Speedway fan

For Birmingham .. Tom Spencer, Arran Butcher and Senna Summers

BIRMINGHAM have added three riders to their National Development Trophy side - and all have a connection with the club. Arran Butcher is already an official asset who has previously ridden for the Brummies in the National Development League as well as for the Ductair Bulls in the MDL. He was also mechanic for Freddie Lindgren during his time at Perry Barr in 2024 and has now invested heavily in his own equipment for next term. Tom Spencer is another rider who has also represented the Bulls in the past whilst Senna Summers is the son of former Brummie Aaron Summers. Ductair Bulls Team Manager Laurence Rogers said: “Not only will these be three solid signings for our NDT team, but it’s also nice that they’ve got some form of association with Birmingham already. “Arran is the one people will be most familiar with I’m sure and he had a really good year for Leicester in the NDL last season. “Tom had his first rides at the training schools I used to run at Peterborough and again he showed some of his true potential for Leicester this year. “Senna is another rider improving all the time and interestingly, he actually made his competitive racing debut in the MDL for Redcar against the Birmingham Bulls! “Adding those three to Darryl (Ritchings) and Eli (Meadows) gives us an interesting side so far with two spaces now to fill.”

ELI Meadows is the second rider to sign up for Birmingham’s National Development Trophy side. The 20-year-old is no stranger to Perry Barr having been a second-half regular in recent seasons. He represented the club in this year’s Midland Development League where he averaged 11.45, the highest figure at that level. He’ll also be racing for the Leicester Lion Cubs in the National Development League in 2025 and Ductair Bulls team manager Laurence Rogers says Meadows deserves his team place. “His stats for us in the MDL this year were superb,” Rogers said. “He rode seven meetings, had 22 rides and scored 63 points - that’s pretty amazing for any rider at any level. “He’s a good kid and again I think he’ll only benefit and keep progressing with the extra bike time he’s going to be getting.” Meadows signed his deal at the Supporters’ Club Christmas Party on Friday where Tom Brennan, who has since moved to Ipswich, claimed a clean sweep of honours for his performances for the Brummies in the 2024 ROWE Motor Oil Premiership.

ELI MEADOWS SIGNED HIS CONTRACT FOR BIRMINGHAM ON FRIDAY AT THEIR XMAS PARTY

FORMER title winner Darryl Ritchings has opted to ride for Birmingham as part of their National Development Trophy team in his comeback campaign. The Wiltshire born racer is the first name confirmed for the Ductair Bulls’ side - the day after he was announced by Oxford in the third tier as he returns to shale racing for the first time in eight years. Ritchings was a part of the Brummies’ memorable 2016 team who won the National League and hasn’t raced competitively since he quit the sport part way through 2017. But whilst continuing with other motorsport disciplines whilst starting a family, he now has the speedway bug back and will be a very welcome face back at Perry Barr. Ductair Bulls team manager Laurence Rogers said: “I’ve known Darryl since he started racing and he attended my training schools at Newport initially. “He then rode for me for the Hornets and later Coventry Storm and he’s always been great to work with. “I saw him ride on the grass last year and we got talking and we recently discussed his comeback at the Speedway Show at Gaydon. “When we confirmed we were in the NDT, he was keen on coming back to Birmingham and it’s good to have him back. “With Oxford giving him a team spot in the NDL, he will be getting more track time which is just what he needs.” The Bulls are expected to name a second rider for their NDT side at Friday’s (December 13) BSSC Christmas Party at Aston Manor Cricket Club with full details available via the Birmingham Speedway Supporters Club Facebook page.

ASH retired . James had bad grass accident and been having operations on his arm and unlikely to come back

stadium and landlord's rules

Have messaged you with his number

MARK SAWBRIDGE

NDL EXPANDS FOR 2025 Thursday, November 28, 2024 BRITISH Speedway’s National Development League structure will expand in 2025 to feature more clubs and more track time for the sport’s young riders. All six competing teams from this year will return, whilst with five more clubs entering the NDL system, a new National Trophy competition has been formed. The two competitions will have the same points limit and regulations, but they will run as separate entities. And therefore it will be possible for riders to sign both for a club in the NDL and also a club in the National Trophy – therefore maximising their track time and almost doubling their meetings at this level compared with 2024. The points limit for both competitions has been set at 38, and both will be settled on a league-only basis of one home and one away match against each opponent, with the league leaders declared champions. The clubs in the two competitions are: NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE: Belle Vue, Edinburgh, Leicester, Middlesbrough, Oxford, Scunthorpe/Sheffield. NATIONAL TROPHY: Birmingham, Kent Eagles, King’s Lynn (subject to confirmation), Plymouth, Workington. British Speedway chairman Rob Godfrey said: “The National League really came back to life last season, so it’s great to have all six clubs back for that but also now to be able to introduce the additional National Trophy group. “That group will utilise largely the same riders as the NDL which means they will get maximum track time between the two groups, and also more experience on different circuits. “If you look at it from a rider’s point of view, they will have a home track in the NDL and all the away tracks in that league, and then if they’re in the National Trophy they will have another home track there along with four more different away tracks to visit. “There’s no replication between the two groups, so really it’s fast-track experience for the riders and they’re going to be much busier next year compared to this, when we do appreciate there were some big gaps for them. “We’re also delighted to have a Southern based club coming back with Kent competing in the Trophy, and we welcome them into the competition. “Everyone is doing this for the right reasons, and we’ve now created more meetings for the Youth and developing riders to participate in, and with the majority of our tracks involved, so we see this as very positive all-round.”

three actually with two separate Birmingham teams and Leicester meeting home and away twice and have produced many new riders

clubs there were Workington, Oxford, Plymouth and Birmingham

MIDLAND DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE 2024 (League Matches only, excluding bonus points) Compiled by Mike Moseley. Rider Mat Rides Points BP Total Average Kai Ward 1 3 9 0 9 12.00 Eli Meadows 7 22 63 0 63 11.45 Ryan Ashcroft 4 11 30 1 31 10.91 Bailey Fellows 3 7 17 0 17 9.71 Jacob Fellows 4 13 30 1 31 9.23 Sonny Springer 1 4 9 0 9 9.00 Billy Budd 3 8 17 0 17 8.50 Max Broadhurst 5 12 24 0 24 8.00 Harrison Rogers 7 23 45 4 49 7.83 Hayden Watts 1 3 5 0 5 6.67 Jamie Etherington 3 8 11 1 12 5.50 Joe Crewe 9 31 41 13 54 5.29 Liam Cox 3 9 11 2 13 4.89 Harley Driscoll-Freeman 7 23 21 2 23 3.65 Jack Crewe 8 28 25 9 34 3.57 Jake Breeze 6 18 10 4 14 2.22 Will Boraston 6 16 8 1 9 2.00 Ben Phillips 1 4 2 0 2 2.00 Wayne Hutt 1 1 0 0 0 0.00

MIDLAND DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE AVERAGES 2024 League matches only. Averages don't include bonus points. (Compiled by Mike Moseley) BIRMINGHAM (BULLS) RIDER MAT RIDES POINTS BP TOTAL AVERAGE Bailey Fellows 2 5 13 0 13 10.40 Jacob Fellows 4 13 30 1 31 9.23 Billy Budd 3 8 17 0 17 8.50 Hayden Watts 1 3 5 0 5 6.67 Joe Crewe 7 25 34 10 44 5.44 Harley Driscoll-Freeman 1 3 3 0 3 4.00 Jack Crewe 7 24 20 7 27 3.33 Max Broadhurst 1 1 0 0 0 0.00 BIRMINGHAM (BUFFALOES) Ryan Ashcroft 2 6 18 0 18 12.00 Eli Meadows 7 22 63 0 63 11.45 Max Broadhurst 4 11 24 0 24 8.73 Harrison Rogers 1 3 5 2 7 6.67 Jake Breeze 6 18 10 4 14 2.22 Will Boraston 6 16 8 1 9 2.00 Ben Phillips 1 4 2 0 2 2.00 LEICESTER Kai Ward 1 3 9 0 9 12.00 Ryan Ashcroft 2 5 12 1 13 9.60 Sonny Springer 1 4 9 0 9 9.00 Bailey Fellows 1 2 4 0 4 8.00 Harrison Rogers 6 20 40 2 42 8.00 Jamie Etherington 3 8 11 1 12 5.50 Jack Crewe 1 4 5 2 7 5.00 Liam Cox 3 9 11 2 13 4.89 Joe Crewe 2 6 7 3 10 4.67 Harley Driscoll-Freeman 6 20 18 2 20 3.60 Wayne Hutt 1 1 0 0 0 0.00

BIRMINGHAM Speedway are delighted to confirm their participation in the 2025 ROWE Motor Oil Premiership. The Brummies have met conditions that were recently agreed following a cash flow crisis at the end of the 2024 campaign. And club CEO Nigel Tolley informed league chiefs of their position at a British Speedway Promoters’ Ltd meeting on Tuesday. “It goes without saying that it’s a massive relief,” Tolley said. “The situation has been changing day-by-day but with some hard work behind the scenes and the generosity of people out there, we found ourselves in the position we needed to be at at this stage. “We’re not completely out of the woods just yet but we’re where we needed to be at this point to be back at the tapes next season and just as importantly, we now have a path that will enable us to clear all outstanding debts in the near future. “Team building for 2025 is underway and I will do everything I can to build a team the supporters can really relate to and get behind because I think that’s something they missed out on a little bit this year. “We’re certainly not just hanging in there to make up the numbers and our aim is to be a much more competitive force in next year’s Premiership. “We can now start going back to the riders we’ve already been speaking to and hopefully we’ll be able to announce our first signing by the end of this week.”