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I don't see the issue! more celebs doing this putting the sport in the spotlight and talking point is only good! They are trying something different, it could sink or swim but worth a try.

Now this is where I have a problem with this 8% rule, the rule has been made up by the crook which we all know by rob godfrey. The BSPA statement literally says, “It is hoped that this will provide some assistance to riders who have taken time out of the sport, and who are now once again seeking team places.” Abilitt, hasn’t been away from the sport, he refused more than one team place last year at championship level cause he couldn’t be bothered travelling that far north, plus rode NDT with Kent last year. Yet qualifies for this silly rule. That’s not a rider that’s been lost or taken time out. No wonder everyone gets fed up with Speedway guys like Godfrey killing the sport for a selfish gain.

The harm is in how speedway presents itself In a time where we have seen all of the work that has gone on to make the sport look more professional and modern in its presentation on tv etc how do you sell that to potential sponsors and media partners if they then go on the associations official social media and see this. What large company would put their name to something as amateurish If we accept stuff like this as ok then we are accepting that speedway is now an amateur colloquial sport that will never be taken seriously.

So everyone knocking linda lusardi doing the draw really!! What harm is it,I guess you would all rather have Godfrey and vatcher doing it,that is why speedway struggles to move forward soon as anything different is tried all the old farts start moaning, get a grip ffs!

Just listened to Rob Godfrey in full... Fair play to the host who asked all the right questions (eventually 😉) and also to Godfrey for responding to them. That's all I'm going to say about it really as there was a lot of "there's a lot going on behind the scenes" which I've heard too many times before in this sport only for nothing to materialise. Not filled with confidence when Godfrey couldn't even remember the name of the former MP that has joined SFL and he kept referring to SFL as "them" when he's on the board! Like I've said before Godfrey does a fine job at Scunny but should be nowhere near the top table of Speedway in the UK.

Can’t praise BSN enough; they’re almost single-handedly keeping the sport in the UK visible and accessible. I hadn’t attended Ashfield for many years until I heard about BSN and tuned in. Two years later, I’m a track regular again; all because of BSN. As such, I cannot get on-board with any criticism of them. I’ve been a season pass holder for two years now and I think they’re adapting to each venue and improving the product every year. I don’t think you can ask for any more. They’re good people too. They’re authentic. I think Ian and Greg (Brennan and Blair, if I recall) are great.

You've got to laugh at Reid Battye's quote about Berwick...... “I’ve heard it’s a really big speedway town and it’s on the coast. I live near the beach in Australia so it’s probably the same – just a bit colder!” Me thinks he's in for a bit of a shock

Stinks of desperation . Opening a new track with no fanbase and slinging them into the top flight. Whoever is fronting this will lose a fortune.

Just over seven weeks to go until Klindt’s testimonial for the season curtain raiser. Still have no (active) owner, Manager, team, sponsorship? Track man? So much to be done in such a short space of time. That’s without the bigger picture of fixtures to be sorted for all clubs as well as admission prices and season tickets etc etc. It’s been an absolute sh!tshow this winter let’s be honest.

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

Coming next, the BSN Cup draw....

Good on the management team he's young and could be an unpolished gem. I always prefer when management take a chance on a youngster who might be a future quality rider rather than someone whos best days were a decade ago and have no improvement left in them.

Like you say no way should Ablitt should be given a reduction. Same should apply to Garrity given the reason he was lost to the sport. The sport is becoming a laughing stock and cannot be taken seriously anymore,certainly not going to attract many newcomers.

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.

Surely they could have got Harry Redknapp to do it, given his long association with paper bags.

Page 3 Birds, talk to me! When Ryan Guest visited T Tibbs Motors Limited showroom in Chingford last week, I wondered why he was flicking through my little black book! The crafty little bugger obviously lifted Lindi's number and called her, hours later ding dang dong deal done and Lindi's on video with her hands all over Robbie's balls! Talking of video's I can confirm Lindi has also struck a deal with Main Man Rogers to appear on his Only Fans site, where she will be scantily clad and posing in his VIP Caravan at Buxton Raceway! I can confirm that Main Man Rogers acquired Krystof Stojanowski's caravan that for many years was parked in the IOW car park before Busty C purchased it along with a bunch of log cabins! Thank you, good night and much love Terence

Whatever your view on him he certainly had Speedway in his blood and did much good at a number of clubs Thoughts and best wishes to his family and friends

Summary of Premiership news items in Speedway Star, dated 28 May 2026; BSPL say Ipswich now 99.9% likely to be coming to the tapes this season, as the takeover still has one niggling matter to resolve. No riders announced yet, apart from Edwards BSPL say Northampton now 97.6% likely to be coming to the tapes this season. Still hoping to complete a deal with an as yet un-named investor with £200k sitting in his bank. No riders announced yet. Rumours they could begin the season by staging home matches at Wembley as someone at BSPL remembered there used to be a track there a few years ago. Belle Vue, Kings Lynn, Leicester and Sheffield have already gone ahead and raced many of their scheduled matches against each other, the last fixtures being listed for the last week of June. No season tickets have been available yet, but hopefully they will be for their remaining matches, which will all be against Ipswich and Northampton alternately. Ipswich v Northampton matches will all be staged during the final week of the season, whenever that is. The big meeting of all current promoters and owners, to plan for the 2027 season and scheduled for June 6th, has been cancelled. Premiership owners and promoters are currently too busy flogging dead horses, and there have been no responses from any in the Championship, apart from the Scunthorpe representative who queried the need to look so far ahead. A BSPL spokesperson said that the meeting will now "probably be held sometime in October, or whenever the current season is over and done with". Bartoz Zmarzlik has been confirmed as World Champion for 2026, after already accumulating sufficient points from the 18 "sprint races" during the GP events staged so far. Interviewed, he said he was "very happy"

He may have refused a team spot because what was on offer was very poor. Riders shouldn't be penalised for refusing poor deals.

He turned down offers before the season started though.Cant have it both ways surely.Introducing rules that can be manipulated as usual.

But apparently the management of said company continue to supply speedway tracks. I believe Mildenhall found an alternative supplier and that was allegedly why the BSPL/BSPA refused to licence the club. Another closed shop operation from those in charge of the sport. What is the matter with the morons who run the sport in this country. Time for more clubs to jump ship, join NORA and break the stranglehold of those who are determined to take the sport to its nadir.

Personally I hope it's all on BSN. I think they do a much better job than Discovery tbh.

No help was given to Mildenhall who moved heaven and earth to make their fence safe. They covered all of the metal posts with very high density foam AND have an air fence in front of that, yet it was deemed not acceptable because they didn't get the foam from the one and only recommended supplier. They ran two highly successful meetings under the NORA banner last year with no problems and had big crowds. I appreciate that rider safety is the number one priority, but when I stand at Kings Lynn where just behind the wooden fence that isn't protected by the air fence, I see a huge concrete armco barrier, I wonder how that can be safe yet Mildenhall's fence is regarded as unsafe?

Currently no decision is made on Luke doing the league, my personal feeling is he shouldn't do it as with the current pay scales even scoring 15 every meeting means you run at a loss and even more so when you factor in the loss of a days working wage for us both as well. But on the flip side of that with only a championship spot and the limited amount of racing that it will provide he may have to do it for bike time and to justify the huge outlay on equipment during the winter. From doing 70 plus meetings last year to probably less 35 this year is there any wonder why young riders give up.

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

‘ 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.

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.

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.

Think you've been watching to much Traitors 😂

And there it is the true demographic of all the moaning sexist bigots that bang on about the need for changes in British speedway.

To cut out all speculation Luke was offered £15 a point to ride at two clubs as this is the standard rate for heat leaders and he would of been number 1 at both clubs. He has made the decision not to race in the Ndl this season not because of the money

They decided to go for an 80's page three girl on Cameo when they could have been forward thinking and gone with somebody younger and far more relevant to today's youth. James Buckley (Jay from The Inbetweeners) likes his sports and has recently got interested, and now involved, in British Ice Hockey. His podcast that he does with his wife now sponsors Chelmsford Chieftains who have reported an increase in attendances due to his involvement. What better way to try and promote the sport than getting him involved? Get him to do the draw, promote the sport and invite him to some meetings, with no better publicity than him talking about it on his podcast?! We need to be targeting the younger market FFS. Whoever signed off on Linda Lusardi wants firing. Talk about living in the past.

Apparently they’ve got Hugh Edward’s to do the under 15s draw

I think the issues around BSN are simple. Without them, we wouldn't have any league speedway on TV this year at all.

Last season between the NDL/NDT there were 50 "league" meetings. This year with only the NDL there will be 30. That drop off is alarming. Particularly when we should be trying harder than ever to establish some strong foundations for the sport here. The following quote from the press release looks to me like no more than lip service too. So we have some tracks running a full third tier campaign and others who can just get away with the ambiguous "Second Half Open Invitation". Of course there are differing restrictions at certain tracks but there has to be more than the odd second half. It should be mandatory for professional tracks to run at least two NDL level meetings during the season. The benefit of doing this over a second half would be the riders and their team (generally parents at this level) would know they're guaranteed a ride weather permitting rather than the always in the balance chances they have to take by turning up for a second half. If the tracks lose money on these meetings it's not ideal but it is an investment in their riders of the future, without whom there won't be anyone to help them make money in the long run. Furthermore I'd like to think when the riders coming through reach "professional" standard they'd choose to race for a club that actually put some effort in to the third tier rather than one that did the bare minimum but can throw more money at them. We all know that's wishful thinking though. As with everything in British Speedway there is too much ambiguity. There should be hard and fast rules in place with consequences for those who don't toe the line. The top riders don't want to be here. We need to focus on developing more riders domestically, instead we've almost halved the meetings available to them. Pretty pathetic really.

Couple of interesting points said by Godfrey, sport England are there to help - not true don’t want anything to do with speedway and the bspl and speedway futures are here to help any track get up and running - not true don’t reply and when they finally do no help at all (individuals with the sport are helpful)and speedway futures were asked by cradley for a supporting letter signed by Redknapp to help with their dealings with the council- didnt even get a reply and as I stated on an earlier podcast that the consultants that are working with cradley to find a track said they couldn’t believe that cradley had got so far without the help of the governing body whatsoever, that statement alone speaks volumes

It wasn't that busy til you landed here Tommy Ten Posts.

But in this case it’s cause he didn’t want to travel that far nothing to do with what he got offered. The whole point is the rule is corruption by the guy in charge once again. Knew the second it was announced you knew which team it would affect right away.

It would be fantastic to have a team from Northampton in the league (40/45 minute drive from Alwalton), however, I hope those in charge of Speedway ensure they have a good team that can compete, in fact it is essential. No new team/club in the top flight can be allowed to be making up numbers as Birmingham were and to a slightly lesser extent Oxford were. Teams need to be equally balanced and yes I know there is a points limit, but we all know that never really makes teams equal. I really hope Northampton happens for the future of Speedway in this country.

I certainly can’t see how there can be any criticism of BSN , you bought a package your were watching do roughly £ 5 a meeting. Race coverage was generally 1st Class and the Presentation Package on the night was excellent,unlike some Presenters on Discovery( no names) who hadn’t a clue on what to ask a rider.

Personally I think a possible new track at Northampton is just spin, by BSPL,to deflect how bad a state the premiership is in .the season is just around the corner, it would take a massive amount of money to get the stadium ready for speedway, which as we all know, theirs not a lot of money in speedway. As it stands now nothing has been sorted out at Ipswich, other tracked require fixtures released, so they can sell season tickets and get sponsorship, and they are still talking about a new track

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Only 6 teams confirmed is a travesty, but the bigger issue is only 1 home / 1 away per team, a total of 10 meetings per team. This is absolutely nowhere near enough meetings for the youngsters to develop. Why not 2 home and 2 away?! I know this was a very long time ago but in my short stint in the mavericks we rode 24 meetings in one season.

Credit to BSN for wanting to keep their customers informed. If the BSPL had any credibility, I’d say the lack of transparency and information was disappointing, but they’re not, so it isn’t.

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.

The 'Knockers Out' cup draw

More than a few British youngsters will be disappointed they didn't receive similar patience......(anywhere - not a dig at Belle Vue specifically)

It's an "umbrella" organisation that isn't... Far too many vested interests, far too much self policing, far too much "what about me?", far too many disparate businesses, wanting far too many disparate things from their sport.. Any leadership of any sport should be independent, and given powers by the stakeholders to run the thing, after consultation which sets, and agrees, the business and operating plan. The independent body/person then just implements the policies agreed.. UK Speedway cannot move on when so much is diluted, fudged, and changed to suit disaffected individuals who want adhoc changes made due to circumstances, just to suit their own agenda..

Only just read this, RIP Bob, he spent something of an Indian summer with the Heathens he came as someone who could pick up an odd point or two having suffered from injuries which affected his points scoring, by the end of the 1977 season he was again capable of beating anyone except the very top riders and was a vital cog in a very good Cradley Heath team, he retired from British speedway at the end of the season, from everyone at Cradley Heath we send our condolences to family and friends.