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I’ve been meaning to post this for a while, but after reading the last few posts and completing a full home season at Scunthorpe last year, I felt it was time to share a bit of perspective from a "new" local. I moved to Lincolnshire last year, and on paper, King’s Lynn is significantly closer to me. However, I decided to make Scunthorpe my go-to track, and I’ve based that decision purely on the quality of racing. Having previously lived in a village just down the road from Leicester, I’d actually stopped going there because, frankly, the racing was so poor. As a lifelong Coventry fan, I’ve seen the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. It’s clear to anyone with eyes that things at the Eddie Wright Raceway are done on a very tight budget. The team for 2026 might not look like world-beaters on paper, and we might not be lifting silverware come October, but after last year, I’ve realised that isn't the most important thing. The racing last year was superb—genuinely entertaining from Heat 1 to 15. I was told by the regulars that it’s "usually even better,". I now consider myself an honorary Scorpion fan. To those who look at the "no-frills" nature of the place and judge it: believe me, if a track like Scunthorpe disappears, you will miss it when it’s gone. This sport needs places like the EWR that prioritise genuine track action over everything else. Regardless of where we finish in the league, I’m massively looking forward to the new season. Lets get behind the lads and hopefully spring a surprise or two.

With all the doom and gloom on here over the Winter, am I the only one that can’t wait for the season to start? I genuinely don’t think I’ve ever been so excited for the season to come round for many a season with the line ups in all leagues looking close and competitive. As some as the biggest fans of the sport, and therefore most likely to attract new supporters, can’t we all look at the positives rather than the negatives? Positives - Same number of tracks as last season. Yes ok so some some tracks have chosen not to run in as many leagues as last season (particularly national league) but in terms of actual tracks running, we are at exactly the same number as last year. We’ve lost Birmingham and Kent but gained the yet to be announced new prem team and Buxton - We still have a premiership Great news for Sheffield and Ipswich fans (sale almost completed) that are back at the tapes and with a high chance of a brand new team joining we are just 1 team down from last season and some top stars already back, Holder, Bewley, Douglas, Kurtz etc. - Bright young British stars I honestly think we have some of our most promising young riders coming through for years and if we don’t put too much pressure on them and they keep progressing as they have been then Cairns, Rushen and Scott could be the future Lambert, Bewley and Brennan - The fight goes on Despite all the negativity about the sport dying there are still passionate fans and businessmen out there fighting to bring back former tracks, Coventry, Peterborough, Rye House, Lakeside, Kent, Eastbourne, Swindon, Wolverhampton and no doubt more we don’t know about with rumours of 1 or 2 new locations too. I’m not wearing rose tinted glasses and pretending everything with the sport is perfect by any means but please put things into perspective and give some credit where it’s due, be grateful to the promoters and sponsors that put their hands into their pockets to keep the sport we love going and do everything we can to support it. If we give up then we’ll lose it forever. Enjoy the 2026 season everyone

Rumours.....talk to me! I can confirm that the rumours suggesting that Terry Tibbs has acquired the promotion rights at Ipswich Speedway to be just that rumours! Yes, Brother Louis Louis Louis and his assistant Richie Hawkeye did attend the offices of T Tibbs Motors (Chingford) Limited earlier this month to discuss a potential deal! I offered young Christopher a substantial sum of ready's, plus my 2017 Mazz-a-rati which was recently serviced and passed it's MOT with only one observation, the free use of Krystof Stojanowski's caravan which I purchased from The Isle of Wight in 2009 and free oil massage whenever he and Hawkeye wanted from my beautiful Swedish wife Greta! Brother Louis was obviously tempted as he asked to see my full business plan for the day to day running of the club, I advised him that Main Man Rogers would be installed as Head of Operations, where he would be assisted by the vastly experienced Jimmy Lynch as Director of Speedway and his protégé Big Blayne Scroggins would be Team Manager, I even offered Richie Hawkeye the opportunity to be Main Man Rogers' assistant so that he could learn all about how to run a club successfully! After much pondering and signs he was up for the deal, Brother Louis Louis Louis asked for a few days to think about things, during which time Stojanowski's caravan was moved from Busty C's holiday village in Norfolk to become the VIP lounge at Buxton! I think this news may have upset Brother Louis, as he sent Richie Hawkeye down to Chingford with a note declining my most generous proposal! I tickled Richie Hawkeye's chin, gave him a little wiggly woo, even offered him a free place on the next Main Man Rogers how to promote speedway seminar but he said Brother Louis mind was made up, it was no! So that's it from me, thank you goodnight, much love Terence!

Just got back from the Arenacross at the NEC Birmingham and thought it worth mentioning a couple of things. Firstly Dan Bewley is a respectable motocross rider, it was only in the whoops which are Supercross specific really that he was losing time in a decent Pro-AM class. Secondly the presentation compared to even the Cardiff GP was so much better. 3 good presenters who ramped up the crowd and kept the interest going between races, probably all a bit shouty for an old bloke like me but the youngsters lapped it up and sport needs the likes of them more than the likes of me for the future. Lots of flashing lights, loud music and freestyle MX/ girls dancing with fire and a guy chucking free kids T shirts randomly into the crowd all accompanied with encouragement for the crowd to make a lot of noise and be involved between races and while the track was graded. (Graded incidentally by the son of Ace of Aces Promoter Ian Barclay) All in all despite decent rather than great racing we came away having had a great time and Speedway could take some lessons from the Promoters of this series. Might not be practical for every meeting but a lot of what they did could be applied to the bigger events and most certainly the GPs.

The BSPL are clinging on to two tiers due to the excessive number of riders reliant on doubling up for their earnings. The riders are calling the shots. I don’t see how this sport can move on until the doubling up monster is tackled.

Strange isnt it that everyone says riders should have a job as speedway isnt a full time profession , then proceed to moan when a rider fits in racing around the job.😏

Robert’s attained an average of 7.81 at the end of the 2019 season. He signed for Belle Vue on an assessed average in 2022 due to the gap in league racing. He was given the 2.5% British reduction, bring him down to 7.61. In 2023 he signed for Kings Lynn on an assessed average but he didn’t get his 2.5% reduction this time. As an assessed rider without a current average he didn’t ride 4H & 4A so his average remains as assessed using the old 2019 figure of 7.81. However….. His average could be anything as come the play offs in 2023 he was suddenly deemed to not be an assessed rider and his 2019 figure was “current”. If they follow through with this thinking then they will need to role his average using the 2H & 4A from his Kings Lynn meetings. I don’t see this happening as the only reason he suddenly became not assessed was when Damian Bates of Sheffield speedway contacted Damian Bates of the BSPL board to ask for permission to use Robert Lambert. Damian gave Damian permission to do so, winning Sheffield the league title. Coincidentally, the year before Damian had asked Damian if the rules could be applied differently to help Sheffield win the league. Earlier in the season Peterborough had signed a replacement outside of the transfer window. It was allowed due to injury. When Belle Vue attempted to apply the same rule in the same way, Damian spoke to Damian and overturned the rulebook. Fortunately for the good of the sport a judgement was made from outside the sport and the correct use of the rulebook was forced through, much to the delight of all fair minded speedway fans and BSF members.

I used to watch the Colts for a tenner, with my then teenage lad, getting in for free... On a Friday night... With crowds of around 800... The racing was more than on a par with what was getting served up at top league level, and, for the two of us, was around £12 cheaper... Hence, we watched the Colts far more than the Aces... And, given most people in Manchester wouldn't have known their Matej Zagar from their Kyle Bickley, anyone new to the sport would have seen the racing for what it was... ie "the racing".. Personally instead of promoters clubbing together to put out a sixth team, they would be far better clubbing together and marketing a 14 team league with teams across the nation... At what level? "Reasonable"... As the audience they would be trying to attract probably won't know any of the competitors, so "big names" would mean absolutely nothing to them.. Time to "Rip it up and start again"...

I’m sure your pint will be half full 😉

At least that's a positive post about Scunthorpe

https://www.savecoventryspeedway.com/_mobile/news.php?extend.4312.1

I do have sympathy for Max Perry. Missing out on a team place by 0.02 pts is unfortunate. I still think they should bring rising star positions in to the championship. I also think they need to reconsider how they do it, because young riders shouldn't be missing out on team places because of 0.02 pts. Maybe force teams to declare their rising star first, making them build their team with that average deducted. Im throwing ideas around here, but maybe keep rising stars averages at 2 pts until they break 3/3.5 pts. In that case, young riders who are good, but not quite ready, such as Max Perry, would still get team positions.

Perhaps the Godfreys' ambition is to run the Scunthorpe speedway to a sensible budget, and provide entertainment (and home wins) for many seasons to come?

Exactly, why is there this obsession with the ‘top’ flight? The sport in this country has no credibility. The shrinking numbers that still follow the sport aren’t that bothered about which league their team compete in. Less than a handful of GP level riders is the only difference between the Premiership and Championship. The top tier is so attractive that it has got to the point where they literally are begging clubs to take part! This is not something you would include in your sales pitch when trying to attract new spectators/sponsors to the sport.

And right there is why I should not only be Buxton’s team manager but be the person in charge of the whole national league, as I said in an earlier post we never learn from our historical mistakes and so we are set to fail again

I think I need a pint of what you're drinking!

Their approach should be to get back down into the CL and back to running on a Saturday night.

Next weekend the 7-8th Feb is the classic off road show at the Telford international center, it’s a huge show with 1000s of bikers and family’s attending over the 2 days, the usual speedway suspects have stalls there, me, Jan staechmann,,Aiden and Les Collins (ride &Skid) Cov comp,Hagon shocks,Sid’s wheels, I think Buxton, belle vue supporters club and Workington are all represented there and you always get a good sprinkle of former riders, but where are the bspl or speedway futures again ???? It costs peanuts for a stand and as I’m sure the usual folk will say why bother? Well it’s not preaching to the converted for a start,,we need to set up a team that does all the shows no matter how big or small,,we have to get out there and go to the people, anyway hope to see you there

Why do people keep mocking the lad for this? Not all young riders have rich parents or big sponsors and I believe Nathan has to balance his riding around a full time job. When he has signed for a team he’s always been reliable and never misses meetings and gives maximum effort so maybe the offers last season just weren’t right for him financially or otherwise.

And that’s the mentality that closed Buxton down last time,the sport never learns from our mistakes

Woke up this morning, stretched out my elbows, No Wooden sides ! another day to be grateful for .

Oxford - Weakest reserves in the league but best top 5 (sounds familiar 🤔), think they'll be very strong at the start of the season and will be able to hold the top spot though might not be as strong playoff time as I think the reserves will hold them back over 2 legs. Hopetully Erik stays well this season as he'll be scoring big points. Poole - Potentially the strongest reserve pair by the end of the season (though think they'll end up being better away than at home) and a very good 1 and 5. Gilkes just back from a big injury so might be a bit slow at the start but think he'll grow into a very important rider for the Pirates. Kerr and Bowes are inconsistent which could hurt against stronger teams. Glasgow - All depends on how Mario and Kevin do, if they do well (6+ average) Glasgow could dominate but if they are just staying around their 5 point average or lower the team could just struggle to get any momentum. Otherwise probably the most solid team of the 9, Bomber, Howarth and Flint make a very good top 3 and Hodder and Hagon should be a strong pair. Plymouth - As long as Klima rides most meetings I think Plymouth have a great chance this year, lots of experience and will always have the strongest reserve. Really want to see Plymouth do well. Workington - Team relies on Cook in my opinion, if he doesn't disappear the team has a good chance at the league, JJ I think will only get better from last year and Batch is a good rider to have at 3 or 5, if Cook does disappear though I don't think the team can cover him and they'll struggle. Think Tate will come back to form this year and Jakobsen will be interesting to watch. Edinburgh - Solid looking team but I feel Paco, Kye and Sedgeman can disappear at points in the season which could hold them back. Will be interesting to see if Dan can keep up his improvement and see how he does at number 1. Loftus is also an exciting prospect. Berwick - Quite like the look of the team but everytime I predict them doing well the riders all end up in an ambulance by the end of May it seems. Kildemand, Palovaara and Morris make a strong top 3. Redcar - Not convinced by this team, if Ace keeps up last years form they have the strongest reserve pair for the early season (though think Poole's pair will overtake them) and a good number 1 but not convinced there is much improvement in the 2-5. Not enough power in the middle will make it difficult to claw back if they go down early but also will be difficult to build a lead. Scunthorpe - Strong number 1 and I rate Harrison, apart from that nothing much going for them. Maybe they can make some changes when Picko gets an average but who is out there to bring in? Think the 1-3 can be in any order and 4-8 is incredibly close so should be a very entertaining year. Think the favorites all have different strengths so will be interesting to see over 2 legs who'll come out on top.

Can’t see a long line of people wanting to have his job! Putting his money on the line year in year out. Yes the teams might not always be the best but at least he’s there giving it a good go. Let’s be honest speedway still exists in Scunthorpe because of him

So it's now very much Brian Can't then

Lynn finish bottom most years

Speedway club ignores correspondence from speedway fan offering help... surely not 😂

I genuinely had no idea who she was before reading this thread so can't comment on that side except that it would be interesting to know how they came to the decision to choose her for it. It just looks so amateur though. Cameo is to wish people happy birthday or see who's dumb enough to say hello to Mike Hunt, not for what should be a serious competition in a professional sport. You even have the final two sides picked out at the same time! Getting 'a name' to do the draw is a solid idea but surely there were better ways of going about it. As an example TNT commentator Darren Fletcher has some history with the sport, could he have been asked and maybe got someone like Ally McCoist to help out, if I remember correctly he's mentioned Glasgow on his radio show in the last year or so.

They didn’t want to splash the cash He was £35 😂

‘ Dropping the minimum level to 2.00 is a big worry with the heat leader calibre being drafted in as i can see riders getting lapped not through falls just lackof speed and thats a worry. ‘ The league is becoming as big a mess as the premiership , bringing in championship 2nd strings , some of which have been around for years, and expecting new 16 year olds in their first season to mix it with them with just 5 home matches to get dialled in to any sort of home advantage is just ridiculous. Its not what this division should be doing.

I'm thinking Sam Fox and best pairs very apt.

This is symptomatic of the state British Speedway is in. The advertising budget stretched to a cameo video and a paper bag with some scraps of paper in it. Getting a celebrity to host the draw. Great idea. Where's the celebrity? Not knocking Linda Lusardi but she just isn't the person to be promoting Speedway in 2026. Within Cameo's ranks there are more famous people. But a Cameo video itself is tinpot to the max. To make it work and to draw new eyes you have to collaborate with someone who has a social media following. They need to post it on their socials so that their audience sees it and may be intrigued. Not stick a Cameo video of them on your own social media reaching the same people who already follow you. Funnily enough there is a high profile celebrity who now has skin in the game and a solid social media following. Harry Redknapp. Considering he is invested in the sport I'm sure he'd have done it for free. It would have reached a bigger audience and any benefit from it helps the sport and Harry's investment in the same breath.

£59 per seat at what I think was the price for the majority.. I think the cheapest were £44 and the view from anywhere would have been pretty good. The most expensive VIP tickets I didn't look at but imagine somewhere between extortionate and daylight robbery ☺️ Hence why I said bigger events and especially the GPs. They are in it to make money though so these events must be turning a decent profit. As above, but a lot of the enthusiasm shown by the promotion would cost next to nothing and would make for a more exciting night out. I'd guess in that hall you'd be looking at 250m max or maybe 200m with air fences. I went to the Classic car show a few years back at the NEC and as best I can remember some of those halls were bigger and could have a reasonable track built in but would need stands built as well. What the cost of those halls are though I have no idea. I reckon a small track with a few top riders at this time of year and with the same presentation could work well if filled to capacity like the arenacross. Just looked it up and capacity in that hall is 15,600 which would be a better atmosphere than a half full Cardiff.

Every track in the top flight will take a hit on the attendances they’ve had previously I think that’s a given. It’ll be interesting to see how much of a hit though. The one team that I can see getting away with it to a degree, is Lynn. They now have the top rider in the league which they haven’t had for an awful long time, and the two young lads at reserve should pique their interest. The league set up will please nobody though and it’s been an incredibly damaging winter that has left a bad taste in the mouth that’s for sure.

Sorry, but that’s a ridiculous statement in relation to the Ipswich takeover. I have said before that if they complete the financial and legal due diligence in 6-8 weeks, then that would be some going. Just on the legals; Spedeworth will have a head lease with the ultimate owners and a sub lease with Louis. Both leases will have required a full legal review and the head lease may have restrictive covenants about who Spedeworth can sub let to and probably requires prior approval of the ultimate owner to any novation of an existing lease or creation of a new sub lease. I seem to remember reading somewhere, quite a while ago that the ultimate owner is the original Ipswich Speedway which if true means that entity was formed many years ago and may have a complex ownership structure e.g. some form of Trust structure and be governed by a Trust Deed, etc which would complicate decisions and approvals even more. The sale and purchase of a business is a complex and time consuming process.

I could absolutely go to town on all of your points but I've decided to leave this topic alone as a little oasis of positivity in the desert of reality of the rest of the forum 👍🏻😂

And yet none of you moaners can give a compelling argument against any of my points?

But what does "winning" bring? Definitely not rich financial rewards, in fact, you could close down due to the cost of being successful, (as has been shown in the sport).. Winning at home wlll be Scunthorpe's target, with putting on some entertaining racing, on a very good track, being the back up to it... With Stox helping to cover any shortfall Speedway may need... No idea what crowds Scunthorpe get but a title winning team won't grow crowd numbers hugely, whilst a wooden spoon team won't lose crowd numbers hugely... The wooden spoon team would be seriously cheaper to run though...

Because, errrr. Because errrr. Because errrr.... Oh Yes..... WE HAVE TO HAVE TWO PROFESSIONAL LEAGUES, THAT'S WHY, END OF!!!!"... (Remembered it in the end).... I presume having two professional leagues is just another "necessary evil"?... Like "guests", and "doubling up", and bringing over dozens and dozens of journeymen after journeymen from abroad down the years, on five point averages, rather than developing UK riders and giving them team place opportunities.. Oh, and add in riding on nights to accommodate your employees wishes, rather than your customers... So many "necessary evils".... In fact, I am amazed any promotion could lose money given such a fantastic, fit for success, operating model...

It difficult to comprehend that the majority of speedway run at a loss most seasons.Whoever bankrolls these Clubs eventually bail out one way or another. This insistence to keep a Premier League will eventually fail .IMO.

Things like this just confirm the desperate state that the top level speedway in this country has become. One league is only a matter of time away. Call it championship, premiership, whatever. But then how the hell can you make a profit when all you’ve got is four other competitors to compete with.

I'm sure Connor Mountain is thinking like that, he got dropped for Zischke the previous year when averaging above 4.00!

Just a note... I'm not available for logo design, please use @Dave_minall and definitely do not use ai 😂

Welcome aboard fella! The club you never want to join and the one you hope beyond hope you will be able to rescind membership to at some time in the future Unfortunately after originally only accepting a temporary paper membership certificate for it I have just renewed with a fully laminated version

I think most people think, that what they did was harmless enough but was entirely symbolic of the thinking that runs Speedway in this country and it was all summed up in one short video.

Clearly as we all know something went badly wrong & Louis decided he could no longer run a profitable business within whatever the BSPL were wanting to do. We know that because both he & Richie had been talking about putting together a team to retain the title. Then came the bombshell that he was selling Doyle came out on twitter & said that the had their backs. No one can really blame Louis for getting out if the future direction meant it wasn’t viable for him. No one on here would have done anything differently. Louis ran a very professional outfit not something that happens very often in speedway. Just look at the shambles of the championship cup draw. Yes if the sale doesn’t happen & Louis doesn't have a change of heart I’ll lose my local track. However I still back his decision looking at the bigger picture the direction of the sport I am happy to take the memories. I’ve followed Ipswich since the 80s, however if it’s the end I have the memories of the great sides & the last 3 years have been a blast. I wonder how many of the people who are saying Louis should carry on regardless would be willing to risk their own financial security to keep a business going in an environment that is only heading one way.

They'll always be someone who doesnt like the coverage but I think majority of people who watch BSN are happy with the service. There will be presenters that are to someone's taste and not to others but overall the coverage is brilliant and better than the TV.

thank god

Most PREM clubs cant afford what PREM clubs pay..

if there is a league next year it will be less than championship standard , its the only way it ill survive , crowds this year will be down on last year, council tax water rates gas electric all going up, not many peoples wages will be. But thats my naive and stupid way of thinking.

There’ll be season tickets and they’ll be discounted. How many actually gets sold is anyone’s guess. My guess is nowhere near as many as last year! I’ve had a pop before about this forum being full of miserable b@stards and everyone being glass half empty and seemingly whinging about anything and everything. But I’m now a fully paid up member. I’m bored to tears with it all and I’ve got to the point where I’m not all that bothered whether we run or not. They need to put all their efforts in to Northampton to get a fifth team running, let them sign the riders earmarked for Ipswich and let them crack on with it. Absolutely desperate stuff all round. They need to make sure they have a cunning plan for 2027 because another winter like this would practically kill it all off stone dead.