IainB

Best close season evs! 😂

But you only became PL in 2019!

So that's, Ippo, Sheffield... King's Lynn & Poole for sale, buyer beware!

Less Clubs + Doubling Up = Less opportunities = Less new riders 👍

Twice

British Speedway have reposted it on their TwitterX feed... so job done ✔️

151 actually... compared to 278 in 2010

I think £1m ayear on Speedway was loose change for them.

TNT could maybe want to go for the hat trick of binning Speedway off for a third time 😂

It's like waiting to see who's been selected next for closure!

With respect, I think you need to think outside of the box a little more, the race format doesn't need a couple of tweaks... it needs radical overhaul. You seem to be basing most of your arguments to fit into the current way of things, this need scrapping, it has failed. I don't think anybody is suggesting that Ollie Binns is going to be facing Chris Harris and/or Richard Lawson all night, in fact he shouldn't be facing them at all at his level. For me the NDL needs incorporating onto the CL with a clear progression path for riders with the race format. So reserves only ever race against reserves and the lowest second string, the second string only rides against reserves and the 2nd/3rd heat leader and so on up the ladder.

a) scrap fixed race nights, it's killing clubs. b) there were 151 riders active in British Speedway last year, even if half of them left, it's still enough for 14 x 5 rider teams. c) Worky etc. could compete at a sensible level d) 101 Query1 Name SumOfMatches Luke Harrison 48 Chris Harris 44 Danny King 44 Drew Kemp 44 Richard Lawson 44 Sam Masters 44 Charles Wright 43 Joe Thompson 43 Luke Killeen 43 Tate Zischke 43 Zach Cook 43 Kyle Howarth 42 Anders Rowe 41 Leon Flint 40 Jake Mulford 39 Michele Castagna 38 Peter Kildemand 37 Nicolai Klindt 36 Dan Thompson 35 Sam Hagon 35 Ace Pijper 34 Jason Edwards 34 Justin Sedgmen 34 Lewis Kerr 34 Jonas Jeppesen 32 Jody Scott 31 Freddy Hodder 30 Max Perry 29 Dayle Wood 28 Vinnie Foord 28 William Cairns 28 Jordan Jenkins 26 Jye Etheridge 26 Chris Holder 24 Dan Bewley 24 Max Fricke 24 Ryan Douglas 24 Tobiasz Musielak 24 Tom Brennan 24 Adam Ellis 23 Antti Vuolas 23 Ben Trigger 23 Emil Sayfutdinov 23 Jaimon Lidsey 23 Keynan Rew 23 Maciej Janowski 23 Niels-Kristian Iversen 23 Rohan Tungate 23 Brady Kurtz 22 Jack Holder 22 Jan Kvech 22 Jordy Loftus 22 Josh Pickering 22 Tom Spencer 22 Victor Palovaara 22 Jason Doyle 21 Ben Barker 20 Connor Mountain 20 Kye Thomson 20 Matej Zagar 20 Norick Blodorn 20 Paul Starke 20 Simon Lambert 20 Troy Batchelor 20 Zaine Kennedy 20 Darryl Ritchings 19 Erik Riss 19 Jacob Hook 19 Jonatan Grahn 19 Steve Worrall 19 Tobias Thomsen 19 Alfie Bowtell 18 Cooper Rushen 18 Declan Kennedy 18 Jack Smith 18 Jake Allen 18 Ryan Ingram 18 Senna Summers 18 Arran Butcher 17 Mitch McDiarmid 17 Cameron Heeps 16 Fraser Bowes 16 Luke Harris 16 Ashton Vale 15 Eli Meadows 15 Ashton Boughen 14 Francis Gusts 14 Harry Fletcher 14 Luke Becker 14 Max Broadhurst 14 Michael Palm Toft 14 Nick Morris 14 Stene Pijper 14 Craig Cook 13 Danyon Hume 13 Harrison Rogers 13 Jonas Knudsen 13 Kai Ward 13 Ben Cook 12 Ben Morley 12 Connor Coles 12 Jacob Clouting 12 Lasse Fredriksen 12 Sam McGurk 12 Jamie Etherington 11 Billy Budd 10 Charlie Southwick 10 Jack Shimelt 10 Lee Harrison 10 Mitchell Cluff 10 Scott Nicholls 10 Calum Mitchell 8 Mark Parker 8 Mason Watson 8 Max James 8 Mickie Simpson 8 Sonny Springer 8 Villads Nagel 7 Dan Gilkes 6 Danny Phillips 6 Jack Kingston 6 Matt Marson 6 Michael Jepsen Jensen 6 Nathan Hargrave 6 Charlie Wood 5 Jamie Halder 5 Kenzie Cossey 5 Nathan Ablitt 5 Oskar Polis 5 Sam Woods 5 Ben Rathbone 4 Elliot Kelly 4 Caydin Martin 3 Dylan Huthwaite 3 Kieran Douglas 3 Luke Crang 3 Morgan Williams 3 Owen Booth 3 Seth Norman 3 Bastian Borke 2 Daniel Klima 2 Harley Driscoll-Freeman 2 Joe Crewe 2 Kyran Lyden 2 Laylen Richardson 2 Liam Greens 2 Bailey Fellows 1 Connor King 1 Jack Crewe 1 Jack Franklin 1 Ollie Binns 1

Needs must though, if there's no willingness to change from a failing model it's game over, I can't understand why people think that doing the same thing and expecting different results is the way to go.

They're not spaffing out thousands of pounds on needless super tuned kit either!

You've hit the nail on the head here, the PL & CL are not individual entities so why, with such small numbers, aren't they riding in the same league to prove that? Without a TV deal (and the sponsorship that brings) and without a sudden unexpected rise in crowd numbers all clubs are (financially) Championship level clubs.

Peterborough, Birmingham, Rye House

... and I bet their players can't be seen turning out for another team in this country let alone abroad and I believe that there is no individual championship for players either, their player plays for their club only, maybe also at international level for their country, forgive my ignorance I have zero knowledge of the sport but I'm guessing that's the case because that's how team sport is run.

Great to see that NOTHING has been learnt from the Birmingham episode!

Yes he is trying to sell the club... he ain't going to run it down is he 🤷‍♂️

I think in effect without the TV money and sponsorship that directly brought in, EVERY club is in effect a Championship club

Topic already exists

That's my channel... Hope you gave it a "like" 👍🏻

And Swindon

I shall be asking you questions about it later 😂

From Google Gemini: For a foreign rider to legally work and be paid in the UK, they need to follow UK immigration rules, which typically involve: International Sportsperson Visa: Foreign riders usually require an International Sportsperson Visa. Governing Body Endorsement (GBE): To get the visa, the rider must be endorsed by the sport's governing body, British Speedway. This process involves the club acting as a licensed sponsor. Contract Details for Visa: The contract between the rider and the licensed sponsor (the club) must be robust and submitted as part of the endorsement process, detailing the rider's assessed earnings for the season, including how they are made up (e.g., payment per point, vans, mechanics). This ensures the salary and conditions are at least equal to those normally given to a resident worker for the same role. The tax arrangements for foreign speedway riders involve special rules designed for non-resident sportspeople and artists. Here is a breakdown of how a foreign rider's UK income tax is handled: 1. Withholding Tax (The First Step) The immediate and most common way tax is paid is via Withholding Tax (WHT). Payer's Obligation: The UK speedway club (the payer) is legally obliged to deduct tax from the rider's payment before the rider receives it. Rate: This is typically deducted at the UK's basic rate of income tax, which is 20%. Threshold: This withholding tax usually applies to gross payments exceeding the UK Personal Allowance (the amount an individual can earn tax-free, which is around $\text{\textsterling}12,570$ in most recent tax years). Purpose: The deducted 20% is a "payment on account" against the rider's eventual final UK tax bill. 2. Self-Assessment and Deducting Expenses Since speedway riders are considered self-employed contractors for UK tax purposes, the WHT is often not their final tax liability. UK Tax Return: A rider will usually need to register for UK Self-Assessment and file a UK tax return at the end of the tax year. This is mandatory if their net profits exceed the basic rate band (around $\text{\textsterling}50,000$). Deductible Expenses: The tax return allows the rider to claim legitimate business expenses, which significantly reduces their taxable income. These include: Travel and accommodation costs while in the UK (flights, local transport, rent). Costs of professional equipment (engines, tyres, kevlar). Wages paid to mechanics and support staff. Final Tax Calculation: The final UK income tax is calculated on the net profit (earnings minus expenses). If the tax due on the net profit is less than the 20% already withheld, the rider can claim a refund from HMRC (the UK tax authority). If the net profit is high, the rider may be liable for the higher rate of UK income tax (40% or 45%) and will have to pay the additional amount due. 3. Taxation of Global Income (Sponsorship) This is the most complex part for international sportspeople: Apportionment of Income: A non-resident rider is generally subject to UK tax on the portion of their worldwide sponsorship or endorsement income that relates to their activities in the UK. Time Spent: The UK taxable proportion is often calculated by comparing the number of days the rider spent performing or training in the UK to the total number of days spent performing/training worldwide. $$ \text{UK Taxable Endorsement Income} = \text{Global Endorsement Income} \times \frac{\text{UK Days}}{\text{Worldwide Days}} $$ 4. Double Taxation Agreements (DTA) To prevent the rider from paying tax on the same income in both the UK and their home country (e.g., Poland, Australia, Denmark), Double Taxation Agreements come into effect. Tax Credit: Under a DTA, the tax the rider pays to the UK (the source country) is typically used as a tax credit to reduce the amount of tax they owe in their home country (the residence country). Tax Residency: The rider's overall tax residency (based on the number of days they spend in each country) determines which country gets the primary right to tax their worldwide income, but the DTA ensures they are not taxed twice. In summary, the rider will have 20% tax withheld by the club, and then they must file a UK Self-Assessment tax return to reconcile their full income and claim expenses. Finally, they use the UK tax paid as a credit against their tax bill back home. Would you like to know which countries the UK has a Double Taxation Agreement with that are relevant to speedway riders? For foreign speedway riders, the most relevant Double Taxation Agreements (DTAs) are those with countries that supply the majority of international talent to the British leagues. The UK has DTAs with almost all major nations, and specifically with the most significant sources of foreign speedway riders. 🏁 Key Double Taxation Agreements for Speedway Riders The UK has comprehensive DTAs with the following countries, which are major sources of speedway talent: Country Rider Tax Residency Principle DTA Article Summary Poland Source Rule The DTA allows the UK to tax income earned from professional activities performed in the UK. The tax paid in the UK is then credited against the rider's Polish tax liability. Denmark Source Rule Similar to Poland, the UK has the right to tax income arising from activities performed at UK speedway tracks. Australia Source Rule The UK retains the right to tax the rider's UK-sourced income, with Australia providing a credit for the UK tax paid. Sweden Source Rule The DTA ensures that the rider's UK earnings are taxable in the UK first. How the DTAs Affect the Rider While DTAs are complex, for a speedway rider, the crucial point is typically covered under the "Artistes and Sportspersons" article (usually Article 17 or 18 in most treaties). This article generally states two key things: Right to Tax at Source: The country where the activities take place (the UK) has the right to tax the income derived from those activities. This is why the UK club withholds 20% tax. Credit Method: The rider's home country (their country of tax residency) must then allow the rider a tax credit for the UK tax that has already been paid on that income. Example Scenario (Australian Rider): An Australian rider earns $\text{\textsterling}30,000$ in UK speedway income. The UK club withholds and pays $\text{\textsterling}6,000$ (20%) tax to HMRC. The rider files a UK Self-Assessment to claim expenses and finalise their liability. The rider declares their total worldwide income (including the $\text{\textsterling}30,000$ UK income) on their Australian tax return. Australia calculates the tax due on the total income, then grants the rider a tax credit for the $\text{\textsterling}6,000$ already paid to the UK. This system ensures that the income is not taxed twice and that the rider ultimately pays the higher of the two countries' tax rates on that specific income.