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Thank God we're back.... I almost had to start a conversation with the Missus!!!!

This northampton situation is the strangest business model I’ve ever seen annd I know I’m not alone,apart from buster and his digger what is going on ? Were they pushed into making a decision to run by the time scale but haven’t actually secured the finances to run yet ? How do they expect to attract a fan base from the local area when nobody knows it’s actually happening, opening a new sport to an area that’s not really got a history of it and making it a success is hard enough but they seem to be giving themselves the worst possible start to achieve it,

Only just read last weeks copy of the Speedway Star and they do a two page spread on Northampton... Mark Lemon is quoted as saying that they needed a sixth team for the "integrity and credibility" of the sport... I do hope when he used those words, he managed to do it with a straight face... Fair play if he did....

Well you know the old saying? "If you're bored of Northampton, then you're bored of life". (or it could be London, i forget which)

And right there is why the sport is on its arse because you justify mediocrity, it matters, the little things all add up, if you want the sport to expand to the outside world it matters,?every little thing matters no matter if you think it doesn’t, at least Phil morris understands this, first impressions matter more now than ever

You may be... But the good people of Northampton aren't... (Because they haven't been told much about it yet)...

Oh my,someone DOES need to calm down, another one that accepts and makes excuses for mediocrity and poor practices and wonders why we are where we are and because you obviously need a little help the post I made was sarcasm

Really I didn't realise Ouch had a pro Belle Vue bias!!!!

That's a whole season these days! 😂

An important part of season planning for a professional sport as set out by Dave However as is seen through this winter it seems that others want to reset the sport to the level of a village fete.....

If you don't find yourself interesting to listen too, god help the rest of us 😜😀

I wasn't around in 1928.

Firstly it wasn’t me who mentioned the podium it was MikeBV talking about his son, I just quoted him and I can remember last year someone making a post about it on FB but it isn’t about the podium it’s about all the unnecessary little things, the podium just happens to be one of them and it’s so unnecessary and cheap to fix ,your later point is valid about them entering the stadium but I’m talking about people who may see it on tv or on YouTube or wherever as their first impression, something I saw a couple of years back on tv was I think the speedway of nations and everytime the camera panned round to the pits there were around 30 people who were standing around talking or drinking tea and it looked like a branch of primark, totally unprofessional and shambolic so I messaged the promotion and FIM and told them and the next day there was nobody standing there in the pits, it’s the little things that matter, I understand the sport hasn’t got a pot to piss in but a lot of little things cost peanuts

Can’t believe that someone who seems to trawl through posts on this forum looking to pick a fight is telling someone else to calm down 😂😂

As Bob Monkhouse once said "I havent spoken to my wife for years. I didnt want to interrupt her"

With the way things are going they are probably going to be one of the weaker teams anyway... just what a new club needs to get the fans flocking in their thousands...!!! If they are then also told that they can't have a proper facility for one of their chosen riders that really would put the lid on it... Surely this should be a case of the famous... "In the best interests of the Sport"... rule... and this would be one of the more reasonable applications of it...

Over the last week I have received a message telling me the site is unsafe, a message saying the address does not exist and got into the site normally. Each alternative seems to appear about a third of the time. When I do get in the number of adverts has increased dramatically and is making the site almost unreadable. I know and accept that advertising is needed to keep the site financed but they are at a level that means I almost regret when I actually get into the site. Another thing that is totally out of hand is the abuse some people throw at anyone who has a different point of view. People need to understand that different points of view exist on most things. Because someone has a different point of view it does not make them a lesser form of life and those who suggest it does should be moderated until they learn some manners.

I can only presume it is to show those councils currently deciding on whether to give house building permission, on ex Speedway sites, that the sport isnt in steep decline and confidence is so high in its growth that a new track has opened... Those fighting the developers can point to both Northampton and Buxton as examples of people seeing a bright future... Personally, if they had a couple of hundred thousand to spend I would have used it to grow the businesses of the 14 current tracks through national marketing and special offers... An extra 500 at each would make a huge difference given the low starting point, and bring another 7,000 fans in to the sport.. Even if Northampton is a "success", there won't by anything like 7,000 there each meeting.... Fingers crossed it works, however, the optics of having your team compiled by your opponents doesn't sit well in a professional sport....

Such a shame and shortsighted of whoever decided to axe it.

I'm sorry I couldn't understand your accent, you're gonna have to repeat that

And they were correct. At the time of your whinging that no promoting was going on, no deal was struck! So you were whinging for the sake of it. You’re like an old bloody woman with your constant bleating! Ok, now a deal has been done questions can be asked, but if you take the time to read the press release in the Speedway Star, it’s quite obviously a huge rush job to get everything up and running in time for tapes up. There’s an awful lot to do, and very little time to do it but things ARE going on in the background. You were exactly the same on the Ipswich stuff. Demanding updates and answers on a regular basis, until Richard Coleman explained fully why those updates weren’t forthcoming much to his own frustrations. I bet you were one of those kids that hunted around the house for Christmas presents because you couldn’t wait until the big day to see what you’d actually got 🙄 Calm down ffs.

Yeah... f*#king media... f*#k 'em 🖕😉

You are using your club bias to forge a debate against other clubs, be better and that goes for all clubs, it’s not acceptable anywhere, your argument is well they are crap so we can be crap too

Perhaps, but by leaving it so late he has robbed someone the opportunity to plan ahead to ride the GP season and get sponsors ready for the campaign. Actually I blame whoever thought it was a good idea to offer him a wildcard, his GP form for two seasons was average (at best) and that was before the injury. He really should not have been offered a place.

Lots of matches over the next 2 weeks which might be live streamed or video’s afterwards. We ( mainly Stewmac) will try and put up when known.

More meetings will have guests this season? This time next year Rodney , Bomber will be a millionaire..

Ah right yeah, it did get known as “The podcast”, but yeah No Brakes No Fear is the actual name. Glad you enjoyed Bruce anyway, I’m hoping to do more stuff like that during the season this time rather than in the winter as has been the case. It’s great there are other podcasts around now which weren’t there 5 or 6 years ago. Personally I think we need more club specific podcasts / YouTube channels, either official club backed or just fan based ones. And for those podcasts to collaborate with each other and not see it as a competition. People will watch and listen to more than 1 thing, and what’s clear is if you watch or listen to 1 speedway show you’re probably going to listen to more, the stats prove that.

Tate vinnie and jamie putting in some good laps today.

20.03.2026: Zielona Góra v Toruń: https://youtu.be/qM27WfU7gCU?si=zQQ5d40FsbmaZj_D

Can’t beat a little piece of positivity

I think we’ve finally cracked the mystery of the BSPL’s undercover PR man — step forward, Steve Irving! In nearly half a century following speedway, I’ve never seen such single‑minded loyalty to the party line. For Steve, every corner of the speedway garden is blooming, and every promoter walks on water. It’s almost touching — almost. Maybe pop an AirTag on that self‑respect, Steve, in case it wanders off again. Now, if he took a moment away from cheerleading, he might notice what’s happening elsewhere in motorsport media. Crash.net and others are reporting that Richard Coleman is “fully focused” on his MotoGP duties as Team Principal with Tech3 — and that’s no small commitment. Remember, 2026 is the final season for 1000cc engines before MotoGP moves to 850cc in 2027, which means non‑stop testing and development is already underway. Yet, somehow, Coleman also claims to be giving his total focus to MotoGP, the Speedway GP series, and Ipswich Speedway. Quite the feat! Perhaps he’s mastered quantum cloning. Realistically, though, Ipswich fans should expect Andrew Chisholm to be the one holding the reins at Foxhall this year. Steve might want to grab a selfie with his idol early — Coleman sightings in Suffolk could be rarer than unicorns by mid‑season. And before anyone complains that this reads like an essay — guilty as charged. I must have missed the point in time when education and critical thinking became surplus to requirements. Maybe that’s why “Hawk127”, who is seemingly bereft of a dictionary, thinks "woke" is an insult. It just means being a decent person — who wouldn’t want that? Anyway, I’ll leave the PR spin to Steve and the BSPL. Some of us still prefer our motorsport journalism with a touch of reality, not rose‑tinted propaganda.

I’m f*c*ing bored of Northampton already…

Northampton wont attract new fans. Its in a field in the middle of nowhere, and the facilities are extremely basic. An uncovered stand, or grass banking, looking thru a big mesh fence. This wont appeal to newcomers midweek, when they can sit at home instead, glued to their devices! 12 old duffers from Peterborough with their home made knitted bobble hats, and a 30 year old programme board, wont make the place a success

Totally agree. If it is entertainment and you want to attract a new generation of punters, then you do not need those riders who are costing clubs a fortune. No new punter or family will have heard of any of the top names, so as long as the racing is competitive and you have match race’s featuring different age groups to entice youngsters as well as a meaningful match or individual meeting then that is all you can ask for. No one seems to want to try a two wheeled speed event including for example flat track riders etc. as well as speedway. As it is now you have the same old same old format which with all the ridiculous rules and doubling up etc you will never convince the media that it is credible and without the media the punters are not going to pick up on it. Give them something different (proven by increased numbers who attend the play offs when you something to go for but not the qualifying matches) and just maybe they could start on that very long journey of attracting new fans, sponsors and possibly media attention on a national scale.

I think integrity in this instance applies structurally rather than morally in that without a sixth team the whole system could have tumbled. Morally, speedway has had little to no integrity for decades and it will take more than Mark & Rob sitting at the top table to alter that. With regards credibility, speedway has the same as wrestling or monster trucks and the sooner they realise that and lean into it the better. Speedway is a thrilling entertainment not a creditable sport.

Good job you mentioned that, they probably wouldn't have thought of it...

the best kept sporting secret ever . opening night massive crowd of people who support other teams . 3 weeks in and tiny crowd ..they should be marketing it on social media , give the team a name at least theres plenty of Speedway fans internet savvy enough to create a razamatazz , Speedway has far too long relied on its dwindling fanbase to advertise it , and this is a classic exmaple . failing to prepare is preparing to fail !!!

Literally, seven figures spent on riders, (who Average Joe Public will never have heard of), yet hardly anything on professional PR, Media output, and Event Management.... Absolutely crackers!!!!

Maybe we could build a podium out of the buy,a brick wall, it would give me something else to bang my head against while you continue to miss the point

At last!!!! Someone who can market an event.. Give Linda a bell and she if she wants to get involved... You'll need her official paper bag for the tombola tickets...

Don’t mention it, it’s not allowed on here

Well looking at her she well below average

Or not for the admission price on offer..

The correct move. Otherwise, what’s the point of having a reserves list in order?

Both Swedish and Danish teams do this. Typically the free meeting gets around double the usual crowd. Not sure that there is much evidence of increased crowds, but some teams do it every year so there ust be some perceived benefit.

The Brafield team of the 1950's and 60's were called the Badgers. Given that Badgers are mostly seen dead on their ar$es they do share some other similarities with those who run British Speedway. They have very poor vision and they are creatures of habit who will follow the same paths for generations despite the dangers and do not adapt well to changes in their territory. Badgers would be ideal. All we need is a Bodger to manage the mashed potatoes.

And the final nail in the coffin of the Northampton venture 🤐

No media day this year and now they are ditching the British speedway podcast as well as a cost cutting measure. Apparently due to no tv deal. This is a great shame as it was a very good professional podcast It seems utter madness to not have either to promote our sport. We now have Northampton which is a fantastic boost for the sport but that’s a bigger secret than the Masons. What on earth do those supposedly running the premiership thinking of. We should be looking up to the levels of Poole and Glasgow rather than dumbing down to the levels of Scunthorpe two of the best things to emerge in the last ten years are BSN and Team GB Which shows what can be achieved with competent forward thinking management.

Video on Northampton shaleway Facebook page showing the inside mud/grass bank being removed, so it's level on the inside for Speedway. So some progress being made on the infostructure but still silent on team and no publicity 😧

Hallelujah