Supporters of all seven Sports Insure Premiership clubs are being given the opportunity to have a say in the league’s future.
As part of a league-wide initiative launched by Premiership CEO Phil Morris, each club will be appointing a Fans’ Voice representative.
The Fans’ Voice representative will have the chance to join Zoom meetings hosted by Morris to discuss the status of the league as a whole with their fellow club representatives, and specifically ways in which the race-night experience for supporters can be enhanced.
If you are interested in this position, you are asked to contact the club in the first instance at enquiries@ipswichwitches.co & hchard@ipswichwitches.co.
Potential Fans’ Voice representatives should briefly explain why you feel you would be suitable for the position, and give an example of an idea/change to the sport which you would like to see implemented in the future.
All applications should be made by 5pm on Friday December 1st.
Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches promoter Chris Louis gives his thoughts on the recent British Speedway AGM which sees the club compete in the Sports Insure Premiership again.
The new season sees Birmingham and Oxford step up to the top-flight replacing Wolverhampton and Peterborough.
“It was an AGM of consolidating the Sports Insure Premiership having had the devastating news throughout last season that we would be losing Peterborough and Wolverhampton,” said Louis. “The first thing to say is that we wish everyone involved at both of those clubs the best of luck securing new land and stadia to come back into the league at a future date.
“That said, as a league we welcome Birmingham and Oxford. Oxford is disappointing in a way that we have a club that is riding in two professional leagues but on the flip side it is very positive that they are a club that have come back hugely successfully over the last couple of seasons and feel they are in a good enough position to do that, that is a massive positive story.”
The points limit has been raised to 40 for six riders, with teams to be completed by a Rising Star again, whilst there will now be no restrictions on the number of riders from the Polish Ekstraliga who can be signed by any one club.
“The points limit has increased by a point which has got to be a positive from an entertainment point of view. It is always good when the competition gets stronger and there is no doubt that the way the league is shaping up this year, I think we will have seven competitive teams. They will be built in some cases quite differently which always adds to the entertainment.
“It is going to be an interesting year and not limiting the amount of Polish Ekstraliga riders that can come into one team is a bonus. It was a restriction put there to try and protect teams particularly in the case of a rain-off in Poland where they would re-arrange for a Thursday but as a league the Sports Insure Premiership are trying to bring back as many top riders as they can and over the last season that is the case. We had to look at that and make sure we didn’t restrict ourselves.”
There was a focus on a new programme for youth development next season with each club either competing in the National Development League; or staging events in a new National Individual series; or taking part in a youth programme to be run in second halves following senior meetings, and it is now compulsory for each club to take one of those options.
“It was high up on the agenda to discuss youth development and the National League as it has been and where it can go. The National Development League continues and also every club has been informed that they need to be part of the NDL GP Series or the second halves. We are just trying to offer more track time at our tracks for riders that are trying to come through.”
Several other matters were decided at the AGM including the introduction of a random electronic starting procedure, a change to the eight-day rule for guests during the play-offs whilst any rider in a team is now eligible for Heat 15.
“I think they are all minor tweaks, there are no major changes, and you can’t keep making major changes to the rulebook. They are minor but in the right direction. The random starting machines take something away from the referee and they have proved to be hugely successful in the Grand Prix. Every time I commentate on a GP, I have realised it is a step forward because we used to get a lot of movement at the start, and we really don’t now get people trying to anticipate the start. You can’t read an electronic box, but you can read a referee.
“The eight-day rule in the play-offs, you are choosing from the three clubs who didn’t make it and it can make it difficult if you have a genuine case of needing a guest, so that is a good thing. Heat 15 has been opened up; I have never understood why a reserve who is flying can’t ride in Heat 15.”
Louis says that team building for the new campaign is complete with announcements to be made over the coming days.
“We are looking to announce the team immediately. It is an exciting team and one we will enjoy working with and we were settled on it quite quickly by the end of the season and I am sure the fans will be delighted with it. Season tickets will be on sale in the next week or so.”
British Speedway will launch a new programme for Youth development in 2024 as part of a concerted effort to bring through the next generation of the sport’s stars.
All Premiership and Championship clubs have signed up to the new three-tier structure following discussions at this week’s AGM.
This will involve each club either competing in the National Development League; or staging events in a new National Individual series; or taking part in a Youth programme to be run in second halves following senior meetings, and it is now compulsory for each club to take one of those options.
Six clubs have already stated their intention to take part in the NDL next season, and further details will be available in the coming weeks.
In terms of senior leagues, the Premiership will welcome two new clubs in 2024 as Birmingham and Oxford step up to join the top-flight.
The Premiership will sadly be without Peterborough and Wolverhampton for next season due to their ongoing stadium issues, and both clubs’ licences have been put on ice. British Speedway Promoters’ Ltd remain fully supportive of all efforts to return the sport to these, and other, locations.
Meanwhile Leicester will be under new ownership in 2024 with the club takeover now ratified, and the BSPL wish to warmly welcome Paul Cairns and look forward to working with him over the coming years.
The Premiership points limit has been raised to 40 (for six riders), with teams to be completed by a Rising Star, and the league will continue to stage the KO Cup competition plus an unchanged play-off format.
In addition, there will now be no restrictions on the number of riders from the Polish Ekstraliga who can be signed by any one club.
BSPL Chairman Rob Godfrey said: “Youth development is key in what we want to achieve throughout the sport, and there have been many positive discussions on that front.
“One of the reasons for setting the Championship points at 38 was that we need to bring the youth through, and the other consideration was simply through determining the number of riders available multiplied by the number of teams.
“The emphasis is very much on bringing riders back into that league and also to re-build with far more opportunities for the youngsters, who will hopefully one day be our new No.1s, and the 38-point limit achieves that.
“The new system for youth development will involve every club, and I’ve been very pleased with the enthusiasm shown by everyone as we head in this direction.
“We are also very keen to continue our work to diversify the sport, and to provide opportunities for women who want to get involved, and real progress has been made on that front this year.
“It’s very sad for the Premiership to have lost two such well-established clubs in Peterborough and Wolverhampton given the circumstances at both, and we sincerely hope they will be able to return in the future.
“On the positive, it’s great to have Workington moving back into the Championship after what they achieved at the venue this year, and obviously the other main story is Oxford competing in both the Premiership and the Championship.
“Their return has been a huge success in the last two seasons, and they showed a real desire to participate in both top leagues in 2024.
“They are confident that their business model will work and that they will deliver a good product in both, and neither league will suffer for it.
“We also wish Birmingham well for their move into the Premiership and it’s very good to see the sport continuing at Perry Barr.
“Overall, I believe we have worked together to make changes which will benefit the sport as a whole, at all levels, and we look forward to the new season starting next spring.”
Other matters decided at the AGM: *PREMIERSHIP CEO: Phil Morris
*STARTS: All British Speedway tracks will bring in the random electronic starting procedure as seen in the Grand Prix series.
*FACILITIES: Where a club has one absent rider in their top five, they now have the option to use a guest or rider replacement in any of those positions. Previously one absent rider fourth or fifth in the team order had to be covered by the rider replacement facility.
*HEAT 15: Any rider in a team is now eligible for Heat 15, regardless of points scored to that stage or their position in the team.
*EIGHT-DAY RULE: The eight-day rule for guests will not apply during the play-offs, meaning a club would be able to utilise the same guest were they to stage home play-off fixtures in successive weeks.
*GUESTS: A rider may only guest for one team throughout the play-offs, or indeed a Cup semi-final and/or Final. This is in addition to the regulation that a rider cannot guest for another team in the play-offs if his own team is also involved.
*TRANSFER WINDOW: The traditional end-of-August transfer cut-off has been replaced by a transfer window, which will close when a club has completed 75 per cent of their regular league matches.
*TESTIMONIALS: Four riders have been granted Testimonials in respect of their long service to British Speedway. These are Thomas Jorgensen, Kyle Newman, Charles Wright and Kyle Howarth.
*FIXTURES: Fixtures for both the Premiership and Championship leagues are being compiled and will be available over the coming weeks.
An interview with Ipswich promoter Chris Louis will be published later this week on our website with his thoughts on the AGM and news on 2024 rider announcements.
Former Witch Aage Hansen has died at the age of 88.
Aage Hansen was born on 13th April 1935 in Oslo, Norway. He won the Norwegian Championship in 1956,1957,1958,1959,1960,1961 and 1963, in 1962 he came second.
He reached his only World Final in 1957 and after qualifying he decided to venture over to England.
He joined the Ipswich Witches and in his first Foxhall meeting on 29th August he scored 11 points from five rides against Bradford. Next up was at Rayleigh on 31st August and he top scored with 14+1.
On the 5th September Ipswich were well beaten at home by Leicester and Aage scored seven, and his final league match was at Coventry where he top scored with 13 from six rides. He scored 45 points in four league matches giving an average of 8.17.
A classy rider, who suffered a dislocated knee at the wrong time, seriously affecting his World Final performance.
RIP Aage 13/04/ 1935 – 15/11/2023. The first Ipswich World Finalist.
See how the Witches pull off the most amazing Houdini act to not only qualify for the end of season play-offs, but then come through a semi-final thriller and so nearly were triumphant in the Grand Final.
All the very best action captured from home and away as Ipswich win their first team silverware in 25 years by capturing the Knockout Cup.
Run time 300 mins – ONLY £20 NOW AVAILABLE
PART TWO
The End of Season Dinner was a great occasion as the Witches celebrated in style following their fantastic and successful season and we were there to capture it all.
In-depth interviews with all of the riders and management team as they reflect on an incredible year as well as the joyous scenes at Foxhall as the Witches win the Knockout Cup.
With the End of Season Awards Night taking place on Friday 3rd November, here’s a quick reminder that the doors open at 6.45pm for a very prompt 7.30pm start. With over 200 people attending, we need to have everyone seated before 7.30pm and to assist with this, the bar will temporarily close at 7.20pm.
If you have any queries, please contact the Supporters Club either via Facebook Messenger or email (isscmail@gmail.com) and NOT Venue 16 as you may be given incorrect information.
See you all on Friday for what promises to be a fantastic night!
First Leg: Ipswich 54-36 Belle Vue. Second Leg: Belle Vue 51-39 Ipswich
First Leg: Wolverhampton 40-50 Sheffield. Second Leg: Sheffield 39-21 Wolverhampton
FINAL
First Leg: Ipswich 54-36 Sheffield. Second Leg: Sheffield 56-34 Ipswich
THE STORY
The Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches finished as Sports Insure Premiership runners-up after being defeated at Sheffield on Thursday night in the second leg of the play-off final.
The Suffolk side had an 18-point lead from the first leg at Foxhall on Tuesday and were once again fielding Joe Thompson for the injured Dan Thompson (dislocated shoulder) in the Rising Star position. The hosts were without Tobiasz Musielak (broken tibia), Tai Woffinden (broken bones in hand) and Claus Vissing (knee injury). For the second leg, the Tigers fielded two new guests from Tuesday’s first leg defeat with Chris Harris and Jye Etheridge coming in for Richard Lawson and Connor Mountain whilst Robert Lambert continued to deputise at number one.
The South Yorkshire outfit started strongly with the rain falling and found themselves 21-9 up after five races. The home team continued to dominate as the rain got harder, and they went ahead on aggregate by the end of heat 10. The visitors dug deep to fight back and level the aggregate score with two to race but the Tigers hit a 5-1 in heat 14 which proved enough to secure them the title. Emil Sayfutdinov top scored with 11+1.
Heat one was stopped as Kyle Howarth came off after being passed by Sayfutdinov for third and was awarded as a 3-3. Sheffield then hit a maximum in heat two and followed it up with 4-2s in heats three and four to put them 16-8 up on the night and reduce the aggregate score to 52-62.
The Tigers then hit another 5-1 in heat five before Jason Doyle stemmed the tide with a race win in a shared heat six. There was another 3-3 in heat seven as Keynan Rew battled hard to get a point having exchanged moves with Etheridge at the back. However, Sheffield recorded another maximum in heat eight to make it 32-16, putting them just two behind on aggregate.
Doyle led heat nine but was passed by Josh Pickering in a 3-3. Heat 10 was stopped as Danny King took a nasty fall on third turn of the opening lap, and he was excluded. The re-run ended in a 5-1 which put Sheffield ahead in the tie on aggregate. Sayfutdinov took victory in heat 11 as the visitors hit a 2-4 to level the tie overall. However, the hosts immediately went back in front with a 5-1 in heat 12 to give them a 47-25 lead in the second leg which made It 83-79 on aggregate with three to race.
The Witches dug deep in heat 13 as Sayfutdinov won and Doyle produced a quite stunning ride to not only stay on the bike after clouting the fence but to pass Harris to join his teammate for a maximum that levelled the tie. Guest Etheridge took the chequered flag in heat 14 as Pickering got the better of Rew for a 5-1 that put Sheffield on the brink of victory. Sayfutdinov finished the night with another three points but with Doyle relegated to the back it was Sheffield who lifted the Sports Insure Premiership trophy in the rain.
REACTION FROM THE PROMOTER
Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches promoter Chris Louis reflects on Thursday’s defeat to Sheffield.
“A few things have happened in the last few weeks and have been said which have been a bit disappointing and disillusioning, but I was very proud to watch Ritchie take the one to seven from press day through to a play-off final via a Knockout Cup victory. Every single one of them wore the Witch with pride and I am also proud to have the best fans and biggest support in the country.
“I’m obviously disappointed we couldn’t get the double over the line against a sort of pick ‘n’ mix Sheffield side with one remaining rider in Kyle Howarth, he must be quite proud to have survived it! The focus for me is on our team and what they achieved because they achieved a lot, and they did it as a team.
“I wouldn’t say the track was difficult, there was a period after the second break I think it was where the rain came down harder and yes, the track did get slippery, but the track stood up fine. I certainly wouldn’t use the track as an excuse for us not winning the tie overall. You can’t afford to start the way we started in a tie like that because it gets your heads down and the opposition’s heads up and we paid for that in the end. I was so proud of how the whole team fought and didn’t give in, having gone behind in the tie.
“I was gutted for Jason that he felt that he let the team down by running a last in heat 15 when he is a massive part of the reason why we are there in the first place. He can hold his head high and be proud of what he has done for the club in the last couple of years. I was gutted for him as it wasn’t the way I wanted to see his season end and he has absolutely no blame whatsoever.
“I’m positive about the team we have had and the way we have stuck together as a team and the way we battled in the final. I think people will draw their own conclusions from the tie overall but the emphasis for me is on what we achieved and how we did it.”
RIDER OF THE NIGHT
After a slow start by his standards, Sayfutdinov found his form and finished with 11+1 which included three race wins from his last three rides.
WHAT IT MEANS
Sheffield finish as Sports Insure Premiership champions after a 92-88 aggregate victory with Ipswich runners-up.
All the details ahead of our Sports Insure Premiership play-off final second leg fixture with Sheffield.
WHEN & WHERE
The Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches travel to Sheffield to face the Tigers at Owlerton Stadium on Thursday 5th October in a Sports Insure Premiership play-off final second leg fixture that starts at 7.30pm.
First Leg: Ipswich 54-36 Belle Vue. Second Leg: Belle Vue 51-39 Ipswich
First Leg: Wolverhampton 40-50 Sheffield. Second Leg: Sheffield 39-21 Wolverhampton
FINAL
First Leg: Ipswich 54-36 Sheffield. Second Leg: Sheffield vs Ipswich (Oct 5)
TICKETS
Tickets are available on the gate.
THE STORY
The Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches travel to Sheffield on Thursday for the second leg of the Sports Insure Premiership play-off final.
The two sides met at Foxhall in the first leg on Tuesday and it was the Witches who emerged with an 18-point lead to take into the second leg after a 54-36 victory on home shale. The Suffolk side lost 51-39 on both of their league visits to South Yorkshire this season but more recently in the Knockout Cup final Ipswich were beaten 48-42. A repeat of either of those scorelines would see Ipswich crowned league champions but Ritchie Hawkins’ side will be heading to Owlerton looking to win the meeting, not just defend their lead.
Former Witch Joe Thompson is the guest again for his injured brother Dan in the Rising Star position with the Witches unchanged from Tuesday’s win. Jason Doyle had medical checks on Tuesday night following his heat four crash but has no breaks and has declared himself fit to ride. It promises to be another tense night away from home in the play-offs with plenty of travelling fans making the trip north hoping to see their side complete a historic league and cup double in 2023.
FROM THE BOSS
Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches team manager Ritchie Hawkins gives us his pre-match thoughts…
“We are in a similar position to the semi-final with a big lead, but we are going to a team that we know are going to be very strong on their home track. We saw them turnover Wolves last week and they were superb in the semi-final. We need to go into it, looking to win it and carry on what we have been doing. We are doing everything right at the minute, everything is rolling our way but at some point, Sheffield will get on top and we need to make sure we keep on fighting like we did at Belle Vue and like we have done all season when our backs have been against the wall. One more meeting, let’s go and do it.
“They are going to be fired up, they want to win the league. We are battling for the top prize in British speedway, and nobody is just going to give it to us on a plate and the boys know that. They have shown this season that they are fully prepared for Thursday, and they don’t want to let anything stand in their way. Hopefully we can carry on what we have been doing and walk away as champions.
“We have done well there this year and got ourselves in good positions but not quite pushed on at certain times. We are going to need everything to go right for us on Thursday, but we know we have a lot of riders capable of winning races around there and that is what we will need to do.”
THE TIGERS
Sheffield finished as runners-up in 2022 and will be keen to avoid history repeating itself in front of their home fans on Thursday. The Tigers have a strong record at home with just one defeat at Owlerton this season and the club will need a big performance as they look to overturn an 18-point deficit. The hosts have won by 18 points or more on seven occasions in all competitions in 2023 at their home track and will be confident in their ability to do so again on the biggest stage.
The hosts are again without Tai Woffinden, Tobiasz Musielak and Claus Vissing due to injury. Robert Lambert guests at number one as he did on Tuesday whilst Chris Harris is in at number five. Jye Etheridge is the guest at reserve on this occasion.
AWAY DAYS
An adult ticket costs £22, concessions £20 and children (aged 17 and under) £1. Official programmes cost £3. All the stadium is open except the back straight which remains closed for safety reasons. There is seating in the Panorama Room, which also boasts a restaurant and bar overlooking the track. There is a fast-food bar, and the Panorama Room Restaurant also offers a ‘Speedway Special’ carvery with a choice of meats. The Panorama Room Restaurant has large bar with ideal viewing facilities in addition to the carvery. Reserve your table now by calling Owlerton Stadium on 01142 343074. For travel information head here.
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Simply Climate Control – Simply Climate Control is a progressive business specialising in the design, supply and installation of heating, ventilation & air conditioning (hvac) systems for retail, commercial, industrial & domestic spaces.
First Leg: Ipswich 54-36 Belle Vue. Second Leg: Belle Vue 51-39 Ipswich
First Leg: Wolverhampton 40-50 Sheffield. Second Leg: Sheffield 39-21 Wolverhampton
FINAL
First Leg: Ipswich 54-36 Sheffield. Second Leg: Sheffield vs Ipswich (Oct 5)
THE STORY
The Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witchesrecorded a 54-36 win in the first leg of the Sports Insure Premiership play-off final at Foxhall on Tuesday night.
Ipswich had snuck into the top four after a fantastic run at the end of the season saw them take fourth spot before they knocked out reining champions Belle Vue in the play-off semi-final. Having finished third, the Tigers saw-off Wolverhampton to take their spot in the final. Joe Thompson was guesting in place injured brother Dan for Ipswich whilst Sheffield had Robert Lambert, Richard Lawson and Connor Mountain deputising for the injured trio of Tobiasz Musielak, Tai Woffinden and Claus Vissing. The Suffolk side started well but a maximum from the visitors in heat five tightened things up. However, Ipswich got stronger and stronger as the meeting went on and they will take an 18-point into the second leg at Owlerton on Thursday. Jason Doyle and Emil Sayfutdinov were both unbeaten by an opponent, scoring 15 and 13+2 respectively.
All four riders were called back for another go at heat one after Sayfutdinov was squeezed out after a tight first turn. The Ipswich number one won the re-run ahead of Lambert as Erik Riss held off Kyle Howarth for a point to give the hosts a 4-2. Danyon Hume looked like he was going to win heat two, but he made an error that allowed Connor Mountain through and at the same time Jason Edwards passed Thompson to turn it into a heat advantage to the visitors. Danny King and Keynan Rew raced to a 5-1 in heat three to put the hosts back in front. Both Hume and Doyle hit the deck after a first turn incident in heat four with all four called back for the second attempt. Lawson made the gate in the re-run, but Doyle set his sights on the Sheffield guest and steamed past him on the home straight going into the third lap to take the victory and with Hume third it was a 4-2 to make the score 15-9.
The away side responded with a maximum in heat five. Lawson made the gate again in heat six, but Sayfutdinov chased him down and cut back on the back straight of the second lap to pass him and storm to victory as Riss took third for a heat advantage. Doyle was a clear winner in heat seven and Hume had done superbly to work his way into second, but he fell on the final turn meaning a 3-3. Edwards won a shared heat eight leaving it 26-22 to Ipswich.
King made an electric gate in heat nine for the win as Rew held third for a heat advantage to the Witches. Sayfutdinov and Riss made the gate in heat 10 but Josh Pickering blasted round Riss to limit the damage to a 4-2 to the home team. Doyle took the chequered flag in a shared heat 11 which was followed by a 5-1 from King and Hume in heat 12 to make it 42-30.
Doyle and Sayfutdinov powered home another maximum in heat 13. Rew and Hume led heat 14 but Hume was passed by Pickering and the Sheffield man then exchanged positions with Rew at the front before making it stick to take three points as Hume fell, meaning a 2-4 to the away team. Doyle and Sayfutdinov were at their textbook best again in heat 15 as they eased to another 5-1 to make the final score 54-36 going into deciding leg away at Sheffield on Thursday.
REACTION FROM THE BOSS
Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches team manager Ritchie Hawkins reflects on Tuesday’s win against Sheffield.
“I’m really happy with the result, it was a really tough battle. We managed to come through it and get a decent lead, so I’m delighted with all seven of them on a tricky track tonight due to the weather we had last night. I’m delighted with the boys, and it is a good lead, but we know Sheffield are going to come strong on Thursday.
“It was a brilliant performance from our three heat leaders, they won a lot of races. Heat 13 and 15 were crucial 5-1s, that is eight points up in two heats and they could easily have been shared heats. They have been superb all season and we have talked a lot about it, you can’t put into words the job they have done, and they have come up trumps again and what a pleasure they have been to work with.
“It was tough out there tonight, 13 out of the 14 riders attacked the track and battled hard. It felt like a battle, and it wasn’t enjoyable conditions for anyone to ride in, but it couldn’t be helped. The weather played its part which it does at this time of year, and it was a proper final with two teams battling their hardest. I’m sure it will be the same on Thursday.
“We had concerns having to move it to a Tuesday and clashing with the football team who are doing great this season but wow, you came out in force again. I spoke to everyone on the mic to re-iterate again, thank you for all of the support, you have made the world of difference to get us in the position we are in. We have come from the brink, and we now have a great opportunity to make this a legendary season.”
SIMPLY CLIMATE CONTROL & A&S AGGREGATES RIDERS OF THE NIGHT
Doyle was chosen by Simply Climate Control after five wins from five rides.
A&S Aggregates chose Sayfutdinov who was unbeaten by an opponent with 13+2.
WHAT IT MEANS
Ipswich take an 18-point lead to Owlerton for the second leg of the play-off final on Thursday night where the title will be decided.
UP NEXT
The Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches travel to South Yorkshire on Thursday 5th October to take on the Sheffield Tigers at Owlerton in the Sports Insure Premiership play-off final second leg. Tickets can be purchased on the gate.
The Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches’ Sports Insure Premiership play-off final first leg fixture against Sheffield on Monday 2nd October has been postponed due to the bad weather forecast with a decision made at 2pm on Sunday.
The fixture has been re-arranged for Tuesday 3rd October.
