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Unless you're a deliveroo rider... hang on... I've just had a thought 🤔

Cash only is due to the unreliable signal/lack of phone line to the arena. Say what you will about this but as a business owner myself, I know how much each transactions costs to take a card payment. If the management team are spending time counting cash rather than paying transaction fees on card payments. then I don't think that is unfair or illegal. It just means they are getting every penny that comes through the gate. And most teams will certainly need that right now. To call the team running the club crooks is completely unfair. They have achieved something spectacular at Workington and they deserve every success and good luck.

As some of you may know, for my sins I am Director and minor shareholder in Birmingham Speedway. Now isn't the right time for me to comment on the rights or wrongs of Promotional decisions on team building etc. Nigel Tolley has bankrolled the club for the past few seasons and for that the Brummies fans and sport in general should be grateful, otherwise the club would have folded at the end of the 2022 campaign and a poor team is still better than no team at all as I am sure many fans of defunct tracks would agree. With 2025 being the final year for the club at Perry Barr, Nigel obviously wanted it to be a successful one, so his plan was to put together a side that on paper looked as if it would be in with a shout for the play-off's. As I say the make-up of that team or planning around it isn't for me to comment on at this time, but what I will say is that unfortunately the support in terms of numbers coming through the doors and promised commercial deals have failed to meet expectations. I am not sitting here typing this to disagree with anything people have said on this thread, far from it. I am just highlighting that intentions were for the best even if execution wasn't and that expenditure had to be reduced to ensure that the club continued to fulfil all it's obligations. Cheers, Paul.

This is where people who know nothing about the situation simply do not add further rubbish into the conversation. This is a hard working man trying his damndest to hold speedway in the town against the current speedway dilemma in the UK. The level of speculation/abuse on here is insane and needs toned down. The press release told fans as much as they need to know at that moment. Once further news is known im sure this will be done via the relevant channels!

Despite the comments made on here by others I am willing to give you an overview of the improbables of answering your questions from an ex promoters point of view. In 2018 my heat leaders in my championship team were earning less a than a certain rival clubs number seven. I had two riders on a ‘minimum guarantee’, i.e. if they crashed in heat 1 and didnt ride again then they got a minimum wage. One of these was to satisfy a work visa criteria. Some got a bonus if they scored over a previously agreed points score. Heat leaders got more than second strings and they got more than reserves. Travel was paid to all at the going rate of certain pence per mile. Now all clubs pay different rates depending on their income which includes turnstyles takings and sponsorship. Some clubs did not pay their riders weekly, I did and I never not paid on the agreed pay day, some clubs paid when they had the cash to do so, some didnt pay for weeks. The whole of speedways finances are a secret and a mess. No two clubs have the same income or outgoings because of stadium rents, riders wages, staff wages , maintenance costs etc and everything is dependant on regular home fixtures as you pay your own riders home and away so if you have one home fixture and two away, then you have three wage packets to pay but only one income fixture. So the basic answer to your question is….. depends on the club, the riders, the scores, the attendance, the sponsorship , the bills etc etc etc. That is why Im an ex promoter !.

I’d say Andrew and the rest of the promotion are entitled to alot more respect than the label of a “Crook” Im sure you’ve witnessed the amount for efforts and money that has been put into Workington Speedway at Northside , regardless of what people speculate this promotion have done everyone proud in the work they’ve done.

i still think the downfall of British speedway started when Rye House were allowed to track foreign riders. if we still had a division of British & Commonwealth riders we'd be in a much healthier position. if, and from what i'm hearing is true, it goes to one league next year, then riders will say thay can't make ends meet if they can't double up. in my day we had jobs and took one bike to a meeting. so many riders never use their spare bike anyway, they jump on a team mates bike when they have a spare in the pits! tracks should be allowed to ride on a night that suits THEM, not be forced into changes. and years ago when the sport was successful here, how many teams raced on a Saturday. not having time for supporters to go to away meetings due to work etc has had a serious knock on

I’ve sat back and let people crack on but after reading through page after page, I’m gonna say my bit. The amount of people first off running there mouths saying some disgraceful things about Andrew etc is ridiculous. There’s absolutely no need for it. People thinking they’ve got it cracked what’s going on, throwing about silly rumours just to get everybody riled up doesn’t help the situation. I suggest you’s all take a back seat, and await further information. 99% of you clearly haven’t got a clue what’s going on and think you’s do. Wind your necks in, stop abusing the promotion that’s put their hearts and souls into bringing speedway back to the town and stop acting like an entitled bunch. The only people who should know what’s going on at this stage is the promotion, then comes sponsors and when’s the times right, the public will be updated.

Anyway enough cackling about what we don’t know let’s just get Workington back to the tapes and wish them well in this current hiccup

How has speedway been allowed to get into such a state? Riders in this day and age and I'm not talking big names here. Riders in the 2nd division and even the 3rd division turn up with kit that a GP rider would be happy to have. Paid mechanics, Big fancy vans. It's a fantasy world. You say we can't change back. Well if we don't address the elephant in the room. Speedway won't have long left as a professional sport. Promotors have got big decisions to make this close season. Sticking their heads in the sand and thinking " Theres nothing wrong with product," will not wash anymore. We have come to a watershed moment. If nothing changes, then it won't survive. 1) Do they still carry on paying riders wages that far outweigh the amount of people who come through the gate. Clubs will have to cut there cloth accordingly. Meaning riders will have to be paid a realistic wage for what the sport is. If riders want to turn up with all the kit, no one is stopping them, but the clubs cannot afford to fund their fantasy and before anyone has a go. No rose tinted glasses, but pure facts. In the 80s Most riders worked. They got wages according to their standard. The Leagues were a lot bigger. The crowds were a lot bigger. 2) Do they take the sport by the horns, and make it one league. There are 16 clubs, god knows how many next year. but you can't run two divisions with such a small amount of clubs. " yes they have done, but look where it's taken us" 3) The pricing has to reflect the quality of what you're paying for. Riders will have to make drastic changes. If there is to be one league, I would imagine the top riders would disappear. So the one league would be mainly made up of British riders. Clubs have to stop paying bang average foreign riders, flights and mechanics. People who say it will water it down. Well the standard can't get much lower at 2nd division level. This season most 2nd division clubs have filled their 6 and 7s with 3rd division riders. The top league is made up mostly of 2nd division riders. The standard has been getting lower every season for a while now. if that means a couple of more riders from the 3rd division replacing expensive foreign riders, then that will have to be a price the sport will need to pay to survive. More importantly. two home and two away meetings would stop the silly practise of clubs not having home meetings for weeks on end. The sport needs a reset and It has got to far out of hand and only a massive reset will save it. IMO

the problem partly is there are no promoters anymore just people who run speedway tracks glasgow do the kids race like it or loath it but how many others do anything before or during the meeting in the ian thomas days he would get stunt riders ,fire eaters circus performers even rally cars trying to beat lap record amongst other things most tracks now just long periods between heats with nothing not even a rider interview

Covid 🙄Was thinking of coming to this but instead I will spend my hard earned money going to see the loch ness monster, funny enough that doesn’t exist either, at which point does British speedway start treating its customers with a bit of respect

I'm not sure they're trying to win something with very little kudos, I think it's more like they're trying to win races to get noticed by Polish clubs. If it were down to me, it'd be ultimatum time, riders commit to this country in something like a 40 match calendar or clear off and earn their bacon elsewhere. Our clubs need to be riding on the nights that suit them... not the riders.

Good points in that reply. I remember when Workington first came back to the sport and it was only the top heat leaders that had two bikes and even half of them never used the 2nd bike it was just there. 2nd string riders and definitely reserves had one bike each. Most riders had another full time job. Fast forward to now and every rider has 2 bikes and not many work during the season which then makes there income from speedway there sole income so needs to be at a level to pay for tuning cover spares and a van. I'm not knocking any rider for getting out of the sport what they can financial wise. What I am saying is it's clear the sport as a whole is not viable going forward at this level. There is not enough money coming into the sport through sponsorship and gate money to cover the costs of the stadiums and riders. Meaning in the not to distant future the sport at this level and costs will simply not be there, no clubs for riders to ride for. Speedway jumped ahead of motocross and most other motorcycle sports in the pay structure for riders but it's going to bankrupt itself as a sport because promoters have pushed rules to help there own ambitions not the sport as a whole to the point we have a handful of clubs who are sort of financially viable the rest loose money every year.

And therein we have the the major factor when you talk to non speedway devotees. I try, or certainly used to, to persuade folk who stand with me at Derwent Park rugby matches to have a dabble at watching speedway. Hard bloody work I'll tell ya. They respond with, for example, the main one currently in fact "so how many teams does Chris Harris ride for"?.....It's often followed with - "doesn't the first rider to lead at the first bend always win the race"?. ..My answers are -Well Chris is a popular guest rider..doh. And second point - yes if the rider is good enough to stay in front he'll win..doh. So sadly two major drawbacks to stop a fan liking speedway. The rugby lot won't shift opinion on those views. But us regular fans know of plenty more for sure. How often down the years have we stood around for 40/50 minutes between heats without a tannoy update to keep us happy? Usually awaiting first aid cover ? There are lots to deliberate as speedway's downside. BUT seriously it's a smashing sport which I've enjoyed since 1970. When 6000 plus welcomed the Comets versus Berwick. And Friday nights were just brilliant. I don't know how to recover those who have lost faith, wish I could find a cure. Hopefully the current Workington problem is sorted asap and I can watch another 50 years. UTC, marras.

Some very valid points there. The Rye House thing was a few years before I got into speedway but when I look back at my Programme collection its noticeable that all the riders in the National League we British or Commonwealth and there were plenty of rides to go around. I think the doubling up policy was the most stupid thing the powers that be ever did. I appreciate that from a riders view it means more earnings but it has killed club speedway. Once upon a time a rider would be identified with one club only. Now all you see is the same riders against each other in a different race jacket depending on what night of the week it is.

Speedway is an amateur individual sport masquerading as a professional team sport. The end is nigh and only a massive reset will save it (also IMO).

Probably never find out the reason for the 7 day suspension. But if the comets pull through this, the main organisation body (bspa) may have made it worse, 3 clubs without a meeting a short notice, these meetings may then have to be rearranged, then you have fans who may have paid hotel costs to travel in the next few days, or like me, in the North East on way to berwick 2morrow, but at least I can enjoy the north east coast and the puffins . speedway shoots its self in the foot yet again !!

I complete disagree Poland aren’t at fault for any of British Speedway ills. They have a product that has consistently over decades drawn crowds in big numbers no boom or bust for them. Poland have a product that people want to be involved in, and increasingly since the collapse of communism business has any to invest in. Why the Poles look at moving the product forward & innovate in their country we dither around with half baked crack pot ideas. The Poles have got Extralega 2 up & running alongside with the under 24 league. Britain can’t even make the premiership a success. All of this brings us to a point where the Poles can dictate what happens if they wish too though growing their league structure while we mismanage ours. From a selfish point of view at Ipswich it’s been great having Doyle & Emil after years of dodgy heatleaders. To have Emil don the witch for 3 seasons has been magic I think a fare few thought it might have been a 1 season wonder. The guy is pure class & id love to see him back on the heath in 26. However I think the uk is head for 1 big league or a very watered down premiership while keeping the admissions costs high. In short there are plenty of people who could be blamed for the current situation. The promotions of the 70s & 80s who didn’t reinvest in the sport. The promotions of the early 90s who though infighting threw away the opportunity that was amalgamation. Finally those involved in the early days of Sky. or maybe just the British public because they just don’t want speedway on a mass basis, one thing is for sure you can’t blame the poles!

Riders seem to only ride on licence over here from their Polish clubs... They are "their riders" who they allow to work elsewhere with clear constraints... Let's be honest, bringing some of the "top stars" back hasn't taken the sport, as a whole, forward has it?... But, instead, it has caused a more expensive, more unbalanced, and a very uncompetitive league... When "will they be fhere, won't they be there?", becomes such an ongoing, regular discussion point, it is probably time to do something about it..

Here's the thing though, how can you create professional riders if you don't have amateurs? And wouldn't speedway prefer me to spend the £3000 I put into the motorsport economy each year with them, rather than giving it to other organisations for track days and club races? I take nothing from it, only contribute. I put more financially into motorbike racing than a fan who goes to every round of the British Superbike Championship. Speedway doesn't want me as a customer though, unless I go along to be bored as a spectator every week from March to September. In every single professional sport I can think of, the number of participants paying to play outnumbers those being paid to play by multiples in the hundreds and thousands - this is as true in football and ice hockey as it is in motorsports. The only sport I can think of where the majority of participants are paid (even if most still lose money) is, you've guessed it, speedway! The business model is so utterly unsustainable yet here we are, thinking that changing a points limit and making riders do a victory lap will somehow bring the good times back again!

I remember several years ago Ole Olsen saying something along the lines of "British Speedway should shut down for a year and have a good long think about its product". Well the perfect opportunity landed in its lap 5 years ago with the Speedway-less year of 2020. A perfect opportunity to look at itself and have a proper reset. Instead, it just sat on its hands and waited for the green light, then picked up where it left off in 2019.

Since the GP riders effed off to Poland when the Sky money ended, this has been the only outcome... However. Steadfastly, season after season, it's been avoided by the promoters... Even COVID saw zero change and it was a free hit to be radical.. Why? No idea, the reality must have stared them in the face, yet they spent the best part of a decade fudging each week and pretending what they delivered had some relevance. (With the collusion of a compliant fanbase)... When Speedway was successful, the top 3 or so in each team were fully professional, with good sponsorship off setting the cost to the clubs.. The other four members of each team usually had jobs but were happy to earn a weeks money worth from their main job, each night, several times a week, by riding Speedway.. Now we have professional NDL riders.... And punters pay for this with ridiculous admission fees given the miniscule size of the sport, year on year.. Utterly effing crackers...

This is imo the actual problem with British domestic speedway, the team concept only really exists in the name not in the practice and therefor the team fan can’t relate to their team and so has no emotional attachment and so doesn’t feel the need to support it, when riding I always felt different to other riders, I really brought into the team I rode for, when I rode for Berwick I felt like they were my fans and I was their rider, it felt like home and when I left I was genuinely upset and I still have good friends there today, i didnt live there but stayed with the Meldrums quite a lot and was often on the beach or in the town at weekends but I knew other riders didnt feel the same and were there for the money and it was the same at other teams, one conversation I always remember was with Barry Evans, I was at lakeside for a meeting and leaning over the fence before the meeting talking about the GP that week, and he said I don’t know why you watch the GPs or any speedway really on tv it’s boring I only do it cause I get paid to do it and I can remember thinking I wonder how the crowd would feel if they knew that ? Perhaps subconsciously they did feel it,As a fan I felt like the emotional attachment to teams ended around the mid 90s, there was always a surge of emotion around the play offs but in general it’s not like it used to be or should be for a team event, how do we get it back or can we get it back ? That’s the question

You know what I’ve been saying for a few years now British speedway is run by the riders for the riders

To many clubs have a Champagne lifestyle on a Irn Bru budget

Until Promoters stop paying riders more money than is coming into the Clubs the problem will never end.Just the sport.

One of the main problems in this country is you do have enough money coming into the sport in sponsorship etc. to make it a viable proposition for the number of clubs and with riders wanting to be full time employees using kit which is far too expensive it is impossible to square the financial circle. Stadia want the rent, riders demand top dollar to earn a living and maintain equipment and pay mechanics etc and fewer pundits have disposal income to take a family of four week in week out. As Dean has already said, the bikes are not a lot faster than years back but a good deal more expensive to run and maintain. Do spectators really care if the race is a few seconds slower. As long as you are being entertained I do not see race times an issue. The British public are simply not in love with speedway like they use to be and it is a brave person who would invest in the current business model in the UK.

13 hts and a good second half worked for years why was it changed?

Didn’t think it was financial with the wording. Visa issues sums the state of this country up. Professional athletes here to work and pay towards the economy, trying to grow the sport are punished once again. Maybe they should just all start catching a dinghy from Calais in February?

I raise you... 😜😜

I'd dare say you could go to the local shopping precinct in Ippo and ask 100 people if they'd heard of Jason Doyle and/or Emil Sayfutdinov and barely any of them would have... and the same probably goes for them having heard of Speedway... You may just get the reply "oh is that still going, I used to go" or "my dad used to go" but even they are an ever decreasing number.

I will take that as an honour considering the amount of 5hit written on this forum.

I think everyone knows damn well that if something in this sport doesn't change drastically then I don't give it more than a couple of seasons tops...I don't see any radical change from last season tbh and in its present form and with the rumours of at least another possibly two tracks not operating next season the future of UK speedway doesn't look good....why is it that a couple of decades down the line,is Poland now the dominant force?? I think I have an inkling... A lot lot better supported...cheaper admission prices and better pay..run better and probably promoted better too.ive been attending this once great sport since 1976 and cannot believe the decline over here...many tracks now defunct and the ones left not looking too healthy.The cost also is a big issue and the rules regarding guests,r/r etc a complete joke..as mentioned many times before by people,how do you explain to newcomers that through a full season,unless you're extremely lucky,that chances are you won't see the same riders riding week in week out for their clubs..I used to follow this sport a hell of a lot and have parted with a lot of money in the process and I can't believe that it is now July and I've not attended,along with my wife,one meeting! I just don't have the enthusiasm or the finances now to do so.i also believe that yes,while it is a good thing for people who do not have the available money to follow their team,that seeing it on one of the streaming sites is a good alternative but in my opinion it's killing the sport and is one of the reasons crowds are down at many venues.i just hope for the sake of this wonderful sport that had been a big part of my life,that it's fortunes take a turn for the better.

The UK lads currently challenging BZ wouldn't be at that level if they rode in the UK only... Their kit wouldn't be of the same level for one, as the Polish money massively helps that... And, no disrespect, but beating Championship HL's and SS's each meeting wouldn't move them upwards into the standard required to compete with the best... Their constant exposure to riding against the best in Poland has elevated their own levels... As for making riders pay back signing on fees if they get injured riding abroad...? That is fair for me, given the size of the contracts these lads get .. If I am paying someone £25k a week and they tell me they want to work elsewhere too, for around a tenth of that, I would reserve the right to put some caveats in play... Without my money, their earnings would be around just 20% of what they do get, therefore my investment needs protection... Polish teams cannot just pluck a similar top level rider out of thin air, from another team, like you can over here, therefore one of these lads missing has a huge financial impact should that team get relegated or miss out on the play offs.. Hence, quite naturally, they want them to reduce all extra risks.. And Poland pay for rehabilitation even if "their riders" get injured riding elsewhere... Rehabilitation that benefits the riders UK team too... I often read that Poland and the GP's are massively responsible for the ongoing demise of UK Speedway.. The biggest issues lie much, much, closer to home...

If only Oxford had listened to your negativity…they’d have saved those supposed ‘millions’ and left the site to ruin…🤦🏻‍♂️

Two years and because the stress of running a business at a loss ( I had reduced the losses by half on previous years ) , combined with the sports some times ludicrous internal politics meant it was one rule for one and different for others. Best decision I ever made was to stop being a promoter but I left the club in a far better position than my predecessor and happily the promoters since then have continued to improve the club.

Apologies mate,I got the wrong end of the stick. Even me wouldn't want Plymouth to strengthen up at the expense of losing another track,don't think it will come to that and Workington can resume there season

Club Speedway is not dead,it just needs to get back to being “Club Speedway” not every rider riding for any Club during season.Fans want to see “their” riders every week.Take a leaf out of Polands book no guests they promote juniors.At least the fans are seeing their riders .Dont think it spoils the entertainment and produces new talent. NDL riders deserve a chance. IMO

Tate and Jacob Hook were out promoting the club today with their bikes with a stall at Ullswater country fair in Patterdale. Giving out free tickets and information. Those riders more than do their bit for the club so don’t get your comments there.

Not enough riders, not enough venues, not enough income to sustain a professional sport. I don't see a future for British speedway as a professional sport, and I don't see any desire to repackage it as an amateur/grassroots/competitor focussed sport. It's an outdated product held at outdated venues, which will not attract a new audience or competitor base. Any talk about standardised engines, scrapping playoffs and wokeness (whatever that means) does nothing to address the core problem.

What worries me about any plan that may be a foot is the people it’s being left to do it, it’s nothing personal, I’m sure they are great people but when it comes to sorting out something so big as the mess that we are in we need someone independent with a background in modern day sports promotion and the corporate world,someone who could sell oil to the Arabs,of the current bspl/scb not singling out anyone but you can’t even get them to return your calls or emails, I know these people care about the sport and have the sport at heart but when it comes to dealing with real big wigs from the corporate world the difference in the room is huge,you may aswel have an English man trying to deal with a china man and neither speak the other’s language, we are at the crossroads, we either find this person’s or we go the amatuer way and try to rebuild the sport from the bottom which is fine to point with me but maybe not with others

Hang on a minute comets not dead yet, they have been suspended for 7 days, for whatever reason. Let's stop speculation and get behind the comets fans and management and hope for the best 😄

It was a measure of his excellence at his trade and his wonderfully crafted image that he was as much a star and as much an attraction as the great riders of the great era (mid 70's to mid 80's when Speedway WAS one of the top 3-4 Sports in terms of attendence and Main Stream Media profile). If you went to a Meeting, often with packed terraces at the old Perry Barr, Dudley Wood , Monmore green, Brandon etc , the minute MP appeared on the Track there would be an audible buzz "Mike Patrick's here"...he was that well known and recognisable and it added a sort of weird kudos to the Meeting, especially if it was a standard League Fixture. One of if not the best at what he did. It is frankly I am disappointed to say that his passing has not been reflected and commented on by more. RIP Mike

Sean Bean, Jessica Ennis-Hill, Michael Palin, Arctic Monkeys, Joe Cocker, Def Leppard, Gordon Banks, Helen Sharman, Sebastian Coe, Harry Maguire, Harry Maguire... your boys took one helluva beating tonight 🦁

This could be potentially the best thing to happen in British Speedway this year, if a return is possible any time in the future. Good luck to John and Jon in their efforts to achieve this and I am sure it will be heavily supported by all speedway fans around the world.

As a neutral I love watching the racing at NSS, particularly as Bewley often misses the gate and has to work his way through- Kurtz maybe less so, but last night's race with Emil showed what he can do. However, the races behind the leader are often worth the entrance fee alone and that is frequently the place to pay attention. In recent seasons my main watching has been at Oxford, which can be entertaining. This year following a move Birmingham is my local club. Now, I don't want to kick a club when they are down, but the quality of racing is not as good. If a rider gates and doesn't move from tbe inside line there is very little chance of a pass. If the NSS produces predictable racing then that will do for me and I wish I could go more often

Maybe the club should put a statement out with some information, maybe can't say too much, but at least say something. at the moment other clubs are saying we have no fixture this Saturday, after the 3 this week been postponed due to the suspension. Surely home fans and sponsors deserve some information even if it's just minimal. This is not a rant more of a plea, the promotion have done a fantastic job getting Northside up and running

My biggest issue is the points scoring, if a rider scores 12 points in the heats, why can't he keep those points? If 5 riders tied on 6 points why does one deserve 4 more points than someone who scored the same as him? Wether they have top 8 semi finals or top 10 LCQ's they could simply make the final scoring 20-18-17-16, everyone else gets the points scored during their 5 heats.

Only in speedway....a club/rider being punished...end up with a stronger replacement??? 😀