1 valve

So you mean teams need to run a squad system and sign riders who are not doubling up? Would this mean that maybe those reserve riders may not get to ride for their team at all nor be able to ride for another team. Or if you are thinking available riders do not actually sign for a club but remain in a pool then surely you have the risk that a rider could ride for a team and then against them the very next week.

Teams closing is indeed a sad matter however you are mistaken in believing the Premiership is largely responsible for teams closing. Birmingham, Wolves, Peterborough, Swindon, Coventry. Lost to development. Sheffield & Ipswich for sale but more than likely to run in 2026. Oxford, decision made to reduce number of teams because arguably having three teams understandably proving too much for fans to support from a cost point of view.

And why is it making things worse?

RR is using declared riders of the team so what is wrong with that or are you saying injuries are not allowed? Or maybe you are simply over reacting.

I agree, the premiership was broken last year - unfortunately, rather than working to repair and get the thing moving in the right direction the majority of the BSPL appear not to have the will, money, courage, acumen or foresight to do anything about it. Having a Premiership is very good or even essential for UK speedway. As the pinnacle of the sport it should create the target for ambition and aspiration of riders/promoters and fans which in itself drives the need by clubs for planning aimed at continually delivering year on year improvements. Regrettably, The majority (not all) of promoting organisations within the BSPL, far from working in unison insist operating in individual silos with next to no regard to other promotions and a big picture, long term approach thus with an absence of a vision for the future the outcome continues to be a disjointed and ineffectual organisation destroying the very fabric of what could be possible.

Almost every team sport I can think of has differing levels of competition albeit that the top flight does not necessarily produces the best entertainment all of the time when compared with the lower tiers of the same said sport. However, having multi levels/divisions/leagues of any particular team sport should serve to create ambition and aspiration to reach the very top of the chosen sport. This objective is applicable to owners, players and fans alike with a clearly defined pinnacle being the significant attraction for sponsors, investors and TV companies which ultimately creates interest in the lower echelons or "grass roots" as it is often referred too. Unfortunately, UK speedway looks like it is heading towards creating one (low) level of competitiveness with no reason/need for a team/promotion to do anything other than to survive year on year. As such, rather than having a professional sport striving to grow from within and increasing its fan base speedway is in danger of looking more like a circus coming to town. And it is son much more than that. Conversely, having an elite top flight league in the UK acting as a show piece for the sport creates the opportunity for ambition and aspiration to be encapsulated in order for the sport to flourish at all levels. There can be no doubt that a five team premier league, missing many of the recent top riders who have raced in the UK is far from ideal. However, and I say this more in hope than belief, keeping a top flight in 2026 is paramount to plans for 2027 and beyond, if during this coming year it is used as a catalyst to establish new significant sponsorship, investment & TV coverage. I know if I was marketing the sport, I would need that clear demarcation and it would be of no surprise if Speedway Futures were also of that opinion.

So you believe Stuart Dickson wishes the Premier League to continue so that he can have/keep two jobs? And that’s it?

Strange comment for you to make & only applicable to blind lemmings? Surely, if you don’t want it, then don’t buy it is the more sensible course of action isn’t it?

The owners would not be selling only “fixed assets” but selling a “going concern” to include the assets and “good will” being an intangible value representing its brand, loyal customers, reputation and license to trade in speedway. Of course if no buyer can be found and the business closes then the “assets” are all that remains to be sold off in order to meet money owed to creditors.

When selling/buying a business as a going concern the balance sheet, although interesting is not the prime consideration. “Operating profit” is the figure used to value a business i.e the profit made before accounting for interest and tax. In some instances depreciation is also excluded. Depending on the likely growth prospects a multiplier of between 4x (poor) & 8x (good) of the operating profit would be used to value the business. Using your calculation, it would appear Louis is asking £200k for his business so using a moderate 6x multiplier it would indicate an annual profit (before tax & interest) of £33k. This would yield a gross return of 16.6% on the £200k investment which appears about right considering the state of UK speedway and the risk of investing in a volatile industry.

There is the distinct possibility that if they do not run in the Premiership then for a number of reasons they will not run in the championship either.

Doesn’t Ady Dayman do the earlier show? It’s Ben Jackson from 10

Would be interesting to know what Scunthorpe thought Josh had signed when announcing his signing for 2026...Doesn't appear to have been a contract.

You are correct - I'm not stupid. Further, I'm smart enough to recognise that there are many things wrong with UK speedway that need sorting out way ahead of the matter of a team manager "doubling up" across two entirely separate competitions. Although you raise "conflict of interest" within the context of damaging the credibility of the sport, there is in fact no conflict of interest given a conflict of interest exists when an individual has competing interests, which might impair their ability to make objective, unbiased decisions. - clearly that is not the case with Dickson as his two employers are more than happy for the arrangement to continue.

I do agree that unfortunately the guest system is and always has been a (sort of) requirement of speedway. However, it is too often used as a first option over R/R and in many cases gives the team to draft in a track specialist. I’d much rather see teams having to use RR in the first instance with guests allowed only if two or more riders are absent and then the guest to be used as a replacement for the rider with the lower average - RR for the highest.

If I have understood you correctly, rather than accusing me of being a part of a problem that I had no input in creating nor control of at any time, perhaps you could actually answer my initial question to your somewhat sarcastic post re Stewart Dickson's roles at Leicester & Berwick as damaging the credibility of the sport - How is this the case?

I do agree that unfortunately the guest system is and always has been a (sort of) requirement of speedway. However, it is too often used as a first option over R/R and in many cases gives the team to draft in a track specialist. I’d much rather see teams having to use RR in the first instance with guests allowed only if two or more riders are absent and then the guest to be used as a replacement for the rider with the lower average - RR for the highest.

Where is the damage to credibility? Two leagues, two entirely separate competitions with no conflict of interest. If you are genuinely concerned about identifying and removing matters which do damage to the sports credibility - start with the farce of allowing “guest riders” drawn from riders in the same league & competition.

Great shame that “they” are not the collective British speedway promoters working together for the future of the sport.

Who are “they”? The minority premiership promoters or the majority of the Championship? So long as it’s the former nothing for the new guys to be worried about is there? However, if as you say a Championship promotion has offered help, is that for Cradley to become a Championship or premiership club?

Who are “they”? The minority premiership promoters or the majority of the Championship? So long as it’s the former nothing for the new guys to be worried about is there? However, if as you say a Championship promotion has offered help, is that for Cradley to become a Championship or premiership club?

A great shame (although not surprising given the prominent me/I first attitude of promoters) that the entrepreneurs behind getting Crafley back into speedway have had to do so without credible support from the governing body. However why have you have picked out the Premier League to be shoved out of sight when the majority of the BSPL are championship promoters?

Remember, the BSPL is not an independent body, but collectively the bunch of promoters running clubs the breadth of the UK. The fallacy is to believe that the majority of the same said promoters care about the overall well being & future of the sport. It’s clear the promoters continue to deal with what’s in front of their noses to the exclusion of any long term plan thus we should not be surprised if the current farcical situation is made worse.

Big challenge to join the Championship. 1. None of the 2025 season riders would be returning 2. A new team manager required. 3. Highly doubtful any quality riders would be available. So, at a time when speedway folk apparently lament the loss of speedway stadiums to the villainous developers a purpose built facility will become dormant - and it will be of no surprise if some folk on this forum attempt to justify the needless stupidity of the situation.

Not all companies are poorly run just because they fail to turn a profit. Reddit (20yrs) Pelaton (13yrs) & Airbnb(16yrs) are three companies who have never made profit but continue to grow market share & their business with support from their investors. Unfortunately, I feel all three of those organisations will be profitable many years before UK speedway promoters can get their collective act together and build a positive future for the sport.