PIC OF THE WEEK...
Danny King seen leading here as Ipswich romped to a 52-38 Premiership Supporters Cup win on Thursday night against Poole. Picture: STEPHEN WALLER
PREMIERSHIP
BELLE VUE
“We only need to look at Poole last year. They went from bottom to top so anything’s possible. This was a big result for us against Swindon so we need to keep this going as we move forward.”
Aces reserve Jaimon Lidsey knows an unpredictable campaign lies ahead, with the Manchester club having notched two home wins in the space of five days against King’s Lynn and then Swindon.
NEXT HOME: Wolverhampton, Mon May 27 (12pm)
NEXT AWAY: Wolverhampton, Mon May 27 (8pm)
IPSWICH
“In previous years we would have let that one slip away, so we showed a strong mentality. We are a team, when one rider is struggling, the others have to compensate for him and that will work the other way around on another day.”
Witches boss Ritchie Hawkins was relieved to come through a tough test against Wolverhampton on Monday with a 46-44 win in a last-heat decider.
NEXT HOME: Peterborough, Thur June 6 (7.30)
NEXT AWAY: Belle Vue, Mon June 3 (7.30)
KING’S LYNN
“Erik will be out for some weeks and that was the catalyst for tonight. A few people need to pick themselves up and we need to pick ourselves up before we head to Peterborough on Bank Holiday Monday.”
Boss Peter Schroeck felt the broken collarbone suffered by Erik Riss was a defining moment as the Stars suffered a late collapse at home to Poole in the Premiership Supporters’ Cup.
NEXT HOME: Wolverhampton, Mon June 3 (7.30)
NEXT AWAY: Peterborough, Mon May 27 (5pm)
PETERBOROUGH
“It’s never nice releasing riders, but we had to do something. We have given the guys a chance but we have got to the stage where it couldn’t continue. I’m confident the Peterborough fans will be happy to see we are trying to improve things.”
Co-promoter Colin Pratt explains this week’s double change, which sees Scott Nicholls and Josh Bates come in for the Panthers at the expense of Lasse Bjerre and Ben Barker.
NEXT HOME: Poole, Thur May 23 (7.30)
NEXT AWAY: Poole, Thur May 30 (7.30)
POOLE
“Having Brady, Nicolai and Neil Middleditch back in the pits after they missed the Ipswich meeting on Thursday had a huge impact, not just in terms of those two riders’ scores, but also the team spirit. We’ve given ourselves a real chance of progressing in the competition now when it looked so unlikely halfway through this meeting.”
Pirates co-promoter Danny Ford hailed the comeback win at King’s Lynn on Monday which puts them back in with a chance of Cup progression pending results elsewhere.
NEXT HOME: Swindon, Mon May 27 (11.30)
NEXT AWAY: Peterborough, Thur May 23 (7.30)
SWINDON
“Without Tobiasz (Musielak) I felt we would find it very difficult to get anything but the boys did a great job. Everyone really dug in and it’s really disappointing to come away with nothing when we’ve come so close, I’m gutted really.”
Robins boss Alun Rossiter felt his side deserved more than a 41-49 defeat at Belle Vue on Monday, as they operated rider-replacement for the injured Musielak.
NEXT HOME: Poole, Mon May 27 (7.30)
NEXT AWAY: Poole, Mon May 27 (11.30)
WOLVERHAMPTON
“Rider-replacement is always difficult to cope with, it puts a strain on man and machine so we are happy to be back to a full complement. Everyone was very pleased with our team declaration when it was originally made and now we have the chance to see it in action.”
Wolves boss Peter Adams is pleased to have both Jacob Thorssell and Nick Morris fit and ready to go for his side in their Bank Holiday double-header with Belle Vue next week.
NEXT HOME: Belle Vue, Mon May 27 (8pm)
NEXT AWAY: Belle Vue, Mon May 27 (12.30)
CHAMPIONSHIP SOUNDBYTES…
BERWICK
“To only go down by two at Owlerton against Sheffield is an amazing feat and one we should be justly proud of. This has been a cracking couple of days for us and sets us up nicely for a decent run in this year’s Championship!”
Bandits boss Gary Flint was in enthusiastic mood after seeing his side score four points from two close-fought weekend encounters with Sheffield.
NEXT HOME: Newcastle (KOC), Sat June 1 (7pm)
NEXT AWAY: Eastbourne, Sat May 25 (7.30)
BIRMINGHAM
“Losing meeting after meeting was no good for anybody at the club but with more-or-less a full league campaign ahead of us, we felt we needed to tweak one or two things to help turn things around. We’re confident our fortunes will change now and there’s still so much to be optimistic about.”
Brummies owner David Mason is confident of an upturn in results for his side after making two changes in the early stages of their league campaign, with Adam Ellis joining at No.1 and Nathan Stoneman at reserve.
NEXT HOME: Edinburgh, Wed May 22 (7.30)
NEXT AWAY: Leicester, Sat May 25 (7.30)
EASTBOURNE
“Make no mistake, losing Tom is a huge blow to the club and rider and the only consolation is that his amazing start to the season allows us to introduce a rider of Kyle’s quality.”
Co-promoter Trevor Geer confirms the Eagles have moved for Kyle Newman to fill the gap in their team left by the broken leg suffered by flying reserve Tom Brennan.
NEXT HOME: Berwick, Sat May 25 (7.30)
NEXT AWAY: Somerset, Wed May 22 (7.30)
EDINBURGH
“Everyone has struggled a little at times at so far so it was a good meeting to win, I felt I was gating well then losing drive into the corners but it's getting better every week and I'm happy. We are a good team.”
Monarchs star Joel Andersson was pleased with the overall effort as they overcame Leicester 45-44 in a tense finale at Armadale on Friday.
NEXT HOME: Glasgow (CS), Fri May 24 (7.30)
NEXT AWAY: Birmingham, Wed May 22 (7.30)
GLASGOW
The Tigers enjoyed a splendid weekend with home and away Championship wins over Eastbourne, and now prepare for a big Shield local derby at Edinburgh this Friday with group progression at stake.
NEXT HOME: Scunthorpe, Sat May 25 (7pm)
NEXT AWAY: Edinburgh (CS), Fri May 24 (7.30)
LEICESTER
“There’s a part of me that says you have to make hay whilst the sun shines, so we could have taken all four (league) points and I’m greedy like that, but fair play to Newcastle because they came back into it and it was good for the supporters.”
Lions boss Stewart Dickson was relieved to get over the line with a win at Newcastle on Sunday which stretches their lead at the top of the Championship table.
NEXT HOME: Birmingham, Sat May 25 (7.30)
NEXT AWAY: Sheffield, Sun June 9 (4pm)
NEWCASTLE
“If Newcastle were paid for having bad luck then we'd be a very rich club tonight as it was so frustrating for Stevie Worrall to hit a freak rut and go down in Heat 10 and then suffer a critical engine failure in the vital last heat.”
Stand-in Diamonds boss Roy Clarke bemoaned his side’s misfortune in their narrow Championship defeat to leaders Leicester on Sunday.
NEXT HOME: Berwick (KOC), Sun June 2 (6.30)
NEXT AWAY: Berwick (KOC), Sat June 1 (7pm)
REDCAR
The Bears take a break from team action this week when they stage the annual Julie Lewis Memorial at the Media Prima Arena on Friday.
NEXT HOME: Julie Lewis Memorial, Fri May 24 (7.30)
NEXT AWAY: Edinburgh, Fri June 21 (7.30)
SCUNTHORPE
“I’m devastated that we lost the meeting, but overall I’m loving life at Scunthorpe – it’s a fantastic club. I was so disappointed not to get a call to ride at Championship level over the winter, but then to get the call so early in the season was brilliant.”
Scorpions star Danny Ayres admits his move to the Eddie Wright Raceway has been a major success so far, although the team suffered disappointment at home to Somerset last week.
NEXT HOME: Glasgow, Fri June 7 (7.30)
NEXT AWAY: Glasgow, Sat May 25 (7pm)
SOMERSET
“It was really encouraging to see Anders (Rowe) and Valentin (Grobauer) get amongst the points this evening and hopefully that might give them the boost they need. This is a good start to the league and hopefully a foundation on which we can build a strong challenge.”
Rebels boss Garry May praised the all-round effort in a 50-40 win at Scunthorpe to give the side a major boost in the early stages of the Championship campaign.
NEXT HOME: Eastbourne, Wed May 22 (7.30)
NEXT AWAY: Glasgow, Fri June 21 (7.30)
SHEFFIELD
“I had my head in my hands after the first three races but to come back like we did, in tough conditions as well, I’m really happy. We’re still not fully firing yet and we had two riders missing today, but the guests came in at short notice and helped us get the job done.”
Tigers owner Damien Bates praised the character in his side by turning around a 4-14 deficit to edge out Berwick in a close contest at Owlerton on Sunday.
NEXT HOME: Scunthorpe, Sun June 2 (4pm)
NEXT AWAY: Glasgow (KOC), Tue May 28 (7.30)
NATIONAL DEVELPOPMENT LEAGUE SOUNDBYTES…
BELLE VUE
“We’re not concerned with the result. It’s our second away meeting and the fact that we spent two-thirds of the night right on their tail is a great achievement and we’re more than satisfied with that.”
Colts co-boss Graham Goodwin was in positive mood after defeat at Leicester last weekend, with his side being without three of their top five due to injury and Championship commitments.
NEXT HOME: Plymouth, Thur May 23 (7.30)
NEXT AWAY: Cradley, Mon June 3 (7.30)
CRADLEY
“Cradley have an amazing history and to now be a part of the exciting team they’ve got this year feels amazing - I can’t wait to get going with them!”
New signing Jack Smith is delighted to link up with the Heathens, albeit in unfortunate circumstances following the serious injury suffered by Tom Brennan.
NEXT HOME: Belle Vue, Mon June 3 (7.30)
NEXT AWAY: Plymouth, Fri May 31 (7.15)
ISLE OF WIGHT
“After our superb effort at Cradley all the boys should take a great deal of confidence into the Stoke meeting and we will be determined to bank three points against them.”
Warriors chief Barry Bishop took consolation from their KO Cup exit and hopes an improved showing at Monmore can translate into league form.
NEXT HOME: Stoke, Thur May 23 (7pm)
NEXT AWAY: Plymouth (NT), Fri May 24 (7.15)
KENT
“I am so stoked with the team, there won’t be many sides who come here and win, and with a depleted team, fantastic!”
Kings skipper Rob Ledwith was in bullish mood after his side won 43-41 at Mildenhall last weekend to put them into a strong position in the National Trophy ahead of the return on Bank Holiday Monday.
NEXT HOME: Mildenhall (NT), Mon May 27 (4pm)
NEXT AWAY: Isle of Wight (NT), Thur May 30 (7pm)
LEICESTER
“From three points up after Heat 9 and wondering how it was going to go, we just dug in and to win by 13 was outstanding from every single rider. Even when things weren’t going right, they were all pulling together.”
Cubs manager David Howard was delighted to get off to a winning start in the National League with a 51-38 victory over Belle Vue last weekend.
NEXT HOME: Stoke, Sun June 2 (4pm)
NEXT AWAY: Mildenhall (KOC), Sun May 26 (3pm)
MILDENHALL
The Fen Tigers experienced mixed fortunes over the weekend, winning at Plymouth to enhance their National Trophy position but then slipping up at home to Kent as the Kings gave their own hopes of taking the silverware a big boost.
NEXT HOME: Leicester (KOC), Sun May 26 (3pm)
NEXT AWAY: Kent (NT), Mon May 27 (4pm)
PLYMOUTH
“Trying to take the positives out of what was a somewhat negative meeting, the boys gave it their best shot knowing from the get-go they were going to be up against it. We also had a bit of bad luck with Richard (Andrews) coming down in Heat 9 and Nathan Stoneman coming down in Heat 15, which added to the frustration.”
Gladiators chief Matt Bates accepted the home defeat against Mildenhall had been a tough night with his side going into the meeting one rider short due to the absence of Scott Campos.
NEXT HOME: Isle of Wight (NT), Fri May 24 (7.15)
NEXT AWAY: Belle Vue, Thur May 23 (7.30)
STOKE
“Crewe had some great riders they developed, and the Kings and Stoke had some great meetings when the Potters opened at Loomer Road in 1973 after having a ten-year absence from racing. It is also a significant year from Crewe this year also with it being the 50th anniversary for the Kings as they opened in 1969.”
Potters promoter Dave Tattum is looking forward to reviving the name of Crewe Kings, as well as the more recent Buxton side, when the club stage a three-team tournament this Saturday.
NEXT HOME: Buxton/Crewe (3TT), Sat May 25 (7pm)
NEXT AWAY: Isle of Wight, Thur May 23 (7pm)
FIXTURE PICTURE…
WEDNESDAY MAY 22:
CHAMPIONSHIP: Birmingham v Edinburgh 7.30, Somerset v Eastbourne 7.30
THURSDAY MAY 23:
PREMIERSHIP: Peterborough v Poole 7.30
NATIONAL LEAGUE: Belle Vue v Plymouth 7.30, Isle of Wight v Stoke 7pm
FRIDAY MAY 24:
CHAMPIONSHIP SHIELD: Edinburgh v Glasgow 7.30
NATIONAL TROPHY: Plymouth v Isle of Wight 7.15
JULIE LEWIS MEMORIAL: Redcar 7.30
SATURDAY MAY 25:
CHAMPIONSHIP: Eastbourne v Berwick 7.30, Glasgow v Scunthorpe 7pm, Leicester v Birmingham 7.30
3TT: Stoke v Buxton v Crewe 7pm
SUNDAY MAY 26:
NATIONAL LEAGUE KO CUP Q/F 2nd leg: Mildenhall v Leicester 3pm
MONDAY MAY 27:
PREMIERSHIP: Belle Vue v Wolverhampton 12pm, Peterborough v King’s Lynn 5pm, Poole v Swindon 11.30, Swindon v Poole 7.30, Wolverhampton v Belle Vue 8pm
NATIONAL TROPHY: Kent v Mildenhall 4pm
TUESDAY MAY 28:
CHAMPIONSHIP KO CUP 1st round 2nd leg: Glasgow v Sheffield 7.30
WEDNESDAY MAY 29:
CHAMPIONSHIP: Somerset v Scunthorpe 7.30
CHAMPIONSHIP KO CUP 1st round 2nd leg: Birmingham v Eastbourne 7.30
THURSDAY MAY 30:
PREMIERSHIP: Poole v Peterborough 7.30
NATIONAL TROPHY: Isle of Wight v Kent 7pm
FRIDAY MAY 31:
BRITISH SEMI-FINAL: Redcar 7.30
NATIONAL LEAGUE: Plymouth v Cradley 7.15
SATURDAY JUNE 1:
CHAMPIONSHIP: Eastbourne v Sheffield 7.30
CHAMPIONSHIP KO CUP 2nd round 1st leg: Berwick v Newcastle 7pm
SUNDAY JUNE 2:
CHAMPIONSHIP: Sheffield v Scunthorpe 4pm
CHAMPIONSHIP KO CUP 2nd round 2nd leg: Newcastle v Berwick 6.30
NATIONAL LEAGUE: Leicester v Stoke 4pm
MONDAY JUNE 3:
PREMIERSHIP: Belle Vue v Ipswich 7.30, King’s Lynn v Wolverhampton 7.30
NATIONAL LEAGUE: Cradley v Belle Vue 7.30
NATIONAL TROPHY: Kent v Isle of Wight 6.30
WEDNESDAY JUNE 5:
CHAMPIONSHIP: Birmingham v Sheffield 7.30
