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That's why a highlights package would be the best course of action.. Using BSN and the clubs own streams.. ITV could pay them to use their footage which keeps their own production costs minimal... And those having their footage used get credited on screen so hopefully pick up more business... All the best races of the week cherry picked with studio discussion around that weeks racing with a preview of the following week.. Short, sharp coverage, with the odd "live" meeting at play off time..

pathetic to be honest, had all year to run the 1 (one!) contractual meeting and cant even be bothered to do that.

Am I the only one that used to look forward to the AGM to find out all the important stuff for the next season? It was the deadline for teams to declare they were running (Plymouth) it was when the points limit was set and any significant rule changes were announced. It has become clear in recent years that the points limits, at least, have been decided in advance of the AGM. Teams have increasingly announced rider signings ahead of the AGM. Even whole teams have been announced. "Subject to approval" of course. Now we have an official announcement stating, "The meeting, which acts as the formal conclusion of business for the current year" whatever that means followed by further clarification, "The AGM itself does not directly determine the structure of the sport for the following season as discussions regarding 2027 and beyond have been taking place for some time". So the process of control of our sport becomes further clouded in mystery. The lack of transparency is astounding. Well it would be if it hadn't been going on this way, increasingly, over a very long period of time.

For what its worth.............try and get the basics right first, good track preparation, good promotion of the sport through social media , treat the fans as customers not a burden (yes there always the ones who want everything for free), run a tight ship, run on nights which attract the best attendance for your club, start times to be start times. Try and make it economically viable for fans if possible with offers on season tickets etc.

What benefit is that to anybody….more people are likely to attend to see the world champion appear…speedway is for the fans as well

Again why do they treat the fans with such contempt? The lack of communication is shocking. The AGM is actually important and newsworthy to supporters. Pretty sure we all look forward to hearing the fallout from the meeting, seeing what the points limits are and the make up of the leagues and rules. We rely on second or even third hand sources for an actual AGM date or “in the knows” on here to leak things, and none of us would have known it had even been postponed if not for Plymouth stating that fact. Why is it all such a closely guarded secret? Would it really hurt them to publish a date for the AGM through the official channels, and update supporters on events like postponements? Not good enough and it hasn’t been for donkeys years.

Typically classless from you, you may want to consider that these" forum fannies " probably, unlike you, post money across a turnstile and support Berwick Speedway in a very real way. That, IMO, entitles them to their opinion, even if I disagree with it. As for Jye`s comments, he can say want he wants, though he may want to consider he is slagging off those who go to paying his wages. Sometimes if you have nothing decent to say its best to say nothing and do you talking on the track.

And will always be the case whilst team limits are set below what it takes to win a meeting It means season after season averages inflate and eventually if you keep inflating something it reaches the point it goes POP! Team total needs to be at 42 as a basic Below that you weaken the product gradually Raise the limit and over time the quality can rise - so long that quality is available willingly and able

And if so, just say that.... Would even give their fund a bit more publicity and urgency to sort, so could bring in some money quickly... No idea why there isn't ever any transparency and engagement with the fans... ie. The very thing that helps keep their hobby surviving in the UK...

I’m not sure why people are so impatient? The league starts next April so does it really matter if the AGM is in November, December, January, February? If the wait means the return/reopening of a couple of tracks and a television deal then it’s worth the wait? If that also allows Plymouth some more time to get their air fence fund complete so they can run then that’s another good thing. Surely we all want as many tracks as possible running next season?

This should stop testimonials for the riders though (not benefit meetings). When you are declaring yourself as self employed and the clubs get nothing from you moving to another club, then you should give up your right to a testimonial (surely cannot have it both ways).

Yet again a reactive statement put out instead of a proactive one, only put out because fans are talking about the AGM being cancelled, irrespective of what it says does it not occur to anyone running speedway to be proactive?? It really doesn’t give us much hope for the future

Reading comments on here , anyone would think that the top tier (old Elite League) invented the doubling up (not down) rule. It started in about 2002 when two riders from Premier league clubs (second tier) could share a berth in the elite league . Their premier clubs always took priority. I feel like this had a negative effect on what was a brilliant model at the time (premier) with anything between 15-18 clubs for a while. This was the start of the feeling that riders weren't fully committed to one club anymore. The elite league being in such a mess at the time was the reason for this daft rule to be brought in. they need to make two leagues , have 5 man teams and a new heat format and go from there. Riders can only ride in one league not both.

Don’t try and run before you can walk! Sort out the product first then worry about trying to get TV deals. Put the current product out on mainstream TV and all you will do is confirm the publics perception that first out of the start always wins and if you go you get covered in dust.

I’ve just read it. Apparently everyone is now happy that the rule is that, if a rider’s wheels CROSS the white line, then that would normally lead to disqualification. And, despite multiple views from photographers and videographers, there is no evidence that Cook CROSSED the white line. Well, that’s everyone expect the BSPL chairman who is making up his own rule that even touching the line should lead to disqualification. Where has this man been? I’m sure many people, like me, have watched many slow motion replays where there’s been dust coming from a back wheel but zooming in has shown the tyre on the line not over it. Indeed, wasn’t that Darcy Ward’s favoured method of passing? The Poole bashers have been out in force on this one but the Poole management, unlike too many others, have done the right thing by not adding fuel to this unnecessary fire. I am convinced that, had it been Josh Pickering not Zach Cook whose wheel had gone on to the line, nothing would have been said. The statement from Neil Vatcher declines to say who wrote the SCB comment which is disappointing - the SCB should have manned up on this, especially as they so quickly threw Paul Carrington under the proverbial bus. At the end of the day, Poole are worthy champions having out-ridden everyone all season and provided some exciting meetings on their travels. And Scunthorpe are unexpectedly for many, me included, runners up. It’s over, folks, so on to 2027.

I'll say a few things just to make my position crystal clear..... 1. I'm not a Poole fan. I've been a Bees fan for a lot of years and our conflicts have been "intense" to say the least. And don't get me onto Poole's track preparation. Its a joke. 2. I watched both legs of the final, supporting Scunthorpe, although they mean very little to me apart from their speedway abilities. 3. I was excited to see the second leg go to a Super Heat. I was particularly impressed by Josh Pickering's understanding of what it takes to win a race where coming first doesn't necessarily win you anything. 4. I saw Zach Cook take a "very tight line" when Josh Pickering let him take over the lead. Did he put both wheels where they shouldn't have been? The evidence (so far) is inconclusive. Yes, that's right, False dawn agrees with the referee and the speedway supporting population of Poole. 5. The SCB clearly said that Zach breached the rules. My conclusion. The SCB ruled on something they didn't need to. They knew before their investigation that the result could not be changed so why do anything? And worse still, why muddy the waters by saying they are 100% certain the rules were breached. And worse still than that, why say the rules were breached without saying how they reached that decision. What evidence do they have that we haven't seen? So, despite my history with Poole, my argument is not with Zach Cook, the club or anyone associated with them. The SCB have many questions to answer and their response to the controversy is silence. I am, first and foremost, a speedway fan. I deserve my sport to be managed better.

When reading through some of the comments on the Premiership play-off final I noticed a number of fans' only meeting of the year (or one of very few) was the final. You could see by the crowd number at both meetings it was true. The draw to that meeting though is not the caliber of rider it is the fact that it matters. The teams were actually weaker than the start of the season, no Dan Bewley or Jack Holder. I am not sure if the draw of a top rider name is strong enough anymore. I think fans would rather see their team do well or watch competitive, close exciting racing. Also, the vast majority of the public have no idea who Robert Lambert is. I genuinely think moving to racing on any day of the week and losing those top riders to the Ekstraliga could work. It would cut rider fees costs and allow racing on Friday or Saturday (or Wednesday if you're Poole). I think racing and the overall league would be much more competitive if all teams can truly afford to run, therefore making each meeting matter more. If the only teams that can make profits are high championship ones why don't we make that the level of the premiership? The new championship would be a combination of lower championship riders and national league riders. Nearly all teams could afford and would want to be in the premiership then so we could bring back relegation/promotion.

Doubling up/down should be for young Brits to develop, not for journeymen to top up their pensions. Just like guests its got completely out of hand. Many supporters want their team to have its own identity which means riders who aren't popping up elsewhere in the UK on any given night.

is this the most ridiculous post ive ever seen?

Well bringing on 2 of the best GB teenagers isn't too bad......

Don't think some of these past posts do the comets any good, if you have dirty laundry do it in private not over the forum 🤔

The quote from Howe :- "I was in the pits watching it on the screen and was pretty confident that Zach Cook may have left the track" ... Well that obviously left the the SCB no choice then. A 'definitely maybe' is clearly a FACT! Let's just shut up & move on now. It would be funny if it wasn't so tragic. Apparently according to the Star, 2 referees with over 20 years experience supported Carrington's conclusion and how could they not? To exclude Cook we need to see evidence that the outer edge of his back wheel was over the inner edge of the white line. In the view from the outside, the back wheel is obscured by Pickering. The view from the back only shows the inside of the wheel, with the white line obscured. We've seen no image to show that the outside of the wheel was over the inside of the line. The SCB statement is therefore a farce, unless they have evidence that wasn't available to the referee.

I don't know how many of you bother to read the Polish sports daily "Przeglad Sportowy" articles concerning speedway ( in Google translation.) I came across today the one that might interest you, so here it is: The financial bubble in Polish speedway is growing to dangerous proportions, and recurring reports of multi-million-zloty debts among clubs only deepen concerns about the future of the sport. In an interview with the Polish sports daily “Przegląd Sportowy” Jan Krzystyniak does not mince his words. The former elite rider and coach offers a scathing critique of those managing Ekstraliga clubs, predicting the imminent collapse of the sport unless there is a harsh, sobering encounter with reality. Record-breaking rider contracts and bidding wars in the transfer market have brought Polish speedway to the brink of an abyss. Some clubs are taking on massive financial obligations that they cannot meet without the help of bank loans or support from local governments. Jan Krzystyniak points directly to those responsible for this state of affairs. "If these gentlemen—and I am referring to the presidents of the Ekstraliga clubs, because let’s be honest, a great deal depends on them—do not come to their senses, then speedway could simply collapse. We can see what is happening to this sport globally." "A similar situation could well unfold in Poland, as clubs simply won't be able to afford paying such astronomical sums to riders," our expert thunders. One proposed solution to rising costs was to revisit the idea of an imposed salary cap (such as a CMA-based system or defined financial brackets). In the case of financial brackets, this would essentially rely on an agreement between club presidents, as the speedway authorities’ hands are largely tied. Krzystyniak, however, dismisses such notions as pure fiction within the Polish context; in his view, club officials would inevitably find ways to circumvent the rules. "I spoke about where things were heading ten, maybe fifteen years ago. Even back then, the topic of setting a salary cap was being discussed. In the Polish reality, establishing such limits is largely pointless. We know what these people are capable of: they’ll officially offer a rider a thousand zlotys, while slipping him a million under the table. That’s just how things work in Poland. If you brought in people from Sweden or England to manage these clubs, they could probably establish and enforce such rules in a day or two. No one would break ranks, because in those cultures, one’s word is worth more than money," the former coach points out bluntly. Despite his dire assessment of the situation facing the clubs, Krzystyniak paradoxically defends the speedway riders themselves. He argues that the riders cannot be blamed for inflated contracts; they are simply taking advantage of the poor financial management of club presidents. "It’s pathological. I honestly don’t believe in any agreements that could solve the problem of clubs constantly falling into debt. Solutions must be implemented to save the sport of speedway. That said, I always tell the riders: demand as much as you can! If there are guys—suckers, to call them what they are—who are willing to pay that much, then you should ask for as much as possible. I will always stand on the side of the riders," he declares bluntly. The debt burden of Polish speedway clubs is currently the number one topic of discussion. In the worst cases, debts are said to reach tens of millions of zlotys, and almost every club in the country faces some level of financial trouble—with perhaps a few exceptions, such as those in Wrocław or Toruń. "Besides, even the wealthiest nations in the world carry massive debt—just look at the United States or China. Yet, people in those countries often live well. So, is there a cure for this situation? I’m not sure if a truly effective solution can be found. Unless the presidents of the Ekstraliga clubs change their way of thinking, it will be difficult to save speedway, because that is where it all begins," concludes Jan Krzystyniak.

Last issue 2.10.26 on the website states 2.58 for Max before the 2.5% reduction.

I think we are too late, already signed for Workington I heard.

No but loves a walk round holy island

Surely Jody Scott would be top of the list for bringing back. I've not seen anything yet about whether a team can or can't have 2 riders over 8 (or whatever average) for 2027. So I'm going to guess Klindt and Wright would both be wanted back. If not, then maybe Ace Pijper as I expect him to be back. Redcar seem to be about the only team that someone hasn't claimed to have already signed Tate Zischke, so maybe I should start that rumour 🤣

It is quite baffling why some would want what appears to be one of the few financially successful clubs to rip up their business plan and operating model to "do something different"... When that "something different" clearly wasn't working back when there were more teams in the top tier, and the sport appeared more stable and had more going for it, than it currently does... If I were running Poole I would expect a lot of incentives to move into the top tier to ensure my balance sheet wasn't negatively impacted, and was protected, and, if I didn't get them, then I would be quite happy to stay where I was...

The greater good is surely about clubs being financially sound no matter what level they operate at. Poole have done and won the Elite/Premiership for several seasons eventually losing money and fans. Putting themselves at financial risk simply to make up the numbers in a smaller league does not make good business sense. And Poole is a business for the Fords not a hobby!!

I don't think any speedway fan has an issue with waiting, especially if it means giving tracks the best possible chance. The issue has never been about that, it's always about communication. If they announced the AGM was being delayed because of things in the pipeline, and kept people abreast (as much as they realistically can), I bet most fans would be pretty satisfied. They don't though, and never have.

Tom is one of those riders that benefits from a busy schedule and riding regularly. Some said he took on too much a couple of seasons ago, but that works for him. When rides dried up abroad this year, his calendar suddenly looked very sparse and that didn’t help him regain his form. His double leg break last winter must also have been a factor, so was him being thrust in to a number 1 berth at Ipswich because of the lateness of the takeover. Everything cobbled together created a doom loop for the lad and he never really got going. I’m 100% convinced though that next year will see a return to form due to these factors no longer being an issue. His average now in the top flight is an attractive one that will see him out of the pressure heat leader positions for somebody who will now benefit from his poor season. Regular Championship fixtures keeping him busy will also benefit him hugely. IF Oxford have secured his services, then they’ve pulled off the Championship signing of the winter and IMO will have the League’s top man in their side.

3rd visit to Redcar this year from worky, yet again delays for track work, not good enough as been like this every visit, enjoyed the meeting, hope doyle and Theo are ok after big offs, both walked away thankfully. The race with bomber and klindt was epic, Charlie southwick a good 2 points prospect, apparently travels from Dorset to ride Speedway wherever he can, just hope that the south coast club who doesn't promote junior speedway, jumps in with ££s to sign him, deserves to go to a club that's helps juniors out

Yep and really should have two world titles as a bad injury robbed him when he was leading in the year prior to becoming world champ.

We saw how Artem lugata rode for kings Lynn and Peterborough at times. Just going through the motions. Doyley puts the same effort into a gp final as he does in a challenge match. Never less than his all.

Doyle back with you guys. A proper no1. But not the exciting signing you all wanted. If you want these riders over here you have to move to 1 race night a week. They just dont like or want to fly in twice a week

Same grapevine as the Masters to Poole?

Tate Zischke is looking like a busy lad next year... Riding for about seven teams so far...

It was done for development of riders to ensure plenty of UK ones were available for the top league as riders retired, or dropped down and saw their careers out in the 2nd Div.. Giving them a "taster" as to what the top level was, without putting undue pressure on them by losing their other role... Now it is done simply to share costs of riders who are 20 years and more veterans of the sport... Hence restricted race nights for the top tier.. Hence Poland kept the weekend to themselves... (And now added eight Thursdays, plus rearrangements)..... "How not to run a sport successfully" would make a decent book title...

Got to say he loves a wander up the beach there gets him relaxed

I’m struggling to follow your first sentence but you think you are referenceing Cook’s back wheel throwing up mud from the centre green. Now, I’ll admit in all the photos and replays I’ve not seen that but even if I had, so what? A tyre can be touching both the white line and the track or centre green at the same time and so throw up both white and non white particles. Or, all white or all non white. That doesn’t prove whether or not the wheel crossed the inside of the white line. Note, crossed, not crossing. If I’m going from one side of a road to another and I have one foot on the road and one on the pavement, I’m crossing. If I have both feet on the pavement, I’ve crossed. Zach’s back wheel was certainly crossing and it certainly looks like that he could have had part of his rear tyre over the inner part of the white line, but I’ve seen nothing that says it crossed all the way over. As far as Cairns is concerned, it was up to the Scunthorpe personnel to contact the referee about it. It appears they didn’t and the referee didn’t see it. As no one from Scunthorpe objected at the time, it seems that Godfrey, Howe, the Clerk of the Course or anyone else from Scunthorpe saw it. Or bothered about it. But, going down the speculation route, if they had seen it and if Cairns had been excluded, where’s the guarantee that every subsequent heat, home and away would have gone as they did? Maybe the overall result at Scunthorpe would have been different but who’s to say that the result at Poole wouldn’t have changed? There are too many variables to make any statement other than over 31 heats Poole came out on top.

Well I suppose I do have the time now I've retired Not sure I have the patience though!

It’s the way it works I’m afraid and I do agree. As a fan, do you want your club to win things or not? It’s that simple. Musielak and King make poor signings because of their GSA. Brennan has had an absolute stinker of a season but should be the first name on the team sheet. The perverse way Speedway works.

id like to see just the 1 race night next season, preferbly monday, 1 home match every 2 weeks, facing each team just once home, once away, i think you could entice more riders over if they didnt have to fly in twice a week. they then get more family time from wednesday/thursday till weekend

Doubling up has never been the issue, we had it from the 70's Doubling down from the top to below, we never had and thats caused the issues over time.

I really wouldn't worry yourself, nobody has a clue and its all speculation.

Not at all... You don't grow any business by opening other units when you don't have the infrastructure in place to ensure the ones you currently have can keep going profitably .. UK Speedway has to share riders now with the number of teams they have, who will therefore ride for any new ones?.. Certainly not enough of them of the required level for another top league team to compete adequately... You actually damage your brand by spreading yourself "too thin" which then results in every one of your businesses starting to suffer, even the current successful ones you have, as your "weakest links" start to drag the business down.. UK Speedway needs to consolidate and sort out it's issues, then build on what it currently has... With a clear plan for gradual growth for the next few years .. It doesn't mean new tracks cannot come on board, but it must be planned properly to ensure it improves UK Speedway and not be, yet another, knee jerk reaction on a whim, which leaves fans saying .. "It can't be like this again next year"... (Again, and again, and again and etc etc etc)..

Phil Morris has a plan B in the pipeline if the talked about ITV deal doesn't come off. It's with a radio station, but would be less lucrative as there would be no commentary provided. You will be able to hear the roar of the bikes clearly though!

Not picking on you at all Diamonds but generally this logic that "let's go NORA" in the event our Ait Fence is not good enough for SCB / BSPL / ACU frankly sickens me and terrifies me. If the powers that be, rightly or wrongly, say an Air Fence is not fit for purpose for the likes of Scott Nicholls, Chris Harris, Richard Lawson and Sam Masters and other to race, how in gods name can anyone then justify sneaking in a season of NORA for Ben Morley, Jack Kingston , and others who are no longer under the SCB banner and indeed dozens of young riders denied the opportunity to ride there as it's deemed unsafe for ACU / SCB and BSPL but safe enough for an Amateur Body. Just think about the consequnces of somebody suffering a life changing injury under those circumstances and then returning in 2028 with a new Air Fence paid for by Sponsors and Supporters. For that reason alone, I think it sould be 2027 with a new Air fence, or 2028 without a new Air fence. TRAINING with one or two riders not RACING fair enough but full on competitive Racing NOPE! As an aside, a very interesting posting from Norris Norris (Floppy) on Plymouth Facebook... I assume he means his beloved Eastbourne and very telling i think that he believes saving Teams is better than bringing back his old Team as some sort of stunt to prop up an 8 Team League that is looking increasingly like a Coleman vanity and ego project...well said Floppy! He posted "Rather than looking at spending 100s of thousands getting former speedway venues back,, it should be priority for the BSPL to finance the rest needed for the air fence immediately and then let Mark and Plymouth concentrate on building from their amazing 2026 season. Regards Flop xx"

Given the major surgery required to the table topping Aces and the new U21 rules plus the fact it seems to be 37-38 limit on the top five, the murmurings seem to indicate this team to try and retain the trophy is. Brady Kurtz Tom Brennan Robert Lambert Jaimon Lidsey Dan Bewley Beau Bailey William Carins

You never changed jobs before? Known of anyone doing an apprenticeship with a company and then leaving? 3 years is a lot more than some clubs would've gotten.