ASSOCIATION OF SPEEDWAY REFEREES

NEWS FROM THE BOX

PREM KOC FINAL REFEREES

The Premiership Knockout Cup Final referees have been announced.

The ties, between Leicester and Ipswich will take place on Monday 27 and Thursday 30 July to decide the winner of the first piece of top-tier silverware of the year.

Michael Breckon will take charge of the first leg at Ipswich, while Si Humphrey-Kennett will take charge of the second leg at Leicester. The ties are due to be broadcast live on BSN. You can buy passes for the events here.

Tickets are available online for both legs from the Leicester and Ipswich club websites.

July 2026

ON THE BUTTON

To help give supporters an insight into the role of the referee at a speedway meeting, Speedway Star's Ben Findon joined SCB referee Wayne Jarvis at the Premiership clash between Northampton and Leicester. Ben managed to capture the range of activities that were carried out from the time of arrival through to the close of the meeting.

The article is available to read by clicking on the image. Thanks go to the Speedway Star for allowing the ASR to use the article on this website.

June 2026

ACKROYD IN A DAMP WROCLAW

SCB and FIM referee Craig Ackroyd took charge of a damper than expected Wroclaw SGP on 20th June. The previous evening Craig had also taken charge of the SGP3 event at the same venue.

In an evening where the pits and track were underwater at start time with an electrical failure to the referee panel, Craig had an eventful weekend.

June 2026

U21 FINAL & BRITISH SEMI FINAL

June signals the beginning of the trail towards the 2026 British Championships, with two key meetings setting the tone for the season ahead.

The action begins on Sunday 7 June, as Redcar hosts the British U21 Final, getting underway at 17:00. Rising stars from across the country will battle for national honours, with Wayne Jarvis taking charge of refereeing duties for this event.

Later in the month, attention turns to qualification for the 2026 British Final. Sixteen riders will compete for eight qualifying places at Leicester on Sunday 21 June, with tapes up at 3pm. This crucial British Semi Final will be overseen by referee Chris Gay.

June promises high‑stakes racing, emerging talent, and the first major steps toward crowning the next British Champions.

Tickets can be purchased online for the Under 21 Final at Redcar by clicking here (Under 16s are free with a paying adult).
Tickets for the British Semi Final will be available from the Leicester ticket website nearer the date.

June 2026

LOUIS HONOURED WITH PRESTIGIOUS GEOFF DALBY TROPHY

The Association of Speedway Referees (ASR) has announced Chris Louis as the 2026 recipient of the esteemed Geoff Dalby Trophy, an annual award recognising individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the sport of speedway.

The award commemorates Geoff Dalby, a highly respected Midlands‑based speedway referee who officiated more than 1,200 meetings between 1967 and 1993. Geoff’s family, alongside the ASR, established the trophy to recognise outstanding contribution to the sport and to proudly ensure that Geoff’s name and legacy continue to be honoured. Previous recipients have included clerks of the course, timekeepers, announcers, team managers, medics and promoters.

This year, ASR members selected Chris Louis in recognition of his exceptional impact across multiple roles within the sport. Louis’s distinguished career includes becoming World Under‑21 Champion, a two‑time British Champion, and was one of the riders who took part in the first Speedway Grand Prix series in 1995, where he finished 7th overall. After retiring from racing, he continued to influence the sport as a team manager, TV commentator and, most recently, as promoter of the 2025 Premiership Champions, Ipswich Witches.

The presentation took place at the May Bank Holiday clash between Ipswich and King’s Lynn at Foxhall Heath Stadium, where meeting referee Chris Gay and ASR Committee Member Paul Carrington handed Chris the Geoff Dalby Trophy on behalf of the Association of Speedway Referees.

The ASR stated that Louis’s “commitment, leadership and lifelong passion for the sport embody the very values the Geoff Dalby Trophy was created to celebrate.”

May 2026

Chris Gay (left) and Paul Carrington (right) present the 2026 Geoff Dalby award to Chris Louis (centre)

ICE GLADIATORS - INZELL

Christina Turnbull starts her season early as she officiates the first two rounds of the 2026 FIM Ice Speedway World Championship in Inzell, Germany on the weekend of 14 and 15 March.

The stadium, located in Bavaria, is typically known as a long track speed-skating arena. However, once a year the artificial ice is met with the roar of ice speedway machines. This year, the first two rounds of the championship will be held on Saturday and Sunday.

March 2026

FIRST ALLOCATION OF THE YEAR

The first allocation of the season has been made. The 2026 Ben Fund meeting is due to take place at Glasgow on Saturday 28th March at 18:00. There is a reserve date of the afternoon of Sunday 29th March in the event of a rain off.

Whilst the rider line up is yet to be announced, we can confirm that Willie Dishington will be the referee at Ashfield for the season's early big event.

Ticket details and rider line ups will be announced in due course on the British Speedway website and details of the Ben Fund, including how to donate, can be found on the Speedway Riders Benevolent Fund (SRBF) website.

January 2026

HAPPY NEW YEAR

The ASR would like to wish everyone connected with the sport a very Happy New Year.

We look forward to seeing you all at a track somewhere in the UK later in the year!

January 2026

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SPEEDWAY REFEREES

Last updated: 18th July 2026
Member area last update: 18th July 2026

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