WELCOME to the latest edition of the weekly BSPA bulletins keeping you in touch with news, views and fixtures from the tracks up and down the country.
SUPER 7EVEN ROLL OF HONOUR 2008: BRITISH UNDER-21 FINAL: Arena-Essex, Friday April 25 - TAI WOFFINDEN BRITISH FINAL: Swindon, Thursday May 29 - SCOTT NICHOLLS PREMIER LEAGUE PAIRS: Somerset, Friday June 27 - WORKINGTON PREMIER LEAGUE FOURS: Workington, Saturday July 26 - WORKINGTON ELITE LEAGUE BEST PAIRS: Swindon, Sunday August 17 - COVENTRY PREMIER LEAGUE RIDERS' CHAMPIONSHIP: Sheffield, Sunday September 21 - TAI WOFFINDEN ELITE LEAGUE RIDERS' CHAMPIONSHIP: Birmingham - Wednesday October 8.
ELITE LEAGUE LATEST
BELLE VUE manager Chris Morton emphasised his relief after the Aces avoided the relegation race off with a win in their final Elite League match of the season against Coventry.
Morton said: "This was a must-win match and we really showed our guts and determination when we needed to. We rode like we meant it against an in-form Coventry team and the word relief sums up how we feel.
"There's no doubt this season has been frustrating but there have been many positives as well, and Jason Crump has provided us with the cutting edge we were lacking so much last year."
COVENTRY are into a ten-day break before the Craven Shield Final - which comes at a good time after their top two of Hans Andersen and Chris Harris were both hurt at Belle Vue on Monday.
Bees boss Peter Oakes said: "Fortunately the result wasn't overly-important to us in the sense that we couldn't get into play-offs at either end, so it wasn't quite the trauma that it might have been.
"I hate to imagine how we'd have felt if it had been a meeting that we needed to win to either get into the play-! offs at the top or avoid them at the bottom!"
EASTBOURNE co-promoter Martin Hagon is to leave the club after the Knockout Cup Final against Poole later this month.
The time consuming nature of the job, on top of running his own business, is his main reason for pulling out.
Hagon joined Bob Dugard as co-promoter last autumn after former owner Bob Brimson departed, and he has also offered individual backing to several riders.
IPSWICH'S benefit meeting for former favourite Kim Jansson raised £8,000 for the Swede who was seriously injured in his home country in August.
The Witches team defeated a Jansson Select side in a last-heat decider with a 5-1 from Robert Miskowiak and guest Scott Nicholls.
Jansson, who rode for the club for six years, said: "I want to thank everybody who turned out, and for their generosity."
LAKESIDE boss Jon Cook was philosophical after the Hammers were beaten at home by Poole in the first leg of the Grand Final.
Cook said: "The racing was really good and it shows that different tracks make for good racing, but we've known for six weeks that we could be struggling after our injuries.
"I'm still proud of the efforts of the boys, there are still fifteen races to go and the pressure is on Poole not to celebrate too early this week. I also think our two Polish lads will like their track."
PETERBOROUGH co-promoter Mick Bratley says the club will enter their relegation race-off against Wolverhampton with confidence.
Bratley said: "Going into the relegation play-offs holds no fears and, if anything, it's a bit of a bonus for our fans that they can see some more racing.
"Some of our lads have not raced for a bit but the rest of the team have had races abroad. But I'll be having a word with officials at the Showground to see if we can practice there next Monday."
POOLE boss Neil Middleditch was delighted to come away from Lakeside with a win in the first leg of the Grand Final but has warned that there is still another meeting to go before the champions are crowned.
Middleditch said: "It was another good all-round team performance, and I am very pleased in the way we stuck to our game plan and held on to take the win.
“However, we are only at the half way mark right now, there is still the little matter of next week’s second leg. I have told the boys that anything can happen and we can’t afford to take anything for granted. Lakeside will be determined to show their fans that this match is far from over and we must remain focussed."
SWINDON skipper Leigh Adams says the Robins can still reflect on a positive campaign despite seeing their season ended in the semi-finals of the play-offs at Lakeside.
Adams said: "It’s been a pretty constructive year really, considering everyone wrote us off at the start.
“To be in this position is fantastic, but obviously if we had a home draw it would have been a totally different ball game."
WOLVERHAMPTON promoter Chris Van Straaten says his side have the ability to overcome Peterborough in the Elite League's first-ever relegation race-off.
Van Straaten said: "I really do believe we can get it together and get the right result over two legs. We’ll meet up on Monday night, talk about where we have gone wrong this season and try and get things right from the start next Tuesday.
"We don’t want any excuses, we have to hit them hard from the very first race and put them on the back foot."
PREMIER LEAGUE LATEST
BERWICK overcame Birmingham by a two-point margin in a highly eventful Young Shield quarter-final which went down to the last race of the tie.
Promoter Peter Waite said: "It was sheer determination that got us into the semi-finals and it will be that same determination that could take us to our first major final in years!"
BIRMINGHAM have abandoned plans to stage the Second City Trophy at the end of the month, and will now complete their season against King's Lynn on October 19.
Promoter Graham Drury said: "It has become impossible to put a field of 16 riders together for the Second City Trophy. The uncertainty over the Play-offs and Young Shield means it could change at the drop of a hat and I wasn't prepared to just cobble something together."
EDINBURGH skipper Derek Sneddon is pleased with the Monarchs' position in their play-off semi-final against Somerset, as they take a 21-point lead to the Oak Tree Arena.
Sneddon said: "A 21-point lead is quite a big cushion to have for the second leg. Somerset will be aware they only beat us by four points in the league round their own place. They will have to do all the chasing, the pressure is very much on them."
GLASGOW co-promoter Stewart Dickson is hoping the Tigers can finally get the better of old rivals Edinburgh when they meet again this weekend.
Dickson said: "We haven't beaten them this season in any competition,and it will be up to our lads to ensure that we spoil their party in some way. The best team have won the league, they are deserving winners."
The ISLE OF WIGHT have no injury concerns as they head into the quarter-finals of the Young Shield against Sheffield this week.
Chairman Mike Bellman said: "This is our final chance to claim some silverware this year, and trust me when I say that the team really want to win the Young Shield and end the 2008 season on a real high."
KING'S LYNN have underlined their intention to put everything into their bid to achieve Elite League status during this month's promotion play-offs.
Owner Buster Chapman said: "I must admit that Elite League has scared me in the past but if natural progression happens then we will go with it. I also feel our rider asset list is the strongest it has ever been and we could field a competitive team without the expense of GP star."
NEWCASTLE are keeping tabs on a current Elite League rider who ! has hinted he would fancy a move to the Byker club next season.
Co-promoter Darryl Illingworth said: "I'm not revealing the rider's name because I don't know if he has actually told his current club of his plans for next year, but he rang me to make us aware of the situation."
READING'S final team fixture at Smallmead ended with their heaviest-ever home defeat as they went down 33-60 against a rampant Redcar side.
Racers boss Tim Sugar said: "It’s disappointing to go out of the competition in the manner we did, as we actually fancied our chances going into it. That just about sums up our season really – never quite delivering what we hoped or expected."
YOUNG Shield holders Redcar marched into the semi-finals of the competition with an emphatic aggregate win over Reading - winning by 27-points in the away leg!
All seven Bears were paid for at least one race win and both Ty Proctor and James Grieves underlined their form by getting the better of Racer! s' top man Ulrich Ostergaard.
RYE HOUSE star Tommy Allen is looking forward to the Rockets' play-off clashes with fierce rivals King's Lynn.
Allen said: "Every end of season always seems to come down to King's Lynn, and that makes it exciting. King's Lynn bring a lot of supporters so the atmosphere is terrific. The rivalry is there and most times it produces a great night of racing."
SCUNTHORPE manager Kenny Smith says the Scorpions have still enjoyed a positive first season at Premier League level after seeing their Young Shield chances ended with defeat at Workington.
Smith said: "I’m looking at the situation and I’m so proud of the lads. We got through to the finals of the Fours, which was a great achievement, and we got through to the Young Shield which is another great achievement as it’s our first year back in this league."
SHEFFIELD skipper Andre Compton says the Tigers can still take something from a season in which they have failed to live up to expectations as they now go into the Young Shield competition.
Compton said: "This is our chance to make up for what has been a disappointing season by our own standards. We expected more from ourselves, including me, and hopefully we can end the season on a high by winning a trophy."
SOMERSET No.1 Jason Doyle held his hands up for an error in Heat 13 at Edinburgh, but insists the Rebels can still overcome their 21-point deficit in the second leg of the play-off semi-final.
Doyle said: "I had been making decent starts all night. I didn't in that race and I paid for it big time. But I think we can pull it back, every point will count and we need to be at our very best."
STOKE co-promoter John Woolridge has praised the efforts of Ben Barker in leading the Potters for the bulk of the campaign.
Woolridge said: "Ben took over the role when Lee Complin had his accident back in May and has led the team superbly from the front. He is only a young man, but he! wears his heart on his sleeve and the other riders pick up on his efforts."
WORKINGTON manager Ian Thomas picked a good guest in Czech star Tomas Topinka, who stood in for injured No.1 Daniel Nermark and scored an 18-point maximum in the Comets' Young Shield success over Scunthorpe.
Thomas said: "In many ways he is the perfect guest – a thorough professional, a very fine rider and a smashing guy with it. He was magnificent against Scunthorpe and I thought the rest of the lads did well."
FIXTURE PICTURE
TUESDAY OCTOBER 7: YOUNG SHIELD: Isle of Wight v Sheffield 7.30
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 8: ELITE LEAGUE RIDERS' CHAMPIONSHIP, Birmingham 7.30 PREMIER LEAGUE PLAY-OFF SEMI-FINAL: Somerset v Edinburgh 7.30
THURSDAY OCTOBER 9: YOUNG SHIELD: Sheffield v Isle of Wight 7.45 STARS OF TOMORROW: Redcar 7.30
FRIDAY OCTOBER 10: SCOTTISH CUP: Edinburgh v Glasgow 7.30 CONFERENCE LEAGUE PLAY-OFF SEMI F! INAL: Plymouth v Weymouth 7.30 CONFERENCE LEAGUE KO CUP: Scunthorpe v Boston 7.30
SATURDAY OCTOBER 11: PREMIER LEAGUE PLAY-OFF SEMI-FINAL: Rye House v King's Lynn 7pm PREMIER LEAGUE KO CUP FINAL: Workington v Somerset 7pm CONFERENCE LEAGUE PLAY-OFF SEMI FINAL: Weymouth v Plymouth 7.15 NEIL COLLINS FAREWELL: Stoke 7.30 BRITISH UNDER 15 CHAMPIONSHIP: Buxton 3pm
SUNDAY OCTOBER 12: PREMIER LEAGUE: Glasgow v Edinburgh 4.30, Newcastle v Scunthorpe 5.30 CONFERENCE LEAGUE: Rye House v Weymouth 2pm FOUR-TEAM TOURNAMENT: Swindon v Bristol v Oxford v Leicester 6pm
MONDAY OCTOBER 13: ELITE LEAGUE GRAND FINAL 2nd leg: Poole v Lakeside 7.30
TUESDAY OCTOBER 14: ELITE LEAGUE RELEGATION PLAY-OFF: Wolverhampton v Peterborough 7.30 CONFERENCE LEAGUE PLAY-OFF SEMI-FINAL: Boston v Redcar 7.30
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 15: MIDLAND SHIELD: Birmingham v Wolverhampton 7.45
THURSDAY OC! TOBER 16: ELITE LEAGUE RELEGATION RACE-OFF: Peterborough v Wolverhampton 7.30 CRAVEN SHIELD FINAL: Lakeside v Coventry 7.45 FOUR-TEAM TOURNAMENT: Ipswich 7.30
FRIDAY OCTOBER 17: CRAVEN SHIELD FINAL: Coventry v Lakeside 8pm PREMIER LEAGUE KO CUP FINAL: Somerset v Workington 7.30
SATURDAY OCTOBER 18: SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Eastbourne v Wolverhampton 7.30 CONFERENCE LEAGUE FOURS: Stoke 7.30 DAVID MELDRUM TESTIMONIAL: Berwick7pm
SUNDAY OCTOBER 19: PREMIER TROPHY: Birmingham v King's Lynn 6pm SMALLMEAD END-OF-AN-ERA: Reading 6pm OPEN: Newcastle 5.30
MONDAY OCTOBER 20: BANKS'S OLYMPIQUE: Wolverhampton 7.30
