ever be taken seriously.... Winning at home (by a narrow margin) and getting hammered away is almost utopia for some... These promoters don't have any burning ambitions to win things or, if also in the second tier, move into the top league, and are quite content on funding their hobby through affordable losses, or other businesses contributions.. They run their team pretty much for themselves and the riders, who often need two jobs in the UK to justify their outlay on machinery... With the two jobs meaning two teams share the costs which then makes it cost effective for both clubs.. The clamour for "Team Six" isn't to make the top league look "relevant", (even 20 teams couldn't do that the way the sport is ran), it is simply to ensure another seven slots are available for riders, with four or five of those slots being so riders can double up.. Neither league has authenticity given the operating model (196 guests last season), therefore "Team Six" won't make a jot of difference to the way the sport is viewed by so many fans, and, (more importantly), literally thousands of "ex fans"... In short. Nothing changes because the majority of those running it have a lot of their boxes ticked due to the way they do run it, hence they are content with things... And as long as fans only slowly dwindle away, the losses won't become too big, too quickly, so the whole nonsense can continue on.... Until, of course, inevitably one day given its inexorable decline, it doesn't..

And all so riders can double up.... A complete blight on the sport in the first place... And the reason some clubs cannot race at weekends even if they wanted to... An incredible situation to allow to have happened, especially given thousands of fans could see the issues years ago and openly said so, and often!!! Imagine running your whole operation around doubling up? Barmy. And it delivered exactly what it has ...

Just saw this in Northampton town centre...

https://workingtoncomets.com/kids-go-free-for-2026/ Well done to the Comets management kids go free for 2026 these are the future supporters of speedway 😀 UTC 🏁🔵⚪

100%, I agree. . Utopia... But a pipe dream.. Crowds of 1400 wouldn't support an "Elite" level as the riders to make it "Elite" would need to be paid enough NOT to DU... And the second tier "developers" simply wouldn't want to sell to their fans a "lesser product" with no DU riders in their Heat Leader positions anymore, and their fans simply wouldn't pay £20+ to watch a lesser standard than they have been used to.. The current operating model has gone on for far too long now to ever be unravelled, and, to be honest, I doubt there is any enthusiasm at all to do so, from any of the promoters... Why? Because all can pick and choose what they want to do, and, with the current model, all teams get subsidised by others through sharing rider costs, therefore, all are content with what they have and deliver... If Poland next season do insist on "one extra league only" then DU'ing could even become a real advantage in getting riders. As, instead of less than 20 meetings in Sweden and Denmark, "journeymen" foreign riders could have circa 40 over here.. It is only the fans, (mainly the tens of thousands of ex fans who still closely follow the sport), I would suggest, who want changes to be made, and see potential in the sport should it ever get ran with authenticity, jeapordy, consequence and reward for success.. With the many "wear the club shop die hards", who attend each week, happilly colluding with the Promoters that the sport is a bona fide team sport, with the other section of regulars, being quite content in just watching the racing with no particular emotional attachment to the outcome.. Promoters know that they will never be able to deliver "Utopia" without a huge influx of cash from a major sponsor or/and a massive TV deal, as attendances won't ever be high enough to deliver it.. Therefore they are quite content to carry on with what we have, as it ticks a lot of boxes for them to remain as Promoters...

I look at streaming as an opportunity to see away meetings. I’m self employed so taking a whole day plus fuel to attend an away meeting is quite costly. Streaming has its place, I don’t think I can justify travelling away but I’m happy to pay to watch it on my tv.

Now posting as tapewrecker

Well if it all comes off at Northampton I wish them luck .

Depends what levels you set the leagues and how many riders in a team I guess. doubling up is killing the sport in this country. We have to either limit it to uk residents first and then get rid or the whole system in say 5 years time. for the sport to grow it has to have credibility.

I saw him at Scunny at weekend. I tried to take a photo, but my phone was stuck on zoom and I only got his arm

They have their reasons for the delay in releasing full details of the “new” club. And, as they are the folk making it happen it is their prerogative to decide when that will be. Meanwhile let’s be grateful for this positive step in the current tough times for British speedway and wish the promoters and all concerned all the best of luck in their endeavours to make Northampton a long term success.

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 🤞

Have had BSN for my elderly parents for the last 4 years and can't fault it for the cost, yeah had a few teething problems with some streams from time to time when it first came along but its got better year on year tbf, my parents who are both 85 love their speedway and have been going regularly to local tracks since the Norwich speedway days, and were season ticket holders at Ipswich, Lynn, P'boro and Mildenhall for many a year before Covid stuck, it's just an easier option for them these days then driving to a meeting and having to sit about in all weather's at their age.

Ipswich were more than happy to take Tom off Birmingham and see them “make up the numbers”. Tom had ridden part of their season at number 1 after we released him. When you consider the top two the witches had in place, tapping up Tom seemed unnecessary if looking at the bigger picture. It did however achieve what Louis wanted with his league win, and that’s all that mattered to him.

Not at Dan's level yet!!! Is what you mean... Who knows though.... Keep practicing and you never know.... Edit. I've just told my mate that Ouch was taking up Speedway and that he doesn't think he will be as good as Dan.. He said "Who the eff are Ouch and Dan, and what the eff is Speedway?".. See. Already you are at Dan's level...

In 2003 I did nearly 80 meetings with an average round trip of 400 miles per meeting, my van which I paid for was doing around 60-80k miles a year riding sometimes 4 times per week and washed and prepped my own bikes,,worked part time mechanic for Adam skornicki and sometimes washed Joe screens bikes and worked as a full time courier often delivering on way to meetings and sometimes after meetings and I did it for peanuts so forgive me if I have little sympathy for the likes of Jason Edward’s ,they don’t know they are born

What is the deadline for Northampton (if it is actually Northampton) to declare ya or nay? we are 11 days away from march, 27 days away from first meeting, the secrecy is beyond a joke, no premier fixture list, no statements to the paying public, speedway has committed some real shoot itself in the foot moments over the years but this is just another level

A lot of doom and gloom on here. At least they're trying to give it a go with Northampton. Come on, it's a new track for heaven's sake so at least give it a chance before all the wading in with negative comments. Some posters have said the BSPL should be attempting to get a track up and running where there's already a fan base but places like Coventry, Swindon, Wolves etc ain't going to be happening anytime soon. Northampton has been put forward, the owners/promoters seem to be keen to have speedway there so good luck to them. You just never know, it may turn out to be a resounding success. Fingers crossed.

The application to build on the stadium has been rejected. https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1A5dPxTP8J Not out of the woods yet, but this is a good start.

Good luck to all at Swindon. Planning meeting just started (6pm) but Blunsdon is item 8 on the agenda, so a while to wait

The answer indeed appears an obvious one.... However, they simply don't have the money to improve the standard, nor market the sport... Although I should say they do have money (a quite considerable sum will be spent), but they choose to spend all of it on riders rather than promotion and marketing.... The sport is now down to how many attendees? 20,000 average (at most), at the 14 clubs across the country, collectively, last year? That is too far off the radar of the general public now to ever deliver an "Elite" offering, given the considersble costs involved of doing so... The sport is basically set up for a few World Class riders to live over here, and top up their Polish earnings with a circa high five figure/low six figure package, and then let "experienced average riders" earn two salaries, which, combined will be a very decent sum. And, at the lower end of teams, give young UK lads and overseas young lads an opportunity to see if fhey can go further up the ladder.. With the Promoters being happy to run at the level all are, as they know "speculating to accumulate" won't provide much "accumulation" given the (lack of), rewards on offer... It is really only the fans that would suggest the sport is "broken", and make suggestions to improve it.... I very much doubt the Promoters, (who are all obviously quite content with their lot, hence nothing changes), think there are any issues at all...

That's the spirit...

Why on earth would they do that until they’re actually sure they’re running? I’d imagine the advertising and promotion of Northampton Speedway would commence ONCE they’ve got the green light to run, not before! Pretty bizarre gripe from you again which seems to happen a lot lately 🙄

All valid points. We had a long dry spell with no one, other than Tai, coming through to challenge Bomber and Scott Nicholls for a place in the GB Team. And even with only three decent riders, we had boycotts and fall outs over pay as well as a lack of professionalism in preparation. But, over the last 10-15 years, we’ve had several initiatives to help bring the next generation through. Neil Vatcher with the British Youth Championship deserves much of the credit for this but Phil Morris and the late Graham Reeve were also heavily involved. Bev and Marcus Williams in Australia set up the scholarship - some called it boot camp - in their house and Ian Sinderson of ATPI and Richard Cotton of Rentruck got the No Limits training programme going. When the efforts of Vicky Blackwell and Rob Painter are added to this, you can see how individuals are the ones that have created a set of circumstances that have moved us out of the doldrums when it came to developing riders. From a very lowly position, as well as the GP stars, we’ve now got several decent riders chasing for success. Like Tom Brennan, Dan Thompson, Drew Kemp, Joe Thompson, Dan Gilkes, Leon Flint and several more. Each and every person who has helped to create this, and, of course, Simon Stead is part of this, deserves recognition and thanks. BSPL and many individual promoters are the villains in this - taking but giving little in return. Turning the Development League from amateur to professional was a huge mistake, driven by vested interest. The bottom league should have been a ride for expenses league, but who remembers the year Adam Ellis - and no slight on Adam intended - turned down a championship role because the NDL was paying him too much? For him, it was the right thing to do but it should have been a wake up call for the promoters. Coming back to the original point, the GB Team has been more than the individuals involved, whether that’s those that operate in plain sight or those in the background. But its strength has been because it has operated as a team and Simon was part of the team. Of course GB will regroup without him, but that doesn’t mean his departure shouldn’t be regretted.

The Abbey Stadium planning applications are scheduled to be decided upon next Tuesday (10th) from 18.00. The SBC Planning Officer's Reports recommend the applications are rejected.

I don’t buy that. The vast majority of fans switch off at the end of the season & come back at the start of the new one. It’s only us on here that get our knickers in a twist, a small percentage of those who actually attend. If the side ends up getting beaten week in week out then yes the attendance will drop, but the goings on this winter won’t make much difference to the attendance at the start of the season

Getting very fed up with this cloak and dagger situation with Northampton. I actually don’t care now if they are they running or not. Five or six teams in the league, still crap. Regardless of where they are in preparation, at least make some sort of announcement to generate a degree of interest. I set up as a consultant a few years ago and never thought to keep it a secret and not tell anyone. Would love to hear the business strategy (if they have one?) of those in charge.

I think the day we take any notice of what a Holder has to say is probably the day to pack it all in.

Doubling Up is cost effective for both leagues as they both can share the wages of the rider.. The top league certainly couldn't afford to pay third HL's and Second Strings what they earn collectively from their two jobs, given the GP riders will be high earners... And, if no doubling up, the second tier could only maybe afford one of these riders each in their teams, (rather than 3 which some have), resulting in them having to fill the bottom end of their teams with several NDL level riders... What started out as a laudable development tool has been allowed to become a farce.... Driven by the usual lack of any mid or long term plan to develop enough riders to compete (especially), in the 2nd tier...

He's a director of Swindon Motorsports Ltd, so the logic would be that he believes in the Studley Grange project. Of course, with Gaming International being the company with significant control of Swindon Motorsports Ltd, an alternative view is that if and when permission to demolish the Abbey Stadium were given there would suddenly be a reason why Studley Grange could not proceed

To be fair they currently have no fans and based on recent history it's going to be a hard task to keep it running for a long time. I think fans are just being realistic rather than being negative. Fingers crossed it goes well though...I hope they smash it.

Agree totally. The sport faced a tough winter, and to come out of it with a 6-team league (as we've had in the past) is something of a miracle. Let's hope we can add Coventry and others for 2027 and really start moving forward. I'm hearing TV deals and corporate sponsor deals are making progress. Maybe if we had a bit more positivity from "fans" getting out there and spreading the message, who knows? Hopefully we'll see fixtures at weekend. Then we just need the news that Northampton have signed Bartosz...

Kvech and PHB are very far from top riders but are the type of foreign riders that UK Speedway can currently afford. And as for having NDL level riders in a one league format meeting is the ideal way to develop young riders, that's not to say they should be riding against the likes of Kvech and PHB but certainly riders around their level. Monday and Thursday clearly doesn't work for the fans even though it may for the riders but the tail is wagging the dog.

me, i think thats pretty solid, will win well at home and thats all thats needed,

Fortunately there is absolutely nobody looking, outside of the Speedway bubble

I don’t really understand people using the fact Mayfield have made cuts at GP level as a stick to beat them with. The product was haemorrhaging money left right and centre. There was hardly a queue of people lining up to take over Warner/Discovery who wanted nothing more to do with it all. Any businessman worth his salt would be making monetary cuts to stem the flow of losses. That’s just common sense isn’t it? Really don’t understand the criticism there at all.