PIC OF THE WEEK... The tapes rise at Plymouth’s St. Boniface Arena during Friday’s 45-45 draw against Belle Vue Colts. The result moved the Manchester side to the top of the Travel Plus National League table.
Picture: NICHOLAS TRUSCOTT
SGB PREMIERSHIP SOUNDBYTES…
BELLE VUE – “It was a win we desperately needed. It’s been a bit of a mixed bag for us lately, especially at home, so I think that has definitely settled the nerves.” Match winner Rohan Tungate after the Aces saw off Wolverhampton 53-40 in their top of the table clash in Monday.
NEXT HOME: Poole, Premiership, Mon July 31 (7.30)
NEXT AWAY: Poole, Premiership, Weds Aug 2 (7.30)
KING’S LYNN – “Of course I'm disappointed with the scoreline but this was always going to be a tough one.” Promoter Keith Chapman after the depleted Stars were well beaten at Leicester on Monday.
NEXT HOME: Wolverhampton, Premiership, Wed July 26 (7.30)
NEXT AWAY: Leicester, Premiership, Sat Aug 5 (7.30)
LEICESTER - “To finally get another win feels great and everyone at the club deserves this tonight.” Team boss Jim Lynch was delighted to finally get back to winning ways on Monday.
NEXT HOME: King’s Lynn, Premiership, Sat Aug 5 (7.30)
NEXT AWAY: Rye House, Premiership, Weds Aug 2 (7.30)
POOLE – “I am sure that Eddie's determination to do a job for us will make him a better rider than his 6.82 figure suggests and I am pleased to welcome him back to the club.” Co-promoter Matt Ford after the Pirates snapped up Edward Kennett to replace the underperforming Krzysztof Kasprzak.
NEXT HOME: Somerset, Premiership, Weds July 26 (7.30)
NEXT AWAY: Swindon, Premiership, Thurs July 27 (7.30)
RYE HOUSE – “It’s not over yet – we still have twelve matches and forty-one points to go for – and we need to re-group, re-focus and start again.” Team boss Peter Schroeck insists the Rockets’ play-off bid is far from over despite a heavy defeat at Swindon last week.
NEXT HOME: Leicester, Premiership Weds Aug 2 (7.30)
NEXT AWAY: Poole, Premiership, Thurs Aug 10 (7.30)
SOMERSET – “We are a different team to the one which faced Wolves at the Oaktree Arena earlier in the season, both in rider line-up and in confidence.” Rebels’ boss Garry May believes their clash with Wolverhampton on Friday will be a much different affair to their clash earlier in the season.
NEXT HOME: Wolverhampton, Premiership, Fri July 28 (7.30)
NEXT AWAY: Poole, Premiership, Weds July 26 (7.30)
SWINDON – “It’s a fantastic run and I’m really pleased with the boys, they’re all contributing. The team spirit is good, and they’re all listening and talking to each other.” Team manager Alun Rossiter was delighted to see them make it seven wins on the spin against Rye House last week.
NEXT HOME: Poole, Premiership, Thurs July 27 (7.30)
NEXT AWAY: King’s Lynn, Premiership, Wed Aug 2 (7.30)
WOLVERHAMPTON – “We can’t make any excuses. Belle Vue were superior tonight, they were faster out of the start and faster on the track.” Team manager Peter Adams conceded they were beaten by the better team at Belle Vue on Monday.
NEXT HOME: Somerset, Premiership, Mon July 31 (7.30)
NEXT AWAY: King’s Lynn, Premiership, Weds July 26 (7.30)
SGB CHAMPIONSHIP SOUNDBYTES…
BERWICK – “We are excited to welcome Nikolaj to Berwick and I think he will do a good job for us. His attitude and hunger to wear a Bandits race jacket is impressive and on his day I feel he is a legitimate heat leader in the Championship division.” Co-owner Scott Courtney is thrilled to welcome Nikolaj Busk Jakobsen to the Bandits as a replacement for injury victim Lewis Bridger.
NEXT HOME: Sheffield, Championship, Sat July 29 (7pm)
NEXT AWAY: Redcar, Championship, Thurs Aug 3 (7.30)
EDINBURGH – “I know what I am capable of and in my mind I see myself as a No.1.” Monarchs’ ace Erik Riss told Speedway Star he tries to perform as their top man.
NEXT HOME: Sheffield, Championship, Fri Aug 4 (7.30)
NEXT AWAY: Ipswich, Championship, Thurs July 27 (7.30)
GLASGOW – “It was in front of one of the biggest travelling supports I’ve seen so far. I know we had a lot last year but we had twice as many there tonight and that’s a pleasing aspect for me.” Tigers’ team boss Stewart Dickson hailed their travelling fans after a big win at Scunthorpe.
NEXT HOME: Ipswich, Championship, Sun July 30 (3pm)
NEXT AWAY: Workington, Championship, Sat July 29 (7pm)
IPSWICH - “It was a very solid performance and we started well which got everyone’s confidence up and it was another good performance.” Manager Ritchie Hawkins was pleased with a comfortable home win over Newcastle last week.
NEXT HOME: Edinburgh, Championship, Thurs July 27 (7.30)
NEXT AWAY: Glasgow, Championship, Sun July 30 (3pm)
NEWCASTLE – “We got off to such a poor start that again we left way too much work for ourselves to pull back.” Team boss George English was left to rue a sluggish start at Ipswich last week.
NEXT HOME: Edinburgh, Championship, Sun July 30 (6.30)
NEXT AWAY: Sheffield, Championship, Thurs July 27 (7.30)
PETERBOROUGH – “To come through six meetings against a team as strong as Redcar and not be beaten is a great effort.” Skipper Ulrich Ostergaard has been delighted with their success during a stint of showdowns with Redcar in recent weeks.
NEXT HOME: Newcastle, Championship, Wed Aug 30 (7.30)
NEXT AWAY: Edinburgh, Championship, Fri Aug 11 (7.30)
REDCAR – “It’s been a really tough year but I’m very grateful to Redcar for giving me the opportunity to get my confidence back.” Departing Bears’ rider Fernando Garcia thanked the club in the Speedway Star last week.
NEXT HOME: Workington, Championship, Thurs July 27 (7.30)
NEXT AWAY: Workington, Championship, Sat Aug 12 (7pm)
SCUNTHORPE – “That made it a difficult decision, because he has been such a big part of the Scunthorpe Scorpions for many years. He helped establish us in this division of racing.” Promoter Rob Godfrey admitted the Scorpions released club stalwart Carl Wilkinson with a heavy heart.
NEXT HOME: Workington, Championship, Sun July 30 (5.30)
NEXT AWAY: Workington, Championship, Sat Aug 5 (7pm)
SHEFFIELD – “There's probably some room for improvement, but we've come through a tough meeting with three points so we're happy.” Team boss Simon Stead was relieved to see off a determined Workington side to preserve their unbeaten home record last week.
NEXT HOME: Edinburgh, Championship, Thurs July 27 (7.30)
NEXT AWAY: Berwick, Championship, Sat July 29 (7pm)
WORKINGTON – “We’re keeping out of the spotlight at the minute but we’ve got a busy period coming up and if things go our way, we’ll shoot up the league table.” Comets’ boss Tony Jackson told Speedway Star they are excited about what the next few days could bring.
NEXT HOME: Glasgow, Championship, Sat July 29 (7pm)
NEXT AWAY: Redcar, Championship, Thurs July 27 (7.30)
TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE SOUNDBYTES…
BELLE VUE COLTS – “When this team is firing on all cylinders, and all at the same time, it’s going to be difficult for any team to come here and land a significant blow against them.” Colts boss Graham Goodwin hailed their home dominance after another crushing win at the National Speedway Stadium last week.
NEXT HOME: Plymouth, National League, Weds Aug 9 (7.30)
NEXT AWAY: Birmingham, National League, Weds Aug 2 (7.30)
BIRMINGHAM – “The main thing tonight was that we added three more points to our tally and the lads went out there and did just that.” Graham Drury was pleased with a job well done against Stoke last week.
NEXT HOME: Belle Vue, National League, Weds Aug 2 (7.30)
NEXT AWAY: Lakeside, National League, Fri July 28 (8pm)
BUXTON – Buxton will be back in action for the first time in over a fortnight when they host Plymouth on Sunday.
NEXT HOME: Plymouth, National League, Sun July 30 (3pm)
NEXT AWAY: Isle of Wight, National League, Thurs August 3 (7.30)
CRADLEY – “We took a while to get the cogs moving, I don’t know why but once we did it was like a steam train.” Heathens’ boss Will Pottinger after a comfortable victory over Stoke on Monday.
NEXT HOME: Isle of Wight, National League, Weds Aug 9 (7.30)
NEXT AWAY: Kent, National League, Mon July 31 (6.30)
EASTBOURNE – “I’m happy again, enjoying my speedway.” Eagles’ ace Mattie Bates told Speedway Star resolving some off-track problems has allowed him to reap the rewards on the circuit.
NEXT HOME: Isle of Wight, National League, Sat July 29 (7.30)
NEXT AWAY: Lakeside, National League, Sun August 5 (3pm)
ISLE OF WIGHT – “I’m really looking forward to our meeting with Stoke as it gives us a brilliant opportunity to introduce our brand of affordable speedway and entertainment to a whole raft of families enjoying the first week of the school holidays here on the Island.” Co-promoter Barry Bishop hopes the club can make the most out of their clash with Stoke at Smallbrook this week.
NEXT HOME: Birmingham, National League, Weds July 26 (7.30)
NEXT AWAY: Stoke, National League, Thurs July 27 (7pm)
KENT – Kent saw their challenge match with Wimbledon on Monday fall foul of the weather. They will be back in action against Cradley next Monday.
NEXT HOME: Cradley, National League, Mon July 31 (6.30)
NEXT AWAY: Mildenhall, National League, Sat August 12 (3pm)
LAKESIDE – “Ben has been outstanding for us. He’s rock solid at home, and he’s overcome some early season hiccups away from home to be a really consistent performer for us.” Hammers’ boss Kelvin Tatum praised in-form Ben Morley in last week’s Speedway Star.
NEXT HOME: Birmingham, National League, Fri July 28 (8pm)
NEXT AWAY: Kent, National League, Mon August 14 (6.30)
MILDENHALL – “We have a short break now and hopefully will welcome back Luke and Sam against Poultec at the end of the month as we prepare for a very busy August and September.” Fen Tigers’ boss Kevin Jolly hopes Luke Ruddick and Sam Woods will be back from injury when they return to the track.
NEXT HOME: Poultec Challenge, Sat July 29 (7.30)
NEXT AWAY: Birmingham, National League, Weds August 16 (7.30)
PLYMOUTH – “We were so unlucky and we really should have won this one.” Devils’ chief Laurence Rogers was left to rue their misfortune after a 45-45 draw at home against Belle Vue last week.
NEXT HOME: Summer Spectacular, Challenge, Sat July 29 (7pm)
NEXT AWAY: Buxton, National League, Sun July 30 (3pm)
STOKE – “I thought the team inexplicably fell apart in the second half of the meeting after making a reasonable start to the match.” Malcolm Vasey was disappointed with the Potters’ late collapse at Cradley on Monday.
NEXT HOME: Mildenhall, Knockout Cup, Sun July 30 (6pm)
NEXT AWAY: Isle of Wight, National League, Thurs July 27 (7pm)
MAJOR EVENTS LATEST…
FANS are in for something different when they head to Peterborough for British Speedway’s next major event on Sunday August 6 (2pm).
The SGB Championship Fours will feature all 10 clubs from the league – and the semi-final stage will feature five riders in each race!
The top two clubs from the semi-finals will do battle in the Fours Final itself – all on the same day in a feast of racing at the East of England Arena.
Rob Godfrey, vice-chairman of the British Speedway Promoters’ Association, said: “We have spent a considerable amount of time planning this event to ensure the five-man heats can take place.
“It’s going to be something different, of course we know it’s been done before, but it’s not something fans get to see very often.
“Peterborough is a big, fast track and we feel sure it will be a terrific day of entertainment and fans traditionally travel from all over the UK to come and see it.
“The fact that every club has been accommodated means nobody will be disappointed and the action will be exciting to watch as the race for the final hots up.”
Meanwhile Godfrey has confirmed bosses will do everything they can to secure a new date for the Championship Pairs which was postponed the night before Cardiff.
“It was a major disappointment and a big blow to us all,” he said. “The track covers were on and the rain stopped at 6.20pm. In my opinion we could have started the meeting with nothing more than a 15-minute delay.
“We are already looking to get a new date as soon as we can but to get that line-up back together on the same day isn’t an easy task.
“We will make an announcement as and when we are successful in securing a date and venue.”
BRITISH SPEEDWAY MAJOR EVENTS 2017
SGBP PAIRS: KING’S LYNN
BRITISH FINAL: CRAIG COOK
SGBC PAIRS: TBC
SGBC FOURS: Peterborough, August 6
SGBP RIDERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP: Belle Vue, September 16
SGBC RIDERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP: Glasgow, September 24
OTHER NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP DATES
BRITISH UNDER-21 SEMI-FINAL: JAMES SHANES
BRITISH UNDER-21 FINAL: ROBERT LAMBERT
BRITISH UNDER-19 FINAL: ZACH WAJTKNECHT
BRITISH SEMI-FINALS: RORY SCHLEIN; KYLE HOWARTH
NATIONAL LEAGUE FOURS: Swindon, Date TBC
NATIONAL LEAGUE RIDERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP: Leicester, September 24
FIXTURE PICTURE…
WEDNESDAY JULY 26:
SGB PREMIERSHIP: King’s Lynn v Wolverhampton 7.30, Poole v Somerset 7.30
TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Birmingham v Isle of Wight 7.30
THURSDAY JULY 27:
SGB PREMIERSHIP: Swindon v Poole 7.30
SGB CHAMPIONSHIP: Ipswich v Edinburgh 7.30, Redcar v Workington 7.30, Sheffield v Newcastle 7.30
TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Isle of Wight v Stoke 7pm
FRIDAY JULY 28:
SGB PREMIERSHIP: Somerset v Wolverhampton 7.30
TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Lakeside v Birmingham 8pm
INTERMEDIATE CHALLENGE: Edinburgh v Buxton 7.30
SATURDAY JULY 29:
SGB CHAMPIONSHIP: Berwick v Sheffield 7pm, Workington v Glasgow 7pm
TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Eastbourne v Isle of Wight 7.30
CHALLENGE: Mildenhall v Poultec Select 7.30
SUMMER SPECTACULAR: Plymouth 7pm
SUNDAY JULY 30:
SGB CHAMPIONSHIP: Glasgow v Ipswich 3pm, Newcastle v Edinburgh 6.30, Scunthorpe v Workington 5.30
TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Buxton v Plymouth 3pm
NATIONAL LEAGUE KO CUP REPLAY 1st leg: Stoke v Mildenhall 6pm
MONDAY JULY 31:
SGB PREMIERSHIP: Belle Vue v Poole 7.30, Wolverhampton v Somerset 7.30
TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Kent v Cradley 6.30
TUESDAY AUGUST 1:
NATIONAL LEAGUE KO CUP REPLAY 2nd leg: Mildenhall v Stoke 7.30
WEDNESDAY AUGUST 2:
SGB PREMIERSHIP: King’s Lynn v Swindon 7.30, Poole v Belle Vue 7.30, Rye House v Leicester 7.30
TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Birmingham v Belle Vue 7.30
THURSDAY AUGUST 3:
SGB PREMIERSHIP: Swindon v Leicester 7.30
SGB CHAMPIONSHIP: Ipswich v Glasgow 7.30, Redcar v Berwick 7.30
TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Isle of Wight v Buxton 7pm
FRIDAY AUGUST 4:
SGB PREMIERSHIP: Somerset v Belle Vue 7.30
SGB CHAMPIONSHIP: Edinburgh v Sheffield 7.30
TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Plymouth v Buxton 7.15
SATURDAY AUGUST 5:
SGB PREMIERSHIP: Leicester v King’s Lynn 7.30, Rye House v Swindon 7pm
SGB CHAMPIONSHIP: Workington v Scunthorpe 7pm
TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Eastbourne v Birmingham 7.30
STARS OF TOMORROW: Berwick 7pm
BRITISH YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP: Belle Vue 6pm
SUNDAY AUGUST 6:
SGB CHAMPIONSHIP FOURS: Peterborough 2pm
TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Lakeside v Eastbourne 3pm
MONDAY AUGUST 7:
SGB PREMIERSHIP: King’s Lynn v Somerset 7.30, Wolverhampton v Poole 7.30
NATIONAL TROPHY: Kent v Mildenhall 6.30
TUESDAY AUGUST 8:
CHALLENGE: Isle of Wight v Reading NDL Select 7pm
