Hamish McRaker

This seems to confirm that, even if a 6th venue were to materialise, it would struggle to track a competitive team and be even worse than Birmingham 2024-25 both performance and financially.

But apart from that, everything's just Hunky Dorey? 🤗

Possibly there'll be a drip-feed of further information during the upcoming weeks, beginning with Ipswich directly putting out a definitive statement. Ideally, the BSPL should hold a press conference next week, with the new line-up of directors fielding questions relevant to their basic statement of yesterday, and on other subjects raised. This should be available for anyone to view via social media channels

I expect it'll be later than 6pm. All announcements have to be pre-approved by Phil Morris, and the pigeon carrying them from Rugby to South Wales is likely to be delayed due to strong westerly headwinds. BSPL did get a quote from Zmarzlik International Couriers, a reputable Polish-based company, but they wanted far more than BSPL could afford

Thank you, Sir Humphrey 😄

Maybe it's having to go into a second day? Not unprecedented, i think

Yes, they'll have to do the usual AGM legal requirements, maybe announce "club 5", then say Ipswich are being given an additional (?) days/weeks to confirm their position, hopefully to allow legal completion of a sale and meeting of SCB reqiurements?

I forsee the can being kicked down the road for another week or so. And start of season in May

See the majority of posts on this thread since around early November!

Let's not be told to shut up.

Ive got a better idea. Let's not

I get all of the Business/Corporate stuff about confidentiality and due diligence legalistically restricting what can be publicly disclosed, and when. But local professional sports clubs such as Ipswich Witches are also deeply rooted in their local community, and whether they like it or not, have a strong psychological contract with the local population and more specifically with those who care for and support them. If a big, bad corporste entity or local authority comes along to put a local club's existence into jeopardy, the locals mobilise themselves to campaign to help try and stave off that threat. In that situation, the club's owners will often join with that campaign by stressing that it is a service of great "community value", and it's loss would harm the wellbeing and sense of community which the supporters and the wider local comnunity derives from it. In these circumstances, hiding behind corporate walls of silence is shamefully breaking that psychological contract

So it'll have to be delayed for a further week, but if they do, nobody will know of course

More like "dictatorship" than directorship??

Would having 6 teams, with no lame ducks involved, bring back the possibility of salvaging a tv deal for 2026? The recent 7 team league, aided by the points limit, seemed to create a situation where two teams were basket cases almost from the start. 6 teams with the 37 point limit will hopefully produce better equilibrium. Last season it seemed like Louis and others strong-armed their needs through at the expense of creating two lame ducks, bully for them but it created a league that was a foregone conclusion soon after it began

Or maybe in his Top Hat?🙃

Must be giving the big bombshell Douglas announcement a chance to reverberate before making any further announcements. I'm not a fan of hype, but it had all the impact of a pint of lukewarm, flat and poorly-kept beer, from both him and the club🤔

Bit of a low-key announcement, considering it's for the new number one rider!

Yes, thats what i was getting at later in my post. Presumably the name Oxford Spires couldn't be used, though?

I doubt the sanity of any such venture. Why would the Oxford Cheetahs promoters risk diluting the interest in and attendances for Cheetahs matches, soon after ending a failed experiment. Unless they don't have any influence over it, which would still make it utter madness to attempt

With Douglas being, according to some, a nailed-on certainty to be Lions' no.1, they're dragging their feet somewhat in making the announcement! KL, Sheffield, and Belle Vue (probably) have all named their no.1's, so what's holding up Leicester from doing likewise?

What happened to Ashton Boughen? I thought he was supposed to be the new big young thing.

Ffs this is getting like The Prisoner. Who is Number 5? Who is Number 6? Ipswich is Number 5! No! Ipswich is Number 6! Who is Patrick McGoohan? Who is the all-seeing Controller? Round the Boards? The Top Drawer? (or they actually the same person)? And what is the giant white bubble that comes out of the sea? Why - of course - it's Northampton, complete with Brady Kurtz at Number 1!!

Never over till the fat lady sings. She's not even on the stage yet

Has Kurtz even been provisionally announced by any side yet? Can't recall Dougie having been likewise by Leicester yet, either. Let alone being part of a full 1-7 officially ratified by the SCB