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The future of British Speedway after the 2023 season


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Peterborough and Wolves won't be coming to tapes in 2024 as things stand so where does our great sport go from here?

Vast majority of Championship clubs don't have the financial resources to compete in one big league and there isn't enough riders to go around knowing how many D/UP.

Can't run a 5 team Premiership either so that's out of the question, A couple of the Championship's bigger clubs are hesitant to move up for various reasons ranging from local derbies to race nights.

British Speedway is looking bleaker than it's ever been before and it's a sad / worrying time for supporters of all clubs because even the secure clubs need opposition to race against in order to keep them on track.

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30 Premiership riders currently D/UP in the Championship (Over 4 Premiership teams worth of riders D/UP)

BV (3), IPS (4), KL (4), LEI (6), P'BORO (4), SHEFF (3) and WOL (6)

One big league won't be the answer imo, Think we're praying for a miracle at this rate.

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43 minutes ago, TTT said:

30 Premiership riders currently D/UP in the Championship (Over 4 Premiership teams worth of riders D/UP)

BV (3), IPS (4), KL (4), LEI (6), P'BORO (4), SHEFF (3) and WOL (6)

One big league won't be the answer imo, Think we're praying for a miracle at this rate.

Might not have much choice! Must be a doubt over Poole as well until we know what the council are planning with the regeneration of the town. 

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With the reduction in the number of teams, I believe a merger between the top two leagues is inevitable. Would have to be a championship level standard, due to affordability issues with some clubs.

Probably means this year could be the last time we will see the likes of Bewley, Doyle,Sayfitdinov, Holder etc.

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12 minutes ago, Falcon1983 said:

so as it stands 5 prem teams left still standing

and likely only 8 sides from the championship 

13, so would leave 2 leagues as currently with 6 sides if say Oxford went up and 7 sides in the prem

I think now is the time to completely gut British speedway and focus on the development of British and Commonwealth riders.

British League North

  1. Belle Vue
  2. Sheffield
  3. Berwick
  4. Glasgow
  5. Redcar
  6. Scunthorpe
  7. Workington??

British League South

  1. Ipswich
  2. Kings Lynn
  3. Oxford
  4. Plymouth
  5. Poole
  6. Birmingham
  7. Leicester
     

Run from May - September

Home & Away twice in the league declaring Northern & Southern Champions

Those clubs then compete Home and Away for British champion status

An Open British League cup between all sides


Introduce a British Grand Prix series to replace the current one-off final and any ££££ put that into this series as prize money, gives youngsters something to aim for coming through the sport, and rewards the riders not quite good enough to earn big money in Poland

The odd rider here or there who comes through with something special about them, they get waved off to the polish top flight not to be seen again

 

Too much common sense there for British speedway 

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Assuming it's 13 Clubs left in 2023.

91 riders will be needed if it's 7 man teams.

Total number of riders currently competing in the Premiership & Championship (81) and in that 81 we've got more than a fair share of NL riders and Championship journey men.

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49 minutes ago, TTT said:

Assuming it's 13 Clubs left in 2023.

91 riders will be needed if it's 7 man teams.

Total number of riders currently competing in the Premiership & Championship (81) and in that 81 we've got more than a fair share of NL riders and Championship journey men.

6 man teams? 

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1 hour ago, RS50 said:

With the reduction in the number of teams, I believe a merger between the top two leagues is inevitable. Would have to be a championship level standard, due to affordability issues with some clubs.

Probably means this year could be the last time we will see the likes of Bewley, Doyle,Sayfitdinov, Holder etc.

With the riders spread out through all the teams, they could probably still be fitted in on a 12 as long as the teams who couldn't afford them don't do something to stop it like they tried to do with Doyle a few years back.

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Really hard to put into a words ANOTHER speedway club to go. I just feel the BSPA won't even care though, I think they would run a 5 team premiership I just think they would! It's ridiculous. One league is the way it's going to go or a northern league/ southern league. The only way to make a club run now is build a track in the middle of nowhere not near a city or housing and have low running costs. So basically bog standard facilities. Where does this end? Honestly who's next? Panthers, monarchs, wolves, Birmingham, mildenhall could all go next season..what a absolute mess. Not to mention the ones we lost before this season like Swindon, Coventry etc. 

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1 hour ago, Falcon1983 said:

so as it stands 5 prem teams left still standing

and likely only 8 sides from the championship 

13, so would leave 2 leagues as currently with 6 sides if say Oxford went up and 7 sides in the prem

I think now is the time to completely gut British speedway and focus on the development of British and Commonwealth riders.

British League North

  1. Belle Vue
  2. Sheffield
  3. Berwick
  4. Glasgow
  5. Redcar
  6. Scunthorpe
  7. Workington??

British League South

  1. Ipswich
  2. Kings Lynn
  3. Oxford
  4. Plymouth
  5. Poole
  6. Birmingham
  7. Leicester
     

Run from May - September

Home & Away twice in the league declaring Northern & Southern Champions

Those clubs then compete Home and Away for British champion status

An Open British League cup between all sides


Introduce a British Grand Prix series to replace the current one-off final and any ££££ put that into this series as prize money, gives youngsters something to aim for coming through the sport, and rewards the riders not quite good enough to earn big money in Poland

The odd rider here or there who comes through with something special about them, they get waved off to the polish top flight not to be seen again

 

I can confirm the BSPA think this is rubbish idea, the reason for that is because it makes too much sense.

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1 hour ago, Falcon1983 said:

so as it stands 5 prem teams left still standing

and likely only 8 sides from the championship 

13, so would leave 2 leagues as currently with 6 sides if say Oxford went up and 7 sides in the prem

I think now is the time to completely gut British speedway and focus on the development of British and Commonwealth riders.

British League North

  1. Belle Vue
  2. Sheffield
  3. Berwick
  4. Glasgow
  5. Redcar
  6. Scunthorpe
  7. Workington??

British League South

  1. Ipswich
  2. Kings Lynn
  3. Oxford
  4. Plymouth
  5. Poole
  6. Birmingham
  7. Leicester
     

Run from May - September

Home & Away twice in the league declaring Northern & Southern Champions

Those clubs then compete Home and Away for British champion status

An Open British League cup between all sides


Introduce a British Grand Prix series to replace the current one-off final and any ££££ put that into this series as prize money, gives youngsters something to aim for coming through the sport, and rewards the riders not quite good enough to earn big money in Poland

The odd rider here or there who comes through with something special about them, they get waved off to the polish top flight not to be seen again

 

I fear from rumours that there are 3 Clubs in that list that may not be around in 2024.

They don't include Workington. 

A couple due to possible planning / development concerns and one due to disenchantment of promotion. 

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2 minutes ago, HGould said:

I fear from rumours that there are 3 Clubs in that list that may not be around in 2024.

They don't include Workington. 

A couple due to possible planning / development concerns and one due to disenchantment of promotion. 

I am assuming you are thinking Poole and Brum. But can't think who the third one is..? 

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3 minutes ago, TTT said:

Will fans pay £20+ to see a much weaker product featuring 5 man teams?

If same amount of heats I don't see why not. If you pay at the gate at Oxford it costs £22 at the moment anyway. Poole prob cheapest Champ club at £19.

Edited by lisa-colette
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I understand there are not enough riders really for a North/South split but can anymore be done to allow more commonwealth riders into British Speedway? maybe lowering the standard might attract some more German riders over as well?  At least clubs could potentially run on the nights that best suit them, perhaps working with the Danish/Swedish leagues regarding fixtures 

The next thing will be if its Championship pay then riders can't make it pay,  I always look to the British Superbike Championship, how many classes do they have these days 5 or 6, 40 rider grids, most riders earning money through personal sponsorship or they pay to ride, yes its only 12/13 weekends a year including Friday practice so they can work but if the pandemic showed anything, riders will get jobs to earn money

Under a North/South split you might get 1 or 2 at a club that earn ok money the rest are going to be part-time

This if you take all the negativity away is an opportunity to re-do British Speedway, and waiting for, make a 5 year plan to stick with 
 

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