HERE'S our latest soundbytes and fixtures from around the tracks up and down the country.
THE BITE-SIZED BULLETIN
PIC OF THE WEEK...
Poole Pirates moved back to the top of the Premiership table with a 48-42 win against Ipswich Witches at Wimborne Road on Thursday. Picture: DAVE FAIRBROTHER
PREMIERSHIP SOUNDBYTES"¦
BELLE VUE "There are still improvements to be made, but the boys are working very hard to step up their game at this crucial stage and ensure they peak at the right moment." Aces boss Mark Lemon is hoping to gradually build momentum with less than two months remaining before the top four in the Premiership will be decided leading into the play-offs. NEXT HOME: British Final, Mon July 29 (7.30) NEXT AWAY: Swindon, Thur July 25 (7.30)
IPSWICH "We have come back well away from home following that defeat to Poole last time at Foxhall, picking up two good results. We go back to Foxhall and we need to improve vastly on our last performance here. We don't want to be dropping points at home again because it cancels out all the points we are picking up on the road." Witches boss Ritchie Hawkins wants to regain the Fortress Foxhall mentality when they return home this week to face Wolverhampton. NEXT HOME: Wolverhampton, Thur July 25 (7.30) NEXT AWAY: King's Lynn, Mon Aug 5 (7.30)
KING'S LYNN "The boys have taken knocks but we have a determined bunch here at King's Lynn and Peter (Schroeck) will have them fired up I'm sure. It's an important meeting in so many ways, we have to win all our home meetings and pick up points on the road somewhere along the line." Co-promoter Dale Allitt underlines the importance of the Stars' upcoming schedule, starting against Peterborough on Thursday. NEXT HOME: Peterborough, Thur July 25 (7.30) NEXT AWAY: Belle Vue, Mon Aug 26 (12pm)
PETERBOROUGH "Wolves is a tight, technical track and some of our boys struggle here sadly. The Wolves boys rode really well and they fully deserved their win." No complaints from stand-in Panthers skipper Scott Nicholls, who top-scored in the 31-59 defeat at Monmore Green on Monday. NEXT HOME: To be arranged NEXT AWAY: King's Lynn, Thur July 25 (7.30)
POOLE The Pirates moved back to the top of the Premiership with their home win over Ipswich last week, ahead of a break in action which sees them now without a fixture until August. NEXT HOME: Peterborough, Thur Aug 1 (7.30) NEXT AWAY: Wolverhampton, Mon Aug 26 (8pm)
SWINDON "Because we were level on points in the league going into tonight, I wanted us to get the three for the win but I also wanted them to get nothing. It creates a bit of a gap for us and I'm really proud of the boys." Stand-in boss Lee Kilby was delighted with the efforts of his side in securing a key 52-38 home win over top-four rivals Wolverhampton at the Abbey last week. NEXT HOME: Belle Vue, Thur July 25 (7.30) NEXT AWAY: Belle Vue, Mon Aug 12 (7.30)
WOLVERHAMPTON "We acknowledge that there are tougher challenges up ahead but if the team perform like that between now and the end of the season on a more regular basis then we should fear no-one." Boss Peter Adams was left satisfied by a 59-31 win over Peterborough on Monday as his side look to battle their way in to the Premiership's top four. NEXT HOME: Belle Vue, Mon Aug 5 (7.30) NEXT AWAY: Ipswich, Thur July 25 (7.30)
CHAMPIONSHIP SOUNDBYTES"¦
BERWICK "This was a workmanlike performance tonight and it did the job, we got the points, all of them, to get ourselves back up into eighth place in the current league table after defeating the third-placed side." Bandits boss Gary Flint was pleased with the performance of his side in racking up their highest score of the season with a 55-35 win over Somerset at Shielfield Park. NEXT HOME: Redcar, Sat Aug 3 (7pm) NEXT AWAY: Edinburgh, Fri July 26 (7.30)
BIRMINGHAM "Jason Garrity is fully fit again and he is a top rider at this level on his day. He really is a demon on a speedway bike, he's a real crowd pleaser and he's desperate to get some points in the bag after a frustrating few weeks for him." Brummies boss Laurence Rogers has high hopes for the club's latest new signing, with Garrity joining as part of a double change which also sees David Wallinger arrive at Perry Barr. NEXT HOME: Somerset, Wed July 24 (7.30) NEXT AWAY: Scunthorpe, Fri Aug 9 (7.30)
EASTBOURNE "Realistically (it's) about trying to get a point in every ride and just get used to this level of speedway." The Eagles have brought in youngster Jason Edwards for his first opportunity in professional speedway, as he slots in at reserve as a replacement for Ben Morley. NEXT HOME: Somerset, Sat July 27 (7.30) NEXT AWAY: Glasgow (CS SF), Tue July 23 (7.30)
EDINBURGH "We have a very strong top four now and hopefully their success will rub off on the others. Sometimes that can happen. I'm certainly hoping that our lack of success in heats 13 and 15 will stop now that Sam is back with us." Monarchs boss Alex Harkess is hoping the return of Sam Masters at No.1 can inspire a strong second half of the season and more race wins in big races towards the end of meetings. NEXT HOME: Berwick, Fri July 26 (7.30) NEXT AWAY: Scunthorpe, Sun Aug 4 (5.30)
GLASGOW "We need to build up a big lead to take to Eastbourne for the second leg. We may have won down there earlier in the season but no two meetings are the same and they can be a dangerous team." Tigers boss Cami Brown wants to leave nothing to chance as the Ashfield side look to secure a place in the Championship Shield Final. NEXT HOME: Eastbourne (CS SF), Tue July 23 (7.30) NEXT AWAY: Leicester, Sat July 27 (7.30)
LEICESTER "We're fortunate enough that we can find good coverage for Richie (Worrall) which does help a lot. It was a busy night for myself again having seven rides but I feel that every time I go out on track I'm improving as a rider and long may it continue." Lions reserve Connor Mountain says the side worked hard to get the better of Edinburgh in a tough home clash last week, as they continue to lead the Championship standings. NEXT HOME: Glasgow, Sat July 27 (7.30) NEXT AWAY: Glasgow, Fri July 26 (7.30)
NEWCASTLE "To go from 11 up to one down within a few heats and then to pull it back and win certainly shows character and desire for success which is certainly what we have now, and a great basis to build." Diamonds boss George English was delighted to see his side become the first to defeat Glasgow in the league this season with an eventful victory at Brough Park last weekend. NEXT HOME: Somerset, Sun Aug 4 (6.30) NEXT AWAY: Sheffield, Sun July 28 (5.30)
REDCAR The Bears moved firmly into the Championship play-off battle with home and away wins over Birmingham last week, taking a maximum seven points in the process. NEXT HOME: Sheffield, Fri July 26 (7.30) NEXT AWAY: Glasgow, Fri Aug 2 (7.30)
SCUNTHORPE "Ben is proving a great signing, much like Danny Ayres before him. In his four matches in Scorpions colours so far, he's scored 11, 17 and 11 in three away matches, and nine paid 10 in his one home match against Berwick. You can't really ask for any more than that and if he can keep that level of scoring up, he will be a tremendous addition to the side." Scorpions promoter Rob Godfrey pays tribute to Ben Barker for hitting the ground running in his early appearances for the Lincolnshire side. NEXT HOME: Glasgow, Sun July 28 (6.30) NEXT AWAY: Edinburgh, Fri Aug 2 (7.30)
SOMERSET "Even though we are currently third in the league we cannot assume that we will make the play-offs, so I will be telling the lads that they need to put some big points on the board if they want to be sure of competing in the play-offs." Rebels boss GarryMay says a top-four finish for his side is no way guaranteed, with more away points required to gain a shot at the title. NEXT HOME: Glasgow, Wed July 31 (7.30) NEXT AWAY: Birmingham, Wed July 24 (7.30)
SHEFFIELD The Tigers make the trip to Redcar on Friday in their first meeting for nearly a fortnight, with the meeting quickly followed by a home clash with Newcastle on Sunday. NEXT HOME: Newcastle, Sun July 28 (5.30) NEXT AWAY: Redcar, Fri July 26 (7.30)
NATIONAL LEAGUE SOUNDBYTES"¦
BELLE VUE "It felt good to get the win and the three points. We're looking strong both at home and away and if we can keep this momentum going, I think we've every chance of securing our spot in the top four." Colts star Leon Flint top-scored with 14 points in the home win over the Isle of Wight on Monday as they returned from a break in action with a good result. NEXT HOME: Kent, Thur Aug 1 (7.30) NEXT AWAY: Stoke, Sat July 27 (7pm)
CRADLEY The Heathens face a big local derby with Stoke at Monmore Green on Monday as they look to get back into the National League's top four, after recent results dropped them out of the play-off zone. NEXT HOME: Stoke, Mon July 29 (7.30) NEXT AWAY: Leicester, Sat Aug 17 (7.30)
ISLE OF WIGHT "Our thanks to Jack Smith for stepping in at short notice and for giving it 100%, but on the night although the lads fought as hard as they could, the better team won and we have to accept that, keep our heads high and keep pushing for a play-off place." IOW co-chief Barry Bishop was keen to keep a positive feel in the side after Monday's defeat at Belle Vue saw them knocked off the top of the league table. NEXT HOME: Silver Ski Holidays Fours, Thur July 25 (7pm) NEXT AWAY: Plymouth (4s), Fri July 26 (7.15)
KENT The Kings moved to the top of the National League with a 53-37 win over Stoke at Central Park on Monday, with their next home meeting seeing a visit from Leicester. NEXT HOME: Leicester, Mon July 29 (6.30) NEXT AWAY: Isle of Wight (4s), Thur July 25 (7pm)
LEICESTER "It was a brilliant fighting display from the team and we fully deserved the point. Danyon was brilliant for us today with heat wins at the start of the afternoon and a battling point in Heat 15 to secure us the point." Lion Cubs boss Dave Howard praised skipper Danyon Hume for his efforts as they secured a league point from a 42-48 defeat at Mildenhall last Sunday. NEXT HOME: Plymouth, Tue July 23 (7.30) NEXT AWAY: Kent, Mon July 29 (6.30)
MILDENHALL "Matt (Marson) and Charlie (Brooks) are now providing consistent solid back-up to our top three and things are looking positive, we have another big meeting next Sunday when three points are again a must have. We can afford no slip-ups at home but the way the lads are riding I really think a play-off place is within our reach." Fen Tigers boss Malcolm Vasey says renewed solidarity in the side can take them into the race for a top-four finish this season. NEXT HOME: Plymouth, Sun July 28 (3pm) NEXT AWAY: Isle of Wight (4s), Thur July 25 (7pm)
PLYMOUTH "Mark (Phillips) and our team of track staff have been really putting in the hours and the track is really starting to come into its own and produce some great racing, it's an exciting way to spend a Friday night in Plymouth, so we'll be working harder then ever to grown our fan base and introduce people to our product." Gladiators boss Mattie Bates says track work at the Coliseum will lead to more entertaining action in the second half of the season. NEXT HOME: Silver Ski Holidays Fours, Fri July 26 (7.15) NEXT AWAY: Leicester, Tue July 23 (7.30)
STOKE "We really missed Luke (Priest) tonight he really was a big loss to us and hopefully he will be back for this weekend." Potters boss Adam Isherwood is hopeful of a return to full strength for a run of two matches in three days coming up, after running with rider-replacement in the defeat at Kent on Monday. NEXT HOME: Belle Vue, Sat July 27 (7pm) NEXT AWAY: Cradley, Mon July 29 (7.30)
FIXTURE PICTURE"¦
TUESDAY JULY 23: CHAMPIONSHIP SHIELD SEMI-FINAL 1st leg: Glasgow v Eastbourne 7.30 NATIONAL LEAGUE: Leicester v Plymouth 7.30
WEDNESDAY JULY 24: CHAMPIONSHIP: Birmingham v Somerset 7.30
THURSDAY JULY 25: PREMIERSHIP: Ipswich v Wolverhampton 7.30, King's Lynn v Peterborough 7.30, Swindon v Belle Vue 7.30 SILVER SKI HOLIDAYS 4s: Isle of Wight 7pm
FRIDAY JULY 26: CHAMPIONSHIP: Edinburgh v Berwick 7.30, Glasgow v Leicester 7.30, Redcar v Sheffield 7.30 SILVER SKI HOLIDAYS 4s: Plymouth 7.15
SATURDAY JULY 27: CHAMPIONSHIP: Eastbourne v Somerset 7.30, Leicester v Glasgow 7.30 NATIONAL LEAGUE: Stoke v Belle Vue 7pm
SUNDAY JULY 28: CHAMPIONSHIP: Scunthorpe v Glasgow 6.30, Sheffield v Newcastle 5.30 NATIONAL LEAGUE: Mildenhall v Plymouth 3pm
MONDAY JULY 29: BRITISH FINAL: Belle Vue 7.30 NATIONAL LEAGUE: Cradley v Stoke 7.30, Kent v Leicester 6.30
TUESDAY JULY 30: NATIONAL LEAGUE: Leicester v Isle of Wight 7.30
WEDNESDAY JULY 31: CHAMPIONSHIP: Somerset v Glasgow 7.30
THURSDAY AUGUST 1: PREMIERSHIP: Ipswich v Belle Vue 7.30, Poole v Peterborough 7.30 NATIONAL LEAGUE: Belle Vue v Kent 7.30 CHALLENGE: Isle of Wight v Oxford Select 7pm
FRIDAY AUGUST 2: CHAMPIONSHIP: Edinburgh v Scunthorpe 7.30, Glasgow v Redcar 7.30 NATIONAL LEAGUE: Plymouth v Leicester 7.15
SATURDAY AUGUST 3: CHAMPIONSHIP: Berwick v Redcar 7pm CHAMPIONSHIP SHIELD S/F 2nd leg: Eastbourne v Glasgow 7.30 NATIONAL LEAGUE: Stoke v Leicester 7pm
SUNDAY AUGUST 4: CHAMPIONSHIP: Leicester v Sheffield 4pm, Newcastle v Somerset 6.30, Redcar v Eastbourne 2pm, Scunthorpe v Edinburgh 5.30
MONDAY AUGUST 5: PREMIERSHIP: King's Lynn v Ipswich 7.30, Wolverhampton v Belle Vue 7.30 SILVER SKI HOLIDAYS 4s: Kent 6.30
WEDNESDAY AUGUST 7: CHAMPIONSHIP: Birmingham v Eastbourne 7.30, Somerset v Newcastle 7.30
