Aries

From his comments, it seems the ambition is to rebuild and move back up better equipped. They lost money two seasons ago because the fans gave up which to be fair you would expect with the way the season went. If they can't put a competitive Elite league side together then they won't move up its as simple as that. Both Kings Lynn and Birmingham it seems have made a success of their move up a league so it can be done. The chapmans are sound businessmen and we are led to believe they had an option to drop back to the Premier league which they've obviously decided not to take. Indeed, Buster has admitted they had a much better financial year than they anticipated. I think it's clear Chris Louis sees Ipswich as a top flight club and the ambition is to ultimately put it back there. In the short term though, I'm going to make more of an effort to get to more meetings next season if finances allow. The signing of these two young lads is a positive step in the right direction and I'm looking forward to watching them race. I've a feeling the promotion are on to plan B for the rest of the side though.

Could be a fly in the ointment there. The BSPA site has Tungate's 5.00 average as "awaiting official confirmation". On the face of it, seems a terrific signing though whatever the average and i particularly liked this comment from Chris Louis in Thursday's Evening Star “I did say that dropping down to the Premier League was a chance for us to rebuild the club. “I think the captures of Cam and Rohan signify that is what we are doing. “Ipswich Speedway has a long-standing tradition of being at the top of the sport in this country. “And as much as I enjoy the Premier League, I don’t want us to become a conveyor belt of talent for other Elite League tracks.” A pretty big hint there that our stay in the Premier league isn't a long term one.

I liked the comments from Chris Louis in the Star last week that as the winter unfolds the fans would get to see that the club wanted to sign up more assets. If the lad Tungate signs up i assume he would be one of them? Or is he on another clubs retained list?

Well done Cameron Heeps. Looking forward to seeing this lad at Foxhall on the 27th.

Ever since i was youngster i've always loved the 16 lapper. I'm glad they're doing the Halloween theme too it created a great atmosphere for the play off with Newcastle last year. Wonder if JL will get in to the spirit and dress up again bless him Looks like a straight fight between Korneliussen and Barker depending on the final rider. I thought Danny King would have been a starter for this one. I think all the Witches fans are really looking forward to watching Cameron Heeps. The kid has built up a big reputation in such a short time at Mildenhall and he's just won the individual at West Row today too. I hope not too much is expected from him in this though, it looks a very very tough field for him to be fair.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motogp/14565269.stm

Can't believe they would name a rider(s) for the Elite League mate without any points limit or rules being set. Got to admit i will be mightly peed off if you move up after we've just come down!! I was gutted about dropping a League but the thought of having the derbies again was the only thing stopping me from slashing my wrists!!

But aren't Lynn releasing team news at the end of this week? That can only be for the Premier League.

It will be when its confirmed

Yes really. Why does everybody seem to have such a hang up about Lanham? He's a solid Premier League performer and has a realistic average. Unlike Stachyra!! I don't understand the support of including him either. Unless there is a change in the Elite/Premier conversion rates, then Stachyra will get nowhere near 9.16 so you'd be losing points there to start with.

Don't know about close, think you could well be spot on! Should have known we'd be in the Premier League as soon as mickthemuppet said it would never happen

No point Ipswich agreeing to remain in the Elite league and just making the numbers up. They clearly haven't got any money so the team will again be built cheaply, be uncompetitive, the crowds will then stay away again like they did towards the end of the season and the club will lose even more money and be in even more danger. Its a vicious circle and i haven't a clue what the answer is. If investment doesn't come then it looks very bleak indeed.

Or, another version is the press release was about the club being sold to said businessman, but last minute conversations elsewhere fell in favour of the Louis' which enable them to stay in charge. Many many different stories knocking around and the sooner this is settled and out in the open the better for all concerned. http://witchesfans.proboards.com/ There we are jeffster try that one.

You've got to be kidding? I can remember the crowds being fantastic that year we won the treble in 98. Lets get one thing straight here about the nonsense about the dropping crowd levels at Foxhall this season. The tail end of the season for sure, the crowds dipped alarmingly. But only the last 6 or 8 weeks of the season when bottom place was expertly secured and we had nothing to ride for. This season, prior to the last few weeks of the season, unless i need to go to specsavers the crowd has been exactly the same as it has been for years and looked pretty healthy for most of it. The early part of the season they were VERY healthy although i accept that the new track probably played a big part in that. Like it or not, those few riders you've mentioned are still a pull for a lot of fans. Me included. Andersen, Holder, Lindgren, Harris, Nicholls, Bjerre are hugely talented, very fast exciting riders. No disrespect at all intended, but watching Harris and Nicholls racing flat out and having a ding dong battle will ALWAYS be more absorbing to me than watching David Howe and Carl Wilkinson battle it out in the Premier League. When March comes around and its brass monkey weather, dark and miserable, an Elite League meeting at Foxhall will tempt me out of my warm armchair far more than a Premier League meeting would. I've seen the words "snooty" and Elite League snob" being bandied around on here and you can call me either. If prefering to watch Elite rather than Premier League speedway makes me "snooty" then so be it. I couldn't really give a toss.

I agree they are probably being talked in to staying put and i think we will. Its a bit crap only having 9 clubs in the top flight, losing another clearly isn't ideal.

Well i'd have loved to have made the trip but alas i'll be working the Sunday night shift so its a no go for me unfortunately. For the type of meeting this is (lets be honest its a cracker) i think the prices are very reasonable. Hope everyone that attends has a great day and the weather is kind.

Thanks Rabbit. If he's in i may just make the trip to see what shape he's in

Is Hampel still in the line up? there is no mention of him as a confirmed starter on the Poole website.

A full house from Tobi i see he's finishing the season in good form. He's had a fantastic season and proved an awful lot of people wrong who labelled him a "no hoper" at the start of the season. He's a terrific lad as well and always pushing himself to improve all the time. At the end of meetings at Foxhall he's always back out on the track testing and trying to find a better formula right up until the curfew while others are packed up and long gone. Delighted with him and the sooner he puts pen to paper on his Ipswich contract for next season the happier us Suffolk folk will be.

So Jarek Hampel does indeed sit out then. Welcome back to Foxhall Jarek

From a selfish point of view i hope Hampel doesn't get the wild card as that may well be the deciding factor in him coming back to foxhall. He may well be on a more attractive average than the re-assessed average for GP riders too. With him already agreeing a new deal in Sweden and obviously remaining in the Ekstraliga, inclusion in the GP series would almost certainly see him give Britain the swerve again.

Its not always about what clubs want though is it Badge? Ipswich didn't want to let Scott go to Coventry but he went because he wanted to. Now i'm not saying Scott wants to leave Coventry as i have no idea what his intentions are, but it certainly wouldn't be the biggest shock in the world to see him riding elsewhere and it wouldn't be a great shock to me at least, to see him as Ipswich number 1. He did say a few weeks ago "not likely" about an Ipswich return, but things change.

Too true Boxer. Thought he was the big cheese at Foxhall and got pi$$ed off when the fans votes Hans rider of the year and took him to their hearts I do still like Scott as a rider though, great to watch and damn good despite what some will say. Very naughty tonight though i must admit

Well done to Nicki he deserves to be world champion without question. And well done to Scott for an excellent second place.

WOW!! A BIG WELL DONE TO TOBI KRONER!! 10 points in that quality field is a terrific effort