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.
BIG EVENT LATEST...
SHEFFIELD owner Neil Machin reckons the race for the Premier League Riders’ Championship crown is more wide open than ever before.
Machin’s club stage the event on Sunday, September 27 with a 5pm start and a bumper crowd is expected at one of the fastest tracks in the sport.
The draw has now been made – and Somerset and King’s Lynn have two representatives each.
Steve Johnston, the Aussie showman who started his career at Sheffield, rides in his first ever PLRC representing the Rebels – and his fellow countryman Darcy Ward, widely regarded as the new sensation of the sport, is also included.
Said Machin: “It’s an amazing line-up and I really cannot pick a stand-out rider who I can confidently predict will win.
“I would say most of the guys will fancy their chances of getting into the all-important final and I’m sure the competition will be fierce.
“There have been meetings here in the past when there has been a clear favourite, especially when Sean Wilson was at his peak with us, but I cannot believe there is a favourite in this field.
“I reckon it’s the most wide open PLRC in recent history – if not ever. The only way to pick a winner is to close your eyes and out your finger on a name – that’s how hard to predict it is!”
The Owlerton Stadium turnstiles will be open from 3pm and the action will end under floodlights.
“It’s all part of the drama of the occasion,” said Machin. “I reckon speedway is the type of sport which is better under lights.”
PLRC DRAW: Kenni Larsen (Newcastle), Steve Johnston (Somerset), Magnus Karlsson (Scunthorpe), Ryan Fisher (Edinburgh), Shane Parker (Glasgow), Leigh Lanham (Newport), Kevin Doolan (Workington), Jason Bunyan (Stoke), Michal Makovsky (Berwick), Ricky Ashworth (Sheffield), Emil Kramer (Somerset), Ty Proctor (Redcar), Tomasz Piszcz (Birmingham), Tomas Topinka (King’s Lynn), Darcy Ward (King’s Lynn), Chris Neath! (Rye House).
SUPER 7EVEN SERIES 2009 BRITISH UNDER 21 FINAL: Lakeside – LEWIS BRIDGER. BRITISH FINAL: Poole – CHRIS HARRIS. PREMIER LEAGUE PAIRS: Somerset – BIRMINGHAM. PREMIER LEAGUE FOURS: Workington – WORKINGTON. ELITE LEAGUE PAIRS: Eastbourne – POOLE. PREMIER LEAGUE RIDERS' CHAMPIONSHIP: Sheffield, Sunday September 27. ELITE LEAGUE RIDERS' CHAMPIONSHIP: Coventry, Friday October 2 ADDITIONAL EVENT: GRAND PRIX CHALLENGE: Coventry, Friday September 18.
2009 SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE PLAY-OFFS:
MONDAY SEPTEMBER 21: SEMI-FINALS 1ST LEG: Wolverhampton v Lakeside 7.30, Coventry v Swindon 7.30
MONDAY SEPTEMBER 28: SEMI-FINALS 2ND LEG: Swindon v Coventry 7.30, Lakeside v Wolverhampton 7.30
* Wolverhampton take a four-point aggregate advantage to be added at the end of the tie * Swindon take an eight-point aggregate advantage to be added at the end of the tie Any aggregate advantage does not affect scores on the night or count towards tactical rides.
MONDAY OCTOBER 5: Grand Final 1st Leg 7.30 MONDAY OCTOBER 12: Grand Final 2nd Leg 7.30
*No aggregate advantage added to Grand Final scores. Aggregate winners will be crowned 2009 Sky Sports Elite League Champions.
ELITE LEAGUE LATEST...
BELLE VUE boss Chris Morton is still working on confirming a date for the Aces' Knockout Cup semi-final against Coventry - where his side will look to overturn a 12-point first leg deficit.
Morton said: "It's a nightmare trying to get 14 riders into the same place at the same time. One possible date is Monday, October 5. Tuesdays are also an option because there is no greyhound racing at the stadium on that night at the moment.
“I am trying to avoid Wednesdays because of the risk of clashing with live soccer on the television.”
COVENTRY have qualified for the Elite League play-offs for the sixth time in eight years - but they know they will be rated as clear underdogs for the semi-final against Swindon.
Co-boss Peter Oakes said: "We've said along that the target was to get into the play-offs, and we've achieved that. We are in the top four based on what's happened all season, not just in the last few weeks.
"It is clear, though, that if we are to go any further we will need to show a dramatic improvement in form compared to recent meetings."
EASTBOURNE moved clear of danger in the bottom half of the Elite League table with a 52-44 win over Coventry, meaning they have taken five points off the Bees in the space of two matches.
Manager Trevor Geer said: "I'm delighted with the win, I certainly didn't expect to draw at Coventry and I didn't expect to get all three points at home.
"It's quite a bonus which we needed to steer clear of the relegation spot. We'll see how the other teams go now and if we have to go through it then so be it, but this has certainly helped us."
IPSWICH have announced the signing as a club asset of 16-year-old local rider Joe Jacobs, who has been racing for Mildenhall in the National League this season.
Jacobs said: "I have been riding at Ipswich both before and after their Elite League meetings for the last year and have received help and guidance from Jeremy Doncaster and Chris Louis during that time. I am very pleased to have signed."
LAKESIDE boss Jon Cook has hinted that Piotr Swiderski may come into the Hammers' equation for next season after releasing the short-term signing upon Adam Shields' return from injury.
Cook said: "It has been a genuine pleasure to deal with both Piotr and his mechanic Paul and I hope that this is not the last time he represents the Hammers.
"I have made an initial enquiry to Trevor Swales as to whether Peterborough would be interested in selling his contract on and I am sure it’s a conversation I will have again with the Panthers owner Rick Frost at this year’s BSPA AGM once we know the various requirements for team building."
PETERBOROUGH boss Trevor Swales had no complaints after the Panthers' top-four bid came to an end with defeat at Belle Vue, and pointed to their away form over the season as the reason for missing the play-offs.
Swales said: "The table doesn't lie at this stage of the season and it clearly shows that we haven't been good enough to reach the play-offs.
"The fact we haven't won enough races – especially in away meetings – has undoubtedly been our undoing. That was the case at Belle Vue as well, although I can't be critical of the lads because they gave everything they had last night."
POOLE youngster Leon Madsen is hoping his promising displays since joining the club enable him to secure a full-time contract with the Pirates for next season.
Madsen said: "I did a good meeting at Swindon, finally I scored some points. Finally I could show I can race speedway. It’s just been hard to find the right set-ups, although hopefully I’m on the right way now.
"This season is just about enjoyment and learning the tracks, get more experience on English circuits so I can ride them next season when I hope I will be back at Poole."
SWINDON co-promoter Gary Patchett was delighted with a bumper attendance as the Robins secured top spot in the table with a home win over Wolverhampton.
Patchett said: "We’re very grateful to receive that support from the Swindon public, it was certainly our best attendance of the season. We’ve got a capacity of 5,000 and it would be nice if we could go close to that in the final, but we aren’t there yet.
"Wolverhampton showed why they are near the top of the table, they ran us close, but I was pleased with how the guys stuck to it."
WOLVERHAMPTON skipper Peter Karlsson is not reading too much into last week's 39-51 defeat at Swindon - if the two sides end up meeting once more in the play-off Grand Final.
Karlsson said: "We badly missed Ty Proctor at reserve at Swindon. I don't mean to be disrespectful, but you only have to look at the scorecharts to see where we missed out.
"I know I could have done better myself as well, but there are reasons why that's the case and I'm confident everything will be sorted in time for the play-offs. I think we can go to Swindon and get a result if we meet them."
PREMIER LEAGUE LATEST...
BERWICK slipped to a third successive home defeat when King's Lynn took the points from Shielfield Park - but Bandits boss Dave Peet was still happy with the entertainment levels.
Peet said: "The comeback was good, just not good enough and the racing was excellent tonight with the entertainment the best I’ve seen in a while. It was a very good spectacle for the crowd. We had the beating of King's Lynn within us, but circumstances decreed it was not to be."
BIRMINGHAM boss Graham Drury says his side will be going all out for promotion when they take their likely place in the top-four play-offs.
Drury said: "I'm confident we'll be in the play-offs now. And unlike some clubs, I can state here and now that Birmingham will be gunning for the Elite League. We'll be pushing to win the play-offs and then to meet the bottom club in the Elite League."
EDINBURGH promoter John Campbell has hinted that Kevin Wolbert is set for a long-term future with the club after making a major impression since signing mid-season as injury cover.
Campbell said: "I think Kevin has been shockingly treated by his teams on the continent and he'll be very keen to come and race for us next season, and we'll be very keen to have him. Kevin and his family believe they are being very well treated by us, as do all our riders, and I'm sure he will be back at Armadale next year."
GLASGOW co-promoter Alan Dick is already turning his attentions towards the club's plans for 2010, with their season unlikely to extend beyond the regular League campaign.
Dick said: "We will be formulating a few plans with regards to 2010, and we have a much bigger selection of riders available in our asset base. One or two will feature in every team we put together, but after that there will be a lot of permutations."
KING'S LYNN will look to move a step closer to the Premier League title with Wednesday's home fixture against Newport - although boss Rob Lyon says there are still some questions within his team.
Lyon said: "Newport aren’t having their best season but they always seem to raise their game against us. It will be the first time we have run at home with Linus (Eklof) at reserve and rider replacement for Kozza (Smith), this is untested and I am not sure if it will make us stronger or weaker."
NEWCASTLE moved into the top three with a comfortable home win over Rye House, with the Diamonds' sights now very much set on qualifying for the promotion play-offs.
Manager George English said: "This was nothing short of spectacular to beat Rye House by 17 points. The lads are so keen for success we dare not think where we might end up by the end of the campaign."
NEWPORT No.1 Leigh Lanham is unlikely to ride again this season after suffering a dislocated left shoulder in a crash in the Wasps' home match against Stoke last weekend.
Lanham's injury is described as being "as complicated and as painful as a broken arm" and Newport are therefore set to book guests for their remaining fixtures.
REDCAR completed a second double this season over rivals Sheffield, with boss Brian Havelock delighted in particular with the Bears' away win in a meeting abandoned with two races to go.
Havelock said: "I think we could have taken all four points if the rain had held off, but I'm over the moon with the team. One of the pleasing things was that we got a 4-2 in Heat 2, and when that happens it sets you up for the night."
RYE HOUSE reserve Andrew Silver is yet to commit himself beyond the end of this season despite a highly successful return to the sport this year, with his current form particularly impressive.
Silver said: "I can't see that far in front at the moment. I'm just going to take it one meeting at a time and see how far I can take it. Things have been harder than I thought, to get the resources together to make it all work has been draining."
SCUNTHORPE made it seven Premier League wins on the trot when they defeated Berwick 51-42 on Friday, with a last-heat 5-1 from David Howe and Magnus Karlsson making sure of all three points.
Manager Richard Hollingsworth said: "It is great to see us in a mid-table position after months in the lower reaches. The trouble is we rode so many away meetings and had home matches in hand, but people just look at the league table."
SHEFFIELD skipper Ricky Ashworth accepts the Tigers' top-four hopes took a huge hit with home and away defeats against Redcar in the last week.
Ashworth said: "It's out of our hands now and there's a good chance we've blown it, the home results against Workington and Redcar will prove costly. But we still want to round the season off in style."
SOMERSET manager Steve Bishop said the correct decision had been made for safety reasons when Saturday's trip to Edinburgh was abandoned after Heat 12 with the home side nine points ahead.
Bishop said: "We might have looked the stronger side in the final three heats, and we might have ended up taking something away with us from the match, but at the end of the day rider safety was of paramount importance. The last thing either I or the Edinburgh promotion wanted was for either side to suffer any unnecessary injuries, which could easily have been the case if we had continued."
STOKE have secured their place in the Young Shield after collecting all three points from a home win over Glasgow, and then drawing at Newport on Sunday.
Manager John Woolridge said: "We were unlucky not to come away with a win at Newport, but we've taken five points over the weekend - we would have liked more, but it has taken us clear of Glasgow and has made sure we're in the play-offs."
WORKINGTON'S Cumberland Classic individual had a shock winner in Chris Kerr - who was only booked for the meeting after impressing in a recent away guest appearance.
Promoter Ian Thomas said: "We gave Chris the booking because he rode so well for us at Berwick. He’d have been 75 or 100 to one against winning in this class of field, but it was hard, fast racing and it broke Simon Stead’s dominance."
NATIONAL LEAGUE action continues and all the latest club press releases are now available at the news section on our website www.speedwaygb.com
FIXTURE PICTURE...
TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 8: NATIONAL TROPHY: Isle of Wight v Plymouth 7.30
WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 9: PREMIER LEAGUE: King's Lynn v Newport 7.30 BRITISH SIDECAR SPEEDWAY CHAMPIONSHIP: Birmingham 7.30
THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 10: SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Poole v Belle Vue 7.30 PREMIER LEAGUE: Redcar v Rye House 7.30, Sheffield v Somerset 7.45 MIDLAND LEAGUE: Coventry v Wolverhampton 8pm
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 11: SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Lakeside v Ipswich 8pm PREMIER LEAGUE KO CUP SEMI-FINAL 1st leg: Edinburgh v Rye House 7pm PREMIER LEAGUE: Edinburgh v Stoke (follows KOC fixture), Somerset v Scunthorpe 7.30, Workington v Berwick 7.30 NATIONAL LEAGUE KO CUP SEMI-FINAL: King's Lynn v Buxton 7.30 NATIONAL TROPHY: Plymouth v Weymouth 7.30
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 12: PREMIER LEAGUE: Berwick v Stoke 7pm, Rye House v Newport 7pm, Workington v Redcar 7pm NATIONAL TROPHY: Weymouth v Isle of Wight 7.15
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 13: PREMIER LEAGUE: Glasgow v Redcar 4pm, Newport v Newcastle 2.30, Stoke v Edinburgh 7.30 NATIONAL LEAGUE: Scunthorpe v Newport 3.30pm NATIONAL TROPHY: Buxton v Mildenhall 3pm
MONDAY SEPTEMBER 14: SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Belle Vue v Ipswich 7.30, Poole v Peterborough 7.30 MIDLAND LEAGUE: Wolverhampton v Coventry 7.30 PREMIER LEAGUE: Newcastle v Newport 7.30
TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 15: PREMIER LEAGUE: King's Lynn v Workington 7.30
WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 16: PREMIER LEAGUE: Birmingham v Edinburgh 7.30
THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 17: PREMIER LEAGUE: Redcar v Newport 7.30, Sheffield v Edinburgh 7.45 FOUR TEAM TOURNAMENT: Swindon v Reading v Oxford v Cradley Heath 7.30
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 18: GRAND PRIX CHALLENGE: Coventry 8pm PREMIER LEAGUE: Edinburgh v Berwick 7pm, Edinburgh v Redcar (follows previous fixture), Scunthorpe v Stoke 7.30 NATIONAL LEAGUE: Weymouth v Bournemouth 7.15 NATIONAL TROPHY: Plymouth v Isle of Wight 7.30 MARK LEMON TESTIMONIAL: Somerset 7.30
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 19: SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Eastbourne v Ipswich 7.30 PREMIER LEAGUE: Berwick v Glasgow 7pm, Newport v Sheffield 1pm, Workington v King's Lynn 7pm PREMIER LEAGUE KNOCKOUT CUP SEMI-FINAL 2nd leg: Rye House v Edinburgh 7pm
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 20: PREMIER LEAGUE: Glasgow v Birmingham 4pm, Newcastle v King's Lynn 6.30 NATIONAL LEAGUE: Mildenhall v Weymouth 6pm NATIONAL LEAGUE KO CUP: Buxton v King's Lynn 3pm
MONDAY SEPTEMBER 21: ELITE LEAGUE SEMI-FINALS 1st leg: Coventry v Swindon 7.30, Wolverhampton v Lakeside 7.30
WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 23: PREMIER LEAGUE: King's Lynn v Birmingham 7.30
