4thbender

As a loyal supporter for 60+ years, it's clear that British Speedway cannot continue to exist in its current form. In 2026 we've lost Birmingham and in recent years we’ve seen the loss of many iconic teams such as Wolverhampton, Coventry and Swindon. It seems that other teams are now under threat unless some radical changes are made. Along with many paying customers, I have a vision for how speedway has to develop if it is to survive. Decades of the sport's inefficiency has finally come to a head. British speedway needs to set its own agenda and stop kowtowing to regulations set in Poland. Speedway has bred a generation of riders who want to have their cake and eat it: they want to earn their bread and butter in the UK leagues and chase the Polish Zloty to put the jam on top. This faces the British authorities with the dilemma of having to dance to the Polish tune when trying to plan the home fixture list. This cannot go on. For survival, we need a single nationwide league of 15 teams wherein all its riders are contracted and committed exclusively to British racing between March and October. A 28-match league programme plus a further 12 matches in a split north-south KO cup competition will guarantee teams a regular weekly match programme, and a sensible rider payment policy will provide ample earnings potential for riders over a guaranteed 40-match season. But the last thing we want is for British speedway and its contracted riders to be isolated from European competition. So speedway authorities must open negotiations with its European counterparts for European competition on two levels: 1) An annual European League of Nations, with initially the four participating countries of Great Britain, Sweden, Denmark and Poland. 2) An annual European Champions’ League, featuring the top teams of all the four participating nations of Great Britain, Sweden, Denmark and Poland. A nationwide league of 15 teams in meaningful competition - with the addition of the possibility of genuine European glory - will revive the waning interest of fans, riders, media and potential investors. It is time for the Promoters to bite the bullet to avoid inevitable extinction of British speedway. So I've set up a petition demanding that the British Speedway Promoters Ltd take these matters on board with immediate effect. SIGN THE PETITION NOW TO FORCE CHANGE IN BRITISH SPEEDWAY: https://c.org/bdpftrNZdQ

As a loyal supporter for 60+ years, it's clear that British Speedway cannot continue to exist in its current form. In 2026 we've lost Birmingham and in recent years we’ve seen the loss of many iconic teams such as Wolverhampton, Coventry and Swindon. It seems that other teams are now under threat unless some radical changes are made. Along with many paying customers, I have a vision for how speedway has to develop if it is to survive. Decades of the sport's inefficiency has finally come to a head. British speedway needs to set its own agenda and stop kowtowing to regulations set in Poland. Speedway has bred a generation of riders who want to have their cake and eat it: they want to earn their bread and butter in the UK leagues and chase the Polish Zloty to put the jam on top. This faces the British authorities with the dilemma of having to dance to the Polish tune when trying to plan the home fixture list. This cannot go on. For survival, we need a single nationwide league of 15 teams wherein all its riders are contracted and committed exclusively to British racing between March and October. A 28-match league programme plus a further 12 matches in a split north-south KO cup competition will guarantee teams a regular weekly match programme, and a sensible rider payment policy will provide ample earnings potential for riders over a guaranteed 40-match season. But the last thing we want is for British speedway and its contracted riders to be isolated from European competition. So speedway authorities must open negotiations with its European counterparts for European competition on two levels: 1) An annual European League of Nations, with initially the four participating countries of Great Britain, Sweden, Denmark and Poland. 2) An annual European Champions’ League, featuring the top teams of all the four participating nations of Great Britain, Sweden, Denmark and Poland. A nationwide league of 15 teams in meaningful competition - with the addition of the possibility of genuine European glory - will revive the waning interest of fans, riders, media and potential investors. It is time for the Promoters to bite the bullet to avoid inevitable extinction of British speedway. So I've set up a petition demanding that the British Speedway Promoters Ltd take these matters on board with immediate effect. SIGN THE PETITION NOW TO FORCE CHANGE IN BRITISH SPEEDWAY: https://c.org/bdpftrNZdQ

As a loyal supporter for 60+ years, it's clear that British Speedway cannot continue to exist in its current form. In 2026 we've lost Birmingham and in recent years we’ve seen the loss of many iconic teams such as Wolverhampton, Coventry and Swindon. It seems that other teams are now under threat unless some radical changes are made. Along with many paying customers, I have a vision for how speedway has to develop if it is to survive. Decades of the sport's inefficiency has finally come to a head. British speedway needs to set its own agenda and stop kowtowing to regulations set in Poland. Speedway has bred a generation of riders who want to have their cake and eat it: they want to earn their bread and butter in the UK leagues and chase the Polish Zloty to put the jam on top. This faces the British authorities with the dilemma of having to dance to the Polish tune when trying to plan the home fixture list. This cannot go on. For survival, we need a single nationwide league of 15 teams wherein all its riders are contracted and committed exclusively to British racing between March and October. A 28-match league programme plus a further 12 matches in a split north-south KO cup competition will guarantee teams a regular weekly match programme, and a sensible rider payment policy will provide ample earnings potential for riders over a guaranteed 40-match season. But the last thing we want is for British speedway and its contracted riders to be isolated from European competition. So speedway authorities must open negotiations with its European counterparts for European competition on two levels: 1) An annual European League of Nations, with initially the four participating countries of Great Britain, Sweden, Denmark and Poland. 2) An annual European Champions’ League, featuring the top teams of all the four participating nations of Great Britain, Sweden, Denmark and Poland. A nationwide league of 15 teams in meaningful competition - with the addition of the possibility of genuine European glory - will revive the waning interest of fans, riders, media and potential investors. It is time for the Promoters to bite the bullet to avoid inevitable extinction of British speedway. So I've set up a petition demanding that the British Speedway Promoters Ltd take these matters on board with immediate effect. SIGN THE PETITION NOW TO FORCE CHANGE IN BRITISH SPEEDWAY: https://c.org/bdpftrNZdQ

I think you're right. Speedway has bred a generation of riders who want to have their cake and eat it: they want to earn their bread and butter in the UK leagues and chase the Polish Zloty to put the jam on top. This forces the British promoters to dance to the Polish tune when trying to plan the home fixture list. This can't go on. We've blamed the promoters for years for the mess we're in, but nobody points the finger at the greedy riders whose jet-setting international ambitions leave the promoters tearing their hair out week after week to put on a do-able programme of racing. If British speedway is to survive, 2027 has to be the year when we revert to a single nationwide league (see my previous posting) and riders are forced to decide: either sign a contract to race exclusively for one of the 15 teams in a revived British speedway league, or clear off and ply their trade elsewhere. I reckon the promise of 36+ guaranteed matches per season without the need for expensive international travel - albeit in a slightly less competitive league - will be more than attractive to the vast majority of riders. For the rest we're probably better off without them. And for those people who always argue that there aren't sufficient riders around to run a 15-team league without doubling up, it may come as a surprise to learn that the list of registered riders on the BSL website runs to 249 names. It's time for speedway to bite the bullet or face the inevitable.

Following the Bates announcement on Monday, it's clear that the Premiership can't continue to exist in its current form in 2027. In the past 18 months we've lost Oxford and Birmingham and it seems certain that Sheffield won't be back for another year. Decades of the sport's mismanagement has finally come to a head. Bending over backwards to comply with an agenda dictated by Poland has had its day. British speedway needs to set its own agenda and not kowtow to foreign stipulations. If it means saying a permanent goodbye to riders preferring to seek their fortunes elsewhere, so be it. For survival we need a single nationwide league of 12/14 teams of riders committed 100% to British racing between March and October. A 24/26 match league programme plus a further 8/10 matches in a split north-south KO cup competition will guarantee teams a weekly match programme (just as it used to be!) The loss of a few "fancy-Dan" racers to Poland will mean much more money available to the rest who wish to compete in the UK, and a sensible rider payment policy will provide ample earnings potential for riders over a guaranteed 36-match season. It now really is a battle for survival of the sport; was it Einstein who said that to go on doing the same things expecting different results is the definition of madness?

As a loyal Tigers supporter since 1966, following the Bates announcement I'm fully expecting that 2026 will be the death knell for the sport in Sheffield. The only hope in my opinion is a single nation-wide league of 12/14 teams, and if that means saying a permanent goodbye to riders who prefer to ride for big bucks in Poland, so be it.

Does Polish speedway have a Polski equivalent to the Ben Fund for when injury causes riders to fall on hard times, or do they just pack them off back to the UK for the ever-generous British fans to take care of?

Good thinking, Batman.

It's always Poland. Some wags on here have said Sheffield is a dangerous track, but for many a year there has been an endless stream of premier riders returning from Poland with season-ending injuries. Is it really worth it?

Luke Killeen scored 9 for Oxford against Poole last night, surpassing Anders Rowe's 6+1. Just saying.

Kyle is a great team man who has won silverware for every team he's ever ridden for. After his 7 years at Sheffield he still has many friends and admirers and he'll be welcome here anytime.

This match was won in bends one and two, which Leicester controlled in every heat. Sheffield never really had a look-in; they looked disjointed and out of their depth. Leon has definitely gone backwards and, despite Steady's complimentary comments in the programme about Etheridge's improved form, I'm not seeing it from the terraces. Sheffield definitely has a team with three reserves and I think we're going to struggle unless something changes.

Sheffield and Belle Vue.... in 1928..... AND THEY'RE STILL RUNNING!

That's the identical team (with one minor difference) that finished on top of the heap last season and I can't see any reason why they shouldn't do it again.

I guess that means there'll be another "for sale" sign going up at Owlerton at the end of season '26 (if not before).