Around the Premier League Tracks 2007 - the close season 2007/8
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Sunday, 4 November
Premier League News
Edinburgh: The Edinburgh track won the award of the best prepared track in British Speedway by the Speedway Riders’ Association at their Annual Dinner Dance last Thursday. Second was the other track prepared by Alan Bridgett and last year’s winner, Wolverhampton while Eastbourne came third and Somerset fourth. The Daily Record made this short announcement:
Edinburgh Monarchs’ Armadale oval has been voted the best in the Premier and Elite Leagues.
At their Annual Dinner and Dance the Monarchs announced their first signing of the season in Aaron Summers the young Australian who had a six week spell riding with Edinburgh and Buxton during a short visit last year. Subject to any rule changes at the Promoters’ Conference in a few weeks’ time he will join the team at reserve with a 3.00 average. Before he left to return home last year Aaron scored 19 points in Buxton’s win at Stoke winning the last heat decider to preserve Buxton’s two point lead.
The Monarchs also announced the valuable and welcome continued sponsorship next season by Scotwaste, their main sponsors.
Berwick: David Meldrum bowed out of British Speedway on crutches. The Sun carried the following story:
DAVID MELDRUM’S Berwick Bandits career ended with him on crutches – he’s just hoping his farewell bash isn’t a limp affair too.The Scotland cap crashed in his last-ever ride for the club - suffering a broken leg and dislocated fingers. Tonight he’s honoured by the fans as he gears up for a new life ice-racing in the USA.He said: “Some people might suggest we have nothing to celebrate after finishing stone last in the league – that’s not the case. But I’ll be door-watching all night to see who turns up. Our season has been one disaster after another.Stan Burza is laid up in Poland awaiting back surgery while skipper Michal Makovsky has an arm op. Jac Rempala is in Russia and young Sam martin is back home in Australia while late-season signing Matej Kus is holed up in Prague.The only other rider likely to attend is Swede Andreas Bergstrom. Meldrum said: “I was only 15 when I started and our supporters know I’ve never given less than 100 per cent. I’ve been racing at indoor ice meetings in America for a few years now and it can be extremely lucrative.“It’s just a pity about the crash. I’d always wanted to go out on a high. Instead I went out in the back of an ambulance.”
Berwick announced that Jacek Rempala had been voted Rider of the Year at their Annual Dinner and Dance after finishing third in the Premier League riders’ Championship at Swindon late in the season.
Scunthorpe: are anxiously waiting to find out whether their application to join the Premier League next year has been successful. The following appeared in the Scunthorpe Telegraph last Wednesday:
Scunthorpe Scorpions might find out tomorrow if their application for Premier League speedway next season has been accepted.Promoter Rob Godfrey will be attending a general council meeting of the sport in Rugby"I think then we will have a very strong indication - and I am hopeful that we will be successful," he said."I can't see why not. We can't stay at this level. We have served our apprenticeship in the Conference for the past two years. We are ready for Premier League speedway here. We have the track, we have the facilities and we have the staff."And Godfrey has already started piecing together his new squad for next season - which includes two star Premier League names. He is hoping to sign Carl Wilkinson from Newcastle and Richard Hall from Sheffield Tigers, who has had Elite League experience with Peterborough."Carl was close to coming in as our No 1 when we first went into the Conference League three years ago," revealed Godfrey. “He has the Premier League experience that we need and has been on fire this season. Hen is getting better and better and better."He has said he would love to come to Scunthorpe, but there are procedures we have got to go through first. We have got to talk with Newcastle and see if either they are willing to loan him to us for next season - or whether we can buy him from them."It is also no secret that I would love to bring Richard Hall here. He was part of Scunthorpe speedway from our early days of running second halves at Hull. He would have ridden the last few matches in the Conference League for us this season had he not suffered a broken ankle."He wants to ride for Scunthorpe. There is nothing in writing or such yet, but I would be very surprised not to see him in a Scorpions jacket next season. And that would be fantastic for Scunthorpe fans. He would effectively be our No 1 rider because he could score points both on this track at Normanby Road - and away."He has Premier League experience with Sheffield, his parent club, and last season effectively helped Peterborough win the Elite League. He has had a bit of a rough ride this year and feels he needs to drop down to regain his confidence - and we are probably the best track for him."Richard is a big part of our thoughts and I would love to buy him from Sheffield." Godfrey also revealed that he will be looking at a Swedish star at Normanby Road next Saturday. "He wants to ride in the Premier League next season, so we will have a look at him."We will then sit down and try to put together the best team that we can for next season - as we have always done. We still hope Joe Haines will stay with us next season and it's the same with Byron Bekker, Ritchie Dennis and Benji Compton.Last night there was a bumper crowd at Normanby Road to get a taste of what Premier League speedway will be like with a the Scorpions took on Sheffield Tigers.
Workington: Kauko Nieminen was the Comets’ first signing of the season and was covered by the News and Star in the following article:
KAUKO NIEMINEN is the first rider to sign for the new-look Workington Comets ahead of the 2008 season. The 28-year-old Finn, right, who had been linked with a possible return to Glasgow Tigers, was unveiled as the Comets first signing at last night’s club presentation. New owner Keith Denham has told the fans that he intends to have the Workington team signed-up by the start of December. Nieminen, who was captain this year, had spent the 2006 season on loan to Glasgow after previously racing only for the Comets. A popular rider with the Comets fans since first signing in 2002, and a splendid ambassador for speedway in west Cumbria, Nieminen was one of the award winners last night. He won most Rider of the Night nominations during the season at Derwent Park to pick-up the special Justin Edgar Trophy. New owner Denham and co-promoter Ian Thomas have been discussing the formation and make-up of the side since the deal was completed and Nieminen was a natural choice to make. Nieminen, a Finnish international who rides regularly in Sweden, has helped promote the sport in west Cumbria this year by visiting schools in the area to talk about his career in speedway. He just pipped James Wright to the trophy after winning five Rider of the Nights, one more than his team-mate. But there was compensation for Wright – who still has to decide on his riding plans for 2008 and is still retained by Tony Mole’s R and D Aggregates – as he pipped Nieminen for another trophy. Wright won the award for the Comets rider who had increased his average the most. He had improved by 0.72 – going up from 8.42 to 9.14, while Nieminen had gone from 7.72 to 8.42 an increase of 0.70. The third trophy winner was second string Craig Branney as the rider who had earned most bonus points during the season. He collected 37, which were well ahead of any of his colleagues.
Stoke: News on Glenn Cunningham was carried by the website Worldspeedway.com:
INJURED Stoke star Glenn Cunningham is set to return to hospital for further X-rays on his broken thigh.Cunningham sustained the injury in a crash at Somerset early last month and has a rod inserted in his right leg from top to bottom.He said: "I'm still taking pain killers as well as having a few exercises to do, and naturally I hope some form of healing process has started."
Premier League News
Edinburgh: The Edinburgh track won the award of the best prepared track in British Speedway by the Speedway Riders’ Association at their Annual Dinner Dance last Thursday. Second was the other track prepared by Alan Bridgett and last year’s winner, Wolverhampton while Eastbourne came third and Somerset fourth. The Daily Record made this short announcement:
Edinburgh Monarchs’ Armadale oval has been voted the best in the Premier and Elite Leagues.
At their Annual Dinner and Dance the Monarchs announced their first signing of the season in Aaron Summers the young Australian who had a six week spell riding with Edinburgh and Buxton during a short visit last year. Subject to any rule changes at the Promoters’ Conference in a few weeks’ time he will join the team at reserve with a 3.00 average. Before he left to return home last year Aaron scored 19 points in Buxton’s win at Stoke winning the last heat decider to preserve Buxton’s two point lead.
The Monarchs also announced the valuable and welcome continued sponsorship next season by Scotwaste, their main sponsors.
Berwick: David Meldrum bowed out of British Speedway on crutches. The Sun carried the following story:
DAVID MELDRUM’S Berwick Bandits career ended with him on crutches – he’s just hoping his farewell bash isn’t a limp affair too.The Scotland cap crashed in his last-ever ride for the club - suffering a broken leg and dislocated fingers. Tonight he’s honoured by the fans as he gears up for a new life ice-racing in the USA.He said: “Some people might suggest we have nothing to celebrate after finishing stone last in the league – that’s not the case. But I’ll be door-watching all night to see who turns up. Our season has been one disaster after another.Stan Burza is laid up in Poland awaiting back surgery while skipper Michal Makovsky has an arm op. Jac Rempala is in Russia and young Sam martin is back home in Australia while late-season signing Matej Kus is holed up in Prague.The only other rider likely to attend is Swede Andreas Bergstrom. Meldrum said: “I was only 15 when I started and our supporters know I’ve never given less than 100 per cent. I’ve been racing at indoor ice meetings in America for a few years now and it can be extremely lucrative.“It’s just a pity about the crash. I’d always wanted to go out on a high. Instead I went out in the back of an ambulance.”
Berwick announced that Jacek Rempala had been voted Rider of the Year at their Annual Dinner and Dance after finishing third in the Premier League riders’ Championship at Swindon late in the season.
Scunthorpe: are anxiously waiting to find out whether their application to join the Premier League next year has been successful. The following appeared in the Scunthorpe Telegraph last Wednesday:
Scunthorpe Scorpions might find out tomorrow if their application for Premier League speedway next season has been accepted.Promoter Rob Godfrey will be attending a general council meeting of the sport in Rugby"I think then we will have a very strong indication - and I am hopeful that we will be successful," he said."I can't see why not. We can't stay at this level. We have served our apprenticeship in the Conference for the past two years. We are ready for Premier League speedway here. We have the track, we have the facilities and we have the staff."And Godfrey has already started piecing together his new squad for next season - which includes two star Premier League names. He is hoping to sign Carl Wilkinson from Newcastle and Richard Hall from Sheffield Tigers, who has had Elite League experience with Peterborough."Carl was close to coming in as our No 1 when we first went into the Conference League three years ago," revealed Godfrey. “He has the Premier League experience that we need and has been on fire this season. Hen is getting better and better and better."He has said he would love to come to Scunthorpe, but there are procedures we have got to go through first. We have got to talk with Newcastle and see if either they are willing to loan him to us for next season - or whether we can buy him from them."It is also no secret that I would love to bring Richard Hall here. He was part of Scunthorpe speedway from our early days of running second halves at Hull. He would have ridden the last few matches in the Conference League for us this season had he not suffered a broken ankle."He wants to ride for Scunthorpe. There is nothing in writing or such yet, but I would be very surprised not to see him in a Scorpions jacket next season. And that would be fantastic for Scunthorpe fans. He would effectively be our No 1 rider because he could score points both on this track at Normanby Road - and away."He has Premier League experience with Sheffield, his parent club, and last season effectively helped Peterborough win the Elite League. He has had a bit of a rough ride this year and feels he needs to drop down to regain his confidence - and we are probably the best track for him."Richard is a big part of our thoughts and I would love to buy him from Sheffield." Godfrey also revealed that he will be looking at a Swedish star at Normanby Road next Saturday. "He wants to ride in the Premier League next season, so we will have a look at him."We will then sit down and try to put together the best team that we can for next season - as we have always done. We still hope Joe Haines will stay with us next season and it's the same with Byron Bekker, Ritchie Dennis and Benji Compton.Last night there was a bumper crowd at Normanby Road to get a taste of what Premier League speedway will be like with a the Scorpions took on Sheffield Tigers.
Workington: Kauko Nieminen was the Comets’ first signing of the season and was covered by the News and Star in the following article:
KAUKO NIEMINEN is the first rider to sign for the new-look Workington Comets ahead of the 2008 season. The 28-year-old Finn, right, who had been linked with a possible return to Glasgow Tigers, was unveiled as the Comets first signing at last night’s club presentation. New owner Keith Denham has told the fans that he intends to have the Workington team signed-up by the start of December. Nieminen, who was captain this year, had spent the 2006 season on loan to Glasgow after previously racing only for the Comets. A popular rider with the Comets fans since first signing in 2002, and a splendid ambassador for speedway in west Cumbria, Nieminen was one of the award winners last night. He won most Rider of the Night nominations during the season at Derwent Park to pick-up the special Justin Edgar Trophy. New owner Denham and co-promoter Ian Thomas have been discussing the formation and make-up of the side since the deal was completed and Nieminen was a natural choice to make. Nieminen, a Finnish international who rides regularly in Sweden, has helped promote the sport in west Cumbria this year by visiting schools in the area to talk about his career in speedway. He just pipped James Wright to the trophy after winning five Rider of the Nights, one more than his team-mate. But there was compensation for Wright – who still has to decide on his riding plans for 2008 and is still retained by Tony Mole’s R and D Aggregates – as he pipped Nieminen for another trophy. Wright won the award for the Comets rider who had increased his average the most. He had improved by 0.72 – going up from 8.42 to 9.14, while Nieminen had gone from 7.72 to 8.42 an increase of 0.70. The third trophy winner was second string Craig Branney as the rider who had earned most bonus points during the season. He collected 37, which were well ahead of any of his colleagues.
Stoke: News on Glenn Cunningham was carried by the website Worldspeedway.com:
INJURED Stoke star Glenn Cunningham is set to return to hospital for further X-rays on his broken thigh.Cunningham sustained the injury in a crash at Somerset early last month and has a rod inserted in his right leg from top to bottom.He said: "I'm still taking pain killers as well as having a few exercises to do, and naturally I hope some form of healing process has started."
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