Arch Stanton

Next season will be fun. 😉

I’ll look out for you 👍🏻

Normally up in the Whip Street Motors box between first and second bend, but our old box was leaking and was ripped out in the winter and replaced with a new one and the barstewards haven’t given me the keys yet so afraid I’m slumming it down with the rest of the peasants 😭😂🤪 so we’ll be down in front of the old garden bar. I’ll be the one wearing the black baseball cap 😉 Those I’m with will be bringing wives/kids so I’m the only one without anybody so would be good to have someone to talk to!

If you’re not joining them and attending instead, never sit alone Baldyman. Send me a message you’re more than welcome to join us

I can already think of a small group of Witches forumers who will all chip in and watch on the one stream in a cosy little shed/man cave…. 😁

Very little details I’m afraid. I was simply told there would be “some sort of update”, likely on Tuesday.

It won’t be Monday. Tuesday there will be an update of sorts.

Wrong.

For the 1 millionth time, completely and utterly wrong. Guy Nicholls had plenty of opportunity to sponsor Ipswich for many year before he finally did, while Nicholls chose to sponsor other clubs and individual riders. He picked up the sponsorship for what he called “a song”, paying LESS per season than Sackers recycling did before him. He’s been supportive of Louis from a business point of view, and been a terrific soundboard. But this myth that Nicholls pumps all this big money in to the club is exactly that, a myth.

Guy has never been remotely interested in owning, or running the Ipswich Witches (or any other club) come to that. I don’t know the latest state of play there due to a breakdown of certain relationships, but if he ends up owning/running Ipswich then he’s had a massive change of heart.

There will be a top league, and there HAS to be a top league. Patience is required but progress is being made.

Nothing could be further from the truth unfortunately.

You’re being harsh here. The whole idea is to give young British riders a helping hand to make their way up the speedway ladder. It’s not as black and white as you’re making out. Jenkins has been mentioned so let’s use him as an example. He had to be careful what he said, but he all but admitted Birmingham approached him but he wanted to stay with Ipswich in the main due to local sponsorship he’d acquired there. Ipswich were realistically never going to sign him in their 1-6, so rising star it had to be. So you’re saying, that he should have had no say in where he went, gave up the sponsorship he’d have got at Ipswich, and either accepted Birmingham’s offer or missed out completely? How is that helping the young British riders? Extremely harsh. All the rising star’s should have been left to negotiate with whoever they wanted. It wasn’t a bad idea in theory, but poorly executed and if the rising star system is kept then the priority “picks” part of it needs to be removed. Edit: Found the article in question https://ipswichwitches.co/2025-signing-jordan-jenkins/ “It’s probably been the most stressful two months of my career. I’ve always been in a fortunate position where I’ve had a club to go to no matter what but after riding for Ipswich last year I wanted to be back and made no secret of that. Before the season was finished, I was injured and was speaking to Chris (Louis) and Ritchie (Hawkins) about how much I wanted to be back, but it wasn’t confirmed that I would be eligible to be a Rising Star, so it was a bit up in the air. Chris and Ritchie will be glad to get it done as I have been hounding them every week for the past two months! It shows what a good club Ipswich are. “With the draft system and the way it is, it means Birmingham had first pick. When a club and a rider want to work together, and you have developed a fan base and sponsors in and around that club I don’t think it should be able to be dictated that way. But that’s all ifs and buts, I’m at Ipswich now and I couldn’t be happier.”

Under CURRENT rules, Edwards is eligible for a rising star birth. You have to be 23 or under on January 1st (Edwards isn’t 24 until September) and have a Premiership average of 4.00 or under. Edwards qualifies on both counts. Again under current rules, Ipswich have the option of “protecting” their rising star if he qualifies for the following season so the option would be there for Ipswich to retain him regardless of priority “picks”. With changes to the structure of the leagues heavily mooted, I’d be surprised if these rules on rising stars stays exactly as it is. I’m not even convinced there will be a “rising star” for the Premiership next season but we’ll have to wait and see on that. Last I heard a week or so ago, with the AGM a month away, several meetings have already taken place and literally none of those involved can agree on anything! It could be a long winter…

Well he clearly wasn’t just talking about the podium they were standing on was he 🙄 it’s obvious he was talking about the supporters and the atmosphere around it. They weren’t supplied by British Speedway.