BACH, Rene
DATE OF BIRTH: 7 June 1990, Hjordkaer, Rødekro, Denmark.
BRITISH CAREER: (2009) Peterborough, Newcastle.
ADDITIONAL INFO: The young Dane linked with Peterborough as a short-term replacement for Karol Zabik at the start of the 2009 campaign. He was subsequently replaced in the Panthers team in April by Kenneth Hansen, in order to return to Denmark to complete his studies. Bach, however, returned to the British scene in June, when he took the place of Steve Boxall at Newcastle.

BAGER, Henning
DATE OF BIRTH: 18 February 1981, Esbjerg, Denmark.
BRITISH CAREER: (2001) Glasgow; (2002) Peterborough, Isle of Wight; (2003) Arena-Essex; (2004-05) Peterborough; (2006) Arena-Essex; (2007) Lakeside, Birmingham; (2008) Berwick, Birmingham, Peterborough; (2009) Belle Vue, Peterborough.
ADDITIONAL INFO: The Dane joined Belle Vue just prior to the start of the 2009 campaign as cover for Billy Forsberg, who had sustained a wrist injury whilst training on a moto-cross machine. His stint in the side lasted until the third week of April, before Forsberg was declared fit to return. Shortly afterwards, Bager was snapped-up by Peterborough as a direct replacement for the dropped Ales Dryml. That represented his fourth spell with the Panthers, with whom he has been a dependable rider since first joining them in 2002. Regrettably, his season ended prematurely on 8 October, when he sustained a badly broken left leg whilst representing Peterborough in a Midland League fixture versus Wolverhampton at the East of England Showground. This occurred in heat twelve of the encounter, when visiting rider Chris Kerr fell on the first bend of lap two, leaving the closely following Dane with nowhere to go. The meeting was subsequently abandoned when the paramedic accompanied Bager to hospital.

BARAN, Karol
DATE OF BIRTH: 16 August 1981, Rzeszow, Poland.
BRITISH CAREER: (2005) Ipswich; (2009) Poole.
ADDITIONAL INFO: Having not ridden in the UK since a stint with Ipswich in 2005, the Pole agreed to link with Poole at the end of May 2009, when he replaced Mark Baseby in the Pirates' declared line-up. Baran struggled for form with the Dorset side, however, and was released in July, upon the arrival of Steve Boxall.

BARKER, Benjamin (Ben) John
DATE OF BIRTH: 10 March 1988, Truro, Cornwall.
BRITISH CAREER: (2003) Oxford II, Trelawny II; (2004) Oxford II, Coventry II; (2005) Oxford II, Exeter; (2006) Somerset, Stoke II; (2007) Stoke; (2008) Stoke, Coventry; (2009) Coventry.
CLUB HONOURS: League Championship winner: 2005 [Oxford II]; Four-Team Championship winner: 2006 [Stoke II]; Craven Shield winner: 2008 [Coventry].
ADDITIONAL INFO: (1) Barker's 2005 season with Oxford Academy was prematurely curtailed by a broken leg, which he suffered in a Conference League encounter at Stoke on 3 August; (2) The talented throttle-jockey hails from Truro in Cornwall - just like Chris Harris - and saw his career take a major step forward in the last two years, initially in the Premier League. Indeed, his scoring increased substantially during 2007 when he joined Stoke, and Barker subsequently became a full asset of Coventry mid-way through the 2008 campaign after some sterling performances in the No. 8 role. He picked up a large number of bookings due to injuries and unavailability in the lower-order - and it would not be stretching a point to say that the Bees looked a much stronger unit when he was present. GP riders Fredrik Lindgren and Lukas Dryml were amongst his notable scalps at Brandon, whilst at Belle Vue he astonishingly defeated double World Champion Jason Crump on merit. He saved his best for last by scoring a remarkable 14 points at Lakeside in the first leg of the Craven Shield Final - followed by a 12-point maximum in the Brandon return!; (3) Having made a bright start to his first full term of top-flight racing with the Bees in 2009, the Cornishman regrettably sustained a broken right fibula when he crashed in heat sixteen of the World Under-21 Championship qualifying round at Neustadt, Germany, on 26 April. His injury meant a recall to the Bees side for Filip Sitera. After three months on the sidelines with his broken leg, Barker was deemed fit to resume for the Bees towards the end of July.

BASEBY, Aaron Henry
DATE OF BIRTH: 31 May 1990, Pembury, Kent.
BRITISH CAREER: (2005-08) Sittingbourne; (2009) Bournemouth.
CLUB HONOUR: Knock-Out Cup winner: 2009 (Bournemouth); League Championship winner: 2009 [Bournemouth].
RIDER LINKS: Brother of Mark Baseby (see separate entry).
ADDITIONAL INFO: A keen carpenter, the younger of the two racing siblings set out on his career with Sittingbourne at Conference level and eventually moved from a reserve berth to a second-string role at the Kent club in 2008, as he continued to improve. The formation of the National League in 2009 gave him the opportunity to again ride alongside his brother - as he had done previously with the Crusaders - in the highly successful Bournemouth team, based at Poole's Wimborne Road venue. Indeed, in a great year, the Buccaneers completed a wonderful double, winning firstly the Knock-Out Cup and then the League Championship.

BASEBY, Mark Charles
DATE OF BIRTH: 28 February 1988, Pembury, Kent.
BRITISH CAREER: (2003) Stoke II, Swindon II; (2004) Rye House II, Sittingbourne; (2005) Sittingbourne; (2006) Mildenhall II; (2007) Sittingbourne, Mildenhall; (2008) Mildenhall, Sittingbourne; (2009) Bournemouth.
CLUB HONOURS: Knock-Out Cup winner: 2009 [Bournemouth]; League Championship winner: 2009 [Bournemouth].
RIDER LINKS: Brother of Aaron Baseby (see separate entry).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Baseby sustained a shoulder injury that brought his 2007 season to a premature end, when he spun and fell awkwardly on the third bend during heat fourteen of Mildenhall's home league match versus Newport on 4 September. The Pembury-born rider aggravated an ankle ligament injury when he fell on the first corner during the initial running of heat five in Mildenhall's home league match versus the Isle of Wight on 20 April 2008. This occurred after team-mate Jan Graversen had almost run into him, the Dane having initially tangled with visiting rider Cory Gathercole as they left the gate. Having returned to the saddle, Baseby regrettably suffered a crushed vertebra when he crashed heavily in heat nine of Mildenhall's away league fixture at Sheffield on 3 July. Fully fit, he joined the Poole-based Bournemouth team for their inaugural season of activity in 2009 and, after some impressive performances for the Buccaneers in the new National League, he was named in a re-declared Pirates' line-up late in May, when he replaced Paul Hurry. However, prior to turning a wheel for Poole, another change saw the Pembury-born rider replaced by Karol Baran. Along with his younger brother, Aaron, the siblings played a full part as Bournemouth went on to win the Knock-Out Cup, before completing a wonderful double by defeating Plymouth in the Play-Off Final to scoop the League Championship.

BATCHELOR, Troy Matthew
DATE OF BIRTH: 29 August 1987, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
BRITISH CAREER: (2005) King's Lynn, Eastbourne; (2006) King's Lynn, Coventry; (2007) Poole; (2008) Swindon; (2009) Swindon, Ipswich.
MAJOR HONOURS: Australian Under-16 Champion: 2003; Queensland State Champion: 2007; South Australia State Champion: 2008, 2009.
CLUB HONOURS: Knock-Out Cup winner: 2005, [King's Lynn], 2006 [King's Lynn and Coventry];Young Shield winner: 2005 [King's Lynn]; League Championship winner: 2006 [King's Lynn]; Premier Trophy winner: 2006 [King's Lynn]; Elite Shield winner: 2008 [Swindon].
ADDITIONAL INFO: The ‘Queensland Firebrand' initially began learning how to skid a speedway bike in 2000, when aged just thirteen. His progress was such that he won the Australian Under-16 Championship at Bibra Lake (near Perth) in Western Australia on 10 January 2003. Impressive showings like that naturally generated a good deal of interest from further afield and he was signed by the Isle of Wight during the 2003/04 winter, although a work permit was refused because he hadn't reached his seventeenth birthday. He subsequently took his British bow with King's Lynn in 2005, helping the side to a Knock-Out Cup and Young Shield double. More trophies came his way with the Norfolk outfit in 2006 and his potent form led to a move into the top-flight with Poole the following year. Unable to be accommodated by the Pirates in 2008, Batchelor was snapped-up by Swindon. His year with the Robins was largely a fruitful one, the only downside being when he sustained a fractured elbow after he was struck by another rider whilst participating in a practice session for his Polish club, Leszno, on 17 June. Having spent the season on loan at Swindon, the Aussie became a full-time asset of the Wiltshire club in April 2009, when the Robins reached agreement on a transfer deal with King's Lynn. Regrettably, though, just a few weeks later, on 21 May, ‘Batch' crashed heavily in heat four of Swindon's Elite League encounter with Wolverhampton at Blunsdon, suffering a broken scaphoid. Whilst he recuperated, the Robins signed Matej Zagar as a temporary replacement; however, the Slovenian proved a hot stand-in, so much so that Swindon agreed a deal to keep him in the side for the remainder of the season, whilst Batchelor was made available for loan elsewhere. The Aussie subsequently linked with Ipswich in July, when he took the place of the off-form Piotr Swiderski.

BATES, Matthew (Mattie)
DATE OF BIRTH: 26 July 1989, Exeter, Devon.
BRITISH CAREER: (2004) Weymouth, Coventry II; (2005) Weymouth, Mildenhall; (2006) Plymouth; (2007) Oxford II; (2008) Weymouth; (2009) Plymouth.
CLUB HONOUR: National Trophy winner: 2009 [Plymouth].
ADDITIONAL INFO: Bates first rode a speedway bike in December 2002 and subsequently signed for Weymouth on his fifteenth birthday in 2004. He has been identified with other clubs since then, as he's continued to work his way up the ladder, culminating in a full season with Plymouth in 2009, when he played a full part in the Devils' National Trophy success.

BEKKER, Byron Anthony
DATE OF BIRTH: 2 July 1987, Kibler Park, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa.
BRITISH CAREER: (2004) Newcastle II; (2005-07) Scunthorpe; (2008) Scunthorpe, Scunthorpe II; (2009) Scunthorpe, Scunthorpe II, Edinburgh.
MAJOR HONOURS: South African Under-21 Champion: 1999, 2000, 2001; South African Champion: 2005.
CLUB HONOURS: League Championship winner: 2006, 2007 [both Scunthorpe]; Knock-Out Cup winner: 2006, 2007 [both Scunthorpe]; Conference Trophy winner: 2006, 2007 [both Scunthorpe]; Conference Shield winner: 2006 [Scunthorpe]; Four-Team Championship winner: 2007 [Scunthorpe].
RIDER LINKS: Cousin of Martin Bekker (born: 1984, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa).
ADDITIONAL INFO: The rider is nicknamed ‘Boris' for obvious reasons, after the famous German tennis player. Bekker has been branded as the most successful rider to have competed abroad in seventy-five years of South African speedway. The only other known South African rider to have won silverware in Britain was Fred Lang, who helped Wembley to National Trophy success in 1954. Indeed, Bekker remained an ever-present for Scunthorpe, making 127 consecutive official appearances in the Scorpions' colours, between joining the club in June 2005 and 19 July 2008, when he sustained a broken collarbone during the Bronze Helmet individual meeting at Weymouth. During his time with the North Lincolnshire side at Conference level between 2005 and 2007, he helped the Scorpions win numerous trophies: League Champions (2006 and 2007), Knock-Out Cup winners (2006 and 2007), Conference Trophy winners (2006 and 2007), Conference Shield winners (2006). Not only that, but Bekker was also part of the Scunthorpe quartet that won the CL Four-Team Championship in 2007. Having struggled for form at Premier League level in 2009, Bekker was released from the Scorpions side in June, when Nick Simmons was drafted into his place. The South African returned to PL action in July, however, when he joined Edinburgh as a replacement for Sean Stoddart. He also remained on board at NL level with Scunthorpe Saints but, having been part of the scene almost from the start of their tenure at the Eddie Wright Raceway, Bekker's association with the club ended abruptly later the same month after he had posted a forum message on their official website expressing his dismay at being left out of the team line-up for away matches at the Isle of Wight and King's Lynn. The rider was subsequently replaced in the squad by James Sarjeant. After failing to score from three rides during the first leg of Edinburgh's Play-Off semi-final at Newcastle on 4 October, the South African asked to be left out of the side. However, he was talked into completing another week for the side due to the difficulty in finding a replacement at short notice. He subsequently stood down in the middle of the month, when the Monarchs re-signed Finnish rider Kalle Katajisto, who had ridden for them in 2007.

BERGSTRÖM, Viktor
DATE OF BIRTH: 14 November 1986, Kolmarden, Sweden.
BRITISH CAREER: (2008-09) Scunthorpe.
ADDITIONAL INFO: The Swede is unrelated to former Berwick speedster Andreas Bergström. The rider from Kolmarden took his UK bow with Scunthorpe in March 2008 and went on to enjoy a fine debut campaign, making thirty-eight official appearances and achieving a solid real-time average of 6.58. Bergström remained with the Scorpions for a second term in 2009, but his season came to a crunching end in a league fixture versus King's Lynn at the Eddie Wright Raceway on 31 August. He tangled with visiting rider Tomas Topinka on the second turn of heat nine and careered into the air safety barrier. Regrettably, the accident left him nursing a broken wrist and two broken fingers. In September, it became clear that the injuries would keep the rider out of the saddle for the remainder of the season. His pre-injury form definitely warranted a return and, prior to the end of October, Scunthorpe concluded a deal with the Swede to keep him on board for a third successive term in 2010.

BERWICK, Daniel (Dan) Benjamin
DATE OF BIRTH: 11 March 1987, Maidstone, Kent.
BRITISH CAREER: (2008) Sittingbourne; (2009) Isle of Wight.
ADDITIONAL INFO: The youngster suffered a broken pelvis when he crashed heavily in heat fourteen of the Isle of Wight's challenge match at Weymouth on 10 April 2009, meaning a spell on the sidelines. Amazingly, though, he returned to action with the Islanders on 25 May; however, at the start of June, the Islanders' management told Berwick to take a break from racing in order to concentrate on regaining full fitness before again returning to the track. In early July, his place in the declared line-up was filled by Rikki Mullins. Having recovered from his injuries, the Maidstone-born rider was re-declared back into the Isle of Wight squad in early August, when he took the place of Rikki Mullins.

BIRKINSHAW, James Alexander
DATE OF BIRTH: 6 March 1980, Sheffield, South Yorkshire.
BRITISH CAREER: (1996) Owlerton, Sheffield, Hull; (1997) Sheffield, Belle Vue II, Newcastle; (1998) Newcastle, St Austell; (1999) Workington, Edinburgh, Linlithgow, Stoke, Sheffield; (2000) Glasgow, Sheffield, Owlerton; (2001) Newcastle, Sheffield II; (2002) Sheffield, Boston, Wolverhampton II; (2003) Sheffield; (2004) Sheffield, Buxton; (2005) Glasgow, Buxton, Newcastle; (2006) Boston, Berwick; (2007) Sheffield; (2008) Birmingham, Scunthorpe II; (2009) Scunthorpe II, Mildenhall.
MAJOR HONOUR: Conference League Riders' Champion: 2002.
CLUB HONOURS: Premiership winner: 2000 [Sheffield]; League Championship winner: 2000 [Owlerton], 2001 [Newcastle and Sheffield II], 2002 [Sheffield]; Knock-Out Cup winner: 2002 [Sheffield]; Young Shield winner: 2002 [Sheffield].
ADDITIONAL INFO: It all began for Birkinshaw back in 1994, when he first rode at Sheffield's training track. His big break occurred two years later, in 1996 when, as a sixteen-year-old, he was called into the Sheffield side for an away league match at Middlesbrough on 4 April. However, he had to ride at No. 1 in place of the absent Roman Matousek and understandably failed to score from three starts. He was to make two further league appearances for Sheffield in that first year and also a single one in the Knock-Out Cup for Hull, but in the main he rode for the Owlerton side (Sheffield's then second side) that competed in the Conference League. His learning curve continued in 1997, when he broke into the main Sheffield team and also appeared for Belle Vue Colts in the British Amateur League. He was to lose his team spot with the Tigers in August, however, when a re-jigging of the side saw him replaced by Derrol Keats. He subsequently joined Newcastle as a replacement for Brian Turner and rode in the Diamonds' final eleven Premier League matches of the campaign. Birkinshaw continued to plug away with Newcastle in 1998 and also appeared late in the season for St Austell, playing a part as the Gulls completed a brilliant Conference double, winning the League Championship and Knock-Out Cup. With the Diamonds, he made a slow start but went on to card several good scores, which eventually led to a move up from the reserve berth to the often-difficult No. 2 position. A mixed year followed in 1999, when ‘Birko' represented a number of clubs in the Premier League, namely Workington, Edinburgh, Stoke and Sheffield, whilst at Conference level, he appeared briefly for Linlithgow. In 2000, he had another run in the Sheffield side, as well remaining with the Prowlers, and also had a three-match stint with Glasgow in the Premier Trophy. His whole-hearted racing approach certainly provided the Owlerton regulars with plenty of thrills, but it also made for some spectacular crashes. His season came to an early end in August, when he broke his left foot in several places after inadvertently hitting the machine of a fallen rider. Birkinshaw continued to ply his trade with Newcastle and the Prowlers in 2001, as both sides won their respective League Championships, before making great strides back with Sheffield once again in 2002. And it was success all the way with the Tigers, as they won the League Championship, the Knock-Out Cup and the Young Shield. In fact, the South Yorkshire team only missed out on a clean sweep when they were defeated by Trelawny in the final of the Premier Trophy. The hometown lad enjoyed a great season to average around 6 points per match, whilst in Conference circles, he represented Boston in the league and also rode in one match for Wolverhampton in the Trophy. The pinnacle of his career occurred on 31 August, when a brilliant performance saw him score 14 points to win the Conference League Riders' Championship at Rye House, ahead of Edward Kennett and Jamie Robertson. He continued to ride with his trademark 100 per cent commitment at Premier and Conference level with a variety of sides throughout the early Millennium years, his best league season in the intervening period occurring in 2004, when he posted a 5-point average with Sheffield. Birkinshaw's 2007 campaign with the Tigers was hampered by injury and eventually ended prematurely in early September. The injury bug first struck in a home league fixture versus Edinburgh on 9 August when, in heat one, he was involved in a nasty four-man pile-up along with team-mate Ricky Ashworth and the visiting duo of George Stancl and Derek Sneddon. Unfortunately, the crash left Birko nursing a damaged shoulder. He returned to action on 6 September, when the Tigers entertained the Isle of Wight in a Premier League match, but regrettably suffered broken bones in his right hand when, in heat eight, visiting rider Cory Gathercole rode across his path and caused him to fall heavily. Having linked with Birmingham in 2008, he suffered bad bruising to his left ribs and a broken collarbone during the Brummies' Premier Trophy match against Rye House at Perry Barr on 2 April 2008. The accident, in heat six, saw the Sheffield-born rider unavoidably hit the stricken Kyle Legault, before he was sent flying down the home straight. In August that year, he was surprisingly axed from Birmingham's team and, as a result, was involved in discussions regarding a possible return to Sheffield as a short-term replacement for the injured Lee Smethills. However, having been named in the Tigers' revised team declaration, the rider subsequently decided to take some time out from the sport. Birkinshaw admitted that his confidence was at an all-time low and cited his treatment by Birmingham as the underlying reason. In another dramatic twist, though, he was re-declared in the Brummies' line-up on 1 September! In 2009, the Sheffield asset joined Scunthorpe Saints to cover the gap in the side until Ashley Morris reached his fifteenth birthday on 6 May. In the event, though, he only made one official appearance for the Saints, before being replaced in the squad by Ricky Scarboro in mid-April. After several months out of action, Birkinshaw made a return to racing with Mildenhall in August, following the release of David Mason.

BJERRE JENSEN, Kenneth
DATE OF BIRTH: 24 May 1984, Esbjerg, Denmark.
BRITISH CAREER: (2002) Newcastle; (2003) Newcastle, Peterborough; (2004-06) Belle Vue; (2007-09) Peterborough.
MAJOR HONOURS: European Under-19 Champion: 2003; Danish Under-21 Champion: 2000, 2003, 2004, 2005.
CLUB HONOUR: Elite Shield winner: 2007 [Peterborough].
ADDITIONAL INFO: (1) The Dane has always ridden as Kenneth Bjerre; (2) Regrettably, he broke his left femur whilst representing Slangerup in the first leg of the Danish League Play-Offs at Fjelsted on 31 August 2005. The injury was sustained after Holsted's Nicki Pedersen had locked-up slightly in front of him, with both riders going into the safety fence at speed; (3) Unluckily, Bjerre broke the same leg in a Danish Super League meeting while riding for Esbjerg in a home match versus Fjelsted on 21 May 2008. The break occurred in heat eleven, when his team-mate, Brian Lyngsø, picked up drive exiting the second bend and lifted just prior to inadvertently running into Bjerre's left thigh. Incredibly, having had an operation, the diminutive Dane was back riding again just 10 days after the accident!; (4) The Dane is a fully-fledged Grand Prix rider in 2009 and is tipped by many in the sport to excel on the world stage over the coming years. Renowned for his lightning quick gating, Bjerre is enjoying his third successive season with Peterborough and is a fans' favourite at the Panthers' East of England Showground. A neat style and impressive race pace saw the Esbjerg-born rider storm to a 21-point maximum for his country in Event One of this year's Speedway World Cup at Vojens in his homeland on 11 July.

BLAIR, Greg Sam Andrew
DATE OF BIRTH: 14 October 1990, Jedburgh, Scotland.
BRITISH CAREER: (2006-07) Cleveland; (2008) Redcar II; (2009) Berwick, Buxton.
ADDITIONAL INFO: ‘Wee Greg', as he is affectionately known, burst on to the speedway scene as a fifteen-year-old when he joined Cleveland Bays in 2006. Regrettably, though, having reached top spot in the club's averages, he sustained a serious injury to his left elbow on 2 August 2007, whilst representing the side in a home league match versus Scunthorpe. The accident happened in heat twelve and saw the teenager clip Scott Richardson's machine, before hitting the fence and being catapulted over the top. Having only just returned to the saddle in 2008, Blair suffered a broken pelvis whilst making a guest appearance for Berwick in a Premier Trophy encounter at Glasgow on 16 March. This occurred in heat four, when the young Scot got his footrest caught in the safety fence on the fourth bend and was thrown from his steed. A team re-shuffle in May 2009 saw the locally-based rider brought into the Berwick side as a direct replacement for Danny Warwick. However, on 29 July, he was hospitalized for a minor operation to remove tubing, which had remained in his chest cavity following his crash in 2007. He also lost his place in the Bandits' line-up to Frank Facher, but it was stressed by the club that - as an asset - he remained part of their future plans. Blair subsequently relocated to Buxton, taking the place that had previously been filled by Lee Smethills. He made his debut for the Hitmen in a league match at home to King's Lynn on 2 August but, in his first ride, he pulled off the track after looking decidedly uncomfortable and had to be examined by the paramedics. That was to prove his only ride for the club and, in his continued absence, Buxton operated the rider replacement facility until acquiring the services of Scott Richardson as a replacement towards the end of September.

BLAKE, Daniel (Dan) James
DATE OF BIRTH: 7 August 1988, Harlow, Essex.
BRITISH CAREER: (2004) Mildenhall; (2005-06) Sittingbourne; (2007) Plymouth, Oxford II; (2009) Rye House II.
ADDITIONAL INFO: Blake started riding when he attended Olle Nygren's speedway school at King's Lynn in 2001. He went on to make his Conference League debut as Mildenhall's No. 8 in a match against Carmarthen on 30 August 2004, prior to spending two seasons attached to Sittingbourne. The Essex-born youngster subsequently had spells with both Plymouth and Oxford in 2007. Having recovered from a broken hip, Blake linked with Rye House's National League side, the Cobras, in 2009. However, a team change in August saw him lose his place in the side, when the vastly experienced David Mason was signed. He was quickly recalled, though, when he took the place of Trevor Heath towards the end of the same month.

BOVIS, Michael
DATE OF BIRTH: 9 August 1992, Kent.
BRITISH CAREER: (2009) Rye House II.
ADDITIONAL INFO: Bovis linked with Rye House's National League operation in 2009, but lost his place in a June re-shuffle that saw Trevor Heath introduced to the side. However, Bovis subsequently returned to the Cobras' squad in the No. 8 berth the following month.

BOWEN, Luke Alex
DATE OF BIRTH: 26 January 1986, Harlow, Essex.
BRITISH CAREER: (2002) Rye House II, Carmarthen; (2003) Rye House II; (2004) Rye House II, King's Lynn II; (2005) Rye House II; (2006-07) Rye House, Rye House II; (2008-09) Rye House.
CLUB HONOURS: Four-Team Championship winner: 2003 [Rye House II]; League Championship winner: 2007 [Rye House].
RIDER LINKS: Son of former rider Kevin Bowen (born: 23 February 1956, Harlow, Essex).
ADDITIONAL INFO: (1) On 9 October 2003, Bowen sustained a broken thigh during a Conference League match for Rye House at Swindon; (2) The British speedster fractured a bone in his wrist, whilst appearing for the Raiders in a CL fixture at Weymouth on 18 June 2004; (3) He had the misfortune to suffer another serious injury at Swindon a little over a year after his last accident at the Wiltshire raceway, on 21 October 2004, when again representing the Raiders in a league match against the Sprockets; (4) Bowen was in the wars again on 23 April 2005, when he sustained serious back injures in a second-half accident at Rye House. This followed an earlier Premier Trophy encounter between the Rockets and King's Lynn, which the Harlow-born rider had not appeared in; (5) Nicknamed ‘Bowen 747', the rider was again sidelined in 2008. Firstly, he dislocated two fingers when he crashed on the third bend of heat three in Rye House's Premier Trophy match at Birmingham on 2 April; then, he sustained ligament damage to his arm and shoulder in heat one of the Rockets' PT fixture against King's Lynn at Hoddesdon on 19 April. Later in the season, Bowen suffered a broken metatarsal in his right hand but, following a three-day spell of extensive laser treatment, he missed few meetings and was passed fit to resume riding with a heavily strapped hand and arm.

BOXALL, Steven (Steve) Shane
DATE OF BIRTH: 16 May 1987, Canterbury, Kent.
BRITISH CAREER: (2002-03) Rye House II; (2004-05) Rye House, Rye House II; (2006) Rye House; (2007) Rye House, Poole; (2008) Belle Vue; (2009) Newcastle, Belle Vue, Poole.
MAJOR HONOUR: Conference League Riders' Champion: 2005.
CLUB HONOURS: Four-Team Championship winner: 2003 [Rye House II]; League Championship winner: 2005, 2007 [both Rye House]; Premier Trophy winner: 2005 [Rye House].
ADDITIONAL INFO: Boxall received a dislocated shoulder during Belle Vue's Craven Shield match at Coventry on 28 March 2008. This occurred in heat eight, when the Canterbury-born rider took a nasty fall whilst dicing for the lead with home rider Olly Allen. After visiting a surgeon, the Aces' teamster was instructed that he required an operation, when a scan on his damaged shoulder revealed a tendon problem. As a result, he was to sit out the remainder of the season. He returned to action with Newcastle at the beginning of the 2009 campaign, but lost his place in a ‘doubling-up' role at Belle Vue in May. This followed the Manchester club's signing of Morten Risager and their decision to opt for a straight 1-7 line-up. In June, Boxall also found himself surplus to requirements at Newcastle following a disappointing run of form. He was replaced in the Diamonds' line-up by Rene Bach. The Canterbury-born rider wasn't out of work for long, though, as he was snapped-up by Poole in July to replace the out-of-form Karol Baran. His tenacious efforts won over the Pirates' supporters quickly, but a series of engine blow-ups led to the rider announcing his retirement from the sport. The decision was quickly reversed, however, after club skipper Bjarne Pedersen stepped forward with the loan of a bike. Boxall was further boosted by the news that a trackside collection would take place during Poole's home meeting versus Swindon on 12 August, with the monies added to by a donation from the Riders' Equipment Fund (REF) and the club's own ‘Pep Talk' fanzine.

BRADY, Ross Burns
DATE OF BIRTH: 17 February 1981, Winchburgh, Broxburn, Scotland.
BRITISH CAREER: (1997) Lathallan, Peterborough II; (1998) Mildenhall, Peterborough, Berwick; (1999-2000) Edinburgh; (2001-02) Hull; (2003) Glasgow, Sheffield, Sheffield II; (2004) Hull; (2005) Edinburgh; (2006) Rye House; (2007) Newcastle; (2008-09) Glasgow.
CLUB HONOURS: League Championship winner: 1997 [Peterborough II], 1998 [Peterborough], 2004 [Hull].
RIDER LINKS: Son of Alistair Brady (born: 15 January 1949, Scotland).
ADDITIONAL INFO: (1) Brady sustained a broken ankle whilst representing Edinburgh in the Premier League Pairs Championship at Glasgow on 26 June 2005. The Scot subsequently aggravated the injury a couple more times before the season's end; (2) The Scot sustained a fractured collarbone after a freak accident whilst skiing, just days before the start of the 2008 season, in March. He subsequently aggravated the injury when he crashed spectacularly on the first bend in heat one of Glasgow's Premier Trophy encounter at Edinburgh on 4 April. The Winchburgh-born rider was again in the wars again in a league match at Sheffield on 15 May, when he injured a knee and pulled out of the meeting after just two rides (3) Brady suffered a wrist injury in heat eight of Glasgow's home match versus Newcastle in the Premier Trophy on 12 April 2009. The Tigers utilized the rider replacement facility in his absence, prior to announcing team changes that would see Brady drop out of their 1-7 in June; however, a quick re-think of the plan saw them retain the Scotsman in their declared line-up. Glasgow continued in this vein until the tail-end of July, when they recruited Slovenian Aleksander Conda to replace Brady and bring them up to a full complement of seven riders. It had been reported prior to the signing of the Slovenian that Brady had had to have his broken wrist re-set, so it appeared doubtful that he would return before the end of the campaign.

BRAITHWAITE, Andrew (Andy) James
DATE OF BIRTH: 26 December 1989, Coventry, Warwickshire.
BRITISH CAREER: (2007) Buxton; (2009) Isle of Wight.
ADDITIONAL INFO: Braithwaite lost his place in the declared line-up of the Isle of Wight in early July 2009, when Tom Hill was promoted from the No. 8 position to the main body of the side.

BRANNEY, John James
DATE OF BIRTH: 7 November 1985, Whitehaven, Cumbria.
BRITISH CAREER: (2002) Rye House II, Newcastle II; (2003) Newcastle II, Wimbledon, Buxton; (2004) Newcastle II, King's Lynn II; (2005) Oxford II; (2006) Scunthorpe, Stoke II; (2007) Berwick, Stoke II, Workington; (2008) Workington, Buxton; (2009) Workington.
CLUB HONOURS: League Championship winner: 2005 [Oxford II]; Four-Team Championship winner: 2008, 2009 [both Workington - non-riding reserve on each occasion]; Young Shield winner: 2008, 2009 [both Workington].
RIDER LINKS: Brother of Craig Branney (see separate entry).
ADDITIONAL INFO: The younger of the racing brothers is one of the sport's honest battlers, and his standards have been improving steadily over his three seasons with his local club, Workington. On 25 July this term, for the second year running, Branney was the non-riding reserve as the Comets scooped the Four-Team Championship at their own Derwent Park. The season culminated in more success, as he helped Workington to complete back-to-back Young Shield victories courtesy of victory over Rye House in the final.

BRANNEY, Craig Harry
DATE OF BIRTH: 31 July 1982, Whitehaven, Cumbria.
BRITISH CAREER: (2000) Ashfield; (2001) Workington, Buxton; (2002) Newcastle II, Hull; (2003) Newcastle, Newcastle II, Armadale; (2004) Oxford II, King's Lynn II; (2005) Hull, Oxford, Oxford II; (2006) Berwick; (2007) Workington; (2009) Newcastle, Stoke.
CLUB HONOUR: League Championship winner: 2005 [Oxford II].
RIDER LINKS: Brother of John Branney (see separate entry).
ADDITIONAL INFO: (1) Having agreed a deal to remain with Workington in 2008, the elder of the Branney brothers crashed whilst appearing in the annual indoor ice meeting at Telford on 24 February, breaking a leg in five places. This was to rule him out of action for the entire season; (2) The Whitehaven-born rider returned to action with Newcastle in 2009, but a team change in July saw him axed and replaced by Mark Lemon. The Cumbrian racer wasn't sidelined for long, though, as he was drafted into the Stoke side towards the end of the same month to fill the void created by Lee Smart's recall to Birmingham.

BRIDGER, Lewis Alan
DATE OF BIRTH: 4 November 1989, Hastings, Sussex.
BRITISH CAREER: (2005) Weymouth; (2006-09) Eastbourne.
MAJOR HONOURS: British Under-18 Champion: 2006; British Under-21 Champion: 2009.
CLUB HONOURS: Four-Team Championship winner: 2005 [Weymouth]; Knock-Out Cup winner: 2005 [Weymouth], 2008 [Eastbourne]; Elite Shield winner: 2009 [Eastbourne].
ADDITIONAL INFO: (1) Bridger admitted assault following an incident that took place at TJs nightclub in Eastbourne on 12 December 2007. The rider and his associates had become embroiled with a Japanese student, an occurrence that saw Bridger and two others arrested and subsequently charged at Lewes Crown Court on 18 April 2008. However, Bridger was spared jail at a sentencing hearing in the same court a little over a month later on 19 May. Judge Charles Kemp ordered him to pay a £1,500 fine and £500 compensation to his victim after watching CCTV footage of the attack; (2) Now firmly established in the Elite League, the 2009 campaign represents Bridger's fourth successive season in the colours of Eastbourne. The exciting British rider undoubtedly possesses bundles of  natural talent and has made steady progress in the top-flight. His spectacular outside blasts and tenacious riding style saw him scoop the British Under-21 Championship at Lakeside on 24 April this term, as he added to his previous success at Under-18 level in 2006. However, his season was marred on 20 July, when he missed the Eagles' league match at Belle Vue and instead rode for his Polish club, Czestochowa, that same evening.   The rider was subsequently hit with a two-match ban by the BSPA, as well as a £5,000 club fine by Eastbourne and a two-week suspension from competing abroad.

BROWN, Thomas (Tom) David
DATE OF BIRTH: 19 June 1984, Pontypool, South Wales.
BRITISH CAREER: (2000) Peterborough II, Newport II; (2001) Newport, Newport II; (2002) Workington, Newport II, Swindon II, Isle of Wight; (2003) Trelawny, Trelawny II; (2004) Stoke II, Berwick; (2005) Weymouth; (2006-08) Plymouth; (2009) Somerset, Isle of Wight.
CLUB HONOURS: Four-Team Championship winner: 2005 [Weymouth]; Knock-Out Cup winner: 2005 [Weymouth], 2008 [Plymouth]; Conference Trophy winner: 2008 [Plymouth];
ADDITIONAL INFO: Prior to taking up speedway racing, Brown was diagnosed with septic arthritis in a leg. As such, when aged thirteen, he had an operation to lengthen his leg, although it remains slightly shorter than the other. The Welshman took his first rides on a speedway bike at Port Talbot beach and, having sampled the art of sliding a machine on sand, he subsequently took to the real thing at Newport. Having shown a great deal of determination during his early years in the sport, Brown's efforts bore fruit in 2008 when he won the Bronze Helmet at Weymouth on 19 July and he was further rewarded at the season's end with the award of the SRA Conference League Rider of the Season at Kenilworth on 2 November. The Welshman linked with Premier League Somerset in 2009 and also represented the Isle of Wight in the re-branded National League. He enjoyed a fine campaign, aside from when he sustained a fractured collarbone whilst representing the Rebels in a league fixture versus Redcar at the Oak Tree Arena on 7 August. The injury occurred when, in heat seven, his bike shed a chain entering the third bend, leaving Brown to take a particularly awkward-looking fall. The rider had hoped for a quick return to racing, but the injury took longer to heal than had initially been anticipated and led to the Isle of Wight acquiring the services of Matt Wright in Brown's place towards the end of the month. Within a matter of days, he was also replaced in the Somerset side, when the Rebels' management recruited Jari Makinen on a short-term deal as cover.

BUGEJA, Arlo Anthony
DATE OF BIRTH: 18 March 1986, Humbug Scrub, Adelaide, South Australia.
BRITISH CAREER: (2007) Redcar, Berwick; (2008-09) Redcar.
ADDITIONAL INFO: ‘Budgie' had been riding for a few years Down Under, when he ventured to the UK to link with Redcar in 2007. His first opportunity in the side came towards the end of May, when he stood in for the injured Daniel Giffard. His run lasted for ten matches, before Giffard was fit to resume and the Aussie subsequently joined Berwick in mid-September, riding in their last four matches of the campaign. Reverting back to Redcar, Bugeja was a starter in the side from the off in 2008 and, despite it being tough going for much of the term, he plugged away manfully to register a real-time average of a little under 4 points per match. Unfortunately, the injury bug didn't escape him and he sustained a broken right wrist in the Ashley Jones Memorial meeting at King's Lynn on 18 June, although he was only out of action for three weeks. Still with the Cleveland club in 2009, he proved a match-winner for the Bears in their televised home league match versus Edinburgh on 24 August, when he netted 9+1 points.

BUNYAN, Jason Michael
DATE OF BIRTH: 9 March 1979, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire.
BRITISH CAREER: (1995) Poole; (1996) Eastbourne II; (1997) Oxford, Isle of Wight, Peterborough II; (1998) Isle of Wight; (1999-2001) Ipswich; (2002) Reading; (2003) Coventry; (2004) Isle of Wight, Coventry; (2005-08) Isle of Wight; (2009) Stoke.
MAJOR HONOURS: New Zealand Champion: 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009.
TEAM HONOUR: Pairs Championship winner: 2007 [Isle of Wight].
ADDITIONAL INFO: Bunyan chipped a bone in his heel during his racing trip to New Zealand in early 2004. The Milton Keynes-born rider broke the tibia and fibula in his left leg whilst representing Neuenknick in a German League fixture at Diedenbergen on 10 April 2005; this actually being the fourth broken leg suffered in his career. Bunyan's testimonial was held at the Isle of Wight on 19 August 2008, when Edward Kennett and Lewis Bridger took victory in a pairs event. At the close of the 2009 UK season, Bunyan made his eighth successive winter trip to race in New Zealand, admitting how much he fancied settling there sometime in the future.

BURROWS, Dermot Mark (Buzz)
DATE OF BIRTH: 10 June 1964, Sheffield, South Yorkshire.
BRITISH CAREER: (1984) Scunthorpe; (1985) Edinburgh; (1986) Edinburgh; (1987) Middlesbrough; (1992) Glasgow, Middlesbrough; (1993) Middlesbrough; (1994) Buxton, Cleveland, Middlesbrough, Sheffield; Belle Vue, Coventry; (1995) Buxton, Long Eaton, Middlesbrough, Hull; (1996) Buxton; (1997-2001) Stoke; (2002) Stoke, Belle Vue; (2003) Stoke II, Wimbledon; (2004-05) Wimbledon; (2007) Cleveland; (2008) Stoke; (2009) Weymouth, Stoke.
CLUB HONOURS: Pairs Championship winner: 2004, 2005 [both Wimbledon].
ADDITIONAL INFO: (1) ‘Buzz' was awarded a testimonial in 2004, but had the misfortune of having his special meeting rained-off on three occasions at Wimbledon that year, on 5 May, 23 June and 20 October; (2) The Sheffield-born rider made a belated start to the 2009 campaign in May, when he was drafted into the Weymouth side as a replacement for the injured Jon Armstrong. Just a couple of weeks later, he was drafted into the Stoke side on a 28-day deal as a replacement for the released Glen Phillips. Following the conclusion of his short-term deal, he was replaced in the Potters' line-up by Lee Smart. Having reached his 45th birthday on 10 June, Burrows was the oldest rider competing in British speedway, but his season came to an abrupt end when he was rushed into hospital with breathing difficulties in mid-September. This was as a result of a crash in Weymouth's abandoned National Trophy meeting against Plymouth at the Wessex Bus Raceway on 5 September, when he sustained four broken ribs and a punctured lung in a heat four spill. This occurred after he had inadvertently hit team-mate James White-Williams and was thrown over his handlebars into the safety fence. He was taken to Dorset County Hospital in Dorchester, but was released a few days afterwards. However, he was re-admitted on 16 September and had to have a litre-and-a-half of blood drained from his lungs. Prior to this set-back, the veteran racer had suffered knee ligament damage and back problems in the Wildcats' league match at the Isle of Wight on 11 August, before aggravating it again in the National League Pairs Championship at the same venue seven days later.

BURZA, Stanislaw (Stan)
DATE OF BIRTH: 26 September 1977, Tarnow, Poland.
BRITISH CAREER: (2006) Berwick, Oxford; (2007) Berwick, Coventry; (2008) Coventry, Belle Vue; (2009) Berwick.
ADDITIONAL INFO: Burza - whose surname is pronounced Boor-ja - first took to the track in a practice session at Tarnow at the tail-end of the 1996 season and, within three months, had attained a racing licence. Not long after, however, his career was put on hold due to a fifteen-month stint in the Army and he subsequently had to endure several spells on the sidelines recovering from injury. Indeed, in 2000, be broke both hands after a crash at Lodz whilst representing Tarnow and that meant eight months out of action. Then, in 2002, he sustained a broken back in the first meeting of the season at Tarnow. And, in 2004, he cracked seven ribs on his left-hand side in a spill at Wroclaw. Despite the knocks, Burza has forged a fairly successful career, having twice helped Tarnow to win the Polish League Championship, in 2004 and 2005. In 2006, he was announced as the final signing for Arena-Essex, before the club took a change of direction. He did eventually arrive in Britain that year, though, linking with Berwick in April, following the early-season departure of fans' favourite Adrian Rymel. As the campaign rolled on, the Pole was also drafted into Oxford's team declaration as their No. 8 rider. A full season followed at Berwick and he also filled a squad position with top-flight Coventry in the early part of what was their treble-winning campaign. Having had spells in the Elite League with Coventry and Belle Vue in 2008, Burza made a return to the Premier League with his first UK side, Berwick, in July 2009, when he took the place of William Lawson in the Bandits' declared line-up.