MAJOR EVENTS LATEST…
PETERBOROUGH promoter Ged Rathbone cannot wait for the biggest and best Premier League Fours event of all-time.The excitement is already building for the two-day extravaganza at the East of England Showground over the weekend of July 23-24.The 72-race spectacular features two semi-finals and the grand final while also featuring an individual meeting which will involve the top two riders from the teams who don’t make the Fours showpiece.There is also a packed line-up of off-track activities including a supporters’ football tournament, a stunt show, a chance to grill past riders and live music from one-time Pop Idol star Jamie Tinkler.“A lot of hard work has already gone into making sure the new-look Premier League Fours becomes one of the jewels in the British Speedway crown,” said Rathbone.“It promises to be one of the highlights of the calendar with two days of terrific racing at one of the finest tracks in the country.“We can’t wait to welcome fans from across the UK to the East of England Showground and we’re determined to put on a great show for them.”Gates at the East of England Showground will actually open from 5pm to 9pm on Friday, July 22 to allow for the arrival of supporters who are camping on site over the weekend.They’ll be back open at 9am on the morning of Saturday, July 23 for a packed day of activities ahead of the Premier League Fours semi-finals which get underway at 4pm.Live entertainment follows in the evening with tickets available for purchase on the day before the weekend comes to a thrilling climax on Sunday, July 24.Riders will take to the track at noon for the new individual meeting before the Premier League Fours final itself begins at 4pm.Tickets are priced at £20 per day for adults, or £30 for a two-day pass. Rates for children aged 12-16 are £7.50 and £10 respectively. Children under the age of 12 gain free entry.Tickets can be bought through http://www.speedwaygb.co/plfours , where the full weekend itinerary and list of attractions can also be obtained. BRITISH SPEEDWAY MAJOR EVENTS 2016BRITISH UNDER-21 FINAL: JOSH BATESBRITISH FINAL: DANNY KINGPREMIER LEAGUE PAIRS: Somerset, July 8PREMIER LEAGUE FOURS WEEKEND: Peterborough, July 23/24PREMIER LEAGUE RIDERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP: Sheffield, September 11ELITE LEAGUE RIDERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP: Coventry, Date TBC
NATIONAL LEAGUE MAJOR EVENTS 2016NATIONAL LEAGUE FOURS: Coventry, August 14NATIONAL LEAGUE PAIRS: King’s Lynn, August 27NATIONAL LEAGUE RIDERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP: Leicester, September 17
BRITISH SPEEDWAY FIM EVENTS 2016:WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFIER: FREDRIK LINDGRENWORLD UNDER-21 QUALIFIER: DIMITRI BERGEWORLD UNDER-21 FINAL Round 1: KRYSTIAN PIESZCZEK
ELITE LEAGUE LATEST…
BELLE VUE recovered quickly from defeat at King’s Lynn last Thursday to pick up a 45-21 win over the Stars in the return fixture at the National Speedway Stadium.Aces man Steve Worrall said: “We’ve got all three at home once again so we’re happy. I was looking at the league tables the other day and we still do have a few more meetings in hand compared to other clubs.“It’s just a matter of capitalising on that and making sure we keep picking up the points away from home as well. If we can do that I’m confident we’ll be up there in the top four going for the gold.”COVENTRY boss Gary Havelock admitted his side had suffered a bad night when they were beaten 36-55 at Swindon on Monday.Havelock said: “There aren’t really many printable words I can say, because it was a terrible night for us. I’m not saying we weren’t trying, I would never publicly put the riders down – they were trying but getting nowhere, and we just weren’t gating.“We have to move on, win all our home matches and probably a couple more away if we’re going to scrape in.”KING’S LYNN boss Rob Lyon admitted a 24-point defeat at Belle Vue was “inevitable” due to the make-up of his side, who had enjoyed a fine home win over the Aces 24 hours earlier.Lyon said: “Everyone gave it their all in difficult conditions, and everyone tried their best but the result was quite inevitable in the end really. We only had 11 races, but four points for (the absent) Iversen, Lambert and Korneliussen tells the story and we were beaten by a better side.“We got the win at home the night before which was the main thing, and although the result was disappointing (on Friday) it was still a good couple of days for us.”LAKESIDE co-promoter Jon Cook has vowed to do everything possible to get the club’s play-off bid back on track after a shock home defeat to a depleted Poole team.Cook said: “I will be talking to the riders and key members of staff at the club on a private basis in the days ahead. We have to move forward and do whatever it takes to get the club back on the road to the play-offs.“Apart from that, as for the result and performance against Poole, I addressed the issue with supporters on the night and there is nothing more to add where that is concerned.”LEICESTER boss Norrie Allan was satisfied with his side’s efforts against league leaders Wolverhampton, with a home win at Beaumont Park prior to a ten-point defeat at Monmore Green.Allan said: “I was very happy with the performances. We got a good win at home on Saturday, and we ran them pretty close at Wolverhampton too.“Everybody had some good rides and some bad rides there which I suppose is understandable, but I’m delighted with the way things have come together lately.”POOLE manager Neil Middleditch was proud of his patched-up side in collecting a surprise away win at Lakeside on Friday.Middleditch told the Bournemouth Echo: “I don't know if there was a little bit of complacency on Lakeside's part but Matt Ford made some shrewd guest choices and Chris Holder, Adam Ellis and Paul Starke were outstanding. “I said to our guests before the meeting, 'I know you aren't Pirates but can you ride like Pirates?' and they certainly did. We're getting towards the business end of the season and we have got to make sure we get in the play-off positions, which we are very capable of.”SWINDON star Justin Sedgmen reeled off four wins out of five to score 12 points in the Robins’ impressive 55-36 win over Coventry on Monday.Sedgmen said: “We've had some good wins this season, probably our best performances have been away from home, but tonight I think all the boys were on it and I think that this was our best win of the season.“I was stoked with how tonight went for myself. Apart from my last place in Heat 14 I think it was my most complete performance of the season. I was making good starts and when I needed to pass I found a way to do that. I’m happy with that!”WOLVERHAMPTON maintained the Elite League’s only unbeaten home record with a hard-fought 50-40 win over Leicester at Monmore Green.Boss Peter Adams said: “I warned the boys before the meeting that we mustn’t be complacent, and we had to work hard but were pleased with another home win.“We now have our eye on three away meetings, and although it’s frustrating we won’t be at full strength for those we’ll be looking to get as many points as we can.”
PREMIER LEAGUE LATEST…
BERWICK team manager Scott Courtney praised the togetherness around Shielfield as track covers played their part in the 40-32 home win over Plymouth that sent the Bandits up to second place in the Premier League table.Said Courtney: “I am genuinely overwhelmed by the passion and effort shown by everyone who helped cover the track before the downpours came which would have put the match in jeopardy.“The track covers were a big reason we were able to take those vital league points!"EDINBURGH ended their run of three consecutive defeats by seeing off Berwick 50-40.The Monarchs gained a 5-1 in the opening heat and never looked back as Sam Masters and Ryan Fisher inspired the Scottish outfit to their sixth straight win at Armadale. GLASGOW boss Stewart Dickson has hailed the club’s supporters for the role they have played so far this season.Speaking after their impressive 51-39 Scottish derby victory over Edinburgh he said: “The atmosphere was fantastic and the supporters were incredible – it was the best atmosphere for a long, long time. “The place was bouncing and every one of the riders is a hero and the fans love them – that’s what it’s all about!”IPSWICH boss Ritchie Hawkins is hoping the new underdog tag his side are being given will motivate them to a good run of form.The Witches threw away a four-point lead at Scunthorpe, eventually collapsing to a 53-37 defeat.Said Hawkins: “We've got to get a result somewhere away from home where maybe people are not expecting us to.“The meetings are running out but while we can do it mathematically, we are still going for those play-offs.”NEWCASTLE star Ludvig Lindgren is hoping a gap in the fixture list doesn’t halt his side’s progress in the Premier League.Said Lindgren: “We seem to pick up better results when we’re racing regularly; we did really well in May when we had lots of meetings but struggled in June when we only had three because of all the rain-offs.“July is quiet again then August is hectic and hopefully that’s when we can start showing what we can do again.”PETERBOROUGH team manager Jason Attwood has demanded a response from his side after crashing out of the Knockout Cup 114-66 to Somerset on aggregate.“We’re not a bad team as we proved recently by winning six meetings in a row, but the two defeats against Somerset in the KO Cup tie have provided a huge wake-up call,” Attwood said.“The challenge now is to ensure we respond well and get back in the groove in the Premier League as we’re still in a very good position in the table.”PLYMOUTH are hoping to see the return of inspirational duo Todd Kurtz and Kyle Newman to their line-up.Team manager Lee Trigger said: “Todd has been suffering with a groin strain which has become a problem the more he has ridden. So we are hoping that, after resting up for a week, he will be back for the Pairs.“I have spoken to Kyle and he is making good progress from his broken collarbone and is optimistic about getting back next week. We will have to see how it goes, but we are hopeful that he will be fit to ride at Sheffield.” REDCAR boss Jitendra Duffill is hoping his side can end their run of 12 meetings without a win against Scunthorpe on Thursday – but insists the Bears will take nothing for granted.Said Duffill: “Scunthorpe have struggled so far this year but that does not mean that this encounter will be easy and our record so far this year is no better than theirs.“On paper the Scorpions are a lot better than recent form would lead you to believe and they won their last home meeting convincingly so they should not be underestimated.”RYE House suffered yet another away match postponement with their clash at Redcar called off shortly after start-time last Thursday.Boss Peter Schroeck said: “It is so disconcerting to have a nine hour round trip for absolutely nothing. It just feels as though nothing is going our way in terms of getting any rhythm to our fixtures at the moment.”SCUNTHORPE No. 1 Ryan Douglas says his side can take a lot of inspiration from their 53-37 home win over Ipswich.Said Douglas: “The whole team stepped up; we were much better out of the starts and we won it pretty comfortably in the end with a couple of heats to spare.“We've got a lot of meetings coming up, and this win was a big confidence booster for everyone, so hopefully we can take it forward.”SHEFFIELD reserve Nathan Greaves wants to highlight his progress in the second half of the season with the Tigers.Greaves told the Sheffield Star: “I hope I can kick on from here and score a few more points between now and the end of the season and hit top form when the play-offs come around, that’s the plan.“I’m enjoying my time at Sheffield, it’s a good club to ride for and the management have been good with us all.”SOMERSET are preparing for their biggest night of the season as they host the Premier League Pairs on Friday.Rebels Promoter Debbie Hancock said: “We are honoured to, once again, be staging this prestigious event; “it has always proved to be a great night of speedway action played out in front of a packed Oaktree Arena.”“I hope that everyone attending Friday’s meeting has a great night and may the best team win!”WORKINGTON team manager Tony Jackson has spoken of his despair after four out of his side’s last five league matches have been postponed due to the weather.Said Jackson: “By the time we next race at home it will have been five weeks since our last home meeting - it has almost reached a point where we will need to re-launch the season after such a long break.“I know that we aren’t the only club in this situation but it is no good for the club, no good for the riders and no good for the supporters who may find something else to do on a Saturday evening after so many weeks without their speedway.”
TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE LATEST…
BELLE VUE skipper Matt Williamson was delighted to see them dust off the cobwebs to complete a quick-fire double over Stoke.Williamson said: “I think that our victory last Friday at home just goes to show how good a team we have and how strongly we can perform.“We saw great racing all night and it was a fantastic result for us. It feels like ages since we’ve ridden our bikes with all these rain-offs!“The long break doesn’t seem to have affected us collectively though. I just get bored when I’m not racing as I’m sure the rest of the boys do, but as I’ve said it’s not something to use as an excuse.” BIRMINGHAM saw their unbeaten record come to an end in dramatic fashion as they suffered a last-gasp 46-43 defeat against Eastbourne at Arlington on Saturday. Team manager Graham Drury said: “We can’t have any complaints, it was a tremendous match and to take Eastbourne to the last heat at Arlington was a great effort from everybody.“Our riders all went out there and gave it their all, they learnt a lot and although the last couple of heats didn’t go our way we at least earned a point to show for our efforts.” BUXTON have been rocked by the retirement of skipper Jade Mudgway on medical advice after a crash at Eastbourne a few weeks ago.“I can’t believe it as things were just coming together at Buxton and I’ve really been enjoying myself,” Mudgway stated. “I'm really devastated that I am being forced to hang up my speedway kevlars through no fault of my own. It’s been all I've done and thought about for 20 years now, since I was a little boy watching my Dad, but I need to be here for my twin boys now and my head won't take any more knocks. “I just want to say a big sorry to the Buxton fans and management and thank you to everyone who has supported, helped and followed me in any way throughout my speedway career.” COVENTRY Storm new-boy Mitchell Davey is keen to make a big impact at the club over the remainder of the season. He said: “Obviously I want to help Coventry now, I want to help them progress to the best position they can in the National League“I don’t want to just be coming because it’s the right time for me, I’ve joined the team now and I want to see them do the best they can.” CRADLEY bagged their first away points of the season with an impressive 52-38 win at Rye House on Sunday.“A win was always the target here and we're really pleased with the margin of the result,” team boss Will Pottinger said.“We always felt that with the make-up of the Rye House team, this was somewhere we looked stronger on paper and credit to the lads for delivering on track.“To win 10 of the 15 races with the heat-leader trio they've got is a great stat and for everyone to minimise the last places was a great team effort.“We're suddenly full of confidence with our new-look line-up and we're really looking forward to the second half of the season.”EASTBOURNE skipper Jake Knight was delighted to see them show their character to edge a 46-43 win over in-form Birmingham at Arlington on Saturday.Knight said: “To go down to a five-man team and be losing for most of the meeting but to pull it back and win is probably one of the best things we have done so far this year.“We needed to as there wasn’t any room for error after my first ride. I felt I was a bit tense and a bit scared of myself. I didn’t want to overcook it and then I ended up over-cooking it.“I said to myself ‘right, you have to go through the rest of the card unbeaten’ and luckily we managed to get the results where we needed to.” ISLE OF WIGHT co-promoter Martin Widman admits they have been left hugely frustrated by their recent rain-offs.They have been forced to call off their last two home meetings against Kent and King’s Lynn. After seeing the Kent clash postponed, Widman told Speedway Star: “It was not an easy call to make, but it proved to be the right one in the end.“Firstly, I don’t know why all the weather forecasts can’t say the same thing and, secondly, it just shows how fickle the weather was with no rain in nearby Godshill but the rain water was trying to lift a manhole cover on Ashey Road where our stadium is.” KENT manager Chris Hunt insists they can bounce back from their National Trophy disappointment to win some silverware over the remainder of the season.Hunt told Speedway Star: “We know we are as good as Birmingham and I’m sure this is not the last time we will meet them in a final or a semi-final.“We’ve got to keep going and hope we can win some silverware. We’re not going to get down over it. I think we’ve done ourselves proud and we’ll come back for more.” KING’S LYNN boss Dale Allitt has called on them to “show a bit of character” as they look to bounce back from a crushing defeat at Eastbourne in their last fixture.The Young Stars have been left frustrated after trips to the Isle of Wight and Stoke were postponed last week, but their attentions will now turn to a home clash with Kent on Wednesday (7.30).In the Speedway Star, Allitt said: “We need to show a bit of character and bounce back, which we’ve usually got a good track record at doing.“It’s a really busy time for the club which stretches everybody to the limit. We will be busy between now and the end of the season because of the rain-offs.” MILDENHALL skipper Jon Armstrong believes they are still National League play-off contenders heading into the second half of the season.The experienced racer told Speedway Star: “We have a very good, developing team and going by our recent form I think we can be a match for anybody.“I’m happy to take over as captain of a team with this much potential. Connor Mountain, for instance, has been brilliant. “Connor Coles is also getting back to form, and that’s made a big difference to the team, as has Chris Widman coming in at reserve.” RYE HOUSE manager Peter Schroeck insisted there were positives to take from their 52-38 home defeat against Cradley on Sunday.Schroeck stated: “We were left playing catch-up from the start after falling 9-3 behind after just two races. “We had a couple of hiccoughs with guys falling off and other bits and bobs happening, and it didn’t help that Rob (Branford) felt unwell in his last race.“I think a ten point defeat would have been fairer on us, but either way well done to Cradley for getting the result.“We saw improvements in certain riders from our end, which is the important thing. Overall, there are positives we can take away from the meeting.” STOKE star Ben Wilson was in jubilant mood after his faultless 15-point maximum led them to a crushing 57-33 win at Buxton on Sunday.Wilson said: “It was a great day all around at Buxton, we’ve done the double over them this year and it’s good to get one over our local rivals. “With regard to my own performance I guess it was pretty much faultless and I’m looking for more of the same in the upcoming meetings as we look to move up the league table.”
FIXTURE PICTURE…
WEDNESDAY JULY 6:ELITE LEAGUE: Belle Vue v Wolverhampton 7.30TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: King’s Lynn v Kent 7.30NATIONAL LEAGUE KO CUP Q/F 1st leg: Birmingham v Belle Vue 7.30
THURSDAY JULY 7:ELITE LEAGUE: Swindon v Wolverhampton 7.30PREMIER LEAGUE: Ipswich v Rye House 7.30, Redcar v Scunthorpe 7.30
FRIDAY JULY 8:PREMIER LEAGUE PAIRS: Somerset 7pm
SATURDAY JULY 9:BRITISH GRAND PRIX: Cardiff 5pm
SUNDAY JULY 10:PREMIER LEAGUE: Scunthorpe v Glasgow 4pmTRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Rye House v Coventry 6pm
MONDAY JULY 11:ELITE LEAGUE: Coventry v King’s Lynn 7.30PREMIER LEAGUE KO CUP 2nd leg: Newcastle v Scunthorpe 7.30TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Cradley v Mildenhall 7.30, Kent v Rye House 6.30
TUESDAY JULY 12:PREMIER LEAGUE: Peterborough v Scunthorpe 7.30
WEDNESDAY JULY 13:ELITE LEAGUE: Poole v Lakeside 7.30TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Birmingham v Coventry 7.30
THURSDAY JULY 14:ELITE LEAGUE: King’s Lynn v Leicester 7.30PREMIER LEAGUE: Ipswich v Berwick 7.30, Redcar v Edinburgh 7.30, Sheffield v Plymouth 7.30PAIRS: Isle of Wight 7pm
FRIDAY JULY 15:ELITE LEAGUE: Belle Vue v Leicester 7.30, Coventry v Poole 7.30, Lakeside v Wolverhampton 8pmPREMIER LEAGUE: Peterborough v Berwick 7.30, Somerset v Newcastle 7.30PREMIER LEAGUE KO CUP Q/F 1st leg: Edinburgh v Glasgow 7.30
SATURDAY JULY 16:ELITE LEAGUE: Leicester v King’s Lynn 7.30PREMIER LEAGUE: Workington v Rye House 7pmTRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Stoke v Cradley 7pmSTARS OF TOMORROW + BRITISH 125cc FINAL: Berwick 7pm
SUNDAY JULY 17:PREMIER LEAGUE: Glasgow v Rye House 3pm, Scunthorpe v Edinburgh 6.30TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Buxton v Belle Vue 3pm, Mildenhall v Isle of Wight 3.30
MONDAY JULY 18:ELITE LEAGUE: Wolverhampton v Swindon 7.30TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Kent v Birmingham 6.30
