02/11/03 British Indoor Individual Championships at Salford courtesy Mike Hack

Broughton Recreation Centre, Salford hosted the British Indoor Individual Championships this weekend. The fast, grippy and wide circuit afforded excellent racing throughout the weekend, with the Northern Alliance League running a very slick promotion as ever. The Championships were sponsored by Halifax based Pedalsport.

British Indoor Individual U-13 Final scorers:
Lucy Whitehead (Leicester) 19; Ashley Birks (Sheffield) 19; Becky Heslop (Astley & Tyldesley) 19; Will Collins (Bury) 16; Carl Jarvis (Leicester) 15; Ashley Skeldon (Sandwell) 15; Chris Timms (Birmingham) 14; Ashley Doughty (Leicester) 12; Joshua Brooke (Ipswich) 11; Declan Crouch (Leicester) 10; David Parrish (Bury) 10; Mark Hollingsworth (Bury) 9; Josh Hill (Sandwell) 8; Dougie Urquhart (Scotia) 8.
Referee - Mike Hack (Astley & Tyldesley)

British Indoor Individual U-16 Final scorers:
Chris Eaton (Tameside) 20; Joe Twiss (Stoke) 17; Jono Birks (Sheffield) 16; Daniel Pike (Eaton) 16; Chris Davies (Newport) 15; Tom Doyle (Bury) 15; Andy Mittell (Somersham) 14; Lee Ridgwell (East London) 14; Lee Pike (Gt. Blakenham) 13; Mikey Hewitson (Scotia) 10; Jack Hibberd (Sandwell) 10; David Ball (Sandwell) 8; Chris Parrish (Bury) 8; Tom Hibberd (Sandwell) 8; Ashley Simpson (Bury) 7; Richard Bowler (Sheffield) 7.
Referee - John Burston (Bury)

British Indoor Individual U-19 Final scorers:
Darren Slater (Eaton) 18; Adam Peck (Gt. Blakenham) 18; Mike Morgans (Horspath) 17; Mark Boaler (Horspath) 15; Chris Jewkes (Wednesfield) 14; Ben Scranage (Bury) 14; Richard Williamson (Wednesfield) 13; Daniel Pike (Eaton) 13; Scott Jarman (Bury) 12; Chris Eaton (Tameside) 12; Lee Pike (Gt. Blakenham) 9; Andy Mittell (Somersham) 9; Marcus Wadhams (Birmingham) 9; Joe Twiss (Stoke) 8; Simon Munden (Stoke) 6; Lee Ridgwell (East London) 6.
Referee - Mick Pedley (Wednesfield)

British Indoor Individual Veterans Final scorers:
Frank Finnigan (Stoke) 20; Brian Eaton (Tameside) 19; Paul Timms (Birmingham) 17; Mick Pedley (Wednesfield) 16; Mick Aris (Wednesfield) 15; Tony Ridgwell (East London) 15; Gary Hollingsworth (Bury) 13; Mike Hack (Astley & Tyldesley) 13; Peter Williamson (Somersham) 13; Peter Mittell (Somersham) 12; Dave Palfreyman (Hawbush) 12; Phil Widdas (Birmingham) 9.
Referee - Lance Bates (Stoke)

British Indoor Individual Final scorers:
Chris Finnigan (Stoke) 18; Ben Scranage (Bury) 17; Steve Harris (Horspath) 15; Mark Boaler (Horspath) 14; Neil Howarth (Bury) 13; Craig Marchant (Leicester) 12; Darren Slater (Eaton) 12; Mike Morgans (Horspath) 12; Stephen Davies-Ward (Tameside) 12; Daniel Pike (Eaton) 12; Mark Rushby (Bury) 11; David Martin (Eaton) 9; Barry Copping (Somersham) 9; Mark Whitehead (Leicester) 8; Adam Peck (Gt. Blakenham) 8; Leon Yelland (Wednesfield) 7; Lee Aris (Wednesfield) reserve 0.
Referee - Mike Hack (Astley & Tyldesley)

27/9/03 British U-19 Team Championship at Colchester courtesy Mel Perkins

KESGRAVE 66 (Ryan Bartram 20 Lewis Osborne 15 Chris Osborne 15 Elliott Ross 14 Daniel Johnson 2)
GT BLAKENHAM 60 (Adam Peck 19 Lee Pike 16 Greg Jacobs 13 Will Page 12)
SANDWELL 57 (Jack Hibberd 18 Paul Bird 15 Jamie Bird 12 Tom Hibberd 12, Peter Clark dnr)
HETHERSETT 47 (Nick Myhill 16 Marc Veness 13 Lawrie Bedson 11 Leigh Cossey 7)
HELLINGLY 44 (Neil Hollebon 19 Jamie Bugden 9 David Boniface 8 Calum Hall 8)
COLCHESTER 24 (David Strudwick 7 David Brooks 7 Jason Turnbull 5 Oscar Clayton 5)
HORSPATH withdrew

25/9/03 Council to cost cycle speedway for Aussie youths by Charles Waterhouse from themercury.com.au

A DESIGN and cost estimate is to be prepared on establishing a bicycle speedway at Gagebrook.
Brighton Council has been evaluating the proposal from local resident Vic Pimlott since early this year. It is examining risk issues and assessing community support. Mr Pimlott, 58, of Bridgewater said cycle speedways were popular Britain and the US and typically used 80m to 90m circular tracks. He envisaged the Gagebrook track being dirt based with sand in the middle and on the outside. "Last Christmas there were all these kids around here with bikes and they had nowhere to go," he said. Mr Pimlott praised Brighton Council for backing the project. "What I am trying to do is get the kids to run it. I think we take too much responsibility away from kids."
Cycle speedway racing was developed in the late 1940s, influenced by motor speedway. Races are from standing starts and go anti-clockwise. Four riders race four laps, which rarely takes more than about 50 seconds. It is similar to the motorised version but with an emphasis on the fitness and skill of the riders.
A meeting of Brighton Council this week considered a report from general manager Geoff Dodge that said strong community support appeared to exist, including from community groups. Brighton Urban Renewal Project officer and Brighton councillor Kate Fitzpatrick said the proposal was supported and the track would be great for the community. Mr Dodge said a preliminary estimate of cost was $3000, which could be lowered by voluntary labour. Recreation consultant Brian Chapman has told the council it needs to ensure the site chosen is appropriate considering noise, security and isolation. He said the main issue was management after-hours to keep cars and motorcycles off.

23/9/03 British U-16 Team Championship at Horspath courtesy Mel Perkins

Semi-Final A
Q NEWPORT A 71 (Dave Carmicahel 18 Ryan Jones 18 Ryan Hughes 15 James Turner 13)
Q SHEFFIELD 59 (Jonathan Birks 17 Richard Bowler 15 Simon Gamble 14)
Q SANDWELL 54 (Jack Hibberd 19 Tom Hibberd 13)
NQ NEWPORT B 49 (Chris Davies 15 Kieron Jones 13)
NQ COVENTRY 39 (Ben Davies 13)
NQ IPSWICH B 23 (Lauren Jacobs 7)

Semi-Final B
Q KESGRAVE 70 (Daniel Johnson 18 Ryan Bartram 16 Chris Osborne 16 Elliott Ross 16)
Q HETHERSETT 55 (Marc Veness 17 Nick Myhill 15 Jon Kerley 13)
Q SOUTHAMPTON 53 (Ian Grinsell 16 Tom Colling 16 Paul Janaway 14)
NQ IPSWICH A 48 (Thomas Pike 15 Frank Gray 13)
NQ POOLE 41 (Ben Donahue 14)
NQ HORSPATH 30 (Rachel Edge 8 Leigh White 8)

Final
NEWPORT A 63 (Dave Carmichael 18 Nicky Evans 16 Ryan Hughes 13 Ryan Jones 13 James Turner 3)
KESGRAVE 59 (Ryan Bartram 19 Chris Osborne 17 Elliott Ross 14 Daniel Johnson 9 Andrew Turnbull dnr)
SANDWELL 54 (Jack Hibberd 19 Jamie Ball 18 Tom Hibberd 11 David Ball 6 Ashley Skeldon dnr)
SHEFFIELD 51 (Simon Gamble 15 Jonathan Birks 13 Peter Pearson 12 Richard Bowler 9 Ashley Birks 2)
HETHERSETT 42 (Nick Myhill 15 Marc Veness 13 Jon Kerley 7 Philip Adans 4 Jazz Abbott 3)
SOUTHANPTON 30 (Tom Colling 10 Ian Grinsell 8 Paul Janaway 7 Matt Grinsell 5)

13/9/03 British U-13 Team Championship at Newport courtesy Mel Perkins

Match A
Q EXETER 55 (Ray Boxhall 13 Thomas Reed 12)
Q IPSWICH A 51 (Lee Richardson 15)
Q NEWPORT 47 (Mark Carmichael 14 Rhys Godsall 13 Ben Mould 12)
NQ IPSWICH B 25 (Marcus Gull 8)
NQ IPSWICH C 22 (James Reeve 8)

Match B
Q LEICESTER A 55 (Declan Crouch 13 Carl Jarvis 12 Lucy Whitehead 12 Ashley Doughty 12)
Q HETHERSETT 47 (Jazz Abbott 13 Philip Adams 13)
NQ SHEFFIELD 40 (Ashley Birks 15)
NQ LEICESTER B 18 (Sam Hartshorn 5 Lewis Townsend 5)

Final
LEICESTER A 49 (Lucy Whitehead 15 Carl Jarvis 14 Declan Crouch 11 Ashley Doughty 8, Robbie Venson 1)
HETHERSETT 46 (Jazz Abbott 13 Philip Adams 13 David Adams 11 Ben Collins 9)
IPSWICH A 38 (Lee Richardson 12 Joshua Brook 11 Mitch Steward 9 Jack Woollard 6)
EXETER 37 (Thomas Reed 15 Craig Nethercott 10 Ray Boxhall 7 Arron Coles 3 Arron Herbert 2)
NEWPORT 29 (Ben Mould 11 Mark Carmichael 8 Jennifer Carmichael 4 Emma Davies 4 Josh Davis 2)

12/9/03 Prescott Valley CS USA News Update from David Cooke

3 weeks ago the town voted unanimously to build our track. On 23/8 we had a public meeting with regards the track, what a shock the turnout was incredible, word has got around that the track is for sure going to built, we had over 50 adults turn out all volunteering help.
The site has been approved and is in a perfect location. The major eye opener was that a group of Mexican parents turned up and they would like to have a Mexican National team for the meet next year. From little Acorns............
Tonight, he Town Council of Prescott Valley AZ USA,tonight gave approval to build the first ever European Cycle Speedway Track in the USA. I would like to thank all that have helped in this project. With a little luck the track should be completed in the next eight weeks

19/8/03 Den Winch

One of cycle speedway's longest serving and best known officials has died. Den Winch, who began in the sport in 1948, had been ill and died age 72. Although he did try racing, it was in a managerial role at many of the Southend based clubs where he made a name for himself. In 1971 he formed Gt. Wakering Rebels which he ran with a passion, even when it looked like the club was on the verge of closure. An extraordinary character who will certainly be missed.

12/8/03 World Championship results

Results and reports from the World Stage on the British Cycling Website.

31/7/03 World Stage

This weekend sees the world of cycle speedway decend on Manchester as the World Championships take place in a 3 day feast at the Astley & Tyldesley and Bury tracks. Qualifying rounds begin at 12:00 01/8 on both tracks, while Astley host the World Cup Final at 15:00 the following day.
The Bury club will stage the Indivdual semis (at 10:00) and the World Final at 15:00. They are delighted to announce that Formulated Polymer Products of Ramsbottom will be sponsoring this prestigious meeting. FPP have previously backed major events at Bury, and both parties are pleased for this to continue at the biggest meeting in the Bury club's 29 year history. The Astley based Eagle School of Motoring are sponsoring the World Team Cup at Astley.
Wales will be selecting their team from a short list of 6 riders. The emerging Newport club supply the bulk of the squad, with promising youngsters Dale Clark and Nicky Evans gaining World Cup call ups for the first time. Veteran pair Colin Simmons and Dave Murphy (team manager) are both in there as well. Birmingham's Mark Winwood retains his place after a good performance in the recent Home International, with Horspath flyer Danny Harper likely to be the top Welsh rider in the event.
England manager Roger Ellis has announced his team, in their defence of the title won in Australia in 2001. Wednesfield's Lee Aris will captain the side, which has a distinctly youthful look to it. Teenagers Shaun Woodhouse of Southampton, the current World Junior Champion, and Darren Slater of Eaton, the current British U-16 Champion, will accompany current British Champion Gavin Wheeler of Southampton and defending World Champion Dave Hemsley of Poole.
The only country not to have announced their squad are Poland, and it is thought that team manager Dariusz Wychodil will make his selection after the individual Qualifying Rounds have taken place on the Friday of the Championships.

1/5/03 It's a Tough Old Game

The start of the season has been overshadowed by a spate of incidents resulting in injuries for the unfortunate riders.
Hawbush main man Steve Bloxham has broken his scaphoid bone in the opening match against Kesgrave. The self-employed mechanic broke the same bone 33 years ago and is struggling not being able to drive.
More bad news for the Essex team as team mate Dave Palfreman thought he'd get some extra practice in the opening East Anglian GP round but unfortunately fell heavily on his shoulder in his 2nd ride. He was taken to hospital where a collapsed lung and broken collar bone were diagnosed. While spending a few days in Ipswich hospital Dave decided to call it a day. (Ed: but has been seen on track since!)
Also on the injured list is Poole veteran Colin Sutton. The 54 year old broke his collar bone during a league match at Swindon and had to have it reset at Poole hospital. After many years in the sport Colin has decided it's time to retire.
But it's not just on track where danger lurks. Ipswich based Jason Ashford broke his ankle when he tripped on some steps while running late one evening. Jason had been working in London, and required assistance from passers-by before being rushed to hospital for an operation. This also required a bone graft from his hip.
This unfortunate news article continues with 3 more cycle speedway personalities who have all suffered heart problems.
Steve Woodroof had been diagnosed narrow heart arteries after months of discomfort, and was forced to undergo a bypass operation. The 42 year old East London rider is now recovering and hopes to race again next season.
Spixworth supremo Roy Chapman, 63, has suffered heart problems for 8 years, and he has also undergone a bypass operation after suffering chest pains while out walking. The former Wilkinson Sword award winner hopes to back on a bike soon.
Finally, Bury rider Steve Jarman has announced his retirement from the sport after a heart attack just after racing in the Bury - Coventry league meeting. He was taken to hospital after feeling ill while still at the track, and a blood clot was found. He is now back home recovering.

17/2/03 Wigan Sports Awards reported by Mike Hack

Astley & Tyldesley Cycle Speedway Club were represented at the JJB Stadium, Wigan for the annual Wigan Sports Awards. Not surprisingly, most of the major awards went to rugby clubs and officials, but Astley & Tyldesley received Highly Commended Awards in three categories, from the Mayor of Wigan.
These were in the Sports Club of the Year category (Club), Sports Performer of the Year (Becky Heslop) and Sports Coach of the Year category (Mike Hack).

26/1/03 South East League AGM

South East based clubs met today for the regional AGM where there was plenty of discussion, some unexpected rule changes, and insufficient time to complete all matters.
Over 20 people attended the Gt Blakenham Parish Room and after straightforward preliminaries there was a bizarre debate on whether Ipswich should be allowed to enter the league. Their rising from the ashes has been one of the success stories in the region, and finally sense prevailed and a team in division 2 was accepted.
The financial report gave a healthy picture, although league fees remained the same. This was followed with a complaint about the lack of league tables published (ED-they should have looked on this site) and this highlighted how poor communication is within the sport.
Several potential rule changes were debated but unfortunately raising standards did not seem to be in favour. Teams now only need 6 riders for Div 2 fixtures, notice required to call off a meeting was reduced to just 3 days, while proposals to help get results in promptly was rejected.
On the personnel front Dave Fleming replaced Steve Harvie, and also became referees secretary. He will arrange neutral referees where requested.
The Div 2 restricted rider list was left for the executive committee to arrange at a later date.

Earlier in the day East Anglian Association members met to organise their region's events for 2003. The usual mix of fixtures was retained boosted by sponsorships offers from Aleta and CBL Plant. The East Anglian individual championships revert to their former format where 8 places are available to each county. It is hoped county finals can act as a qualifier, increasing prestige in all the events.

14/1/03 Arizona Track Plans on Hold

Plans to build a new track in Prescott Valley, Arizona have been frustratingly put on hold, after successful presentations to the town's Parks & Recreation commitee.
Man behind the project David Cooke reports "we had great anticipation that after nearly four years hard work we where going to build our track, but then everything in the Towns P&R dept was put on hold. They had contracted with a large Company from Colorado to do a study of the needs of our Town both for Social and Sports activities and did not want to move forward with any new projects until the study was presented and approved or rejected. The study was approved but then the Towns P&R Director resigned and as of Jan 1st the position has not been filled so once again everything is on hold. We are trying to get back the piece of land we had before, to at least have a temporary track for the summer."