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Laura and Jacko are working on a press release which will come out very soon... it is all looking very positive indeed. More to follow... as the saying goes. Regards THJ

Whilst excited at the prospect of the move up there is also a tinge of sadness to be leaving the Championship I have thoroughly enjoyed the Witches latest time in the 2nd tier and the banter on here with a great set of fans all over the UK I hope you all have an enjoyable 2019 No doubt I will stick my nose in every now and then

people will moan no matter what came out of the AGM, it's all part of speedway

New ‘Premiership Supporters Cup’ with 1 race ‘fans nominated’ via social media – Full details to follow but 1st event provisionally scheduled for 8th April A gimmicky, nonsense idea, open to so much abuse. What planet are the people who dream this up on ? This is not the engagement that fans want/need imo

Well if Cook & Harris dont earn enough to pay bills, either live within there means, or get another job, try living on £7.83 per hour, then they might have something to moan about..

Going be fun between you Poole fans and Gavin next season

Of cause the format has made it harder to attain those high averages, but it would be wrong to ridicule those top riders you mentioned, as I'm quietly confident they would have achieved those high figures regardless of what format was used. Yes there were journeyman back then but they were usually reserves, bit like they are today. But back then the teams were far stronger with 3 proper heat leaders. and teams more evenly matched. The biggest difference back then was that each rider was seen as a team member and belonged to that team. Now riders race for various teams and have no allegiance to anybody.... consequently the fans don't have that connection with the rider anymore... I remember, often staying late at night drinking with the riders after the meetings, the place was packed with fans wanting this contact with the riders. WE never won much but the place was usually heaving.... Couldn't wait for the next meeting...

BREAKING NEWS Planning permission for new stadium granted with no more new homes to be built until it’s finished ✅ Have a lovely evening folks!

Pretty decent on the whole I think - the social media chosen race is a bit of a gimmick but so what, it's interaction which is at least some step towards getting people engaged. Definite move towards having a strong EL and a weaker PL which is pretty much what everyone has said on here for the last few days, get the top riders out of the league and make the PL an amateur league again, where you need a job to survive. All EL tracks are pretty good and Leicester are out of it so the racing should be decent if there are some good riders. The NL supporters club group is another step in the right direction, as is the Ltd company approach, they've opened themselves up which, again, is what people have wanted for years. BT onboard again, happy days. I was actually quite positive reading about it and it sounded good but people on here just seem to pan every AGM regardless of the outcome. About as enjoyable to read as the usual biscuit jokes.

Nobody is ridiculing rider's, just stating that the rider's wouldn't be anywhere near the 10+ averages of today's format. That is absolutely correct, they wouldn't. Also, I believe that in today's Speedway the 2nd string / reserves are of much better standard than years gone by too. The only significant difference of now and years gone by has been quality of racing. Rider's are saying it, promoters are saying it, fans are saying it, racing and tracks in the UK are abysmal. Tracks haven't evolved with the changes in machinery. Today's bikes are rev hungry machines but don't actually deliver faster race times. David Howe explained in his Speedway Star piece that today's engine's are impossible unless you're ringing the throttle. Get off the throttle today to change your racing line in the middle of the bend, and these machines will try to put you in hospital. What I'd love to see happen is some testing. Say at Belle Vue, 1 trustworthy rider, 4 bikes. One with his current engine in, 4 heats on his own, calculate the race times and speed. Then, re-dress the track, in the next bike, run the last of the high powered uprights at full tilt, 4 heats as before 3rd and 4th bikes to run the updated Gerhard and Godden engine's. Then repeat the above with the track covered in deep dirt. Then, with the same rider, repeat the whole process at a tight technical track. Work out all the data and from that World Speedway would have a better idea of where it needs to be. After reading the Speedway Star, while everything seems all rosy in the Polish garden it's quite clear they to have financial worries. So, if we can get the machine v track combination right, make the engines run longer etc the sport can then start to look at saving money from top to bottom. Only then, maybe the sport can then get that feel good factor of years gone by, hopefully we'll see and hear clubs turning a profit. What many have said is correct, whatever comes out of this AGM is irrelevant as it won't keep everyone happy all of the time. First and formost for me, there needs to be a program in place to test all possibilities of track and machine, in attendance, the chairmen of FIM, BSI and international leagues to run these tests. To make Speedway the sport it should be track v machine is vital and only then the thrill factor of 4 blokes, 4 laps, handlebar bashing may be a more regular occurrence than just the standard gate and go.

it was sign and sealed that only a certain amount houses could be built at the start intill the stadium was built ...Was that kept to ? this is about the 15th time in the last 4 years when we had so called positive news about moving forward and every time it never happens . When it's built then cheer but intill then don't go over board about a company who have never before kept any promises or built any stadiums . I find it amazing there are still people out there who think Osbourne clark and co will build it .

That's one way of winning a title

Amazing how riders coped before doubling up started haha Riders need to realise the sport here is not able to pay wages to make them fully professional so they will need to either improve to ask for better money and to get other clubs abroad or accept you will more than likely have to work at same time like many do. The promoters also need to run the sport better in order to bring in more fans which then may lead to more riders being able to be professional and not have to work, but there will always be riders who like Tai are world class then there are others who are very good but will still maybe have to work as well.

Which is why they don't take notice of what's on here, anything worth considering get's lost in all the pizz taking

Best of luck in the top tier thanks for the posts of support when Worky were in the finals

I’m genuinely a bit baffled by today’s events and I’m struggling to understand what’s what and who calls the shots. Does Chapman now call all the shots as to who we can and can’t sign? Or Does Louis still do what he’s done in previous years and “control” the running of the club just not “own” it? cant help but feel a little uneasy at the minute. One thing I’ve always felt with the Louis’ in full control, was safe. Anyway, I hope we don’t go down the same route as Rye when they moved up and sign a “dads army” team of yesteryear and riders who have clearly seen better days such as Nicholls and Harris. We cant get excited and sign a bunch of names thinking they’re still top riders, Andersen another one. Things have changed since we were last in the division and we have to be smarter than that. We should also avoid taking the easy option of signing up riders that regularly rode for us in the Championship and thinking they could do a job for us. Heeps for example, being a 3rd heatleader (or thereabouts) in the Championship, you’d think would do well in a top flight reserve berth, but he was disastrous for Wolves at reserve. Very interesting weeks and months ahead.

I think the point limit is a step in the right direction. I mean if you REALLY really want to have Cook, you still could have, with the rest of the team being a majority of 2 pointers. It would only water down that kind of team. It makes a more level playing field. A team of 6 pointers was far from watered down at Workington and the racing was fantastic, and looks like it’s the secret (or not so secret) formula! A lot of teams if not all will just be happy to be running, if it cuts down costs and prevents doubling up then so be it.

For what it’s worth I don’t believe Cook and a few others should be anywhere near the Championship, There needs to be a definitive gap between the top two leagues and Cook and some others are too good and too expensive for the Championship. i can’t see the entertainment value in some riders crossing the finishing line when others are entering the third bend

With that points limit I’d expect Danny back

I just don't get where dropping the team average reduces costs. All it does is change the rider m market, the riders know clubs are after them due to their average and they simply ask for more money as they know they are wanted. Imagine being in Kyle's position a two point rider that just about every club will try and sign virtually name his price. All it does is weaken teams on track so we will not be seeing the likes of Cooke Wells etc in that league which is a shame. If Workington run I personally don't care what the team is as long as we have a team. Fixtures or lack of are a worry for regular speedway but for us that's better than nothing. Just hard to promote.

Saying everything is rosy would've seen 0 changes and a 2 sentence statement. They've changed a lot - why not give it a chance and stop complaining?

Seems all was well in 2018.

38 points to work with in the Championship next year! That’ll be Cook ruled out for Glasgow I’d say. I get the need to see a clear difference in overall quality between the two leagues but feel we could’ve gone with an increase in the Premiership to prevent such a massive drop in the Championship.

One thing I always think could be a quick cheap (ish) gain would be to move the pits to somewhere where the punters can see what's going on, something like home team on the home straight away, team on the back straight (not at Wolves obvs!) Instead of them disappearing off the track after 60 seconds not to be seen again until after 5 minutes of tractor racing. A lot of clubs have their pit areas tucked away out of visibility of the paying punter and for kids especially how are they going to identify their hero? There'll be a lot of people probably reply to this, you can't do it because of X, you can't do this because of y... Just make it happen. I read in the SS and Dave(?) Hoggart was talking about the in between race experience and that the music needs to be brought up to date, pa systems improved etc. I don't go to Speedway to listen to music I go to watch racing and immerse myself in the racing experience this includes seeing what's going on in the pits, what the riders are doing, what the team managers are up to... It should all be part of the show!

Jack Young was another who didn't particularly care which gate he went off as he couldn't gate anyway! He made most of his points from behind. With regard to the ten point averages for the "Big Five", we also shouldn't forget that they went off a 20 yard handicap for three seasons.

Struggling to understand this one. Glasgow own the stadium and have no rent to pay. Their main outlay is riders wages. Their two top riders Craig Cook and Chris Harris both say they don't earn enough to pay the bills. Glasgow lost over £100,000

I would agree to an extent but it wasn't always the case as interviews with many riders from that period actually give credit to some of the 'star' riders giving up the best gate for the betterment of the team. Both Ivan Mauger and Ole Olsen, amongst many, have been credited with unselfish acts by team mates.

Spot on going weeks without any speedway decimated any momentum we had created enticing newer and used to attend fan's , you could visibly see the enthusiasm draining away from most as the stop/start season progressed. I posted on here In May on a thread I was bored with it already and the lack of fixtures was a big part of it.

Temporary safeguarding of clubs maybe? And for the safeguarding of the premier league. I don’t think it’s doom and gloom. Compared to the alternative.

To be renamed the Chapmanship.

You cant have Fridays unless you get permission from Mr Godfrey

If every club has two National league standard riders at reserve it means more actual competitive racing hopefully

I feel same as Liam, the match against Glasgow was the real goodbye, I will still watch the sport on the tv every now and then but live no thanks, it’s Arena Essex Hammers or nothing at all, that’s my team.

Great news. Weekly speedway with a different team every week.

Well I guess the promoters have their reasons for opting to join a watered down version of league racing - i.e. 38 point team limit designed to help make the 42.5 top flight teams look stronger and help the club survive on lower costs because they don't have the skill and knowledge on how to invest and PROMOTE the sport in a City the size of Leicester. And they have the audacity to call themselves "PROMOTERS" ? Pathetic!

Yeah so let's help them make it H19TORY.........pleased with today's news tho.

Dear BSPA, I have watch speedway regularly since 1958 at Wimbledon, West Ham, New Cross, Hackney, Crayford, Romford, Rye House, Arena Essex and Skegness. I am now back living in London which maybe you have not noticed is the CAPITAL of both England and the UK. Without a car how do I support this wonderful sport? Yours One very upset former supporter, who would still be a supporter if there was a track in London.

Oh dear what are the Poole fans gonna do now when they tell Gavan to trot back to the championship forums.

Trip to Poole beckons, or maybe not.

Funny really as I did not want to go down in the first place. Having said that I did enjoy the chamionship once I adapted, especially the Northern tours. I am sure that I will soon get back to this league. Really looking forward to the East Anglian derbies.

New season= Same sh!t.

Unbelievable Geoff!

I think his point is putting the pits on the infield is as bright as putting a moto x track there. Both unsafe, and would surely also block viewing the far side of the circuit. The less solid objects inside a speedway track the better imo

The late Tommy Price always said to others " take what gate you like as long as I am off gate 1"

If there is any kind of NL racing at Leicester the Thompson twins are highly likely to be there.

I seriously wish Swindon luck (and that comes from a 'Cheethsh's fan!) on what has been a very long drawn out affair with promises and half promises. Speedway can ill afford to lose tracks and I only wish that there was more postive moves down at Cowley as welll as Brandon.

Really hope we get some positive news on the sport we all love tomorrow. Fingers crossed 2019 will see the current decline of speedway within the UK stop and the start of some form of recovery beginning.

Grow up.

It's actually an entirely different thing. Many, if not most football clubs live well beyond their means, but there's usually another mug with too much money to replace the previous one when they run out of cash. Even where there isn't, there's literally hundreds of others football clubs clamouring to take the place of fallen. Speedway is simply not in the same position. It does not attract rich, and especially super-rich mugs, who're willing to endlessly pour money into a loss-making business, nor does command anything like the television or sponsorship monies that formerly equivalent minor sports are able to obtain nowadays. Tracks are not only not clamouring to get into the top league (which says something in itself), but there's just 24 tracks remaining in the entire country - many of which are leading a very marginal existence. A far better analogy would be ice hockey, which seems to have achieved a relatively stable existence of late, after years of also being a shambolic mess.

Danny Phillips (or any other young rider) signed at reserve don’t deserve all this crap he’s getting.The lad rocks up with good equipment and keen to learn.running last places isn’t his plan I’m sure.trouble is when the so called “good lads” don’t score, the 2 point riders get the blame .the way this sport is going they won’t be one soon .give the lads a break or maybe even ask if you can borrow there kit and show em what there doing wrong......