Roger Jacobs

Ipswich Swatches - not the brand name, just small bits of material backing.

It looked like it was written by someone with the new owners in mind - and not proofread (or not very well), considering they didn't even introduce Richard Coleman ... his surname appears almost incidentally. On the Witches Facebook page, even Elvin King said: "Who's Coleman?". Did CL know when the precise timing of the Press Release? Since announcing the sale, he has rightly only released info when there was something he could say without compromising the identity of the buyers or any specific aspects of the deal.

No idea. Only going by what I've read, and reaching my own conclusions. If I'm wrong, it doesn't make any difference to me - the Prem is still in a mess, and there's no evidence they are planning for anything other than getting through another season.

As I said: The poor condition of British speedway is to blame ... those who rejected whatever CL was proposing, in favour of ploughing on with the Prem in its current parlous condition are just as much to blame as he is.

I still think that CL had been preparing the way for him to make his proposal at the AGM, simply because he was fed up with devoting his life to something that was going nowhere. So, they were in full knowledge that he would sell up if there was no positive reaction, OK ... maybe he shouldn't have put the BSPL under so much pressure, yet the general consensus amongst fans is that the sport in GB needs to change for it to make any progress, and that pressure is therefore very justifiable, especially when it's from someone such as CL. Other promoters who have had new ideas and/or tried something different have simply walked away. Thousands of fans have simply walked away. The new buyers would rightly want to carry out due diligence (and have it carried out on them) - I have no idea what specifically is involved, but I can imagine that for British speedway it could be rather difficult. The poor condition of British speedway is to blame ...

I'm not saying that you're wrong. The point is though, it's open to interpretation. The first phrase, stating the most recent MA counts, is qualified where there are two from the same season - someone must have asked that question. This indicates that if there is a valid Established MA from a previous season, it should be used - and the 2025 Regs said that Established MAs could be used from 23 and 24, which implies that for the 2026 season, they can count Established MAs from 24 & 25. Therefore ... it can be argued that Nicholls' most recent Established MA for the Prem is from 2024. It demonstrates how poor the wording is in the Regs. The new Regs could be different and, of course, could introduce even more debatably-worded gumph.

As I said though, the wording states that the *most recent* Established MA will be used, and *if* there's an Established MA in both leagues in the same season, the relevant MA will apply. Nicholls most recent Established MA in the Prem is from 2024, he didn't have one from 2025 because he only rode as a guest. So: Plymouth use him on his 2025 Champ MA, and if he rides in the Prem it would be on his 2024 Prem MA.

But it says: "The most recently established MA will be used. If a rider has an established MA in both the Premiership and Championship Leagues, established in the same season, that leagues MA will apply to that league." So the key there is that the most recently established MA will be used, and if established in the same season, the relevant MA will apply. However, Nicholls has an Established MA in the Prem from 2024 which, under the current wording of the Regs, would apply in 2026.

???

2025 Regs: 10.2.1 Established MA's "... At the end of each season the BSP LTD will produce a listing of all riders who have competed in British Speedway during that season and following approval and/or amendment at their AGM. The MA’s, excluding bonus points but including other allowances will be the riders MA for the following season. These MA’s will remain affective for team building, team positioning, facilities, until new MA’s become effective. The most recently established MA will be used. If a rider has an established MA in both the Premiership and Championship Leagues, established in the same season, that leagues MA will apply to that league. To be effective 7 days after the last qualifying meeting. Any rider returning to British Speedway on an established MA, achieved prior to 2023 will establish an updated MA after completing 6 applicable meetings. ..." The last paragraph implies that if a rider had an Established MA from 2023 or 2024, it would count. Assuming the 2026 Regs are updated by a year, then Established MAs from 2025 or 2024 would count ... thus Nicholls could be on his 2024 Prem MA ... NB: the grammar and speeling in the Regs is appalling.

Not me. if you check back, you'll see that my comment was in response to whoever thought it would affect his TV work.

CL must have a genuine belief that things would turn out differently at the AGM. It seems he wasn't planning to build a "Premiership" team, so can't be blamed for decisions made by people who want to plough on regardless. I don't blame him at all for walking away. CL put a huge part of his life into the club (and his wife did too) - fairly soon, he'll be able to get on with a different sort of life.

Nicholls doesn't work for BSN.

Trouble is, Foxhall is a long way from most tracks, and Championship circuits are a major trek: Oxford 144 miles* Scunthorpe 189 miles Poole 205 miles Redcar 265 miles Plymouth 310 miles Workington 340 miles Berwick 357 miles Glasgow 417 miles Edinburgh 425 miles * even Oxford is a bugger of a journey from east Suffolk - I know, because I've driven it many times (when Son #2 was at Uni).

Yet again, you reply without quoting ...