Spidvej

That's not how you spell Rohan Tungate

I think we’ve finally cracked the mystery of the BSPL’s undercover PR man — step forward, Steve Irving! In nearly half a century following speedway, I’ve never seen such single‑minded loyalty to the party line. For Steve, every corner of the speedway garden is blooming, and every promoter walks on water. It’s almost touching — almost. Maybe pop an AirTag on that self‑respect, Steve, in case it wanders off again. Now, if he took a moment away from cheerleading, he might notice what’s happening elsewhere in motorsport media. Crash.net and others are reporting that Richard Coleman is “fully focused” on his MotoGP duties as Team Principal with Tech3 — and that’s no small commitment. Remember, 2026 is the final season for 1000cc engines before MotoGP moves to 850cc in 2027, which means non‑stop testing and development is already underway. Yet, somehow, Coleman also claims to be giving his total focus to MotoGP, the Speedway GP series, and Ipswich Speedway. Quite the feat! Perhaps he’s mastered quantum cloning. Realistically, though, Ipswich fans should expect Andrew Chisholm to be the one holding the reins at Foxhall this year. Steve might want to grab a selfie with his idol early — Coleman sightings in Suffolk could be rarer than unicorns by mid‑season. And before anyone complains that this reads like an essay — guilty as charged. I must have missed the point in time when education and critical thinking became surplus to requirements. Maybe that’s why “Hawk127”, who is seemingly bereft of a dictionary, thinks "woke" is an insult. It just means being a decent person — who wouldn’t want that? Anyway, I’ll leave the PR spin to Steve and the BSPL. Some of us still prefer our motorsport journalism with a touch of reality, not rose‑tinted propaganda.

My mind goes to 2 riders: Mikkel Bech, who has already been mentioned Jesper B. Jensen who later changed his name to Jesper B. Monberg, and who won the 1997 World Under 21 Championship.

Try TONY GAUL And yes, I will now be flamed harder than a Whopper at Burger King, Dean LOL

Before putting this together, I was obviously well aware that the usual suspects — the Richard Coleman fan club from deepest, darkest Bury St. Edmunds and beyond — would be ready with their pom-poms to defend their hero. Anyway… While browsing the FIM Speedway website earlier, I noticed a link to the Mayfield Sports Events site and decided to take a look: https://www.mayfield-ms.com Ignoring the outdated design (it’s mostly text blocks and dated graphics), what instantly stood out was this: there’s no mention whatsoever of Speedway or MotoGP. It’s all about Formula 1. And even that’s stuck in the past — the site lists Günther Steiner as Haas F1 Team Principal (he left in January 2024) and Otmar Szafnauer as Alpine’s Team Principal (he departed in 2023). We’re now in February 2026, which means the Mayfield site hasn’t been updated in at least two years. Odd, isn’t it? Not that the Coleman cheerleaders will see a problem, of course… Coming from a background in the insurance industry — particularly compliance — I can say this much: the situation with Coleman/Mayfield doesn’t pass the “smell test.” Back in the day, we’d make sure anyone collecting client money — insurance agents, advisers, financial consultants — was “fit and proper”: no major debts beyond a mortgage, no red flags for embezzlement or mismanagement. When I read posts from “Flagrag” and “DHSS” on the Northampton thread, and then see multiple companies with near-identical names, plus Coleman’s previous court case, it all feels… off. Something doesn’t quite add up. My prediction (and honestly, I hope I’m wrong): even if Coleman and Mayfield finally complete their long-awaited takeover of Ipswich Speedway, they’ll scrape through 2026 by the skin of their teeth — if they finish the season at all. And when the dust settles? We could potentially be looking at unpaid riders, unpaid suppliers, disappointed sponsors, and a fair few let-down fans, and Coleman trying to run away from unpaid bills and responsibilities!

Before putting this together, I was obviously well aware that the usual suspects — the Richard Coleman fan club from deepest, darkest Bury St. Edmunds and beyond — would be ready with their pom-poms to defend their hero. Anyway… While browsing the FIM Speedway website earlier, I noticed a link to the Mayfield Sports Events site and decided to take a look: https://www.mayfield-ms.com Ignoring the outdated design (it’s mostly text blocks and dated graphics), what instantly stood out was this: there’s no mention whatsoever of Speedway or MotoGP. It’s all about Formula 1. And even that’s stuck in the past — the site lists Günther Steiner as Haas F1 Team Principal (he left in January 2024) and Otmar Szafnauer as Alpine’s Team Principal (he departed in 2023). We’re now in February 2026, which means the Mayfield site hasn’t been updated in at least two years. Odd, isn’t it? Not that the Coleman cheerleaders will see a problem, of course… Coming from a background in the insurance industry — particularly compliance — I can say this much: the situation with Coleman/Mayfield doesn’t pass the “smell test.” Back in the day, we’d make sure anyone collecting client money — insurance agents, advisers, financial consultants — was “fit and proper”: no major debts beyond a mortgage, no red flags for embezzlement or mismanagement. When I read posts from “Flagrag” and “DHSS” on the Northampton thread, and then see multiple companies with near-identical names, plus Coleman’s previous court case, it all feels… off. Something doesn’t quite add up. My prediction (and honestly, I hope I’m wrong): even if Coleman and Mayfield finally complete their long-awaited takeover of Ipswich Speedway, they’ll scrape through 2026 by the skin of their teeth — if they finish the season at all. And when the dust settles? We could potentially be looking at unpaid riders, unpaid suppliers, disappointed sponsors, and a fair few let-down fans, and Coleman trying to run away from unpaid bills and responsibilities!

“Don’t feed the troll,” they cry — I’m starting to wonder, does that mean you need your nappy changed, or do you just enjoy soiling yourself in public? Some of the people on this thread seem allergic to facts — it’s as if they’re competing with my grandkids (who, for the record, haven’t even graduated kindergarten). Do they stick their fingers in their ears, shut their eyes, and scream whenever something inconvenient pops up? It’s honestly pitiful watching supposed grown adults act like toddlers, simply because easily verifiable and publicly available information doesn’t fit their fantasy that ‘Mayfield Sports Events’ — or whatever name they’re using this week — are somehow the saviours of speedway.

You're totally missing the point ! If they cant lay on a buffet, how the heck do you expect Coleman / Mayfield to run the SGP, be team principal for a MotoGP team, possibly run Ipswich Witches AND have an involvement in Formula 1 ?

Oh you're in the cult, too ? I am certainly not Polish ! You are referencing a different company ! Well done on your attempt at willful misdirection though ! See here: MAYFIELD SPORTS EVENTS LIMITED overview - Find and update company information - GOV.UK MAYFIELD SPORTS EVENTS LIMITED 16629633 - Incorporated on 5 August 2025 15 High Street, Brackley, Northamptonshire, England, NN13 7DH Registered office address 15 High Street, Brackley, Northamptonshire, England, NN13 7DH Company status Active Company type Private limited Company Incorporated on 5 August 2025 Accounts First accounts made up to 31 August 2026 due by 5 May 2027 Confirmation statement First statement date 4 August 2026 due by 18 August 2026 Nature of business (SIC) 93199 - Other sports activities If we get to the end of the 2026 British speedway season, with the involvement of Mayfield Sports Events, and the 2026 Speedway SGP season, then I will gladly eat humble pie, as it will mean that the sport hasnt been damaged, but thre is a long way to go between now and October...

Dont give up the day job, as if you are trying to be a comedian, you wont even be able to sweep the stage ! I never worked in banking, and was fortunate enough to be able to take early retirement, so you trying to be a smug little grass fell flat, unfortunately for you !

Steve Irving seems to have developed a mild allergy to facts when it comes to Richard Coleman and Mayfield Sports Events. A quick look at Companies House shows that Mayfield only came into existence in August 2025 — meaning any “track record of success” is, at best, still in the paddock. A quick Google confirms that while MotoGP’s Tech3 team has a long list of investors, Richard Coleman is not among them. Mayfield hasn’t even staged a single Speedway Grand Prix heat as event controllers yet, but somehow found time to slice riders’ prize money by up to 30%. Yet Steve calls their involvement “huge”… and he’s right, just not in the way he thinks. It’s a huge gamble — a huge leap into the unknown. Meanwhile, the much‑rumoured Mayfield takeover of Ipswich Speedway still looks some distance from the chequered flag. With February 18th upon us and no deal in sight, we’ll probably see the Easter Bunny before that contracts get inked. Maybe Steve’s just still got stars in his eyes from his favourite little‑known TV show, Track Idol, where he votes for Richard Coleman week after week — while the rest of us prefer the factual series Unblinkered. You have also never considered that, being born in the late 1960s, I have been in and around speedway for a very long time, nor have you considered that I have crossed paths with Coleman and know how he operates... For the sake of speedway, and people, fans, riders and others, potentially left high and dry by Coleman / Mayfield, but history says otherwise... Have you seen Flagrag's comments later in this thread ? : "Unfortunately Mayfield don’t have a great record with Speedway organisational skills. The GPs that they promoted operationally were a disaster with a number of important things that they forgot to arrange and in the end Discovery got them out of a mess by arranging the missing bits and bringing their operations team in. Even on the day little things were not arranged like buffet and food for officials , sponsors not getting their pit walks and badge allocation with track marshals names not on lists for practice just for the event etc "

Problem is, and it's a big problem for not only Ipswich and / or Northampton, but British Speedway as a whole, especially at this extremely late stage, is that Richard Coleman does not have money at his disposal, he always uses other people's money. The guy wants to be Christian Horner, but is very much a "pound shop" version, playing with other's money. A google search regarding the new owners / investors of the "Tech3" MotoGP team reveals the following: Tech3 MotoGP Investors Pierre Gasly and David Blitzer are part of a broader investor group acquiring Tech3 MotoGP, led by Günther Steiner and IKON Capital. Additional investors include Main Street Advisors (led by Paul Wachter), Bolt Ventures (David Blitzer's firm), SLAM/TRAIL (Gasly's group), and others such as ALK Capital, Penman Holdings’ Barry English, Tom Stafford, Charles de Carvalho, and Dolphin Capital’s Richard Cook. Notice the absence of Richard Coleman as an investor? He may be the team principal, but he is basically "just" an employee as things stand. David Blitzer holds stakes across major leagues as co-managing partner of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE), owning the Philadelphia 76ers (NBA) and New Jersey Devils (NHL). He has minority ownership in the Cleveland Guardians (MLB, 25% with option for control), Washington Commanders (NFL), and previously Real Salt Lake/Utah Royals (MLS, sold majority in 2025 but retains stake). Blitzer also owns stakes in international soccer clubs via Global Football Holdings, including Crystal Palace (Premier League), FC Augsburg (Bundesliga), Brøndby IF (Denmark), and others like Estoril Praia (Portugal) and ADO Den Haag (Netherlands); additional investments cover Joe Gibbs Racing (NASCAR) and more. Tech3 MotoGP is based in Bormes-les-Mimosas, 65 miles from Marseille, in Provence in the south of France. Also, In the Speedway Star magazine interview dated September 27, 2025, Coleman discussed his new role as FIM Speedway Grand Prix (SGP) promoter from 2026, stating that the budget for the series would be cut compared to previous years, which we now know has cut prize money by around 25% - 30%, with racesuits also falling by the wayside in favour of a return to old style race jackets.. In the article, Coleman highlighted his involvement with the South of France-based Tech3 MotoGP team as Team Principal, noting he would attend some SGP events but not committing to all, amid Mayfield's growing Formula 1 engagements in addition to MotoGP with "Tech3"... While Mayfield Sports Events are viewed by some as saviors for Ipswich Speedway, given the extensive commitments outlined above, how will Coleman manage to fit everything in? He wont - Coleman will rely on SGP hosting tracks and loyal Ipswich staff to operate SGP events and league racing, while prioritising MotoGP. For example, the day after the two SGP events at Belle Vue, there is a round of MotoGP in Hungary, with MotoGP practice happening whilst the SGP is in full flow in Manchester. Wonder where Coleman will be that weekend, and other such clashing weekends? The probable hold up to Mayfield's heavily rumoured takeover at Ipswich? A lack of investment, other's investment funds, as Coleman himself hasnt got the money. The sport will find out he is a Walter Mitty character, who spins a good yarn, but who has as much financial substance as Arthur Daley & Del Boy Trotter !

Richard Coleman, co-owner and Team Principal of MotoGP's Tech3 team, discussed his excitement for the sport's future under Liberty Media in a "Business of Sport" podcast interview, heavily emphasizing MotoGP's business potential while making no mention of his speedway commitments. MotoGP as Top Priority: Coleman portrays MotoGP as an "undervalued sports asset" with massive growth mirroring F1's boom, calling riders "gladiators of the modern age" at 236 mph and focusing extensively on team commercialization, global expansion, and Liberty's $4.9bn investment. He details plans to evolve Tech3 from a "good race team" into a "great racing team" with robust commercial functions, noting the entire MotoGP paddock's marketing resources pale compared to one F1 team like Red Bull's 100+ staff. The full 1+ hour interview centers solely on MotoGP's economics, safety, rider talent, and strategies like cost caps, signaling intense personal focus amid 20+ race weekends, testing, and travel—contrasting sharply with speedway's calendar. Speedway in the Background: Coleman omitted any reference to his Mayfield Sports Events role as FIM Speedway GP promoter from 2026 or rumored Ipswich Speedway ownership, despite recent scrutiny over clashing commitments with MotoGP. Fan and Market Demographics: Coleman rejects MotoGP as purely "blue collar," arguing fans buy £25k Ducati's or Honda's as "luxury products" akin to Rolexes, attracting high-end sponsors beyond oil/tourism—pivoting to "luxury lifestyle" under Liberty. This contrasts speedway's working-class image, as Coleman sees MotoGP's affluent buyers fueling merchandise and team revenue, unlike speedway's grassroots appeal.

The charts are in wrong order ! Look at the paragraph of text immediately above the figures, as confirmed in today's Speedway Star Magazine Link to Polish Article (Chrome can translate into English): A shocking decision by the organizers of the World Cup. Competitors will lose nearly PLN 1.5 million

New ideas in speedway are always exciting and should be welcomed with open arms. However, chasing grand ambitions without solid capital of your own is a recipe for trouble—Mayfield Sports Events Ltd is banking heavily on sponsorships and others’ money to fuel their big promoter dreams, and that support could evaporate overnight. The massive contract dangled to Robert Lambert—if he bites—looks unsustainable past June under Mayfield’s shaky model. Lambert, fresh off GP silver and Nations golds, commands top dollar, but without steady revenue, such payrolls spell crisis. Fans deserve stability, not hype built on sand.