BRITISH SPEEDWAY WEEKLY BULLETIN
12 October 2004 - British Speedway Promoters Association

ARENA-ESSEX captain Leigh Lanham has confirmed that World Champion Jason Crump will be one of the star attractions at his Testimonial meeting on Friday.

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Lanham said: ''Jason is probably the hottest property in World Speedway at this time and I am over the moon that he has agreed to join me for my big day. ''I am really looking forward to my Testimonial meeting and the Arena-Essex Raceway is the place where I always wanted to celebrate my big day.'' BELLE VUE look set to be under new ownership next season after the club withdrew their offer to supporters to buy shares in the club. General manager Terence Vernon said: ''We did have applications and we want to thank those supporters who were prepared to help the club with hard cash. ''If a few more had gone down the same road we would have had a chance of achieving something, but time was against the idea.'' COVENTRY joint-boss Peter Oakes is set for talks with the rest of the Brandon management to assess his position with the club for next season. Oakes said: ''I said from day one when I came in that my priority had to be the Under-21s and Under-15s, and that has taken a lot of my time and efforts. ''But I have really enjoyed it, and if I am asked back it would be very difficult to turn it down because I was amazed how much I enjoyed it despite the results.'' EASTBOURNE skipper David Norris has revealed that he attempted to make an amazing comeback from a broken leg in the Eagles'' play-off match at Ipswich. Norris said: ''I had the cast off for 20 minutes but I couldn''t walk and I had to ask them to put a cast back on because of the pain.'' IPSWICH reserve Kim Jansson wants to stay with the club in 2005 and hopes that the Witches can avoid making too many changes after a successful year. Jansson said: ''I want to stay with Ipswich in 2005 and I would like to think that we can all remain. ''I appreciate that averages come into play and it may not be possible, but it would be stupid to change this team.'' OXFORD boss Nigel Wagstaff has paid tribute to Todd Wiltshire ahead of his farewell meeting at Cowley on Friday. He said: ''Todd has been a pleasure to work with, he is the perfect professional and the sport will miss him.'' PETERBOROUGH manager Trevor Swales wants popular Dane Henning Bager to remain a part of the Panthers'' set-up next season. Swales said: ''Henning can be a part of a formidable reserve pairing and that is an area we are specifically targeting after the troubles of this season. ''He was winning meetings for us on his own at the start of the season and certainly didn''t disgrace himself when the averages dictated that he had to move into a heat leader slot.'' POOLE promoter Matt Ford is proud to be confirmed as the top club in British Speedway at present with the Pirates winning back-to-back Elite League titles. Ford said: ''We are aware that these things seem to run in cycles but our peak is now and we have been the forerunners of British speedway. ''We want to get the young generation coming down to the stadium and following Poole for years to come.'' SWINDON have confirmed that Australian ace Leigh Adams will once again lead the Robins in 2005 - but changes are expected to the Blunsdon club''s line-up. Owner Terry Russell said: ''We haven’t delivered in 2004 and the signing of Leigh for next season marks the start of re-building for a much stronger and more competitive team. ''The support on the terraces has been very good throughout the campaign and fully justified the move back into the Elite League.'' WOLVERHAMPTON boss Peter Adams praised the efforts of his team - despite their heavy Grand Final defeat at the hands of Poole. He said: ''We shouldn''t let this defeat mask what a terrific season we have had at Wolverhampton and we should feel a sense of pride in our efforts.''

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BERWICK''S Lee Smethills has said that he would be keen to return to Shielfield Park next year after his mid-season switch from Newcastle. Smethills said: ''I have enjoyed it here, and if Berwick want me again next season I would be more than happy to come back.'' EDINBURGH star Rory Schlein, who is attracting interest from the Elite League, is to visit a knee specialist in Australia in November. Schlein, who crashed at Sheffield last month, said: ''My kidneys are OK but my knee is causing me some bother right now. It''s the same knee I broke two years ago and I want to get to the bottom of why it is still painful.'' EXETER''s season is over after they were eliminated from the Knockout Cup in the very last race of their tie against Premier League Champions Hull. Co-promoter David Short said: ''In our case, it would be wise not to stage an expensive individual meeting at this stage of the season when the weather is so unpredictable.'' GLASGOW want to bring popular Australian Shane Parker back to Ashfield in the 2005 season after an excellent debut year with the club. Co-promoter Stewart Dickson said: ''Hopefully we can do a deal before he heads back Down Under next month. I''m convinced we''ll have Shane and George Stancl back with us.'' HULL star Ross Brady is awaiting the results of an MRI scan on his knee to discover whether he can make a surprise comeback for the remainder of the season. Brady said: ''I will try my hardest to get back, even if it''s only for one meeting. I want to try and get back and score some points for the team.'' THE Isle of Wight are fully focused on the Knockout Cup Final against Hull after suffering the agony of a single-point Young Shield semi defeat at the hands of Reading. KING''S LYNN will stage their big Individual event, the Pride of the East, at the Norfolk Arena on Wednesday October 20. Australians Adam Shields, Craig Boyce, Jason Lyons and Davey Watt are all included in a high-quality field with features all of the current Stars riders. NEWCASTLE''S David Meldrum claimed third place in the Top Gun Championship at Sheffield last Thursday night. The club''s recently-formed support group have staged their first meeting in an attempt to gain additional sponsorship for the club. NEWPORT promoter Tim Stone says that young Australian Karlis Ezergailis is in his thinking as he plans ahead for next season. Stone said: ''The youth policy at Newport is paying dividends. Karlis has benefited from it in his debut year and we will be keeping tabs on him throughout the winter.'' READING have confirmed that their home leg of the Young Shield Final will be staged at Smallmead on Sunday October 24, with the season-ending Euphony Classic the following Sunday. The Racers qualified for the Final in the most dramatic of circumstances with a one-point aggregate win over the Isle of Wight, with Danny Bird pushing home for the final point. RYE HOUSE star Davey Watt carried off the individual honours in Scott Robson''s Testimonial meeting at Hoddesdon last weekend. Former World Champion Billy Hamill scored a paid maximum in the team event, which saw Robson''s team defeat his brother Stuart''s line-up. SHEFFIELD bring the curtain down on a troubled season with the Teng Tools Northern Classic at Owlerton on Sunday. Elite League stars Sam Ermolenko, Adam Skornicki and Josh Larsen are included with home hopes resting on the shoulders of Richard Hall and Ricky Ashworth. SOMERSET star Matt Read is set to be flown back to England where he will continue his rehabilitation from multiple injuries sustained in the World Long Track Grand Prix in France. Read will remain in a high dependancy unit but will be at Odstock Hospital in Salisbury, though his close family are keen to stress that fans should not phone the hospital and the general public will not be allowed to visit at this stage. STOKE promoter Dave Tattum has confirmed that he expects a strong field to take part in the Pride of the Potteries meeting on October 23. Tattum said:''I''m waiting confirmation of some big names, but I can assure the supporters it will be a very competitive line-up.'' WORKINGTON will be boosted by the return of Simon Stead for their Young Shield clashes with Hull. Stead has been out of action since the Premier League Riders'' Championship at Sheffield last month when he suffered a dislocated shoulder.

FIXTURE PICTURE...

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 13:

SKYBET ELITE LEAGUE: Belle Vue v Peterborough 7.45

YOUNG SHIELD SEMI-FINAL: Hull v Workington 7.30

CONFERENCE LEAGUE: Oxford v Mildenhall 7pm

CONFERENCE LEAGUE KOC: Oxford v Mildenhall (follows CL meeting)

LAURELS INDIVIDUAL: Wimbledon 7.30

THURSDAY OCTOBER 14:

CONFERENCE LEAGUE: Swindon v Rye House 7pm followed by Swindon v Oxford

FRIDAY OCTOBER 15:

LEIGH LANHAM TESTIMONIAL: Arena Essex 8pm

TODD WILTSHIRE FAREWELL: Oxford 7.30

CONFERENCE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL: Scotland v England Under-21 (at Armadale) 7.30

CONFERENCE LEAGUE: Boston v Buxton 7.30
CONFERENCE TROPHY: Weymouth v King’s Lynn 7.30

SATURDAY OCTOBER 16:

JACK YOUNG SHIELD SEMI-FINAL: Workington v Hull 7pm

CONFERENCE LEAGUE: Stoke v Weymouth 7.30, Rye House v Buxton 7pm

FOUR NATIONS SELECT MEETING: Carmarthen 3.30

SUNDAY OCTOBER 17:

SKYBET ELITE LEAGUE RIDERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP: Poole 4pm

NORTHERN RIDERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP: Sheffield 6pm

UNDER-21 INTERNATIONAL: Great Britain v Australia (at Newport) 2.30

CONFERENCE LEAGUE: Buxton v Wimbledon 3pm

MONDAY OCTOBER 18:

BRITISH UNDER-18 CHAMPIONSHIP: Wolverhampton 7.30

TUESDAY OCTOBER 19:

PREMIER LEAGUE KNOCKOUT CUP FINAL 1ST LEG: Isle of Wight v Hull 7.30

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 20:

ELITE LEAGUE KNOCKOUT CUP FINAL 1ST LEG: Poole v Ipswich 7.30

PREMIER LEAGUE KNOCKOUT CUP FINAL 2ND LEG: Hull v Isle of Wight 7.30

PRIDE OF THE EAST INDIVIDUAL: King’s Lynn 7.30

MARK BURROWS TESTIMONIAL: Wimbledon 7.30

THURSDAY OCTOBER 21:

ELITE LEAGUE KNOCKOUT CUP FINAL 2ND LEG: Ipswich v Poole 7.30

SATURDAY OCTOBER 23:

PRIDE OF THE POTTERIES INDIVIDUAL: Stoke 7.30

THREE TEAM TOURNAMENT: Rye House v Ipswich v Peterborough 7pm

SUNDAY OCTOBER 24:

JACK YOUNG SHIELD FINAL: Reading v Hull/Workington 6pm

CONFERENCE LEAGUE: Carmarthen v Buxton 2.30

SIDECARS: Carmarthen (follows CL meeting)

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