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 SERIES UPDATE
SHEFFIELD skipper Andre Compton insists he will need to up his game for the Premier League Riders’ Championship on his own track later this month.
Compton represents the Owlerton club on Sunday, September 21 in a field which also includes a former World Champion and three current World Cup stars.
He said: “I’m not at my best and it’s going to be a really hard meeting, it’s a massive line-up.”
LINE-UP: Jason Bunyan (Isle of Wight), Sebastian Truminski (Mildenhall), Tai Woffinden (Rye House), Jason Doyle (Somerset), Andre Compton (Sheffield), Adrian Rymel (Berwick), William Lawson (Edinburgh), Jason King (Newcastle), Ulrich Ostergaard (Reading), Daniel Nermark (Workington), Jason Lyons (Birmingham), Shane Parker (Glasgow), Kevin Doolan (King’s Lynn), Magnus Karlsson (Scunthorpe),Ben Barker (Stoke), Gary Havelock (Redcar).
SUPER 7EVEN DATES AND VENUES: 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 - 4.00 ELITE LEAGUE RIDERS' CHAMPIONSHIP: Birmingham, Wednesday October 8 – 7.30 www.super7even.com or www.speedwaygb.com
ELITE LEAGUE LATEST
BELLE VUE manager Chris Morton says long-term injured duo Lukasz Jankowski and Steve Boxall remain very much in the club's thoughts for next year.
Morton said: "Lukasz has made it clear he wants to come back to Belle Vue next season, and we see him as a very useful second string rider who can pick up points both at home and away.
"We want to include Steve and Lukasz in our plans for 2009. We have got a lot of riders to think about, and they are certainly amongst them."
COVENTRY manager Peter Oakes says the Bees can still reach the Knockout Cup Final despite going down 56-36 in the first leg of the semi-final replay at Poole.
Oakes said: "Obviously we'd have liked to be a lot closer than 20 points, but we've recovered from 24 before against them in the Craven Shield, so it's not over.
"What we've got to make sure is that when we get them at Brandon, we have the track to our demands rather than to theirs, and I'm sure we can pull it back. We're a stronger team than we were then."
EASTBOURNE'S talented teenager Lewis Bridger insists his speedway career is back on track after he came close to losing his team place at Arlington last month.
Bridger said: "I think I had a bit of a wake-up call a couple of weeks ago. I was out the night before when I shouldn’t have been.
"Since then I haven’t even thought about going out. I haven’t been drinking, I’ve had my head down. Most of it though is I’ve got a little bit of fight back. I want it more than ever."
IPSWICH were highly relieved to see No.1 Piotr Swiderski escape serious injury in an horrific smash during the Witches' abandoned clash with Coventry last week.
Swiderski said: "I can remember all about the crash and it was not a nice feeling to be going so hard into the fence.
"My bike got caught in the air fence, and I was thrown into the air. Thankfully I landed in a good way although I expect a few bruises and a headache perhaps.”
LAKESIDE are considering alternative options for bolstering their injury-hit team after Grand Prix star Rune Holta informed the club that he would not be able to join them.
Co-promoter Jon Cook said: "I spoke at length with Rune on Friday and he was genuinely disappointed not to be able to join us. He very much fancied joining up for our title challenge and I think it’s a sign of the progression of the Club that we were this close to getting the rider to the UK.
"We still have a few options open to us and will look to move for another target once the Polish Play Off picture is clearer but in the meantime we need to focus on the job of guaranteeing ourselves second spot in the League, which we can do with two wins this week."
PETERBOROUGH manager Trevor Swales paid tribute to Henning Bager and Karol Zabik for their double-figure returns and a Heat 14 5-1 which brought the Panthers home to a narrow win over title favourites Poole.
Swales said: "I hate to single riders out after a cracking performance like that, but those two guys were smashing.
"Of course we had a lot of luck on our side, but we deserve a bit of the good stuff after the year we've had."
POOLE saw their 13-match winning run in the Elite League ended at Peterborough on Monday - but of more concern was a foot injury picked up by third heat-leader Davey Watt.
Pirates boss Neil Middleditch said: "We will have to wait for the results of the x-rays to his foot before we know the extent of his injuries, but will be hoping that he will be fit to take his place in the side for the championship play-offs.
"I thought we showed a great deal of fight. We dug deep, got ourselves back in the match and very nearly took the points
SWINDON owner Terry Russell has hailed the emergence of Jurica Pavlic in the Elite League, with the Robins' mid-season signing having already put pen to paper on a deal for 2009.
Russell said: "Jurica is a big sensation in the speedway world. He has enjoyed being at Swindon and he was happy to sign a contract for 2009.
"We have had a very young team this year with the exception of Leigh Adams, but we have punched well above our weight. We just want to keep progressing now."
WOLVERHAMPTON’S Niels Kristian Iversen will make a decision after the weekend over his immediate future.
Iversen is due to ride in the Polish Grand Prix on Saturday followed by the GP Challenge the following day – but he is still recovering from serious shoulder damage.
“It’s feeling better but I won’t know what it’s like in a meeting until the weekend,” said Iversen. “I’ll decide on the rest of the season after that.”
PREMIER LEAGUE LATEST…
BERWICK'S Italian star Guglielmo Franchetti has been awarded the Wild Card berth for his home Grand Prix at Lonigo later this month.
Bandits boss Peter Waite said: "This is brilliant news for Guglielmo, a rider who came to us a virtual unknown, who has worked so hard and shown such determination on the track that those at the top have noticed his excellent scores of late and his vast improvement this season to grant him this honour."
BIRMINGHAM boss Graham Drury insists it’s time to put the Kenneth Hansen saga in the past and focus on the rest of the season.
He said: “What happened with Hansen was a major disappointment for all of us, but we have to move on.
“We thought we had a deal and it fell through. Now we have to focus on trying to qualify for the Young Shield.”
EDINBURGH captain Derek Sneddon has underlined the fact that the Monarchs still have a job to do if they are to clinch the Premier League title.
Sneddon said: "Berwick have done us a turn by beating Somerset and this gives us a bit of breathing space and takes the pressure off a little bit. We are still trying not to get too excited although everybody is starting to think the title is getting closer."
GLASGOW co-promoter Stewart Dickson says the Tigers' latest injury setback, to young Australian Josh Grajczonek, comes at a bad time.
Dickson said: "It just sums up our season. This would have been an ideal opportunity to see Josh ride a couple of hard meetings in the main body of our side now that new averages have come into play."
ISLE OF WIGHT star Cory Gathercole is back in business after nearly two months out with a broken hand - and his replacement Richard Sweetman remains in the team with James Holder now ruled out with scaphoid damage.
Co-promoter Dave Pavitt said: "You cannot help but admire James' bravery in trying to carry on despite the handicap but wisely he has now decided that he must take time out and concentrate on getting fully fit again."
KING'S LYNN are expecting a tough battle from Reading at the Norfolk Arena on Wednesday, with key middle-order men Shaun Tacey and Rusty Harrison both on the sidelines.
Stars co-promoter Jonathan Chapman said: "Reading will be one of the toughest home matches we have had. They knocked us out of the KO cup earlier in the season so I’m sure they will be feeling quite confident."
MILDENHALL'S Barrie Evans is pleased to be back at West Row and is hoping to score well for the remainder of the season.
Evans said: "I've always said I wanted to come back to Mildenhall some time, but I didn't realise it would be as soon as this. I thought I was part of the furniture at Stoke, but one or two things didn't work out for me and I'm pleased to be riding for Mildenhall."
NEWCASTLE co-promoter George English said the postponement of last weekend's fixture against Rye House was a formality due to the atrocious weather.
English said: "When I got to the track on Sunday morning, I could scarcely believe what I saw. The track was under water and large sections of the centre green as well as parts of the stadium itself were flooded."
READING promoter Malcolm Holloway is keen for his team to bounce back from their home defeat by Somerset in positive fashion at King's Lynn this week.
Holloway said: "The King’s Lynn circuit is one where you can open the throttle and have a real go. With Ulrich Ostergaard and Mark Lemon backed up by former Lynn riders Chris Mills and Tom P. Madsen, I think the lads can travel there in a positive frame and have a real go."
REDCAR skipper Gary Havelock says the team are a good bet for the Young Shield as they run into their best form of the season.
Havelock said: "The way our top five are riding at the moment, we are a match for anybody on our day. Because of that, there is no pressure on the reserves - they can go out and ride with a bit of freedom and we’ve seen the benefits of that."
RYE HOUSE have not ruled out the possibility of a late charge towards the top four with matches in hand - but they know away wins will be crucial.
Manager John Sampford said: "Qualification for the play-offs is our aim, and we need some away points as well as maintaining our strong performances at home.
Considering our remaining away matches, Birmingham and Scunthorpe seem the best possibilities for points."
SCUNTHORPE promoter Rob Godfrey says it is vital to the club's future that the adjacent land to their stadium is not set aside as a travellers' camp.
Godfrey said: "I just hope the council listens because every time the site has been occupied we have had break-ins that have cost the club thousands of pounds and even had staff attacked verbally and physically."
SHEFFIELD ace Ricky Ashworth has admitted his season is over.
Ashworth suffered a broken wrist a month ago and is still in plaster.
He said: “I was hoping I could return late in the season but it’s probably not going to happen now. I will still have a lot of work to do when the plaster comes off.”
SOMERSET remain in title contention after a comfortable away win at Reading on Monday - but have other crucial matches on the road this week.
Skipper Simon Walker said: "If you'd said to me at the start of the season that we'd be where we are now, I would have taken it. But this next week will be the decisive one as we have a plethora of away matches."
STOKE skipper Lee Complin admits he is frustrated by his wait for medical clearance to return to the Potters team after being seriously injured in a car crash at the end of May.
Complin said: "I've had so many highs and lows over the last few weeks. But I've done what I was asked to do and hopefully the report will be back in the right hands within the next few days and then I'll be ready for next weekend."
WORKINGTON promoter Ian Thomas believes his team have got over their home defeat by Berwick at the end of August and can look forward to the promotion play-offs and the Knockout Cup semi-finals.
Thomas said: "I thought we were just too bad to be true against Berwick, but the response has been excellent as I knew it would be, and we can now focus on what we have left."
FIXTURE PICTURE…
TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 9: PREMIER LEAGUE: Isle of Wight v Somerset OFF
WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 10: SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Lakeside v Belle Vue 7.45, Poole v Ipswich 7.30 PREMIER LEAGUE: Birmingham v Rye House 7.45, King's Lynn v Reading 7.30
THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 11: SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Ipswich v Lakeside 7.30 PREMIER LEAGUE: Redcar v Edinburgh 7.30, Sheffield v Somerset 7.45 UNDER-23 TEST: England v Australia, Swindon 7.30
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 12: PREMIER LEAGUE: Edinburgh v Newcastle 7.30, Scunthorpe v Rye House 7.30 UNDER-23 TEST: England v Australia, Somerset 7.30 CONFERENCE LEAGUE: Boston v Weymouth 7.30 CHALLENGE: Plymouth v Bristol 7.30
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 13: PREMIER LEAGUE: Berwick v Stoke 7pm, Rye House v Mildenhall 6pm, Rye House v Somerset (follows previous fixture), Workington v Newcastle 7pm CONFERENCE LEAGUE: Redcar v Weymouth 3pm, Redcar v Sittingbourne (follows previous fixture) BRITISH UNDER 15 CHAMPIONSHIP: Weymouth 7.15
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 14: PREMIER LEAGUE: Glasgow v Berwick 4pm, Mildenhall v King's Lynn 4.30, Newcastle v Edinburgh 5.30, Newcastle v Rye House (follows previous fixture), Stoke v Redcar 7.30 CONFERENCE LEAGUE: Buxton v Weymouth 3pm
MONDAY SEPTEMBER 15: SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Peterborough v Coventry 7.30, Wolverhampton v Ipswich 7.30 BRITISH SIDECAR CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL: Reading 7.30
TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 16: PREMIER LEAGUE: Isle of Wight v Rye House 7.30
WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 17: SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Lakeside v Wolverhampton 7.45 PREMIER LEAGUE: Birmingham v Isle of Wight 7.45
THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 18: SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Coventry v Wolverhampton 8pm, Peterborough v Lakeside 7.30 PREMIER LEAGUE: Redcar v Stoke 7.30
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 19: SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Lakeside v Peterborough 8pm PREMIER LEAGUE: Scunthorpe v Reading 7.30, Somerset v Mildenhall 7.30, Workington v Stoke 7.30 FOUR TEAM TOURNAMENT: Plymouth 7.30
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 20: SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Eastbourne v Coventry 7.30 PREMIER LEAGUE: Berwick v Redcar 7pm, Stoke v Newcastle 7.30 CHRIS NEATH TESTIMONIAL: Rye House 7pm CHALLENGE: Weymouth v Oxford 7.15
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 21: PREMIER LEAGUE RIDERS' CHAMPIONSHIP: Sheffield 3.30 CONFERENCE LEAGUE: Rye House v Boston 2pm
MONDAY SEPTEMBER 22: SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Coventry v Swindon 8pm, Peterborough v Ipswich 7.30 PREMIER LEAGUE: Newcastle v Isle of Wight 7.30 MIDLAND SHIELD 1st leg: Wolverhampton v Birmingham 7.30
WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 24: PREMIER LEAGUE: Birmingham v Somerset 7.45 PRIDE OF THE EAST: King's Lynn 7.30
THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 25: SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Ipswich v Poole 7.30, Peterborough v Wolverhampton 7.30 PREMIER LEAGUE: Sheffield v Stoke 7.45
