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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. 🤦‍♂️

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

That's the spirit...

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...

They would be new followers of British speedway to find that strange, us seasoned fans understand it to be totally normal for British speedway 😂

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

The 4 team league to be run in September & October with the top 4 going to the semi finals

Fantastic news, hope they make Northampton a great success

And then keep employing that crap Aussie 👀

Belle Vue are the only team allowed to have bad luck, you should know that by now.

https://www.bellevue-speedway.com/blog/latest-news-2/team-news-zischke-joins-aces-295

Fair point, some clubs are synonymous with their race night, Wolves on a Monday for example, Poole on a Wednesday, Ippo on a Thursday. Obviously you ride on the night you think you can get your best crowd... unless you're in the PL of course 🤷‍♂️ To suggest that all clubs riding in one league be limited to a Monday or Thursday is madness.

Why should they when all three can still comfortably outperform Jordan Jenkins? What a weird thing to say.

They’ve literally just completed a takeover 48 hours ago ffs! Pretty sure graphic design wouldn’t have been on a list of priorities 🙄

Given that the two leg semi final will be a lucrative pair of fixtures, will we see teams "manipulating" their final league position to finish 2nd or 3rd rather going for the top slot? It's not like you get anything for winning the pre playoff league is it?

That’s the spirit.

UK Speedway is clearly hamstrung by doubling up.. Neither league can pay those top tier third HL's/SS's, and 2nd tier "one and fives" individually, what these lads want to earn.. Therefore, they share the costs, to ensure so many teams can actually exist at the level they want to run at, and riders get what they want.. The top tier need to have some "top talent" to justify their "top tier" status... And those who run the sport as a hobby have zero interest in what the top tier do, and have even less than zero interest in joining them, but do like using riders they couldn't afford if the top tier didn't subsidise them.. In short... Doubling up, and Guestfest after Guestfest, (196 in the top two tiers last year), actually renders the sport a ridiculously "hard sell" to both sponsors (from outside the Speedway bubble), and potential new followers.... (Not promoted well Richard? Really? How do you actually promote that?) Sorting this sharing of riders is the No1 issue, and the biggest barrier to the sport ever becoming seen as "authentic" by those who no longer attend, or wish to sponsor clubs.. To the likes of Richard Coleman, I say... Good luck... Many before have seen the huge potential in such a unique concept of motorbike racing in a town environs... And all then basically, gave up, and cleared off, disillusioned, given those incumbents who run the sport, are more than happy with their lot.. Us fans may see potential, those who run it, particularly as a hobby, don't feel any growth is needed... (Especially If it impacts them)..

New presenter, and new press officer too. BOTH current incumbents will be sorely missed.

Surely that's the way it should be? Despite the frustrations and worry over delays there is one thing that has been in my view a positive and unusual for speedway The transaction has been conducted in a professional and rightful way No one speaking out of turn, blaming another party or getting one up by making comment for selfish gain Hopefully in time Chris will make a further statement to clarify his position and answer some of the questions many people still have Some things may however be better left unsaid

Sadly just had to put the latest person on ignore . I don't know or care if it was the same person but it was similar drivel as the other person please don't quote his posts as it means I can still read his

Have you heard of an IP address? Care to explain why you and Youhave2minutes have the same if you're not the same person? Brothers living together in the same house perhaps?

For me whos fairly new to speedway and loved going to peterborough to watch this is amazing news. I will get to as many home meetings as I can even if they don't have the strongest team & then hopefully given a bit more time in 2027 it can become a proper outfit. Or maybe they've got some tricks up their sleeve for this years team 🤔 but all in all it has got be good news. I actually went to watch the F1 stockers there 2 years ago and it does seem a really well fitted track for speedway 👍

There has been a lot of (justified) concern as to the viability of such a project, especially with the timescales involved and with the sport being in its lowest ever position. Surely nobody really thinks a new track is a bad thing... closing mid season, having an uncompetitive team, running in front of poor crowds with an expensive team are all bad things which many have been and still are concerned about. Good luck to them though, I for one can't wait to get down there at some point 👍🏻

My guess would be Matt Ford.

I can't recall seeing a single post saying that the addition of Northampton would be anything other than a good thing 🤷‍♂️

One for the Aces fans BELLE VUE HYDE ROAD STADIUM MANCHESTER ... THE FINAL DAY

It's all part of the slow indoctrination process that is regularly used by conspiracy theorists.

The signing of PHB has really cheered me up, it was always going to be hard so late in the day to bring over a top no.1 but in the absence of that bringing in an exciting newcomer to the league from the continent is a good show of intent from the new owners and offers additional excitement and intrigue to see how he fairs on these shores

And also ask why it isn't compulsory for every meeting to have at least three rides each for NDL and even lower, standard riders... Either during the meeting itself, to add something extra to the event, or afterwards... Expenses only, or even "pay to play" like so many other Motorsports do at that level... Track time is obviously the largest fundamental requirement for rider development, therefore, common sense says the more laps that these lads do, the more in control, and faster, they become... Once again, both leagues will be bringing over riders at reserve and second string level, to take places a UK rider should have been trained up to the required standard to take.. When will it actually dawn on the promoters that this doesn't help the sport long term in the UK, one iota, hence, we are where we are now, with riders having two jobs due to a complete lack of suitable resource .. And Guestfests taking part each week, destroying any authenticity of the competitions due to no "subs on the bench"... The Glasgow promotion seem very pro active, and honest, so it would be interesting to hear their views..

Top 5 material

Mr Coleman will definitely deliver. I’ve heard he is mustard….

The six everyone knows and Bartek Zmarzlik on a 4.50 point average... This average is based on his one match for Birmingham in 2014, and the ensuing 11 years worth of reduction for not riding over here during that time.. An extremely new rule which only six times World Champions qualify for.. (And all done in the interests of Speedway obviously)..

Bartosz would still win.

Interesting reading that old Reading press release. Reading the “Eleventh” club to come to tapes in the old Elite League. Now down to Five. How sad and demoralising.

I was pondering this just this AM - at some point CL would have ‘retired’ anyway and was there a natural successor in the family to take over - the answer is probably no! I wonder if this is perhaps the start of a more professional era for the league and perhaps the sport in the U.K. - I won’t hold my breath but let’s hope so for all our sakes! Of course in 20 years we might be moaning it’s all gone too far and the elite league has gone the same way at the PL in football! for now the witches come to the tapes in 2026 which I was always confident they would! wont lie going to miss Doyley and Emil!!

CL didn't worry too much about change when he put together, clearly, the best septet by far last year did he? Nor did he worry too much about Birmingham when he made them weaker by signing Tom Brennan as a third heat leader did he?... The time for change was a long, long time ago... CL, and others, have had plenty of time to make those changes... However, they chose, season after season, to not make any...

It is a bit curious though, isn't it? The last time i went to Cardiff I paid £18 (early bird price). And the place was more than half empty which lead to no more GPs there. I have to say though that I went to the Friday meeting at BV last year and as we left I did say that the meeting we'd just seen was a real candidate for the best GP ever. Perhaps real fans want to see real racing eh? [edit] P.S. I've just bought two day tickets for this year.

Did they replace them with "Guests"?