RAJKOWSKI, Michał
DATE OF BIRTH: 17 December 1984, Rawicz, Poland.
BRITISH CAREER: (2007) Newport; (2008) Belle Vue, Mildenhall; (2009) Edinburgh; (2010) Stoke, Berwick.
CLUB HONOUR: Play-Off winner: 2008 [Edinburgh].
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 6.33 (PL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: The Polish thrill-merchant was handed a late position in Newport’s starting line-up in 2007, after the club had been unable to conclude a deal with Craig Waston. The Pole had impressed at Queensway Meadows during that January’s New Year Classic and, after initially starting in the No. 1 position, he enjoyed a phenomenal spell at reserve that saw him elevated back to the top spot in the riding order, from where he continued to excel. Although his scores did tend to be laced with inconsistency as the campaign wore on, there was little doubt that Rajkowski’s contributions had transformed him into a real favourite with the Newport supporters.

A full-time transfer took him to Belle Vue the following year, but the step-up proved too big a climb at that stage of his career and he eventually dropped back into the Premier League with Mildenhall. Rajkowski made the move to reigning PL Champions Edinburgh for 2009 and also featured in a late-term return to the top-flight in a ‘doubling-up’ role alongside Joel Parsons at his parent club, Belle Vue, in August. This was part of a sweeping change at the Manchester club, which also saw the Aces sign Jason Crump and Luboš Tomíček. Meanwhile, those replaced were Tomasz Chrzanowski and Morten Risager, together with the injured Charlie Gjedde.

However, before turning a wheel in anger for the Manchester side, Rajkowski was himself replaced in the ‘doubling-up’ position by Richard Sweetman who, it was felt by the Aces’ management, was more conveniently based. The Pole was to enjoy a solid campaign with Edinburgh – and being based in Scotland with his father/mechanic certainly aided this – posting a real-time average of over 7 points per match. Regrettably, his season came to an end in the second leg of the Play-Off final at King’s Lynn on 20 October when, whilst leading heat eight, he lifted and hit the fence.

The upshot was an ankle injury that meant him missing out on the Knock-Out Cup final versus King’s Lynn and also the Promotion Play-Off against Belle Vue. He was subsequently unable to be accommodated within the Monarchs’ team plans for 2010 but, in December, Stoke revealed that they had concluded a deal to sign him on loan from Belle Vue. However, having found points hard to come by, the Pole was released by the Staffordshire club in May and replaced by Adam Roynon. He wasn’t without a club for long and linked with Berwick shortly afterwards, displacing Anders Andersen in the Bandits’ line-up.

Riding out of a reserve berth, Rajkowski piled-up an astonishing paid 19-point score as Berwick gained a crucial 50-40 away win from their basement battle at Redcar on 8 July; ironically, he only dropped points to the Bears in what was arguably his easiest race in heat eight. And, he again proved to be a trump card for the Bandits with a paid 15-point haul, when they dented Birmingham’s title aspirations courtesy of a 50-43 success at Shielfield Park on 17 July.

Unfortunately, he sustained serious damage to his left knee and lower leg in heat eight of a home league clash versus Newcastle on 21 August. This occurred after visiting rider Derek Sneddon had passed ‘The Raj’ going down the back straight and, with the Pole chasing hard and close to his opponent, the Scot lost grip on bend three and fell. Rajkowski tried hard to avoid the fallen Diamond but, having turned to his right, he collided heavily with the safety fence.

The injuries were sufficient to rule him out for the rest of the season and Sneddon was quick to apologise for the incident. The Newcastle rider’s immediate and obvious regret about what was an accident in every sense was fully accepted by the injured rider and everyone in the Berwick camp. Rajkowski was replaced in the Berwick side in September by the returning Craig Branney.

RAYSON, Oliver Henry
DATE OF BIRTH: 28 March 1993, Culford, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.
BRITISH CAREER: (2008) Boston; (2009-10) Mildenhall.
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 4.44 (NL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Having initially started riding at 9 years-of-age, Rayson was a highly-rated prospect whose fledgling career was highlighted by a stunning performance in the Standing Family Trophy at Sittingbourne in 2007 when, aged 14, he only just missed out on first spot. He subsequently appeared in the Conference League for Boston in 2008 and was identified with Mildenhall in the new National League in 2009, when he netted 124 points from twenty-seven official appearances for an impressive 5.66 real-time average.

He again represented the Fen Tigers in 2010 and was maintaining an average of around 6 points per match before the track closed down prematurely, with and all their results expunged from the league standings. Having been on the sidelines for over a month, Rayson re-located to King's Lynn's second side as a replacement for Ricky Wallace at the end of August.

READE, Ben William
DATE OF BIRTH: 27 March 1991, Swindon, Wiltshire.
BRITISH CAREER: (2010) Plymouth.
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 3.00 (NL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Reade first rode a speedway bike at his hometown circuit, Swindon, in 2003, before spending the following year competing in schoolboy grass-track racing. Then, in 2006, he was delighted to represent Swindon Sprockets in the Southern Area League and again represented the side a year later in the re-branded Ochiltree Academy League. After a term away from speedway, a couple of late-season guest appearances came his way at National League level with Plymouth in 2009 and, following Darryl Ritchings' late decision not to join Newport, he was signed by the Welsh club in 2010.

This came after some impressive showings in the Sunday training sessions at Queensway Meadows, in which he did sufficiently well to be offered a full contract. Unfortunately, he was unable to break into Newport's National League side - save for three guest appearances - and in mid-June, he joined Plymouth as a replacement for Dan Berwick. And a week or so afterwards, he was moved into the club's No. 8 berth as David Gough and he traded places. Then, in July, following the re-signing of Nicki Glanz and the release of both Paul Starke and Lee Smethills, Reade was again upgraded into a position within the Devils' 1-7.

REMPAŁA, Marcin
DATE OF BIRTH: 20 November 1984, Tarnów, Poland.
BRITISH CAREER: (2007) Ipswich; (2010) Berwick.
MAJOR HONOUR: World Under-21 Team Cup Champion: 2005.
RIDER LINKS: Brother of Jacek RempaÅ‚a (born: 16 February 1971, Tarnów, Poland), Grzegorz RempaÅ‚a (born: 27 May 1974, Tarnów, Poland) and Tomasz RempaÅ‚a (born: 15 July 1978, Tarnów, Poland).  
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 6.52 (PL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: The Pole comes from a family steeped in speedway, as he is one of four brothers who have all ridden on the shale. The younger of the siblings linked with Ipswich in 2007 for a first taste of domestic UK racing but, despite a top-score of 9+1 points versus Swindon at Foxhall Heath on 1 September, he generally had a hard time of it in the cut-and-thrust of the Elite League, especially on the Witches’ travels. In total, he completed forty-one official meetings in their colours; however, a tally of 139 points and a real-time 3.84 average told its own story.

His eldest brother, Jacek, had previously represented Ipswich in 1992, before linking with Premier League Berwick much later in his career (in 2006 and 2007) and Marcin continued to follow his path in August 2010, when he too joined the Bandits as a replacement for the injured Craig Branney. Prior to riding for the Borders club – and in order to familiarize him with his new surroundings – the former World Under-21 Team Cup Champion had been introduced to the Shielfield Park crowd during a league match versus Rye House on 31 July.  

Rempała had an instant impact with Berwick, becoming a fans’ favourite almost immediately. And, on 21 August, he sped to a fabulous paid maximum tally of 13+2 points in a home league encounter versus a Newcastle side who were riding high after winning the Premier Trophy in July. Making the Pole’s performance all the more impressive was the fact that he acquired his full-house riding out of the often-difficult No. 2 position. He then notched 11 points at Glasgow the following day and crowned a great first week in the Bandits’ colours by romping to another paid maximum – 12+3 points – against Workington at Shielfield Park on 28 August.

However, Rempała was injured in the Tweed-Tees Trophy against Redcar at the Borders venue on 4 September. This occurred in heat six, when he appeared to get a completely unexpected blast of power going towards bend one, which caused him to rear wildly with his head looking like he’d been garrotted on an invisible wire. That sent him careering at speed up and over into the shale face-first, with his bike launching up and into Bears’ guest Greg Blair, who went down in the mêlée against the first bend fence.

The track ambulance was immediately dispatched with both riders receiving much treatment, but whilst Blair walked back to the pits nursing an injured wrist, Berwick’s Pole took a trip in the ambulance where he had his nasty and bloodied facial lacerations dealt with and was told it looked like he may have sustained a broken nose as his helmet was written off, having done the job it was made for. RempaÅ‚a demonstrated fantastic bounce-back-ability seven days later, though, as he returned to the head of the Bandits’ score-chart courtesy of an 18-point haul against Stoke at Shielfield Park.  

RESCH, John Martin Thomas
DATE OF BIRTH: 5 January 1993, Pembury, Nr. Tunbridge Wells, Kent.
BRITISH CAREER: (2009) Bournemouth; (2010) Bournemouth, Isle of Wight.
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 3.00 (NL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Resch first rode on a 125cc Honda at the Sittingbourne junior track, when aged twelve. He contested the British Under-15 Championship in 2008, winning a round at Stoke on 10 July and eventually finishing third overall. He turned sixteen years-of-age in January 2009 and was subsequently installed as Bournemouth’s No. 8 rider in May. He was to make just nine official appearances for the side but, in December, he was confirmed as a starter in their line-up for 2010.

Despite maintaining an average of over 5 points per match in the Buccaneers’ colours, he was released amidst sweeping changes in August. Both Karl Mason and Daniel Halsey were also relieved of their duties, whilst replacing the trio were Jerran Hart, James Sarjeant and Danny Stoneman. However, Resch returned to action the following month, when he was signed by the Isle of Wight as cover for the injured Brendan Johnson.

RICHARDSON, James Alan Scott
DATE OF BIRTH: 16 September 1988, Mirfield, West Yorkshire.
BRITISH CAREER: (2005-07) Scunthorpe; (2008) Scunthorpe II; (2009) Scunthorpe II, Buxton; (2010) Scunthorpe II.
CLUB HONOURS: Conference Shield winner: 2006 [Scunthorpe]; Conference Trophy winner: 2006, 2007 [both Scunthorpe]; League Championship winner: 2007 [Scunthorpe]; Knock-Out Cup winner: 2007 [Scunthorpe].
RIDER LINKS: Son of Derek Richardson (born: 22 July 1958, Earlsheaton, West Yorkshire).
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 5.66 (NL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Having spent his entire career on the books of Scunthorpe since first representing them in 2005, Richardson again returned to the Saints’ National League squad in May 2009, when he replaced James Sarjeant. However, on 14 August, in a home league match against Rye House he unluckily sustained a broken collarbone in a heat fifteen crash and looked likely to sit out the rest of the season. This was a great pity for the Yorkshire lad, as he had been due to partner Simon Lambert in the NL Pairs Championship at the Isle of Wight just four days after his accident, on 18 August. Richardson’s injury led to a recall to the Saints’ declared line-up for John MacPhail.

Having recuperated, the Mirfield-born rider was signed by Buxton towards the end of September in place of the injured Greg Blair. In early-February 2010, he was once again named in Scunthorpe’s National League side for the new season, thus subsequently becoming only the fourth rider in the club’s history to represent them in six different league seasons. Two other riders, Nicky Allott and Ray Watkins, had also ridden in six seasons whilst Rob Woffinden, who sadly passed away on 30 January aged just 47, was the only rider to have featured in seven separate campaigns.

Unluckily, Richardson re-broke his collarbone in the same place he had damaged it the previous August, when he crashed during a bizarre heat fifteen in an away league fixture against Bournemouth on 25 April. The race had to be re-run on three occasions, but still wasn’t completed when the Yorkshireman, together with team-mate Adam Wrathall and home rider John Resch all came down together in a heap, with the meeting result having to stand after fourteen completed races due to safety fence damage.

With typical speedway determination, he returned to action not long afterwards, on 16 May. Then, on 2 July, the Saints journeyed to Weymouth for a National League fixture and Richardson came away with a career-best score of 18 points, his tally including a 6-point tactical ride in heat twelve of the fixture. Regrettably, though, he was in the wars again during a league encounter at Buxton on 22 August when, in heat eleven, he crashed out towards the end of the race and dislocated his shoulder. After a period of recuperation, the rider declared himself fit to return to action three weeks later.

RICHARDSON, Lee Stewart
DATE OF BIRTH: 25 April 1979, Hastings, Sussex.
BRITISH CAREER: (1995) Reading; (1996) Reading II, Poole; (1997) Reading, Peterborough; (1998) Reading; (1999) Poole; (2000-03) Coventry; (2004) Peterborough; (2005-07) Swindon; (2008) Eastbourne; (2009-10) Lakeside.
MAJOR HONOURS: World Under-21 Champion: 1999; Elite League Riders' Champion: 2003.
CLUB HONOURS: League Championship winner: 1997 [Reading]; Knock-Out Cup winner: 1998 [Reading], 2008 [Eastbourne], 2009 [Lakeside]; Craven Shield winner: 2000 [Coventry]; Pairs Championship winner: 2005 [Swindon].
GRAND PRIX HIGHLIGHTS: Grand Final Champion: 2002.
RIDER LINKS: Son of Colin Richardson (born: 24 November 1958, Southwark, South-East London). Nephew of Steve Weatherley (born: 26 November 1957, Dartford, Kent).
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 8.34 (EL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: The Hastings-born speedster hails from a talented sports family and boasts several other links besides those to former riders Colin Richardson and Steve Weatherley: Grandad Eric Richardson played football for Sunderland juniors from 1946 to 1948; Aunt Julie Clark (nee Richardson) won 27 England caps playing basketball; Uncle Keith (Marner) was Light Welterweight Boxing Champion of Southern England in 1994.

‘Rico’ spent the 2004 season on loan at Peterborough, prior to Swindon paying out a club record transfer fee of £32,000 plus VAT in 2005, when they secured his signature from Coventry. After three terms with the Robins, he enjoyed a successful year on loan at Eastbourne in 2008, prior to linking with Lakeside in 2009.

A former Grand Prix regular and Great Britain’s all-time highest scorer in the Speedway World Cup, Richardson rides with pace and aggression and is well known for conjuring extremely quick starts. He completed back-to-back Knock-Out Cup wins in 2009, helping the Hammers to lift the prestigious trophy, having been victorious with Eastbourne the previous year. At the season’s end, he underwent an operation to repair a damaged cartilage and ease long-standing problems with his left knee.

Following that, in November, Richardson had fully expected to remain on board with Lakeside in 2010. However, there was a flurry of speculation that he might return to Swindon after the Robins’ management had contacted their counterparts at the Thurrock-based club but, in the end, a move back to Wiltshire didn’t materialize and the English rider looked set to miss the domestic UK campaign following the Hammers’ acquisition of Krzysztof Kasprzak.

Belle Vue had shown an interest in Richardson, but the logistics of the long-distance travelling from his home in Hastings meant the parties didn’t get beyond an initial discussion. The rider instead busied himself by riding for Rzeszów in Poland, whilst also signing contracts for meetings in Sweden, Germany, Czech Republic and Denmark. However, in May – having gained permission from his parent club, Swindon, to re-open talks the previous month – it was revealed that he was to return to the British racing scene after all – replacing his replacement, Kasprzak, in the Lakeside team!

Prior to his seasonal debut for the Hammers, Rico crashed in his second outing (heat five) of the British semi-final at King’s Lynn on 12 May. He left the Norfolk Arena by ambulance after sustaining a foot injury and was fortunate not to suffer concussion in an accident that wrote off his crash helmet. With Lakeside unable to call upon a replacement because he had yet to appear in the re-declared team, Richardson was quick to assure the club’s management that he would be able to take to the track as scheduled for the visit to Ipswich the following evening, when he determinedly netted 11+1 points on his seasonal debut.

Richardson aggravated a longstanding knee injury during a meeting in Sweden on 6 July and subsequently flew out to see a specialist in Poland in order to have a brace fitted so as to minimise his time out of action. Then, a week later on 13 July, he was taken ill prior to leaving for another meeting in Sweden. However, he was quickly back on track and became the Hammers’ star rider in maintaining an average of over 9 points per match.

Following Lakeside’s failure to qualify for the Play-Offs, having slipped from third to fifth position in the week leading up to the cut-off point on 9 September, it was decided that he would take over as skipper from Adam Shields due to being more of a natural captain and his keenness to play a bigger role at the club. And, on 22 September, the Hammers were delighted to announce that Richardson would be staying with them in 2011 and beyond after they had agreed terms with his parent club, Swindon, for a full transfer.

The rider’s season was to end prematurely through injury, though. Representing Elit Vetlanda in the Swedish Elite League Play-Offs, he endured a torrid time in the semi-final clashes against Dackarna on 28 and 29 September. When he subsequently visited hospital it was found that he had been riding with broken ribs, bringing his racing for the year to a sudden and painful halt.

FIM Speedway Grand Prix Record:
Grand Prix ridden: 38 – 23rd on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix points: 234 – 26th on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix races: 185 – 24th on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix race wins: 30 – 27th on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix wins: 0 – n/a      
Grand Prix finals: 2 – 37th on SGP all-time list

FIM Speedway World Cup Record:
SWC tournaments: 10
Events: 21 – 1st on Great Britain’s list; 7th on SWC all-time list
Points: 240 – 1st on Great Britain’s list; 8th on SWC all-time list
Finals: 6
Gold medals: 0

RISAGER, Morten
DATE OF BIRTH: 30 September 1987, Arhus, Denmark.
BRITISH CAREER: (2004-06) Coventry; (2007) Coventry, Eastbourne; (2008) Peterborough, Wolverhampton; (2009) Ipswich, Belle Vue, Swindon; (2010) Swindon.
CLUB HONOURS: League Championship winner: 2005, 2007 [both Coventry]; Elite Shield winner: 2006 [Coventry].
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 5.26 (EL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Risager (pronounced Rizz-air) first rode at a very young age, in 1993, and attributes his father, Kartsen, as being the biggest influence on his subsequent career. He made his official British debut with Coventry on 1 April 2004, marking the occasion with 5+1 points against Belle Vue in a Knock-Out Cup tie. A total of thirty-four appearances for the Bees that year yielded very acceptable first term figures of 188 points and a real-time average of 5.85; his best performance among several being a match-winning contribution of 15+1 points from a reserve berth when Coventry narrowly defeated Poole, 46-44, at Brandon on 10 June.

His progress continued in 2005, when he was an integral component of the Bees’ League Championship success, which culminated in an aggregate victory over Belle Vue in the Play-Off final. The only downside of an otherwise thoroughly enjoyable season was almost a month on the sidelines following a heat eight crash in a home league match versus Eastbourne on 23 May, which left the youngster nursing wrist and ankle breaks.
 
Regrettably, Risager’s career stuttered in 2006 and he missed much of the concluding third of the season because of a badly broken right tibia and fibula. The injury occurred in heat six of an Under-21 international match for Denmark against Poland at Poznań on 11 June, when he collided with Ronnie Jamrozy. Bravely, he returned to the saddle with Coventry in September, but clearly wasn’t fully fit and rode in only two matches before returning to Denmark to further his rehabilitation.

Having completed his recovery, the Dane began his fourth season with Coventry in 2007 and, although he started very brightly, his form tailed-off and he was replaced by Steve Johnston in June. Risager subsequently joined Eastbourne, initially on a month’s loan to cover for the injured Dean Barker, but was to remain with the East Sussex club until the season’s conclusion. Throughout this time, he greatly impressed the Eagles’ management and also rediscovered his touch.
 
During the winter break – in December – Coventry and Swindon concluded a direct swap deal that saw Olly Allen join the Bees on a permanent basis, whilst Risager became an asset of the Robins. However, it was stressed at the time by the Wiltshire club that he would spend the 2008 term on loan elsewhere, as they were unable to accommodate him within the then 38.85 points limit. As such, the Dane linked with Peterborough for the campaign, but he was to lose his team spot in a major August shake-up that saw Ryan Sullivan, Lukáš Dryml and Karol Ząbik all return to the club.

Risager joined Wolverhampton a month later, somewhat ironically as a replacement for the elder of the Dryml racing brothers, Aleš, who had been released by the West Midlands outfit. His spell with the club lasted just eight matches as, in the Elite League Relegation Play-Off, he sustained a broken hand at Peterborough on 16 October. This occurred when he was involved in first bend mêlée after team-mate Fredrik Lindgren had tangled with the Panthers’ Daniel King on the charge to the first bend.
 
The Swindon asset was signed by Ipswich on a month’s loan in April 2009, following an early season injury to then club skipper Leigh Lanham. Upon Lanham’s return to fitness, Risager was immediately snapped-up by Belle Vue, when a team re-shuffle saw the Aces replace Steve Boxall and dispense with their other ‘doubling-up’ rider, Thomas H. Jonasson. His stay with the Manchester side lasted until August, when he was released amid a raft of changes. Both Tomasz Chrzanowski and the injured Charlie Gjedde also saw their names deleted from Belle Vue’s team declaration, as dramatic modifications were effected.

Incoming was the returning Jason Crump, together with Luboš Tomíček, whilst the Aces also opted to sign both Joel Parsons and Michał Rajkowski under the rule that permits Premier League riders to ‘double-up’ with clubs in the higher sphere. The likeable Dane wasn’t without a team for long, though, as he joined parent team Swindon almost straight away, when the Wiltshire club made the decision to dispense with Jurica Pavlić. His tenacious racing style gained many admirers on the Abbey Stadium terraces in his short stint before the season’s end and, on 29 December, the club announced that they had retained his services for 2010.

The Dane was to endure a torrid season and suffered with a loss of confidence as decent scores became hard to obtain with any regularity. This saw him slip down to a reserve berth in July, but still the points didn’t come and this led to the Swindon team manager, Ronnie Russell, announcing that he would be rested from successive away matches at Lakeside and Ipswich the following month. However, the former meeting at the Arena-Essex Raceway was postponed due to inclement weather and, due to an injury sustained by Cory Gathercole in the PL Four-Team Championship at Peterborough, Risager was recalled to the side for the trip to Foxhall Heath against the Witches.  

Risager was finally released by the Wiltshire club in September, when they opted to utilize the services of their No. 8 rider, Justin Sedgmen. Ironically, this came after the Dane had enjoyed two of his best performances of the campaign, tallying 7+1 and 6+2 points in successive matches against Lakeside on 3 and 9 September, away and at home, respectively.

FIM Speedway Grand Prix Record:
Grand Prix ridden: 1 – 135th on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix points: 2 – 121st on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix races: 2 – 127th on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix race wins: 0 – n/a
Grand Prix wins: 0 – n/a      
Grand Prix finals: 0 – n/a

RITCHINGS, Darryl Jake
DATE OF BIRTH: 11 August 1994, Swindon, Wiltshire.
BRITISH CAREER: (2010) Dudley.
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 3.00 (NL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: The Swindonian took his first rides on the mini-track at Blunsdon in 2007 and later practised at Coventry's Brandon Stadium. He continued to work on his technique in the interim, before being called into Newport's National League side as an unattached guest for a home match versus Buxton on 14 August 2009. Riding from the No. 7 berth, he made a dream start by following team-mate Sam Hurst across the line for a 5-1 in heat two. He followed that up with a last-place finish two races later, before being involved in a three-man pile-up with the visiting duo of Lewis Dallaway and Danny Hodgson in heat eight. This resulted in him and Dallaway being taken to the city's Royal Gwent Hospital.

It was initially thought that Ritchings was fine but, having returned home, further medical attention eventually revealed a broken hand. Such was his determination to regain fitness that the youngster did actually get back on a bike before the season's end and hoped to get fixed up with a regular National League berth in 2010. And, in January, his ambition was realized when Newport revealed that he would be part of the Hornets' squad in the new term.

With the subsequent acquisition of Mark Jones in February, it meant that Ritchings would fill the club's No. 8 berth. However, later that month he informed the Welsh outfit that he had decided against riding for them and, early in March, he instead linked with Dudley in the No. 8 capacity. And, on 12 August, the talented youngster signed forms for Swindon - just one day after his sixteenth birthday - as he joined the Robins' asset base.

ROBSON, Stuart Anthony
DATE OF BIRTH: 8 November 1976, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear.
BRITISH CAREER: (1993-94) Newcastle, Edinburgh; (1995) Coventry; (1996) Coventry, Middlesbrough; (1997) Hull; (1998-2002) Coventry; (2003) Coventry, Newcastle; (2004) Coventry; (2005-07) Rye House; (2009-10) Lakeside.
CLUB HONOURS: Craven Shield winner: 2000 [Coventry]; League Championship winner: 2005 [Rye House]; Premier Trophy winner: 2005 [Rye House]; Knock-Out Cup winner: 2009 [Lakeside].
RIDER LINKS: Son of John Robson (born: 12 February 1950, Sunderland, Tyne & Wear). Brother of Scott Robson (born: 15 August 1971, Sunderland, Tyne & Wear).
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 4.06 (EL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Robson originally made his official racing debut in 1993 for Newcastle in the then-Division Two and first dipped into the higher sphere with Coventry two years later, going on to become a long-serving Bee. The Sunderland-born rider was awarded a testimonial in 2004, with his special meeting going ahead at Brandon on 11 July, when Steve Johnston and Chris Harris came out on top in a pairs event. ‘Robbo’ was in the wars when he shattered his pelvis and suffered serious back injuries, whilst also fracturing his sternum and receiving extensive internal bleeding in a frightening crash at Mildenhall in a Knock-Out Cup tie for Rye House on 29 April 2007.

The accident occurred in heat nine of the match and saw the rider’s machine lift when the throttle jammed open on the run to the first corner, prior to him hitting the board and wire safety fence at full tilt. The meeting was subsequently abandoned and Robson was to miss the 2008 campaign, although he did appear late in the season in some open events.

The experienced rider joined Lakeside on a full-time basis in 2009, when he jumped on the comeback trail in British speedway’s top-flight. And he ended the term with a Knock-Out Cup winner’s medal, following the Essex team’s aggregate success over Coventry in the final. Having attained 198 points from thirty-eight official meetings for a 5.23 real-time average, his return to the sport was considered a great success and, in January, the Hammers’ management confirmed that he would again represent them in the 2010 campaign.

The former Coventry rider haunted his old club with one of the best performances of his career in a league match at the Arena-Essex Raceway on 21 July. Robson, who of course celebrated a testimonial at Brandon in 2004 before moving on, piled up a massive 17-point haul at reserve from a seven-ride schedule and his efforts were key in the Hammers being able to edge to all 3 Elite League points. However, he was to suffer a dramatic loss of form in the latter sector of the league programme, which saw his average slide below 5 points per match.

ROYNON, Adam Wayne
DATE OF BIRTH: 30 August 1988, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria.
BRITISH CAREER: (2003) Swindon II, Armadale; (2004) Newcastle II, Mildenhall; (2005) Mildenhall, Boston, Glasgow; (2006) Buxton, Rye House; (2007) Rye House, Plymouth; (2008) Birmingham; (2010) Workington, Stoke, King's Lynn.
MAJOR HONOUR: Conference League Riders' Champion: 2006.
CLUB HONOURS: League Championship winner: 2004 [Mildenhall], 2007 [Rye House]; Knock-Out Cup winner: 2004 [Mildenhall].
RIDER LINKS: Son of Chris Roynon (born: 22 May 1946, Bristol, Avon).
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 5.71 (PL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Roynon is the son of a former rider; his father, Chris, represented Plymouth, Doncaster, Barrow, Paisley, Coatbridge and Workington in a career that spanned some thirteen seasons, beginning in 1968. Prior to racing speedway bikes, Adam actually won the Under-8 British BMX Championship at Chesterfield in 1996. He then enjoyed a stint at karting and was also part of the junior scene at Blackburn Rovers FC.

He first cut his teeth with a speedway machine on a Cumbrian beach in 1999 and, after impressing in second-halves at various tracks, he made his debut in the Conference League for Swindon the day following his fifteenth birthday in 2003. He went on to make nine appearances for the Sprockets, which yielded 61 points and a splendid 6.52 average. The season also saw Roynon ride in a single Conference Trophy meeting for Armadale on 6 September, when he notched 6+1 points in a home encounter with Stoke.

In 2004, he joined Peterborough’s second side; however, he was to only represent the Pumas in a three-team tournament at the East of England Showground, before the team withdrew from the Conference Trophy competition on 16 April due to the problems in securing the necessary support services for Sunday meetings. He then linked with Newcastle Gems, but made just two Conference League appearances for the side before joining Mildenhall. Regrettably, his appearances for the Fen Tigers were restricted by injury, since he broke both wrists in a spill against Buxton at West Row on 31 May.

Then, shortly after returning to action, he suffered a hairline fracture to his upper right arm in a crash at Wimbledon in a Conference Trophy engagement on 22 September. Thankfully, he again returned before the end of the campaign and played a part as Mildenhall romped to victory in the Knock-Out Cup, claiming a 15-point maximum as they walloped Boston 69-12 in the second leg of the final. That completed a glorious clean sweep for the Fen Tigers, as they added that particular trophy to previous successes in the League Championship, Conference Trophy and Four-Team Championship.

Remaining with Mildenhall in 2005, Roynon averaged 8.18 from five league matches, prior to joining Boston. His stay with the Barracuda-Braves was to be brief and, in fact, saw him ride in just three Conference Trophy meetings, plus one in the Knock-Out Cup. An opportunity in the Premier League had presented itself with Glasgow in early July, when the Scottish outfit re-declared their side and he was to grab the chance with both hands.

His wholehearted efforts were appreciated by the management and fans alike but, regrettably, the injury bug was to strike once more. On 11 September, the Tigers entertained their counterparts from Sheffield and, on the second bend of heat two, Roynon unavoidably clashed with Paul Cooper, sustaining a broken arm and bringing his season to a premature end.

Having recuperated, he began the 2006 term with Buxton and consistently produced excellent performances to head the side’s averages. And the pinnacle of his fledgeling career occurred on 9 September when, at Rye House, he strung together five superb outings to win the Conference League Riders’ Championship with a 15-point full-house.

He had made a number of guest appearances for the Hoddesdon-based club during the season and just prior to his CLRC success, he had been drafted into the side officially in place of the injured Jamie Courtney. Unfortunately, though, he was to once more suffer injury when, on 16 September, he received a broken right ankle in a home encounter with the Isle of Wight.

Having again recovered his fitness, ‘Royno’ was a key component of the Rockets’ line-up in 2007 that scooped the Premier League title, as he posted a solid average in excess of 7 points per match. Rye House faced the Isle of Wight in the Play-Off semi-final, narrowly losing 46-44 in the first leg at Smallbrook Stadium, before dispatching the Islanders 61-29 in the return match on their own patch. Roynon’s contribution was respective tallies of 4+1 and 8+2 points, and he was to also produce the goods in the final against Sheffield.

The Rockets travelled to Owlerton Stadium for the first leg on 18 October and dug deep to restrict the Tigers to a 51-42 success on the night, with Roynon topping his side’s scoring on 11+1 points. That clearly made Rye House the favourites going into the second leg and they duly completed the job with an emphatic 69-23 victory on 20 October, when the Cumbrian helped himself to 7+2 points. The year also saw him enjoy a brief and high-scoring early-season spell in the Plymouth side, appearing in just four Conference League matches and one in the Conference Trophy.

After signing for Birmingham in 2008, Roynon was in the wars once more when he received a broken leg whilst representing the side in a Knock-Out Cup tie at Rye House on 31 May 2008. This occurred in a re-run of heat one when, on the third bend, his team-mate Phil Morris tumbled down after he had been cleanly passed by home rider Robert Mear.

The closely following Roynon attempted to lay his machine down, but was unable to avoid his stricken colleague, with the resultant crash causing the break. Having joined Workington for 2009 and agreed to ‘double-up’ with Coventry, the Barrow-born rider was seriously injured in a pre-season crash at King’s Lynn on 6 March, whilst practicing with the Team Great Britain squad.

After initial treatment at the track and at the local Queen Elizabeth’s Hospital, he was taken to a high-dependency unit at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge – where he spent a week on a life support machine – with a blood clot on the brain and a broken bone in his neck. He underwent surgery and gradually began the long recuperation process wearing a protective metal halo after being discharged, but it was reported in August that the screws holding a bone called the odontoid peg together hadn’t held it tightly enough, meaning it hadn’t healed.

The setback put his hoped-for comeback on hold and meant the likelihood of another operation for the youngster, which would fuse the vertebrae together. However, there was much more positive news towards the end of the following month, when he was given the all-clear to resume a normal life by his specialist after a surprise decision that he didn’t need a further operation after all.

In November, another huge step forward saw Roynon named as part of Workington’s team plans for 2010 and, the following month, he was also confirmed in a ‘doubling-up’ capacity by Peterborough. He subsequently came through his first competitive meeting in nineteen months without incident – and without any muscle fatigue – as he notched 7 points in the Christmas Cracker event at Scunthorpe on 27 December.

Early in February, however, it was revealed that the BSPA Management Committee had ruled that Roynon couldn’t ‘double-up’ between the Panthers and Workington because he hadn’t raced in the Premier League in 2009. And, early in March, the Speedway Control Bureau turned down Peterborough’s plea to permit him to appear for them in a ‘doubling-up’ capacity.

With the season underway, Roynon was battling hard to regain his form and confidence after the life-threatening crash of the previous year, when he took a fall in a Premier Trophy encounter at Edinburgh on 16 April. A doctor’s note the following day indicated he would be out until further notice, but the Barrow-based rider posted a message on his website stating that he had been fit to ride and, in effect, had been sacked by Workington ahead of the return match versus Edinburgh.

On 20 April, the club responded to the rider’s comments and reiterated the fact that he wasn’t permitted to ride due to a medical certificate, which stated he couldn’t race until further notice. With that in mind, the Comets signed former favourite Rusty Harrison on a short-term deal later the same week.

The following month, Roynon was to link with Stoke as a replacement for Michał Rajkowski, as he looked to kick-start his campaign. The unlucky rider was struck down once more in the Potters’ away league match at Newcastle on 30 May, though, sustaining a broken ankle after he appeared to collide with the Diamonds’ Derek Sneddon on the back straight in the initial running of heat ten.

Roynon’s machine then clipped the safety fence, causing him to be thrown over the handlebars like a rag doll. It was later confirmed to be the same ankle he had broken at Rye House in 2006. During the week that followed, Stoke made major team changes; this saw the Potters’ management draft in both Claus Vissing and Jan Graversen in place of Roynon and the absent Klaus Jakobsen.

In July, Roynon received the all-clear to resume riding following the removal of a cast from his ankle and, early the following month, he returned to action with King’s Lynn – on a two-year deal – after being drafted in to replace Joe Haines. The move triggered an unprecedented level of team activity at the Norfolk club, as it was immediately followed by another four amendments to the team declaration.

Both Casper Wortmann and Chris Mills were released, whilst the injured Kevin Doolan and the unwell Darren Mallett also had their names removed from the 1-7. Olly Allen effectively replaced Doolan in the No. 1 position, with the other incoming riders being Lasse Bjerre, Jamie Courtney and Cal McDade.

The Cumbrian was to end the season on the injured list after a heat six crash with William Lawson whilst guesting for Newcastle in the first leg of the Knock-Out Cup final at Edinburgh on 29 October. Regrettably, the effects of the accident left Roynon with damaged knee ligaments.

RYMEL, Adrian
DATE OF BIRTH: 30 October 1975, Kopřivnice, Czech Republic.
BRITISH CAREER: (2001-03) Berwick; (2004) Berwick, Peterborough; (2005) Berwick, Coventry; (2006) Berwick; (2008) Berwick; (2009) Workington; (2010) Berwick.
MAJOR HONOUR: Czech Republic Champion: 2006.
CLUB HONOURS: Four-Team Championship winner: 2002 [Berwick], 2009 [Workington]; Young Shield winner: 2009 [Workington].
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 8.33 (PL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: The Czech started on the path to a career in speedway by participating in a practice session at Kopřivnice in his homeland at the age of thirteen. He subsequently made his first foray into the British racing scene with Berwick in 2001; however, despite often being surrounded by controversy during a lengthy association with the Bandits – particularly with his on-off relationship with the club – Rymel always remained popular with the team’s supporters.

During his time with the Borders outfit, the internationally capped rider became Peterborough’s official No. 9 during 2004 and filled a similar back-up position with Coventry the following term, when he was the Bees’ No. 8 for a spell.

After missing the 2007 season in the UK, the Czech ace once again represented the Bandits in 2008, but was lured across country by Workington for the 2009 campaign. It was to prove a fruitful move, as he helped the Comets to victory in both the Four-Team Championship and the Young Shield.

In November, it was announced that Rymel would be heading back to Berwick in 2010, having concluded a two-year deal with the go-ahead new management who had just completed their first season in charge of operations. He warmed-up for the UK season by participating in the 11-round Argentinean International Championship and sealed overall victory in the final event at Bahia Blanca on 9 February.

Rymel was to post an average in excess of 8.5 points per match for the Borders club, but his season came crashing down when he sustained a broken neck in a crash at Edinburgh on 3 September. The Czech was involved in a collision with partner Marcin Rempała, when the Pole’s chain snapped during the first race of the Bandits’ challenge match at Armadale Stadium.

The Kopřivnice-born rider was taken directly from the circuit to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary with the track’s paramedical team in attendance – and the meeting was abandoned – before being later transferred to the Western General.

A scan confirmed a broken bone in his neck and it was later confirmed that he had also sustained a splintered shoulder-blade, a broken wrist in two places and suffered damage to the right-hand side of his spinal cord. Having been transferred to the Queen Elizabeth Spinal Injuries Unit at the Southern General Hospital in Glasgow, the Czech successfully underwent a lengthy orthopaedic procedure on 8 September, when a bone was grafted from his hip area into his neck to aid the healing of the break.

His shoulder was also subsequently set and the surgeons were pleased with his ability to move his arms and left leg. Severe damage to his spinal cord meant that Rymel was expected to require continued treatment for some considerable time in order to restore movement to his right leg, although he was able to make his way around the wards in a wheelchair and was also able to take remedial physiotherapy exercise in the Spinal Unit’s gymnasium.

However, there was great news on 13 September, when the rider proudly showed club officials John Anderson and Dick Barrie how he could move his previously inert right leg and wiggle his foot! His remarkable improvement continued the following week when he stunned medical staff by taking his first steps since his crash at Armadale and walked over 70 yards around his hospital’s gym. And, in October – after making week-on-week progress – Rymel took the bold decision of returning to the Czech Republic in order to continue his recuperation amongst his family.

FIM Speedway Grand Prix Record:
Grand Prix ridden: 1 – 136th on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix points: 2 – 122nd on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix races: 5 – 109th on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix race wins: 0 – n/a
Grand Prix wins: 0 – n/a      
Grand Prix finals: 0 – n/a

FIM Speedway World Cup Record:
SWC tournaments: 4
Events: 5 – 7th on Czech Republic’s list; 60th on SWC all-time list
Points: 16 – 6th on Czech Republic’s list; 81st on SWC all-time list
Finals: 0
Gold medals: 0