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SPEEDWAY WEEKLY ROUND-UP AND FIXTURES
25 July 2006 - British Speedway Promoters Association
ELITE LEAGUE LATEST. ARENA-ESSEX promoter Ronnie Russell is attempting to make the sport more affordable for families by offering free admission for accompanied under-16s during the summer holiday period.
Russell said: ''We are looking at ways to encourage more families to attend Arena matches, and we hope families take advantage of this exciting offer.
''I have decided that each week there will be one rider chosen to meet and greet supporters as they come through the turnstiles. All riders will take their bike along for children to sit on and will be starting with our captain this week.''
BELLE VUE promoter Ian Thomas accepts that a shock home defeat against Poole has put the pressure on his side''s play-off challenge.
Thomas said: ''It''s fingers out time if we are going to finish in the top four and the boys know that. It wasn''t the right time to have an inquest after Monday''s match because everyone was down but they know what we must do.
''It was the worst result and the worst performance we''ve had at home this year by far. We''ve been hammering people here yet we lost this match by six points.''
COVENTRY star Chris Harris was relieved to hold off Leigh Adams to secure a draw for the Bees in a last-heat decider against Swindon.
Harris said: '' I dropped the clutch and hardly moved, but luckily I managed to make a good first corner and took up a position behind Scott (Nicholls) to get the 3-3.
''It was hard to defend against Leigh, I didn''t know where he was going to come from, so I tried to ride all the track I could and make myself as wide as possible, and we managed to share the race.''
EASTBOURNE promoter Jon Cook felt the Eagles had not been on top of their game as they emerged with a five-point win over basement club Oxford.
The Cheetahs took an 8-1 and an 8-0 from their two tactical ride races, and the Eagles were further hampered by the early withdrawal of Adam Shields on his comeback from injury.
Cook said: ''It''s always difficult to race against a team that you should beat easily, and we really didn''t compete on the level we expected consistently.''
IPSWICH star Mark Loram believes that his winter switch to Foxhall has proved to be the ideal move to re-ignite his career. Loram, part of Great Britain''s World Cup bronze medal-winning squad, said: ''I was a bit sceptical about coming back because as a local I didn''t want to let anybody down.
''But it has worked out perfectly and I am very happy with my speedway in England and Sweden right now.''
OXFORD promoter Aaron Lanney says his feelings for the sport went full circle as Ales Dryml regained consciousness after his life-threatening crash.
Lanney said: ''I was ready to pack speedway in, that''s how I felt about it. I felt terrible and never wanted to see another speedway race in my life when I was told he may not make it.
''But Ales has proved once again what a fighter he is and we are all overjoyed by this news. There is a possibility that he may yet make a full and complete recovery.''
PETERBOROUGH manager Trevor Swales has re-assured Panthers fans that the regular absences of Polish youngster Karol Zabik due to clashing fixtures will soon be a thing of the past.
Swales said: ''It''s been unfortunate that Karol has missed so many meetings, and it has happened more than we were originally expecting when we signed him.
''The problem is that he has been required to race in a number of meetings in Poland which we were initially told he would not be needed for, but it looks like there are now only two more of those this season.''
POOLE have clinched the signing of Austalian Under-21 Champion Chris Holder, who will join the Pirates from the Isle of Wight when he moves into the top division.
Promoter Matt Ford said: ''This lad has a huge future ahead of him, and I am absolutely delighted to have secured him as a rider for the future.
''We will let Chris decide when he wants to make the move up to the Elite League but it is great news for the club that he will make that move with us.''
READING boss Jim Lynch says the forthcoming clashes between the Bulldogs and
his former club Peterborough - the top two sides in the Elite League - on Thursday and next Monday could have a vital effect on the table.
Lynch said: ''You have the top two teams in the league up against each other, so whoever ends up picking up the bonus point from that one will be put in a strong position for the play-offs.
''We should see some big crowds down at Smallmead for the remainder of the season, as every meeting is going to be like a cup final right up to and beyond the play-offs.''
SWINDON''S short-term future appears to have been secured with stadium owners Gaming International agreeing in principle to the Robins remaining at Blunsdon in 2007.
The club''s prospects beyond that time have been thrown into doubt by a redevelopment plan, but the Robins have the weight of public support behind them.
Promoter Terry Russell said: ''We had positive discussions with the owners, and both of us understand how important it is to work out a practical and realistic solution to the existing stadium and the future of speedway in Swindon.''
WOLVERHAMPTON promoter Chris Van Straaten hailed the entertainment on show as his team salvaged a draw with a last-heat 4-2 against League leaders Reading.
Van Straaten said: ''That was a brilliant match. It had a bit of everything, the entertainment factor ensured the supporters had value for money and I have to be happy with a draw.
''Greg Hancock was magnificent for Reading and I wondered whether any of our lads could beat him, but PK (Peter Karlsson) came good when we needed him in the last race decider.'' PREMIER LEAGUE LATEST. BERWICK promoter Peter Waite is relieved that his side look to have started a run of more consistent form, particularly on their home circuit.
Waite said: ''It''s just a shame it''s taken so long for us to click and gel. I only hope now we can continue like this and get something out of the season.''
EDINBURGH skipper Theo Pijper will miss this Friday''s clash with Somerset after suffering a freak wrist injury - in a football match against the club''s supporters!
Pijper said: ''Someone kicked my wrist instead of the ball! The hospital told me I should take two to three weeks off, but I hope I won''t have to do that. I can''t afford it!''
GLASGOW skipper Shane Parker says the Tigers should be setting their sights as high as possible as they look to bring silverware to Ashfield this season.
Parker said: ''The team has great confidence and it''s essential that we carry that on into the next string of fixtures. We are now in a position to climb high up the table.''
ISLE OF WIGHT chairman Martin Newnham hit back at criticism of the abandonment of the Islanders'' clash with Somerset - who trailed by just two points with one heat to go when a halt had to be called.
Newnham said: ''I can fully understand the feelings of the Somerset camp but we have to comply with the 10pm curfew and there was no time to stage the final heat. It was our intention throughout to complete the match by running all 15 heats.''
KING''S LYNN boss Rob Lyon has set his team the target of a 20-point win in the first leg of their Premier Trophy semi-final against Workington.
Lyon said: ''That would make me comfortable about our chances of making the Final, but any less than that and we will be making hard work for ourselves when we go up there.''
MILDENHALL promoter Mick Horton praised the recent improvement of James Brundle, who collected 15 points in the home win over Newport.
Horton said: ''James was definitely man of the match and I''m very pleased for him. He''s growing in confidence now in thereserve berth and we need him to keep it going because when his confidence is high he''s very difficult to beat.''
NEWCASTLE manager George English was furious after the Diamonds surrendered a ten-point lead at Stoke to lose an important Premier League match.
English said: ''It was a major disappointment, and I''ve said it far too many times this year. The points should have been ours but due to the startling non-performance of riders we needed to rely on, the lead went down the pan. We must try harder.''
NEWPORT promoter Tim Stone is pleased with the current form of Joel Parsons, who is one of the in-form reserves in the Premier League with a number of double-figure scores.
Stone said: ''Joel is now doing exactly what I brought him in for. In the first part of the season he couldn''t get things together, but since he has changed his equipment and set-up he looks much more confident and is really getting going.''
REDCAR boss Brian Havelock insists the Bears will have no long-term hangover from a recent shock home defeat as they bid for a play-off position in their first season.
Havelock said: ''Everything that can be said about the Newport match has been said. It''s in the past now, and our confidence is back up again.''
INJURED Rye House duo Stuart Robson and Jamie Courtney have been told by doctors that they should not expect to race again this season.
The news on Luke Bowen is somewhat brighter as the 18-year-old is recovering well from a broken leg and may be able to return by mid-August.
SHEFFIELD promoter Neil Machin is desperate to overcome Rye House in the semi-finals of the Premier Trophy after the Rockets destroyed their hopes of silverware last season.
Machin said: ''Rye House demolished us last season but I feel sure it will be a different story this time around and we need to build up a big lead at home. I still don''t think we''re getting the credit we deserve and perhaps an appearance in a national final would help us with that.''
SOMERSET star Paul Fry insists he wants to return to the sport as soon as possible as he recovers from a broken leg.
Fry said: ''I''ve just got to grin and bear it; the only problem is that, like all sportsmen, I''m very impatient. I just want to get mobile and back on the bike.''
STOKE''s seriously injured youngster Luke Priest is continuing his gradual improvement after sustaining multiple injuries, and is now officially out of intensive care.
Priest''s father John said: ''There have been a few steps forward and one or two back, but on the whole we are delighted with Luke''s progress. There is still a long way to go, but there are a few positives now which we are all hanging on to.''
WORKINGTON promoter Graham Drury says the club can come through their current injury problems which have been a major factor in two recent home defeats.
Drury said: ''I still feel we can soldier on and do enough to qualify for the League play-offs, by which time we should have everybody back and can make a big impression.'' FIXTURE PICTURE... TUESDAY JULY 25:
PREMIER LEAGUE: Isle of Wight v Newport 7.30 WEDNESDAY JULY 26:
SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Arena-Essex v Coventry 7.45, Oxford v Eastbourne 7.30, Poole v Peterborough 7.30, Reading v Wolverhampton 7.30
PREMIER TROPHY SEMI FINAL: King''s Lynn v Workington 7.30
CONFERENCE LEAGUE KO CUP: Stoke v Scunthorpe 7.30 THURSDAY JULY 27:
SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Coventry v Belle Vue 8pm, Ipswich v Oxford 7.30, Peterborough v Reading 7.30, Swindon v Arena-Essex 7.30
PREMIER LEAGUE: Redcar v Mildenhall 7.30
PREMIER TROPHY SEMI FINAL: Sheffield v Rye House 7.45 FRIDAY JULY 28:
PREMIER LEAGUE: Edinburgh v Somerset 7.30
CONFERENCE LEAGUE KO CUP: Plymouth v Newport 7.30
BRITISH SIDECAR CHAMPIONSHIP at Somerset SATURDAY JULY 29:
PREMIER LEAGUE: Berwick v Somerset 7pm, Stoke v Glasgow 7.30,
PREMIER TROPHY SEMI FINAL: Rye House v Sheffield 7pm, Workington v King''s Lynn 7pm SUNDAY JULY 30:
PREMIER LEAGUE: Glasgow v King''s Lynn 4pm, Newcastle v Somerset 6.30, Newport v Rye House 2.30,
CONFERENCE TROPHY: Buxton v Plymouth 3pm, Mildenhall v Boston 4.30 FOLLOWED BY Mildenhall v Scunthorpe MONDAY JULY 31:
SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Belle Vue v Coventry 7.45, Oxford v Poole 7.30, Reading v Peterborough 7.30, Wolverhampton v Ipswich 7.30
CONFERENCE TROPHY: Scunthorpe v Mildenhall 7.30 TUESDAY AUGUST 1:
PREMIER LEAGUE: Isle of Wight v Edinburgh 7.30 WEDNESDAY AUGUST 2:
SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Arena-Essex v Oxford 7.45, Poole v Eastbourne 7.30
PREMIER LEAGUE: King''s Lynn v Newport 7.30, Somerset v Edinburgh 7.30 THURSDAY AUGUST 3:
SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Swindon v Oxford 7.30
PREMIER LEAGUE: Redcar v King''s Lynn 7.30, Sheffield v Stoke 7.45 FRIDAY AUGUST 4:
SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Coventry v Ipswich 8pm
CONFERENCE TROPHY: Boston v Mildenhall 7.30, Plymouth v Buxton 7.30
SCOTTISH OPEN: Edinburgh 7.30 SATURDAY AUGUST 5:
SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Eastbourne v Coventry 7.30, Ipswich v Peterborough 7.30
PREMIER LEAGUE: Berwick v Edinburgh 7pm, Rye House v Somerset 7pm, Stoke v Sheffield 7.30, Workington v Mildenhall 7pm SUNDAY AUGUST 6:
PREMIER LEAGUE: Glasgow v Workington 4pm, Mildenhall v Stoke 4.30, Newcastle v Berwick 6.30, Newport v Redcar 2.30
CONFERENCE LEAGUE: Buxton v Scunthorpe 3pm, Mildenhall v Rye House (follows PL fixture)
CONFERENCE LEAGUE KO CUP: Newport v Plymouth (follows PL fixture)
CONFERENCE SHIELD: Sittingbourne v Weymouth 12midday MONDAY AUGUST 7:
SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Belle Vue v Ipswich 7.45, Reading v Arena-Essex 7.30, Wolverhampton v Oxford 7.30
CONFERENCE TROPHY: Scunthorpe v Boston 7.30 TUESDAY AUGUST 8:
PREMIER LEAGUE: Isle of Wight v Glasgow 7.30
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