JamesB

I’ve said it on here before and now Louis directly references it in this latest interview. Due Diligence, both Financial and Legal is a critical element of the sale process of any business and takes place after the parties have agreed the terms of the sale/purchase. I will remain nervous until confirmation that contracts have been signed.

I have counted 14 riders (including R/S’s) in declared Premiership line ups who will be doubling up/down in 2026. There are still 14 Premiership places to be filled, so a good few still to be added. Even more if the sixth team materialises. How can speedway in this country cope without doubling up/down? Also, how could one league work if another 15/20 riders had to be found?

If it’s Mayfield then that will put a rocket up the BSPL!

Some interesting wording used in that statement; ‘a sale has been agreed’ and ‘now going through due process’. Does that mean that Financial Due Diligence has been completed or will now be undertaken as part of the ‘due process? FDD can scupper an agreed sale, so if it’s the latter, then I remain a little nervous. Hopefully, it is just referring to completion of the legals.

You’re not buying the line of a sixth team then? 😂

We are confirmed as running - good news. No further details in the AGM statement. Edwards is the RS.

Something always seems to go wrong when our Norfolk brethren start to catch up in a limited way with the sporting achievements of their Suffolk counterparts. I seem to recall that the Budgies couldn’t play in Europe when they finally did qualify. I suppose there might come a day when they win a European competition, the Division 1/Premiership or even the FA Cup. 😀

The statement clearly said that ‘the Premiership will feature a minimum line up of five teams’. Therefore, one of the following must have been true at the time of the announcement: 1. The sale of the Witches was all but done bar the paperwork. or 2. A new team had agreed to run in 2026. Clearly, in light of the Louis update, 1. had not happened. If 2. had happened then would they not have been better off confirming that fact, even if it was subject to formal agreement at the AGM which surely would be a ‘give un’. I am not convinced that either of the above had/have happened. My view is that their preferred outcome is that the sale of the Witches is completed and that they compete in the 2026 Premiership. If this doesn’t happen, then I suspect that there is a cobbled together Plan B that they will fall back on.

That’s some welcome good news. Do you think so? I thought he was happy with just Lynn and didn’t want the additional hassle of another team.

Zmarzlik has finally decided that he needs to improve his small track skills………..😀

I hope you are right in so far as: 1. The Witches come to the tapes next season. 2. We have a good number 1 and competitive team.

Hmmm. I smell something fishy here and it’s not the contents of Baldrick’s apple crumble.

Are you sure about this? If Louis is in Australia and there has been no sale agreed, who can they be doing deals with? Have Kevin Long and Bob Ellis been given some delegated authority?

That would be one hell of a schedule particularly when you add in the GP’s as well.

You may be correct, who knows. If you are, then Louis needs to be careful that he is not painting himself into a corner. Closing the club down for a year is very likely to decrease its value further particularly in a downgraded ‘one league scenario’ for 2027. Also, it’s easier to sell a business that is still trading. Taking an offer now could be preferable to a reduced offer or even no offers following the 2026 season. Perhaps, he is hoping for a 2027 model that is more to his liking and continuing to run the club after a seasons break. Only time will tell.

If the idea is that teams are to pick their own race night ‘to ensure their survival’, then that has to be the case. However, this is what I genuinely do not understand about the one league argument predicated on teams choosing their own race nights. De Facto, that must preclude the inclusion of anyone who races in Poland, Denmark and maybe Sweden. The only alternative is to allow these riders and cover their frequent absences by r/r or guest, which would bring us full circle. If they are to be precluded, where are all the riders going to be found for the one league?

Therefore, whatever those nights are then they become the ‘mandated race nights’ for which riders must be available. If that is Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday then so be it.

I agree with you 100%. If there is to be one league then it has to be based on and only use riders that are available on whatever nights are mandated as race nights. I don’t like the idea of one league but if that is the only solution then at least ensure it has credibility.

He can inform them as many times as he wants. If he has signed a contract then unless Scunthorpe agree to release him from it he has to ride for them. If he doesn’t, then he is in breach of contract and can ultimately be sued by Scunthorpe. If he hasn’t signed a contract, then happy days.

That may be what he would want to do, but if he has signed a contract with Scunthorpe and they want to enforce it, then he will have a problem. Unless there are termination for convenience clauses, he could be sued for breach of contract. He could always try and buy himself out of the contract. Unless the promoters collectively agree to make all contracts signed null and void, then I think the boat has already sailed on one league for 2026.

It’s a complete and utter mess. If they can scrape to five, then they will have to go with that. If they can’t, then it looks to me like all bets are off.

It’s difficult to quantify exactly what the current position is. The current Championship clubs are continuing to announce signings which seems to point to: Premiership A potential league of five teams: Belle Vue Kings Lynn Leicester Sheffield Ipswich The obvious elephant in the room is that two of these need to find new owners and we are in December. Even if new owners are found, the still major secondary problem is that a five team league is borderline unviable and potentially value destroying. Is there really going to be a new ‘unicorn’ club conjured up from somewhere? Championship Everything is pointing to this continuing in the existing format with the existing clubs. If you believe some of the rumours, there is an active position that if any of the existing Premiership clubs wanted to join, then they would be turned down. Outcomes If there is a scenario where either one or both of Ipswich and Sheffield do not find a new owner, then the Premiership is toast. This would mean that either: - The Championship is prepared to expand and accept the rump of the Premiership clubs. - Three, maybe four (whatever is left) of the Premiership clubs do not come to the tapes for the 2026 season. One League for 2026 Arguably, with the number of signings already made by Championship clubs, the boat has already sailed on this. Either, the Premiership clubs joining the one league would have to build teams from a very shallow pool both in terms of numbers and talent or the existing Championship clubs agree to wipe the board and each participant club in the one league starts to team build from scratch. I really cannot see the latter option being accepted by those who would need to. Worst Case A number of Belle Vue, Kings Lynn, Leicester, Ipswich and Sheffield do not come to the tapes for the 2026 season. Four of those clubs do not have any current issues with landlords, potential eviction, housing developments, etc. If this happens, then it has to be the absolute definition of insanity on the part of those who bring it about.

In the context of his statement, that would be extremely surprising. “….unfortunately it is time to step aside, but I leave the club and the sport with so many great memories that will last forever. Thank you.” That seems to make it clear that he is leaving the sport.

Any sale process will take time (even assuming a buyer can be found). As far as I am aware, there is still no buyer for Sheffield. That must leave the Premiership as totally unviable for 2026 and therefore the only option to those left standing is one league. I have said it before and will continue to say it, that approach will be the end of speedway in any meaningful way in this country.

Louis walking away has to tell you that speedway in this country is in a lot of trouble.