mikebv

Sweden and Denmark were more his reference I would think.. And, looking at the Danish league next season it does look like they are trying to make a play for 2027 to see if they can attract those riders that have only one league to ride in, outside Poland, come the time....

Jason Doyle in his Speedway Star inteview said... "I need to be racing against the top boys, and it doesn't look like that will be the case in Britain for next season"... Not sure beating the Speedway equivalent of "makeweights" each night over here will appeal to too many at the very top of their trade...

You do have to consider the logistics for these top riders... Having to have machines and mechanics over here, and also just to get here themselves, when they could live in Poland and ride at the weekend there, Sweden on Tuesday, and go into Denmark on Wednesday, and back across the sea into Poland ready for the weekend.. And, over here, all to ride against much lesser opponents than they would find in Sweden and Poland, (and looking at Denmark's level of signings for next year, Denmark too)... They will want to go head to head against the best as often as possible as it keeps themselves sharp.. And, without the TV money coming in, it would be quite conceivable that their pay rates over here will also be "different" next season, from the recent seasons just gone...

With many of the same being those who questioned the Aces fans for supporting Brady Kurtz by not calling out his play off final performance in the 2nd leg of the final, but instead, the Aces fans said he was right to put his focus on the GP taking place 48 hours later..... I think what Ipswich and Sheffield have both shown is that selling a Speedway club isn't an easy thing to do in the current state, and trajectory of the sport...

Or even not turned up when they should have...😄

Did someone mention that over 70 riders were contesting the Polish U21 Championship? When you are laying out £1000 a point, and upwards, you will never be short of riders...

He paid twelve hundred quid.. The restaurant only wanted eighty..!!

2027 is the ONE other team rule that is coming in...

In this weeks Speedway Star, Doyle confirms the Polish rules re "two other leagues only"... As he is at Vastervik and Esbjerg, that would suggest no UK for him... He also goes on to say that there are "other riders" who will follow suit if nothing is confirmed sooner, rather than later...

So April then..?😄

Quite a complex sale then you would think, given so many intangibles... The "fixed assets" would be pretty simple (ish) I would think, although with Stox there too, there may be some "cross over" and the landlord owns some fixtures and fittings that Speedway uses? Eg the fence around the track maybe (?).. But "goodwill" will be something widely open to negotiation you would suggest... Presume it would be based on average income per meeting, with just KO Cup and PO Qualifiers included as they are the only guaranteed meetings..? (Reaching finals not being guaranteed, and, possibly, less meetings due to a reduced number of teams).. And any sponsors already committed to next year would be, presumably, brought into the equation as "guaranteed income"...? Operating costs though, next year could be less given Emil won't be riding, and, again, possibly less meetings to pay out for overall... You have to hope it all gets worked out and Ipswich come to the tapes...

Be a good night to hold a testimonial on, a bit better than a Monday or a Thursday... And. If he brought in a few "Prem Only" riders, and even non UK riding riders, it will give the Plymouth fans a bit of a novelty event to go and see.. Would give anyone who is a big fan of him personally a nice weekend away on the South Coast too...

In an ever shrinking sport, where your only assets are some Speedway related fixture and fittings (plus a couple of tractors), and sponsors can sometimes be only there due to following specific riders, who may no longer be riding for you, and no TV deal... The valuation will be very much up for some huge negotiation you would imagine...

And that the stadium gets built, and be up and running, before any houses are built... That way no one buying a house can try and put a stop to the stadium being built...

It must be difficult to put a value on a Speedway team... With so many closing down in the past 15 years you would maybe think it won't be a long term investment, as, even if you are "doing well" clubs can close around you leaving you with an ever dwindling product to sell... And. Sponsors pay so much towards "the bills" with some of them coming on board to sponsor a specific rider, who may then no longer be with the club... And Ipswich in particular will have a big entry on the income column from their PO Final, which is not guaranteed for any future projections... Basically you are selling some fixture and fittings which are mainly Speedway use only.. Hence, it seems to be "fans" that end up purchasing clubs, for a hobby which, unfortunately, then can prevent any clear directional growth for what should be a "professional sport"...

Just run one league with the same credibility level that every league has had for years, and years and years?

Chris Louis himself said he he wouldn't be part of a five team league, nor would join a one league set up... I presume he was "in the know", given, it was him, himself, who said it..?

Baffling isn't it? Five or six teams? Makes little difference to how the league looks does it? Small time, and bereft of relevance and resonance, either way.... A strange, (very small), hill to die on...

But that is one of the major issues.. The majority of fans don't have any faith that the future will be better.. Simply based on what those in control have delivered over the last two decades... Even the die hards on the many Speedway related FB accounts (generic and club specific), take the pee at how poorly the sport is ran.. Why, suddenly now therefore, will those in charge improve things? The clearly, obvious, fundamental issues facing the sport have been there for a long, long time, with the answer, year in year out, being "Let's do exactly the same thing again"... Which, once again, they have chosen to do this year.. Well a "mini version"... The bottom line is... The Premiership simply doesn't work in its current guise, and is only there to give a few "quality riders" a fair few quid, (thus increasing costs much higher than crowd numbers) and the rest the chance to Double Up.. At least a 14 team league (at whatever level), looks, from the outside, like something with relevance, and makes the sport look at least "sizeable" and covers pretty much the whole country, which should improve sponsorship and marketing opportunities...

It must be simply down to riders needing to DU... There are no other reasons why the "top league" promoters would countenance a five team, (or even a six team), league surely?.. The optics of which alone paint the sport in a very sorry state... Decades of failing to develop UK talent and, instead, using foreign journeymen via a revolving door, has led us to such a tiny pool of riders able/willing to ride in the UK... I suggest they can now call the shots given the promoters have painted themselves into such a corner..

I an sure something very similar was put on here around 10 years ago, and maybe longer.... Those running Speedway in the UK had a different idea, and, subsequently, used that different idea each season since.... Which hasn't ever included ploughing its own furrow, and being in charge of its own destiny, at whatever level initially it would have meant... When it really should have....

If those were the numbers, and I was one of the two riders.. I would make sure it went to three races each time, at the home and away legs.. And the decider would also be three races, at a neutral track (like it used to)... Who wins? Well they both do... Kerching...

Just think of the excitement it would bring... Plus... Team riding by yourself.... And maybe even Guesting for yourself... Six points for a win would certainly boost the riders pay packet too.. Ticks a lot of boxes, for me...

I think you mean.... "Whilst not completely ideal, it is fantastic news that we still retain top flight Speedway in the UK, and, I am sure that all Promoters, Sponsors and Fans will be looking forward to watching, once again, another fantastic season of exciting racing, as the best teams in the land go head to head against each other to win the highest domestic honour in UK Speedway"...

I think my half n half kevlars and helmets might work...