WALLACE, Ricky
DATE OF BIRTH: 2 September 1988, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
BRITISH CAREER: (2010) King's Lynn, King's Lynn II.
RIDER LINKS: Great nephew of Billy Sanders (born: 9 September 1955, Windsor, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia).
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 3.00 (PL), 6.00 (NL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Wallace commenced riding in October 2002, aged fourteen, but a little over two years later he had to overcome the effects of a hefty spill during a support race to the Australian Under-21 Championship at Oakburn Park Raceway, Tamworth, NSW, on 28 January 2005. This saw him sustain a badly shattered right leg after his friend, Kozza Smith, had lost control on the back straight and been thrown from his machine. Wallace was unable to avoid the bucking steed and smashed into it amidships. He was found to have suffered a bad break to the ball-joint of one femur, a fracture to the other femur and a fractured hand.

Wind on five years and, in January 2010, Peterborough announced the signing of the New South Wales speedster, the rider being the fourth Aussie to join the club during the winter, following on from Troy Batchelor, Taylor Poole and Dakota North. A great nephew of former World No. 2 Billy Sanders, the youngster - who holds a British passport - was initially loaned out to reigning Premier League Champions King's Lynn where, somewhat ironically, he teamed-up with his pal Kozza Smith. Uniquely, the tie-up was announced live from a studio at the Norfolk Arena at 7.00 p.m. on Monday 1 March, via the club's new web-based television channel, ‘Star TV'.

Wallace, who had ridden at the Saddlebow Road circuit in second-half races a couple of seasons previously, replaced fellow young Australian Alex Davies, who was originally included in the Stars' line-up, but was unfortunately ruled out due to complications in securing a British passport. The Sydneysider also took up a full-time position as a member of Lewis Bridger's pit crew and was based with the British hot-shot in the seaside resort of Bexhill, East Sussex. Although eligible to race in the National League, Wallace declined an offer from Weymouth because the Wildcats' Friday race-night would have conflicted with Bridger's commitments and his own opportunities to have regular outings at Peterborough's East of England Showground circuit.

On 15 March, King's Lynn confirmed that the Aussie would also ride for their National League side, the Young Stars, but would be restricted in his appearances due to his full-time position with Lewis Bridger. However, team boss Dale Allitt was happy with the arrangement, as it would provide opportunities to use Jake Knight, who held team's No. 8 berth. King's Lynn had only just got going with their official fixtures before they made a change to their line-up, though, with Wallace being replaced by Darren Mallett after he had failed to score in his previous two matches.

He also lost his place in the Young Stars team, being replaced by Cal McDade. However, he was recalled by King's Lynn's National League side at the end of April, when he replaced Jamie Courtney. His return to the side proved short-lived, though, as he sustained an arm injury in a heat six spill during the Young Stars' league visit to Rye House on 3 May. Having returned home to Australia shortly afterwards, he was eventually replaced in the team declaration at the tail-end of August by Oliver Rayson.      

WALTER, Ross
DATE OF BIRTH: 22 May 1988, Poole, Dorset.
BRITISH CAREER: (2010) Plymouth.
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 3.00 (NL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: The former road racer was drafted into Plymouth’s re-declared 1-7 in September 2010 to replace David Gough after the Welshman had sustained two broken bones in his foot during the Devils’ home meeting versus Newport in the National Trophy earlier in the month. Walter has experience of appearing in Southern Track Riders’ meetings and a highlight occurred in one such event at the Isle of Wight earlier in the year, on 11 May. This saw him card 9 points in the Intermediate Class, before taking victory in the ‘A’ final ahead of Simon Pearce, Adam Sheppard and Martin Pearce.

WARD, Darcy Stephen
DATE OF BIRTH: 4 May 1992, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
BRITISH CAREER: (2008) Boston; (2009) King's Lynn; (2010) Poole.
MAJOR HONOURS: Queensland Under-21 State Champion: 2009; Australian Under-21 Champion: 2009, 2010; World Under-21 Champion: 2009, 2010; New South Wales State Champion: 2010.
CLUB HONOURS: League Championship winner: 2009 [King’s Lynn]; Premier Trophy winner: 2009 [King’s Lynn]; Knock-Out Cup winner: 2009 [King’s Lynn], 2010 [Poole].
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 4.56 (EL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Having ridden spectacularly for Boston at Conference-level during the second-half of the 2008 campaign, the teenage sensation started the 2009 season at reserve for King’s Lynn in British speedway’s middle sphere. However, he quickly became the talk of the sport after a string of magnificent displays, which led to him moving up to the side’s No. 1 slot in early June.

His blistering form continued and saw him shoot to pole position in the overall Premier League averages, before injury struck at Edinburgh on 10 July. The Aussie was leading heat five, but lost control on the pits bend and crashed into the safety fence, chipping a bone at the bottom of an ankle. The injury necessitated a spell on the sidelines and the use of guests in his place; the youngster quickly recovered, though, returning to the Stars’ line-up on 2 August to continue his high-scoring exploits.

Ward’s efforts helped propel King’s Lynn to a League Championship and Premier Trophy double, whilst individually the talented Aussie finished a gallant runner-up to home representative Ricky Ashworth in the Premier League Riders’ Championship at Sheffield on 27 September. Further glory came his way on 3 October, though, when he annexed the World Under-21 Championship with a typically breathtaking display at Goričan, Croatia.

Ward was to retain top spot in the Premier League averages, finishing up with a real-time figure of close on 10 points per match. He did, however, sustain a back injury whilst representing Australia against Great Britain in an Under-25 Test match at Ipswich on 15 October. That necessitated a trip to Poland, where he received specialist attention from his Extra League club’s physiotherapist at Toruń, before returning to the UK for more treatment with a specialist in London.

He subsequently appeared in the first leg of the Knock-Out Cup final at Edinburgh on 23 October, but missed the return fixture five days later when the Stars secured an aggregate victory. That capped a superb year for the club, as they collected their third piece of major silverware. Completing a swift rise through the three tiers of British speedway, it was revealed in mid-November that Ward had completed an undisclosed big money transfer – reputedly £28,000 plus – from King’s Lynn to Poole for the 2010 season.

In December, Ward won the highly coveted Premier League Rider of the Year award at the annual Speedway Riders’ Association ceremony. The following month, he finished third in the Australian Championship and, on 16 January at Mildura, secured his second successive Aussie Under-21 crown.

The Queenslander went on to take the move to the highest UK echelon in his stride, posting an average of just under 8 points a match as the Pirates dominated the domestic campaign to occupy first place in the final league standings. Along the way, he registered his maiden paid maximum at top-flight level on 21 July, when he tallied 14+1 points against Belle Vue in a Knock-Out Cup tie at Wimborne Road.

On 2 October, the Australian sensation became only the second rider in history to retain the World Under-21 Championship at Pardubice, Czech Republic. The 18-year-old defeated Pole Maciej Janowski and Latvian star Maks Bogdanovs in a run-off for the gold medal. This was after the trio tied on 30 championship points in the new three-round series.

Although Poole eventually missed out on the League Championship after losing to Coventry in the Play-Off final, they did at least gain some consolation at Wimborne Road on 27 October, when they clinched an aggregate victory over Eastbourne to lift the Knock-Out Cup; it being Ward’s initial piece of silverware in top-flight British racing, having previously won three trophies at Premier League level with King’s Lynn.

FIM Speedway World Cup Record:
SWC tournaments: 1
Events: 2 – 13th on Australia’s list; 126th on SWC all-time list
Points: 14 – 12th on Australia’s list; 88th on SWC all-time list
Finals: 0
Gold medals: 0

WARWICK, Daniel (Danny) John
DATE OF BIRTH: 21 November 1983, Poole, Dorset.
BRITISH CAREER: (2002) Newport II; (2003) Newport II, Poole; (2004) Weymouth, Swindon II, King’s Lynn II; (2005) Newport II; (2006) Berwick, Weymouth; (2007) Somerset, Sittingbourne; (2008) Reading; (2009) Berwick, Bournemouth; (2010) Isle of Wight.
MAJOR HONOURS: Knock-Out Cup winner: 2009 [Bournemouth]; League Championship winner: 2009 [Bournemouth].
RIDER LINKS: Brother of Carl Warwick (born: 7 October 1981, Poole, Dorset).
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 5.97 (NL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Warwick took his first speedway laps when aged sixteen at Reading’s then-training circuit in 2000. It wasn’t until 2002 that he made his Conference League debut, however, when he rode for Newport against Carmarthen at Queensway Meadows on 1 April. And, in something of a sensational start, he sped to a tally of 11+1 points from seven starts. He went on to race in a total of twenty-two official matches for the Welsh outfit and, with 103 points to his name, posted a satisfactory 4.83 average. The year also saw him ride for Reading, when he made a guest appearance for the side in a Premier League encounter at Swindon on 29 August. Despite having to fill the absent Anders Henriksson’s berth at No. 3, he acquitted himself well to net 2 points from three starts.

In 2003, Warwick again raced for Newport at Conference level, raising his average to a 6.05 figure. It was a fairly busy season for the Dorset lad, since he also represented Poole on six occasions in the British League Cup competition. And that wasn’t the end of his activities for the year, since he also made guest appearances for both the senior Newport side and Exeter in the Premier League, and also rode in the opening meeting at the new Weymouth circuit, finishing as runner-up to Justin Elkins in the Wessex Rosebowl on 15 August.

Although Warwick was to begin the 2004 campaign in a Weymouth race-jacket, he didn’t stay with the Dorset side for long and subsequently linked with Swindon Sprockets. He proved to be a very dependable rider for the Wiltshire side, appearing in a full quota of twenty-four meetings and scoring 156 points for a solid 6.58 average. The highlight was a paid maximum (10+2 points) on 12 July, when the Sprockets ran riot to swamp Newport 65-27 in a one-sided match at the Abbey Stadium. The rules in operation at the time also permitted him to represent King’s Lynn in the Conference Trophy, but he was to make just a solitary appearance for the Norfolk team.

He returned to race for Newport Mavericks in 2005 and, a year later, made his official Premier League bow when joining Berwick. Although that meant a long distance round-trip for home meetings, he thoroughly enjoyed himself with the Borders club to register 125 points and a 3.36 average. His reliability and willingness to do anything in the club’s cause made him very popular with the Bandits’ supporters and he deservedly scooped the end-of-term Rider of the Year award. The season also saw him make three late appearances for Weymouth in the Conference Shield. In 2007, he linked with Somerset and, remarkably, for a fourth successive season, stayed ever-present for his main side throughout their busy 46-match schedule, yielding 211 points and an impressive 5.12 average. He also enjoyed a stint with Sittingbourne in the Conference League, making ten appearances for the Kent side.

His incredible ever-present record – which totalled 138 official meetings and was achieved with four different teams – came to an unfortunate end in 2008 when, having linked with Reading, he sustained a small fracture to his right ankle in a challenge match against Somerset at Smallmead on 17 March. This occurred in the original running of heat two, when he took a knock from visiting rider Stephan Katt entering the first bend and came down heavily. Although he bravely participated in the re-run, Warwick was clearly in pain and pulled up without completing the race. Soon after returning to the saddle, he was in the wars once more in another home match versus King’s Lynn in the Knock-Out Cup on 28 April. Again, in heat two, he was inadvertently clipped on the first corner as both visiting riders, John Oliver and Kozza Smith, came to grief. The upshot was a fractured shoulder for the Poole-born rider and a lengthy spell out of action. He returned to the Racers’ line-up for the last sector of the season but, with the track closing at the end of the term, had to move on in 2009.

Warwick was to secure a second spell with Berwick, but lost his team spot in May when the Bandits opted to bring in the locally-based Greg Blair. Renowned for his dreadlocks, the popular speedster subsequently joined Bournemouth later the same month, replacing Luke Priest in the line-up. Belatedly in the season, on 8 October, he hit a bump on the Poole racing strip and was catapulted over his handlebars in an alarming heat ten spill against the USA Dream Team. His crash was described as one of the worst ever seen at the venue and he was extremely lucky to walk away from it. Despite being black and blue, he bravely turned out for the Buccaneers in a Play-Off semi-final tie at Weymouth the following evening, before the pain got too much for him to represent the side in the first leg of the Knock-Out Cup final at Buxton on 11 October.

He did, however, return to the line-up as they sealed KOC glory in the second leg four days afterwards. And, later in the month, he helped Bournemouth secure the League Championship courtesy of a Play-Off final success over Plymouth. In January, the Isle of Wight announced that they had agreed a one-year loan deal with the Buccaneers for Warwick’s services in the new term. ‘The Dreaded one’, as the rider had become known because of his distinctive hairstyle, celebrated his landing of a 2010 team berth by heading off to Grindelwald in Switzerland for an extended snowboarding holiday!

WATSON, Craig
DATE OF BIRTH: 6 August 1976, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
BRITISH CAREER: (1997-99) Newport; (2000-01) Poole; (2002) Newport; (2003) Newport, Belle Vue; (2004-06) Newport; (2007) Poole, Glasgow; (2008) Newport, Birmingham; (2010) Newport.
MAJOR HONOUR: New South Wales State Champion: 2004.
CLUB HONOUR: Premier Trophy winner: 1999 [Newport].
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 6.38 (PL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: ‘Wato' began his UK career with Newport when the sport was re-launched in the city at Queensway Meadows in 1997 and was to prove a popular heat-leader, before taking the Elite League step-up with Poole in 2000. After two seasons on the Pirates' books, he rejoined Newport and formed a potent top-end spearhead with fellow Aussie Frank Smart. In 2003, the two were joined in at the sharp-end of the Wasps' attack by Niels-Kristian Iversen, and Watson also again dipped his toes in the top-flight, making numerous appearances for Belle Vue. A year on, the stylish Australian carded an average in excess of 9 points per match for Newport, and he was still producing the goods for the Welsh outfit in 2005 before being struck down by injury.

Regrettably, he sustained a dislocated ankle and multiple fractures in a frightening crash whilst representing the Wasps in a home league meeting versus Stoke on 8 May, the effects of which ended his season prematurely. He returned to the saddle in 2006, but his campaign was again disrupted when he suffered a broken arm, ironically again against Stoke, in a league encounter at Loomer Road on 6 May. The injury occurred in heat fifteen and caused the meeting to be abandoned after Watson's throttle had appeared to jam open whilst he chased home rider Mark Lemon and team-mate Carl Wilkinson on the back straight of the opening lap. His machine hurtled into the air safety barrier and the Aussie was thrown underneath, meaning that several feet of fencing had to be held up whilst he received medical attention. Having been unable to agree terms with Newport in 2007, Watson again linked with Poole at the end of March, but was released just six weeks later after netting only 20 points from thirteen league matches. He looked to get his career back on track by joining Premier League Glasgow at the start of July and went a long way towards regaining his golden touch by posting a real-time average of 8.43. His love affair with Newport resumed in 2008, but the club was forced to close down after promoter Tim Stone's death on 26 April. Only the side's Premier Trophy and Knock-Out Cup matches were permitted to count in the riders' records and Watson subsequently re-located to Birmingham.

The Aussie returned to his spiritual Newport home in 2009, but unluckily sustained a shattered upper right left leg when he crashed whilst leading heat thirteen in the track's reopening individual meeting for the Prince of Wales Trophy on 15 March. He was subsequently replaced in the Wasps' line-up by Paul Fry; this was also to cost him the No. 8 berth at Poole and he was replaced in the position by Chris Neath. Meanwhile, Watson didn't re-appear on-track during the remainder of the campaign, although he did undertake public relations and ambassadorial assignments for the club during his recuperation. After the conclusion of the season, he did get back on a bike for a couple of behind-closed-doors practice spins at Queensway Meadows and, happily, declared himself as fit as ever. As such, just before Christmas, the Wasps' management confirmed that a deal had been concluded for him to once again represent the club in 2010.

WATT, David (Davey) John
DATE OF BIRTH: 6 January 1978, Townsville, Queensland, Australia.
BRITISH CAREER: (2001) Isle of Wight; (2002) Newcastle; (2003) King’s Lynn, Poole; (2004) Rye House, Poole, Eastbourne; (2005) Eastbourne; (2006) Oxford; (2007) Eastbourne; (2008) Poole; (2009) Eastbourne; (2010) Poole.
MAJOR HONOUR: Queensland State Champion: 2005.
CLUB HONOURS: Young Shield winner: 2001 [Isle of Wight]; League Championship winner: 2003, 2004, 2008 [all Poole]; Elite Shield winner: 2009 [Eastbourne]; Knock-Out Cup winner: 2010 [Poole].
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 6.94 (EL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Having first ridden a bike at just 3-years-of-age in 1981, Watt was already a vastly experienced motorcyclist when he initially appeared in British speedway with the Isle of Wight in 2001. His official debut for the Islanders occurred in a Premier Trophy encounter at Swindon on 29 March, when he recorded a paid 5 points. He subsequently appeared for Newcastle and King’s Lynn, respectively, in the ensuing couple of seasons, whilst also riding for parent club Poole in the latter year.

A loan move to Rye House followed in 2004 and he also continued to ‘double-up’ with the Pirates, sharing a position with André Compton. However, he was released by the Dorset side in mid-June, when they re-signed Krzysztof Kasprzak. A month later, the Aussie returned to a top-flight position, however, when he linked with Eastbourne to share a post alongside Andrew Moore. Watt was to move into the Elite League on a full-time basis with the Eagles in 2005, but spent a term with Oxford a year later, before resuming with the East Sussex club in 2007.

Following that, the Australian international played an integral role in Poole’s 2008 Elite League-winning side, forming a potent unit with the likes of Bjarne Pedersen, Chris Holder, Magnus Zetterström, Adam Skórnicki, Freddie Eriksson and Daniel Davidsson. The popular rider, renowned for his fast starts, bravery, commitment and exciting riding style, was unable to be accommodated in 2009, though, and instead again linked with his former club, Eastbourne, on loan.

Late, in November, however, the Pirates were delighted to announce that the locally-based speedster would rejoin them as skipper in 2010. He proved an inspirational leader, as the Dorseteers dominated the regular Elite League programme to occupy top spot in the standings, with the Aussie maintaining an average of over 8 points a match.

And, having been called into the British Grand Prix as a replacement for the injured Emil Sayfutdinov at Cardiff on 10 July, he was to fill the Russian’s place in a further three of the final four rounds after the hard-charging rider from Salavat had taken another knock in the Scandinavian GP at Målilla, Sweden, on 14 August.

Watt overcame a hand injury whilst making a guest appearance for Coventry in a league fixture versus Peterborough at Brandon Stadium on 20 August. And although Poole eventually missed out on the League Championship after losing to Coventry in the Play-Off final, they did at least gain some consolation at Wimborne Road on 27 October, when they clinched an aggregate victory over Eastbourne to lift the Knock-Out Cup; it being Watt’s fourth piece of silverware with the Pirates, having previously won three league titles in their colours.

FIM Speedway Grand Prix Record:
Grand Prix ridden: 4 – 80th on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix points: 19 – 74th on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix races: 20 – 72nd on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix race wins: 3 – 71st on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix wins: 0 – n/a      
Grand Prix finals: 0 – n/a

FIM Speedway World Cup Record:
SWC tournaments: 5
Events: 10 – 5th on Australia’s list; 31st on SWC all-time list
Points: 64 – 6th on Australia’s list; 34th on SWC all-time list
Finals: 3
Gold medals: 0

WEBSTER, Timothy (Tim) Mark
DATE OF BIRTH: 26 May 1989, Walsall, West Midlands.
BRITISH CAREER: (2004) King’s Lynn II; (2005) Weymouth, Scunthorpe; (2006) Newport II; (2007) Plymouth; (2008-09) Weymouth; (2010) Newport II.
CLUB HONOUR: League Championship winner: 2008 [Weymouth].
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 5.65 (NL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Webster first rode a speedway bike in October 2003 and, a year later, made his official debut with King’s Lynn’s second side – the then-nicknamed Starlets – in their final Conference Trophy match of the season in an away encounter versus Weymouth on 31 October, failing to score from four outings. He made just a single Knock-Out Cup appearance for Weymouth the following year and also raced in one Conference League match for Scunthorpe. Thirteen appearances came his way for Newport Mavericks in 2006 as he continued to make his way in the sport. A season with Plymouth in 2007 proved a good move as he attained a real-time average of 3.74 from twenty-seven official matches.

Webster then enjoyed the first of two terms in Weymouth’s colours in 2008, when he increased his average to above 6 points per match. Highlighting a fruitful 2009 campaign, he established a new track record of 50.9 seconds for the Radipole Lane circuit on 8 August; this occurred in heat two of a National League fixture against Newport.

Prior to the season’s end it was confirmed by Wildcats’ boss Phil Bartlett that the rider was set for a full transfer back to Newport, whom he had previously been an asset of. This came after Webster had officially requested a permanent move with the Speedway Control Bureau. He was to post an average in excess of 6 points per match for the Hornets, but faced an enforced spell on the sidelines after sustaining a broken wrist in heat one of an away league match at King’s Lynn on 1 August.

Whilst he recuperated, Webster’s team spot was filled by Luke Priest in a subsequent re-declaration. However, when Mark Jones’ six-month work permit came to an end later that same month, Webster found himself recalled to the side upon his recovery from injury. But his return didn’t last long, as he suffered a broken ankle in a National Trophy engagement at the Isle of Wight on 21 September, which brought his season to a premature end. The injury occurred in heat seven, when Webster laid down his machine on the third bend in an attempt to avoid fallen team-mate Tom Young.

WELLS, Rick (Ricky)
DATE OF BIRTH: 27 July 1991, Auckland, North Island, New Zealand.
BRITISH CAREER: (2009) Coventry; (2010) Stoke.
MAJOR HONOURS: USA Under-21 Champion: 2007, 2008; AMA American Champion: 2009; California State Champion: 2009.
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 6.00 (PL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Previously nicknamed ‘The Kiwi Kid', Wells - who races on an American licence - had the start of his British career delayed slightly with Coventry in 2009, whilst his official paperwork was ironed out. He was temporarily replaced by Filip Sitera, before being able to line-up for the Bees in April. The Warwickshire outfit had been taking a keen interest in Wells' progress for over a year, and members of their management team had attended his meetings on previous trips to Europe, including his run to the semi-finals of the World Under-21 Championship in 2008. Having agreed to join the Brandon-based club, it initially looked likely that the Auckland-born rider would be loaned out to a Premier League outfit in order to gain more experience but, with the regulations ruling that out, he made the big step directly into the top-flight.

The youngster experienced the highs and lows of the sport in a three-day spell as the season unfolded, winning the American Championship on 19 September. But, on 21 September, he crashed heavily in heat eleven of the Play-Off semi-final between Coventry and Swindon at Brandon Stadium, sustaining bad bruising to his lower back, although thankfully no broken bones. That necessitated a spell on the sidelines for the rider. Wells' success in the 41st United States National Championship at the famous Orange County Fairgrounds, Costa Mesa, California, made him the youngest-ever winner of the title at 18 years and 54 days old. He was also the first foreign-born rider to claim the Championship.

In November, it was revealed that the Californian would race for Premier League Stoke in 2010 - in a loan deal from Coventry - having had a tough debut British season in the highest sphere. And, in December, the Bees announced that he would be ‘doubling-up' in their reserve department, alongside Josh Auty. However, the Bees were subsequently forced to review their options when they learnt that Wells wasn't eligible for a place in their squad because riders without an established Premier League average are not permitted to ‘double-up' or take the No.8 stand-by position at EL level. The Warwickshire club eventually opted to sign Richard Sweetman for the role.

WERNER, Jeffrey Brent
DATE OF BIRTH: 15 April 1974, Los Angeles, California, USA.
BRITISH CAREER: (1995-97) Long Eaton; (1998) Newcastle; (1999-2000) Workington; (2001) Eastbourne; (2002) Rye House; (2003) Rye House, Peterborough; (2004) Rye House, Belle Vue; (2005) Rye House, Oxford; (2006) Eastbourne, Mildenhall, Arena-Essex; (2007) Birmingham; (2008) Somerset, Eastbourne; (2009) Newport; (2010) Somerset.
CLUB HONOURS: Four-Team Championship winner: 1997 [Long Eaton]; Pairs Championship winner: 1999 [Workington]; League Championship winner: 2005 [Rye House]; Premier Trophy winner: 2005 [Rye House]; Knock-Out Cup winner: 2008 [Somerset].
RIDER LINKS: Nephew of Dubb Ferrell (born: 26 August 1954, Los Angeles, California, USA).
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 5.83 (PL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Werner's testimonial was held at Rye House on 8 October 2005, when Morten Risager took victory in an individual event. The American quit the sport after a poor run of form with Birmingham in May 2007, but was persuaded to return by Somerset in 2008 after Ritchie Hawkins had been injured prior to the season. Werner joined Newport in 2009, but a revamp of the side in early July saw him replaced by Swedish newcomer Jonas Andersson. In November, the American insisted that he was hoping to again ride in the Premier League in 2010, despite being at the veteran stage of his career. And, he boosted his aspirations no end by notching a 12-point tally in the New Year Classic at Newport on 3 January, prior to finishing fourth in the final, behind Steve Boxall, Kevin Doolan and Ben Barker.

Following injuries sustained by Jay Herne, it was announced by Somerset on 7 April that they had signed the experienced American as a replacement for the unfortunate Australian. This, of course, represented Werner's second spell with the Rebels, as he was a member of the 2008 septet that won the Knock-Out Cup and finished as runners-up to Edinburgh in the Premier League that year. He was an ever-present during the season - his last full term in the sport - scoring 282 points in his forty-six matches and, additionally, he recorded a massive 51 bonus points, which brought his real-time average to a solid 6.34.

However, the American's stint with Somerset was to be short-lived as, on 27 April, it was announced that the rider had informed the Rebels' management that he wished to step down from riding; the news coming hot on the heels of Steve Boxall's decision to quit the club. Werner had struggled to find any sort of form, his best score being 4+1 points in his first meeting back with the side against King's Lynn in a Premier Trophy encounter at the Oak Tree Arena on 9 April.

WETHERS, Matthew James
DATE OF BIRTH: 30 May 1985, Adelaide, South Australia.
BRITISH CAREER: (2003) Armadale, Wolverhampton II, Edinburgh; (2004) Edinburgh, Armadale; (2005) Glasgow, King’s Lynn, Edinburgh; (2006) Edinburgh, Poole; (2007-10) Edinburgh, Wolverhampton.
CLUB HONOURS: League Championship winner: 2003, 2008, 2010 [all Edinburgh]; Premier Trophy winner: 2008 [Edinburgh]; Play-Off winner: 2008, 2009 [Edinburgh].
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 6.97 (PL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: ‘Stormy’ represented Edinburgh for a seventh successive season in 2009 and was the Armadale-based team’s only remaining rider from the legendary Championship-winning side of 2003. During this time, the mega-popular Aussie had brief spells with other outfits – most notably in 2005 with stints at Glasgow and King’s Lynn – but it’s with the Monarchs that his heart lies. He has become an accomplished competitor with the Scottish outfit, winning the Rider of the Year award in 2007 and adding a further league title in 2008, as well as being part of the side that triumphed in both the Premier Trophy and the Play-Offs.

He posted a real-time average of almost 8 points per match in 2009 and also skippered Edinburgh to another Play-Off success against King’s Lynn in an enthralling final. With a casual approach that hides a natural racing instinct and intelligence, the Adelaide-born rider has tended to come under the radar outside of Scotland where, understandably, he is very highly-rated by the Monarchs’ management. Naturally, he again remained with them in 2010 and in May, following the broken leg sustained by Wolverhampton’s Chris Kerr, he was brought into the Elite League side’s squad in a ‘doubling-up’ capacity. This was the second time he had linked with the Monmore club, having represented the then-Wolf Cubs in the Conference League in 2003.

Wethers spun off when lying third in heat seven of Wolverhampton’s league fixture versus Swindon at Monmore Green on 12 July. The Aussie was thrown from his machine, taking a heavy fall on the last turn. After lengthy treatment, he was taken from the track by ambulance with suspected concussion. However, he returned to action later in the same week with Edinburgh and went on to seal a third League Championship success in seven years with the Scottish side, forming a particularly potent cutting edge alongside Ryan Fisher and Kevin Wölbert.

WHITE-WILLIAMS, James (Jamie)
DATE OF BIRTH: 2 December 1985, Newport, Gwent, South Wales.
BRITISH CAREER: (2008) Plymouth; (2009) Weymouth; (2010) Newport II.
CLUB HONOUR: Conference Trophy winner: 2008 [Plymouth].
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 4.94 (NL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: The Welshman represented Plymouth in 2008, before switching to Weymouth in 2009, when he made thirty official appearances for 166 points and an impressive real-time average of 5.83. However, in November, Newport revealed that they had signed White-Williams as a full asset to represent his home city club at National League level in 2010.

He was knocked unconscious when he clattered through the first bend safety fence after tangling with home rider Marc Owen during the Hornets’ league fixture at Rye House on 11 September. As a result, he was sidelined with a shoulder strain. Although he subsequently returned to action, White-Williams was to sustain another shoulder injury during the Farewell to Weymouth Speedway meeting at Radipole Lane on 22 October, which brought the curtain down on his campaign.

WIDMAN, Christopher (Chris) David
DATE OF BIRTH: 25 March 1990, Leicester, Leicestershire.
BRITISH CAREER: (2005) Scunthorpe; (2008) Boston; (2009-10) King’s Lynn II.
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 3.43 (NL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Widman first sampled speedway on a 125cc machine at the then-Sheffield training track in September 2000, before going on to compete in the British Under-15 Championship in 2004 and 2005. He was fifteenth in the inaugural year of the Championship, but an expected improvement the following term was unfortunately scuppered by a broken arm.
His Conference League debut occurred for Scunthorpe in a home match versus Rye House on 24 April 2005 but, due to his arm injury, it was to be one of only three official appearances that year. He failed to add to his official tally until 2008, when he rode in a dozen matches for Boston during their last season of operating from the Norfolk Arena raceway, including appearances in the finals of both the Play-Offs and Knock-Out Cup.
He was still based at the same venue in 2009, when he made fourteen appearances at National League level for King’s Lynn, scoring 46 points for a 3.46 real-time average. In February 2010, the re-branded Young Stars revealed that Widman would remain on board for the new campaign. However, an amendment to the side’s declaration in May saw him moved from a spot in the 1-7 to instead fill the No. 8 berth, as Jake Knight was promoted from the position in his place. He was to lose his spot in the squad in mid-June, though, when the Norfolk club signed Lewis Kerr.

WILKINSON, Carl Adam
DATE OF BIRTH: 16 May 1981, Boston, Lincolnshire.
BRITISH CAREER: (1997) Peterborough II; (1998) Norfolk; (1999) King's Lynn II; (2000) Boston, Newcastle, Glasgow; (2001) Boston; (2002-03) Newport, Newport II; (2004) Newport; (2005) Boston, Berwick; (2006) Newport, Ipswich; (2007) Newcastle, Wolverhampton; (2008-10) Scunthorpe, Ipswich.
CLUB HONOURS: League Championship winner: 1997 [Peterborough II]; Knock-Out Cup winner: 2000 [Boston].
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 6.58 (PL), 3.29 (EL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Wilkinson was named as one of Ipswich's ‘doubling-up' riders for 2009 and shared the position with Australian Kozza Smith. The Brit first burst on to the scene at Amateur League level for the then-Peterborough Thundercats in May 1997 and his distinctive, spectacular riding style has thrilled crowds the length and breath of the UK ever since at a variety of clubs. Prior to the end of the season, ‘Wilko' tied-up a deal to remain with Scunthorpe for a third successive term in 2010 and, in December, it was announced that he would also remain with Ipswich in a ‘doubling-up' capacity, alongside Linus Sundström. But the Witches were to find themselves propping up the league table and, in mid-July, they opted to replace Wilkinson with the same Kozza Smith who, of course, he had shared the role with in the previous season.

WILSON, Ben Ryan
DATE OF BIRTH: 15 March 1986, Sheffield, South Yorkshire.
BRITISH CAREER: (2001-02) Sheffield II; (2003) Sheffield, Sheffield II, Buxton; (2004) Sheffield, Sheffield II, Carmarthen; (2005) Sheffield; (2006) Sheffield, Wolverhampton; (2007) Sheffield, Belle Vue; (2008) Sheffield; (2009) Redcar, Poole; (2010) Redcar.
MAJOR HONOUR: British Under-21 Champion: 2006.
CLUB HONOUR: League Championship winner: 2001 [Sheffield II].
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 7.01 (PL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Wilson’s first steps on the speedway ladder took place at the Sheffield training school, before he took his bow at Conference level with the Prowlers in 2001. He was to make huge strides with Sheffield’s second side a year later, remaining ever-present throughout their twenty-four official matches to yield 183 points and a 7.49 average. A real highlight occurred on 29 July, when he romped to a first-ever paid maximum in a home league match versus Wimbledon, notching 12+3 points from five starts. His rapid progress earned him a place in the senior Tigers team in 2003 and he held his spot throughout, recording a 3.81 average from forty meetings.

The year also saw him continue to gain experience with the Prowlers in the Conference League and he also enjoyed a couple of outings with Buxton in the Conference Trophy. Indeed, his form for Sheffield’s youngsters was excellent, as he posted a 9.47 average and hit half-a-dozen maximums (2 full and 4 paid) from eighteen appearances. Wilson’s sharp rise gathered momentum in 2004, when his average for the Tigers moved up to 5.15. Meanwhile, he again represented the Prowlers and, although the side had curtailed their activities to the Conference Trophy, he achieved an impressive 9.03 average. Aside from that, he also rode in four Conference League matches for Carmarthen.

In an eventful season, he took a splendid victory in the Jeff Hall Suzuki Top Gun Championship at Sheffield on 27 May after defeating Richard Hall in a title run-off. And, a little over two months later, he made his international debut for a touring Great Britain Under-21 side against their Swedish counterparts in Örebro. Regrettably, though, he was to end the campaign with a broken collarbone, suffered on 29 October whilst appearing for the GB Under-21s versus Scotland at Edinburgh’s Armadale Stadium. The meeting was held amidst dreadfully wet conditions and was abandoned after the fourth heat, which had seen Wilson collect his painful injury when David McAllan had inadvertently spun and fallen in front of him.

Fully fit for 2005, the Sheffield-born youngster was to ride solely for his hometown team. His improvement continued unabated, as he remained ever-present throughout their 50-match programme to card a 6.03 average. The pinnacle of Wilson’s career occurred in 2006, however, when he was crowned British Under-21 Champion at King’s Lynn on 3 May. The meeting saw him run a second to Edward Kennett first time out, but he went on to brilliantly collect 14 points from his five starts. That booked him a comfortable passage through to the final, which he subsequently won superbly ahead of Daniel King, Lewis Bridger and Steve Boxall. Meanwhile, for the Tigers, he once more came on a bomb, registering an 8.11 average from fifty official meetings.

He was again identified with Sheffield in 2007 and also filled a ‘doubling up’ role alongside James Wright at Belle Vue; although he was to be restricted to just one appearance in the Elite League against Reading at Kirkmanshulme Lane on 29 August. Yet another term with Sheffield followed but, having been on the club’s books for eight seasons, a change of track in 2009 saw Wilson link with Redcar. And, in May that year, he also joined Poole in a ‘doubling-up’ capacity alongside the late Paul Fry, when the Pirates’ management released Carl Stonehewer and Tomasz Piszcz.

He seemed likely to miss the remainder of the season after sustaining a broken heel, when he lost control and crashed whilst leading heat fourteen of Redcar’s televised league match versus Edinburgh on 24 August. However, he defied the medical experts and took part in a behind-closed-doors practice session, before amazingly returning to the Bears’ line-up in an away league match at Sheffield on 3 September – just 10 days after his accident! Wilson, having moved away from his Owlerton ‘comfort zone’, proved a big hit with the Bears and deservedly won the club’s Rider of the Year award.

The Yorkshireman continued his excellent form with Redcar in the early weeks of the 2010 campaign, but came a cropper in the Bears’ Premier League match at Berwick on 1 May. In heat nine, he took a double points outing, only to plough through the safety fence at high speed exiting the second bend. He ended up against the outer spectator retaining wall, before being taken to hospital for further treatment. Although not diagnosed immediately, Wilson suffered a chipped bone in the heel he had injured the previous term, whilst also hurting an arm and receiving severe bruising.

He returned to action for Redcar in a Premier Trophy match at Sheffield on 27 May but, broadly speaking, was unable to replicate his pre-injury form and this culminated in him losing his team spot to Joe Haines early in August. However, he was snapped-up almost immediately by Stoke to replace Jan Graversen, but his season was to end abruptly on 9 October after a heavy crash in a league fixture against Newport at Loomer Road. This saw Wilson collected by Wasps’ Kyle Legault in his first race of the meeting and, although he was later released from hospital, the rider was left feeling decidedly second-hand.

FIM Speedway Grand Prix Record:
Wilson has signed on as a reserve for one Grand Prix, at Cardiff, Wales, for the 2006 FIM British Speedway GP, but did not get a ride and is still waiting to make his SGP debut.

WILTSHIRE, Luke Anthony James
DATE OF BIRTH: 20 April 1991, Poole, Dorset.
BRITISH CAREER: (2010) Weymouth.
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 3.00 (NL)
ADDITIONAL INFO: Having borrowed a Jawa from Terry Day, the youngster took his first speedway skids at Reading’s then-training track when aged seventeen. Prior to that, Wiltshire had been a moto-cross competitor for over ten years but, having got a taste for the shale sport, he switched machinery in 2009 and decided to take it up seriously. His efforts were rewarded towards the end of January, when he was named as Weymouth’s official No. 8 for the 2010 campaign.

WOFFINDEN, Tai
DATE OF BIRTH: 10 August 1990, Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire.
BRITISH CAREER: (2006) Scunthorpe, Sheffield; (2007) Rye House, Scunthorpe, Poole; (2008) Rye House; (2009-10) Wolverhampton.
MAJOR HONOURS: Conference League Riders' Champion: 2007; British Under-18 Champion: 2007, 2008; British Under-21 Champion: 2008; Premier League Riders' Champion: 2008.
CLUB HONOURS: League Championship winner: 2006 [Scunthorpe], 2007 [Rye House and Scunthorpe], 2009 [Wolverhampton]; 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: Son of Rob Woffinden (born: 27 March 1962, Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire).
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 7.28 (EL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: In October 2006, Wolverhampton won the race to sign the highly talented youngster on a full contract. He subsequently spent two seasons with Rye House in the Premier League, before stepping up to the Elite League on a full-time basis with the Wolves in 2009. It’s hard not to get excited about the talented Woffinden, whose progress through the leagues was emphatic and included the scooping of numerous individual titles along the way. He learnt to ride speedway in Perth, Australia, prior to beginning his British career with Scunthorpe – just like his father, Rob, had done in 1978 – before progressing on to Rye House.

In 2008, ‘Woffy’ occupied a hugely impressive third place in the British Final staged at Swindon and, in the 2009 event at Poole on 20 May, he replicated that performance, finishing behind Chris Harris and Edward Kennett. He went on to play a vital role in Wolves’ League Championship success, netting 303 points from thirty-seven official appearances to yield a remarkable real-time average of 8.30. In November, he was named as one of the four permanent wildcards for the 2010 Grand Prix series and, in mid-December, Wolverhampton confirmed that he would remain with them for a second successive term.

Regrettably, his dad passed away on 30 January, aged just 47, following a near year-long battle with cancer. He had been a major influence on his son’s career and was held in high regard within the Wolves’ camp for helping to generate such a wonderful team spirit amongst the side on their way to the league title success. Woffinden jnr found the ideal distraction the day after his father’s sad passing by getting back on his steed and completing some testing at Scunthorpe’s Eddie Wright Raceway. Another mark of distinction came his way in March when, at 19 years-of-age, he was instated as the Wolverhampton skipper.  

Woffinden suffered ligament damage to a wrist when he fell awkwardly after clipping Peterborough guest Scott Nicholls’ rear wheel in heat fifteen of Wolves’ home league match on 17 May. Bravely, after receiving a pain-killing injection from Ipswich-based injury specialist Brian Simpson, he returned to action five days later in the Czech GP and recorded his first-ever race win in the series.

He was in the wars again during Event Two of the Speedway World Cup at King’s Lynn on 26 July, when he crashed in his second outing. Despite taking a knock to the ribs, he rode on as Great Britain qualified directly to the final and, although he was struggling to breathe properly, he vowed to race through the pain barrier in the pursuit of glory for his country. Then, in heat fifteen of Wolverhampton’s league match at Swindon on 2 September, he clattered into the air safety barrier during the initial attempt to run the race. As a result, he was forced to miss the Elite League Pairs Championship at Ipswich two days later and was also unable to represent Great Britain in the World Under-21 Team Cup Final at Rye House on the 5th of the month.

FIM Speedway Grand Prix Record:
Grand Prix ridden: 11 – 57th on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix points: 49 – 56th on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix races: 56 – 51st on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix race wins: 5 – 59th on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix wins: 0 – n/a      
Grand Prix finals: 0 – n/a

FIM Speedway World Cup Record:
SWC tournaments: 3
Events: 5 – 9th on Great Britain’s list; 63rd on SWC all-time list
Points: 35 – 10th on Great Britain’s list; 57th on SWC all-time list
Finals: 1
Gold medals: 0

WÖLBERT, Kevin
DATE OF BIRTH: 14 June 1989, Crivitz, Parchim, Germany.
BRITISH CAREER: (2009-10) Edinburgh.
MAJOR HONOUR: German Champion: 2008.
CLUB HONOURS: Play-Off winner: 2009 [Edinburgh]; League Championship winner: 2010 [Edinburgh].
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 7.00 (PL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Having attracted considerable attention in recent years, the talented Wölbert continued his progression up the speedway ladder when he finished sixth in the European Under-19 Championship at Stralsund in his home country on 30 August 2008. Then, the following day, he further showcased his abilities by taking third spot in the German Under-21 Championship at Herxheim. However, the pinnacle of his career thus far occurred in Diedenbergen on 14 September, when he was crowned German Champion.

The meeting saw Wölbert notch 12 points to tie for first place with Richard Speiser and defending Champion Martin Smolinski but, in the title run-off, he jetted away and held off the pressing former Coventry rider for a fine success. Prior to his excellent run on the individual front, Wölbert had also top-scored for Germany as they grabbed a highly creditable second-place behind Sweden in the European Under-19 Team Championship final at Rawicz, Poland, on 22 May.

After lining-up at Edinburgh for the aborted Scottish Open on 31 July 2009, the German subsequently joined the then-reigning Premier League Champions in August, replacing the injured Andrew Tully and also linking with compatriot Max Dilger, who had been acquired by the Monarchs a couple of weeks earlier. His signing was to be one that re-ignited the season for the Scottish side, as he averaged almost 9 points per match (including bonus). Regrettably, Wölbert was to miss Edinburgh’s trip to King’s Lynn for the second leg of the Knock-Out Cup final after receiving a hand injury during the Promotion Play-Off at Belle Vue on 26 October.

The injury occurred in the nominated heat, when the German’s clutch disintegrated on the first bend, causing him to fall heavily. He also missed out on the return leg against the Aces, but at least had enjoyed the satisfaction of helping the Monarchs to victory over King’s Lynn in the Play-Off final earlier in the month. Immediately prior to his injury, the club had handed their fans an early Christmas present with the news that Wölbert was the first name on the Edinburgh team-sheet for 2010, the popular rider having agreed to return for a full term.

He endured a bumpy start to the new season, though, in the re-staging of the previous year’s Scottish Open at Armadale on 19 March, when he suffered a couple of heavy crashes. However, he was able to complete the meeting and subsequently declared himself fit for the Monarchs’ opening matches of the campaign. Then Wölbert injured his back in the Monarchs’ home match versus Glasgow in the Premier Trophy on 23 April.

After struggling through several further meetings, he eventually had it re-checked in Germany and underwent an operation to drain off the fluid. The advice was that he should take two weeks’ rest but, being a typical speedway rider, he was back in the saddle much sooner than that. And, he was to be a key component of a powerful Edinburgh side that went on to clinch the League Championship, as he formed a powerful spearhead alongside Ryan Fisher and Matthew Wethers.

FIM Speedway Grand Prix Record:
Wölbert has signed on as a reserve for one Grand Prix, at Gelsenkirchen, Germany, for the 2008 FIM German Speedway GP, but the event was postponed and moved to Bydgoszcz, Poland and, as he was not named as a reserve for the re-staging, he is still waiting to make his SGP debut.

WOODWARD, Cameron Jackson
DATE OF BIRTH: 8 January 1985, Mildura, Victoria, Australia.
BRITISH CAREER: (2003) Poole; (2004-05) Edinburgh; (2006-10) Eastbourne.
MAJOR HONOURS: Victoria State Champion: 2006, 2008, 2009.
CLUB HONOURS: Knock-Out Cup winner: 2008 [Eastbourne]; Elite Shield winner: 2009 [Eastbourne].
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 5.33 (EL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Woodward began his UK career with Poole in 2003, making just five appearances in the British League Cup competition that ran only for the one season only. The Aussie then joined Edinburgh for his first full term of British racing in 2004 and was to spend two years with the Scottish club, raising his average to over 7 points per match at Premier League level. He then stepped-up to the Elite League with Eastbourne in 2006 and, since then, the laid-back speedster has made steady progress.

Woodward remained in the Eagles’ colours for a fourth successive campaign in 2009, when a neat style, together with the ability to conjure decent starts and good speed meant he assumed a second-string role in the side’s septet. He was to remain ever-present over the course of the club’s thirty-six official matches, scoring 236 points to yield a solid real-time average of 6.64.

Late in December, the Eastbourne management confirmed that he would once again represent them in 2010. And, upon his arrival back in the UK from Down Under in February, Woodward was handed the Eagles’ captaincy; a singular honour which saw the Aussie’s name ranked alongside such club legends as Martin Dugard, Gordon Kennett, Nicki Pedersen and David Norris to name but a few.

The Aussie made his usual solid start to the campaign, but required a spell on the sidelines after tangling with Wolverhampton’s Fredrik Lindgren in heat five of a league fixture at Arlington on 17 June. The coming together resulted in the Eagles’ skipper going over the safety fence and, although he raced on for a time in the match-up, he was unable to take his place in his last ride.

It was subsequently confirmed that he had suffered a hefty knock to his left thigh, which swelled heavily and necessitated treatment for blood clots. He eventually returned to action in a home league match versus Poole on 15 July and celebrated by notching 12+2 points. And he was to clinch a first-ever top-flight maximum when he totalled a whopping 15+3 points from six starts against Wolverhampton in the Knock-Out Cup semi-final at Arlington on 10 October.

WORRALL, Steven (Steve)
DATE OF BIRTH: 23 September 1991, St Helens, Merseyside.
BRITISH CAREER: (2010) Scunthorpe, Scunthorpe II.
RIDER LINKS: Twin brother of Richie Worrall (born: 23 September 1991, St Helens, Merseyside).
ADDITIONAL INFO: In February 2010, Scunthorpe Saints announced the signing of the former moto-cross rider to fill one of their reserve berths in the new campaign. St Helens born and bred Worrall, who had been racing moto-cross since the age of seven, saw speedway on television and decided to try the sport on the club's mini-track in 2009.

After enjoying the experience, he attended the practices at the Eddie Wright Raceway and progressed through the club's amateur meetings towards the end of the season. Highlighting just how far he had progressed in a short space of time - in only his third meeting - he mixed-it with established National League riders Paul Starke and Mattie Bates, together with fellow Saints' signing Ashley Birks, in the Open Class ‘A' final on 12 December.

That came hot on the heels of a second-place finish in the ‘A' final of the Support Class at the Eddie Wright Raceway on 29 August, and a brace of victories in both the ‘A' and ‘B' Support Class finals on 18 October. And, quite incredibly, after riding in just two National League meetings for Scunthorpe, Worrall appeared in the British Under-21 qualifying round at Mildenhall on 11 April and scooped a brilliant second-place finish, behind Scott Campos.

His form for the Saints was impressive, too, with an early high spot being a return of 11+1 points in an away league fixture at Plymouth on 21 May. His efforts were to be rewarded at the tail-end of June, when Scunthorpe elected to share a reserve berth between him and Gary Irving in their senior team, having released Simon Lambert. However, another change in August saw the Scorpions' management draft in Jan Graversen to replace Worrall and Irving.

WORTMANN, Casper
DATE OF BIRTH: 18 May 1988, Odense, Denmark.
BRITISH CAREER: (2008) Mildenhall; (2009) Newcastle; (2010) King’s Lynn, Workington.
CLUB HONOUR: Young Shield winner: 2010 [Workington].
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 3.00 (PL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: The Dane sustained internal damage and a knee injury during Mildenhall’s Premier Trophy clash with Birmingham on 6 April 2008. It was subsequently revealed that he had been fighting for his life and had required emergency surgery on the morning following the meeting, as he had liver and kidney injuries, with blood pumping into his abdomen.

Thankfully, he was released from hospital some two weeks later, when he returned to Denmark to recuperate. Amazingly, he returned to action for Mildenhall later in the 2008 campaign and went on to complete a total of twelve official meeting for a 3.05 average (including bonus). Having joined Newcastle in 2009, the Dane was to lose his team spot at the end of May when a change saw him replaced by Adam McKinna.

In November, due to his attractively low starting average, King’s Lynn announced that he would line-up for them in 2010. However, despite maintaining an average of close on 6 points per match, Wortmann was released in August, when the Stars’ management executed an astonishing raft of changes.

The first move had seen Adam Roynon replace Joe Haines and this was immediately followed by another four amendments to their team declaration, as 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 slot, with the other incoming riders being Lasse Bjerre, Jamie Courtney and Cal McDade.

The Dane returned to the Premier League scene in early September, however, when he was drafted into the Workington line-up to cover the absence of injured American Kenny Ingalls. He went on to post an average of 5.5 points a match in his short stint with the club and, right at the season’s end, played in big part in Workington winning the Young Shield for a third successive season. Indeed, in the final, they had to pull back 20 points against Rye House in the second leg at Derwent Park on 30 October, but won emphatically on the night, 66-28; the Dane notching 6+2 points from four outings.

WRATHALL, Adam Mark Edward
DATE OF BIRTH: 27 November 1991, Blackpool, Lancashire.
BRITISH CAREER: (2007) Oxford II; (2008-10) Scunthorpe II.
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 3.79 (NL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Wrathall sustained multiple, life-threatening injuries in Oxford's opening Conference Trophy fixture of the 2007 season, at home to Weymouth on 8 April. In heat two, he lost control on the fourth bend and, together with his machine, was flung over the safety fence. Among other things, he received a broken right leg, broken left thumb, broken bones in his back, bruising to his lungs and head, with some internal bleeding at the back of the brain. Having eventually recovered, he linked with Scunthorpe's Conference League outfit the following term and remained with the Lincolnshire side in the re-branded National League in 2009, when he notched 87 points from nineteen official appearances for a 4.77 average (including bonus).

At the season's end, he flew to Australia to further his experience and, in early February, he was again named in the Saints' line-up for the 2010 campaign. Having been appointed captain, the Blackpool-based rider was maintaining an average in excess of 5 points per match, prior to being forced to withdraw from a home league fixture versus Bournemouth on 25 June, after crashing out on the second bend of heat six. He sustained an ankle injury and subsequently had it X-rayed at his hometown hospital where a fracture was confirmed.

WRIGHT, Charles Martin
DATE OF BIRTH: 26 October 1988, Stockport, Cheshire.
BRITISH CAREER: (2004-06) Buxton; (2007) Workington, Buxton; (2008-09) Workington; (2010) Buxton, Redcar.
CLUB HONOURS: Four-Team winner: 2008 [Workington]; Young Shield winner: 2008 [Workington].
RIDER LINKS: Grandson of Jim Yacoby (born: 26 September 1939, Denton, Manchester, Greater Manchester). Brother of fellow rider James Wright (born: 13 June 1986, Stockport, Cheshire).
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 9.26 (NL), 4.64 (PL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Like his elder brother, Wright began his racing career in the grass-track scene, taking his first rides at just six years-of-age. His initial skids on a speedway machine occurred sometime later at King's Lynn, before he took his Conference League bow with Buxton as a 15-year-old in 2004. He was to end his debut season with a creditable average in excess of 5 points per match and, the following term, was one of the mainstays of the team and added over a point to his statistical figure as he missed only one official meeting all year. The 2006 campaign didn't start well, however, as Wright was injured in a fall at Belle Vue's Press Day, causing him to sit out several months of the term.

In fact, such was the extent of his injuries that he didn't resume racing until August, but he started with a bang as he notched-up successive home paid maximums against Sittingbourne and Cleveland in Conference Shield encounters. In total, he was to spend four seasons on board with the Hitmen, the last of which also saw him combine his duties with Premier League Workington, in 2007. Remaining with the Comets on a full-time basis in 2008, the youngster continued to develop and was an obvious starter in the Cumbrian side the following term. However, he was injured in Workington's away league match at Glasgow on 31 May.

This occurred after team-mate Adrian Rymel had started heat eleven off a 15-metre handicap and quickly caught home rider Mitchell Davey, before colliding with the Australian as he attempted to forge a route through on the fourth bend. That sent Davey into the path of Wright, who was thrown 20-feet down the home straight. He sustained bruising to the heels and a badly damaged wrist; it was the latter of these that was to cause the most problems and, after missing over two months of action, a revised team declaration in August saw him replaced in the Comets' line-up by vastly experienced Welshman, Phil Morris.

Unable to return to the saddle, Wright's wrist was to keep on swelling up due to ligament damage, which also led to him suffering from arthritis. The upshot was an operation in January 2010, which cut some of the nerves in the wrist in an effort to kill the continuous pain. Although the success rate was given only as 50-50, the surgery definitely worked and the Stockport-born racer was quickly able to get back to a more normal routine. Although there was some interest from Redcar, nothing concrete materialized and - without a team berth in the Premier League - he was named as the final member of Buxton's 1-7 in early April, as he made a return to his first club in British speedway's third tier.

His form was good for the Hitmen and, in mid-June, this finally did lead to a return to the PL with Redcar as a replacement for Gary Irving. With Wright ineligible to continue racing in the NL due to having a PL average in excess of 4 points per match, he was replaced in the Buxton side at the start of the following month by Jonathan Bethell. Regrettably, the Stockport-born rider was involved in a high-speed crash during the Bears' league fixture at Sheffield on 26 August. This occurred in heat fourteen, when an engine failure on the third bend of lap three caused him to fall heavily. The end of the handlebars went through his race-suit and caused a deep cut just millimetres from the femoral artery in his right leg. Although he was quickly released from hospital, Wright was left feeling groggy but was nonetheless fortunate that his artery had remained intact or it was said he could have been dead within minutes.

WRIGHT, James Philip
DATE OF BIRTH: 13 June 1986, Stockport, Cheshire.
BRITISH CAREER: (2002) Buxton; (2003) Buxton, Belle Vue; (2004) Workington, Buxton; (2005-07) Workington, Belle Vue; (2008) Swindon; (2009-10) Belle Vue.
MAJOR HONOURS: Conference League Riders' Champion: 2004; Premier League Riders' Champion: 2007.
CLUB HONOURS: Knock-Out Cup winner: 2002 [Buxton]; Four-Team Championship winner: 2006 [Workington]; Elite Shield winner: 2008 [Swindon].
RIDER LINKS: Grandson of Jim Yacoby (born: 26 September 1939, Denton, Manchester, Greater Manchester). Brother of fellow rider Charles Wright (born: 26 October 1988, Stockport, Cheshire).
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 4.91 (EL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Wright certainly has a speedway pedigree, as he is the grandson of former Belle Vue, Bradford and Liverpool speedster Jim Yacoby. And his younger sibling, Charles, is also a rider, too, having followed his brother through the ranks, initially at Conference League level. As a teenager, some of James' first tentative steps on the speedway ladder occurred at a training school run by Malcolm Holloway at Swindon. Having made excellent progress, Wright broke into the Buxton side in 2002, appearing in thirty-two official matches and scoring 236 points for an impressive first-season average of 6.63. Indeed, he played a part as the Peak District club claimed their first piece of major silverware, helping them to defeat Rye House in the final of the Knock-Out Cup in October. He made further strides with the Hitmen in 2003 and upped his average to over 9 points per match, having recorded in excess of 500 points. Wright also first appeared for Belle Vue in the one-off British League Cup competition, representing the Manchester side in seven such matches.

A move into the Premier League with Workington followed for the Stockport-born rider in 2004, while he also continued to hone his skills at Buxton. For the Comets, he enjoyed a productive term, netting 231.5 points from forty-nine appearances for a 5.50 figure, as his side finished second to Hull in the final Premier League standings. Meanwhile, at Conference level, he put together a superb sequence of form for the Hitmen to push his average well above the 10-point mark. On the individual front, Wright produced a blockbuster performance to lift the Conference League Riders' Championship at Rye House on 28 August. On the night, he was a cut above the rest of the field, producing several sublime back straight passes on his way to a winning 14-point total.

Remaining with Workington in 2005, he also filled a ‘doubling up' position with Belle Vue in British speedway's top tier. For the Comets, he increased his average to 7.51 and this saw him occupy second place in the side's end-of-season statistics, behind club legend Carl Stonehewer. He also helped the Cunbrian outfit to reach the Premier Trophy final, but there was heartache when they lost 107-76 on aggregate to Rye House. Meanwhile, for the top-flight Aces, he rode in just four meetings. He was to continue representing both Workington and Belle Vue in 2006 and 2007. In the former year - aside from moving up to the No. 1 position in their averages - there was silverware for the Comets in the shape of the Four-Team Championship, with Wright playing a starring role in the event that was staged at their own Derwent Park racing strip on 7 October. Meanwhile, with the Aces, he enjoyed a fine year to attain a 4.79 average, having bagged 181 points from forty-two meetings.

The 2007 campaign saw Wright record 410 points from thirty-seven appearances to post an excellent 9.53 average for the Comets, as he retained top spot in their figures and was also voted Rider of the Year by the Workington Supporters' Club. There was further glory along the way when he caught the eye at Swindon on 30 September, romping to victory ahead of a class field in the Premier League Riders' Championship. Meanwhile, in the UK's highest sphere, his advancement continued as he plugged away determinedly for the Aces, appearing in thirty-one matches to achieve an impressive 5.39 average. After the conclusion of the season, on 22 November, Swindon announced that they had acquired his services for a first full-time term of Elite League racing; the Wiltshire club admitted that his superb performance in the PLRC at their Abbey Stadium raceway had been a major factor in the decision to sign him.

Wright was to remain ever-present for the Robins throughout forty-one official matches that yielded a 5.55 average, prior to returning to Belle Vue in 2009, when the elder of the two racing brothers looked to continue his development. He is a popular rider due to a never-say-die attitude and an exciting riding style, and these attributes certainly came to the fore on 10 August when, having dropped to a reserve berth, he tallied a career-best top-flight haul of 17+1 points in a league fixture versus Coventry at Kirkmanshulme Lane.  

Wright began the 2010 campaign on fire, taking victory ahead of home favourite Ryan Fisher in the prestigious Scottish Open Championship at Edinburgh on 19 March, in a meeting held over from the previous year. His good form continued in Workington's 40th Anniversary meeting on 27 March, when he notched-up another excellent first-place, ahead of Andre Compton, Kauko Nieminen and Craig Cook. Domestically, with Belle Vue once again, he continued to sparkle and, on 26 April, notched his first-ever unbeaten tally in the Elite League, scoring 9+3 points in the Aces' home match versus Lakeside, as he and skipper Hans Andersen formed a devastating partnership.  

Wright was involved in an on-track accident on 4 July, whilst representing Hungarian side Miskolc in the Polish League during a home match against Gdańsk. He was left black and blue after taking a real beating in a heavy fall, but fortunately didn't suffer any broken bones. An abscess on a tooth at the same time also caused excruciating agony and when the rider returned to action for Belle Vue in an Elite League encounter against Coventry in Manchester on 12 July, he was full of painkillers.

WRIGHT, Matthew (Matt) Paul
DATE OF BIRTH: 19 November 1985, Harlow, Essex.
BRITISH CAREER: (2002) Boston, Mildenhall, Carmarthen, Wimbledon II; (2003) Mildenhall, Ipswich; (2004-05) Wimbledon; (2006) Mildenhall, Mildenhall II; (2007) Boston; (2008) Boston, Mildenhall, Weymouth; (2009) Weymouth, Isle of Wight; (2010) Plymouth, Mildenhall.
CLUB HONOURS: League Championship winner: 2003 [Mildenhall], 2008 [Weymouth]; Knock-Out Cup winner: 2003 [Mildenhall].
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 6.71 (NL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Wright originally started in moto-cross racing at the age of eight, before taking his very first speedway outing on 1 April 2001, when fifteen. He subsequently made his Conference-level debut with Boston in May 2002 and went on to also appear for three other sides that year. He quickly became a stalwart of British speedway's third tier and, starting in 2003, put together a remarkable run of 124 consecutive official appearances at that level. His run ended on 7 July 2006, when he missed a trip to Plymouth for Mildenhall's then-nicknamed Academy side, although he did turn out for the senior Fen Tigers team at Somerset that evening in a Premier League encounter!

Thereafter, he continued to ply his trade in the Conference League, representing Boston, Mildenhall and Weymouth in the intervening seasons, and being again identified with the Wildcats in 2009 as the set-up morphed into the new National League. He lost his team spot in August, when displaced by Lee Smethills, but the lad from Harlow wasn't sidelined for long, as he was quickly snapped-up by the Isle of Wight to replace the injured Tom Brown. In December, Plymouth revealed that they had signed Wright as one of their second-strings for 2010. However, in May, agreement was reached between the resepective managements of the Devils and Mildenhall for a swap deal that saw Mattie Bates return to Plymouth, whilst the former Fen Tiger and Cambridge-based Wright made his move back to West Row.