The following is an A-Z list of riders who are contracted to appear in 2011, at Elite League, Premier League and National League level.
NOTE: (1) All entries for the current season are as per the declared team line-ups, but do not necessarily relate to actual appearances for the named clubs, particularly in the case of No. 8 riders in the Elite League; (2) The symbol II after a team's name differentiates between a club's National level and higher league side, when more than one team was operated in the same season; (3) With regard to 'Club Honours', riders have been credited with a contribution to a league title-winning side if they rode in 6 or more matches of the team's league programme - and with a cup-winning contribution if they appeared in at least one leg of the final; (4) '2011 Starting Average' is each rider's figure at the beginning of the campaign or, indeed, if they joined after the start of the season. These are the official figures, which exclude bonus points. By contrast, all averages mentioned under 'Additional Info' are 'real-time' figures; this means the average a rider achieved from all official meetings, inclusive of bonus points; (5) The Speedway Grand Prix statistics will be updated for participating riders after each round of the 2011 series.
Speedway Grand Prix and Speedway World Cup statistics courtesy of Steve Brandon.
Bach, however, returned to the British scene in June, when he took the place of Steve Boxall at Newcastle. He did exceptionally well for the Diamonds to post a real-time average in excess of 8 points per match and, in early November, was named as a definite starter for the Geordie side in 2010.
He was to enjoy a terrific season, as he helped Newcastle secure an aggregate victory over Birmingham in the Premier Trophy final. Bach also romped to a 15-point maximum to help Denmark lift the World Under-21 Team Cup at Rye House on 5 September, as Poland’s monopoly on the competition was finally broken. Then, in October, he was again a key component of the Diamonds’ line-up as they took victory in the Play-Offs, defeating Sheffield in the final.
Closing out the season in style, the Dane helped Newcastle to win their third piece of silverware for the season, as they overcame League Champions Edinburgh in the Knock-Out Cup final. Bach notched 11 points in the first leg at Armadale on 29 October and followed it up with a tally of 13 in the return match two days later, as the Diamonds claimed a hard-fought 91-88 success on aggregate. He ended the season with an excellent 9.42 average, having totalled 494 points from forty-seven official appearances.
On 1 December, Newcastle confirmed that the thrill-a-minute Bach would remain with them in 2011 and that the rider had one aim in his mind; having played second fiddle to compatriot Kenni Larsen over the previous two seasons, the Danish Under-21 Champion was keen to make the Diamonds’ No. 1 slot his very own. Then, on 15 December, Birmingham revealed the rider as their first signing of the Elite League era on a ‘doubling-up’ basis.
Bach was injured shortly after the season had commenced when the Diamonds entertained Rye House in a league fixture on 10 April. Regrettably, the Newcastle No. 1 was hospitalised with a broken leg, as well as collarbone and rib damage. This occurred when the Dane was involved in a heat ten collision with Rockets’ Jordan Frampton and went into the fence at high speed.
A week later, on 17 April, the Geordie club announced that they had signed Slovenian-born Matej Ferjan as his replacement. And he was also subsequently replaced in his ‘doubling-up’ role at Birmingham by the vastly experienced Joe Screen.
Following several months of recuperation, Bach was able to return to action for the Diamonds in August when a team re-declaration saw him replace the injured Stuart Robson. However, he took another knock to his leg in early September and, having discussed the situation at length with Newcastle boss George English, it was mutually decided that he should relinquish his team position so as not to further jeopardise his future. In an ironic twist, it was the fit-again Robson who came back into the side as his replacement.
BAGER, Henning DATE OF BIRTH: 18 February 1981, Esbjerg, Denmark. BRITISH CAREER: (2001) Glasgow; (2002) Peterborough, Isle of Wight; (2003) Arena-Essex; (2004-05) Peterborough; (2006) Arena-Essex; (2007) Lakeside, Birmingham; (2008) Berwick, Birmingham, Peterborough; (2009) Belle Vue, Peterborough; (2010) Redcar; (2011) Leicester. 2011 STARTING AVERAGE: 7.63 (PL). ADDITIONAL INFO: The Dane joined Belle Vue just prior to the start of the 2009 campaign as cover for Billy Forsberg, who had sustained a wrist injury whilst training on a moto-cross machine. His stint in the side lasted until the third week of April, before Forsberg was declared fit to return.
Shortly afterwards, Bager was snapped-up by Peterborough as a direct replacement for the dropped Aleš Dryml. That represented his fourth spell with the Panthers, with whom he has been a dependable rider since first joining them in 2002.
Regrettably, his season ended prematurely on 8 October, when he broke his left leg in three places whilst representing Peterborough in a Midland League fixture versus Wolverhampton at the East of England Showground.
That occurred in heat twelve of the encounter, when visiting rider Chris Kerr fell on the first bend of lap two, leaving the closely following Dane with nowhere to go. The meeting was subsequently abandoned when the paramedic accompanied Bager to the Edith Cavell Hospital in Peterborough.
His injuries included fracturing both the tibia and fibula, whilst there was also nerve damage. There were serious doubts as to whether he would be fit to race at all in 2010; however, he made a remarkable recovery and was passed fit to ride again in March. He had to wait until a couple of months into the campaign, though, before he was brought into Redcar’s Premier League side as a replacement for injured Slovenian Maks GregoriÄ.
He marked his debut with 6+1 points versus Somerset in a league fixture at the South Tees Motorsports Park on 20 May but, after a less than auspicious stay in the Bears’ colours, the club took the opportunity to sign James Grieves and dispense with the Danish rider in mid-June. He had ridden in just seven official meetings and registered 30 points for a lowly 4.69 average.
Bager looked set to return to action with Stoke in early July, though, when he took the place of compatriot Claus Vissing. However, it transpired that he would only be available to ride for the Potteries club until 7 August so, after further discussions with the rider, promoter Dave Tattum looked at other options and signed LuboÅ¡ TomÃÄek instead.
Bager was banned by the Danish Federation from 16 August until the end of the season. The ban, which also applied in the UK, was meted out following a fight during a Division One meeting in his own country at Holstebro nine days previously, on 7 August. Fellow riders Claus Vissing and Henrik Møller also received the same punishment.
The rider had looked to return to the British racing scene and eventually got his wish when Leicester announced his acquisition on 26 June 2011. This followed Richard Sweetman’s decision to take a break from the sport.
He was to maintain an average of close on 6 points a match, prior to suffering concussion in the Lions’ home league match versus Newport on 30 July. This occurred in the original running of heat five, when he hit visitor Justin Sedgmen’s errant machine after the young Aussie had fallen. Although Bager did appear in the re-run, he was subsequently ruled out of the remainder of the meeting.
BARKER, Benjamin (Ben) John DATE OF BIRTH: 10 March 1988, Truro, Cornwall. BRITISH CAREER: (2003) Oxford II, Trelawny II; (2004) Oxford II, Coventry II; (2005) Oxford II, Exeter; (2006) Somerset, Stoke II; (2007) Stoke; (2008) Stoke, Coventry; (2009-10) Coventry; (2011) Plymouth, Birmingham. CLUB HONOURS: League Championship winner: 2005 [Oxford II], 2010 [Coventry]; Four-Team Championship winner: 2006 [Stoke II]; Craven Shield winner: 2008 [Coventry]. 2011 STARTING AVERAGE: 9.50 (PL), 5.70 (EL). ADDITIONAL INFO: Barker started riding at the age of seven, when he first took up youth grass-track racing. He made his speedway debut for Oxford Silver Machine Academy in 2003, going on to attain an impressive first-season real-time average of 8.34 from twenty-two Conference League appearances for the side.
The year also saw him make thirteen appearances for Trelawny Pitbulls in the Conference Trophy, from which he yielded a 6.28 average. In 2004, Barker again represented Oxford at Conference level and also rode for Coventry Cougars in the Conference Trophy. Significantly, the year saw him make his international debut for the Great Britain Under-21 side and he was to go on and make five appearances for them.
Barker’s 2005 campaign with Oxford Academy was prematurely curtailed by a broken leg, which he suffered in a Conference League encounter at Stoke on 3 August. Still, he had played his part and Oxford went on to win the Championship, finishing just a single point ahead of Wimbledon in a very tight finish.
Prior to his injury, he had also broken into Exeter’s Premier League side, making thirteen domestic appearances for the Falcons in their last year of activity. Oxford’s Conference League assets were purchased by the then Reading promotion, BSI, in 2006 and fit again, Barker subsequently linked with Somerset on loan for a first full term at PL level, whilst also racing for Stoke Spitfires in the CL.
The talented throttle-jockey hails from Truro in Cornwall – just like Chris Harris – and saw his career take a major step forward during 2007 and 2008, initially in the Premier League. Indeed, his scoring increased substantially having joined Stoke in the first of those years, and Barker subsequently became a full asset of Coventry mid-way through the 2008 campaign after some sterling performances in the No. 8 role. He picked up a large number of bookings due to injuries and unavailability in the lower-order.
And it would not be stretching a point to say that the Bees looked a much stronger unit when he was present. GP riders Fredrik Lindgren and Lukáš Dryml were amongst his notable scalps at Brandon, whilst at Belle Vue he astonishingly defeated double World Champion Jason Crump on merit. He saved his best for last by scoring a remarkable 14 points at Lakeside in the first leg of the Craven Shield final – followed by a 12-point maximum in the Brandon return!
Having made a bright start to his first full term of top-flight racing with the Bees in 2009, the Cornishman regrettably sustained a broken right fibula when he crashed with Italian Mattia Tadiello in heat sixteen of the World Under-21 Championship qualifying round at Neustadt, Germany, on 26 April. His injury meant a recall to the Coventry side for Filip Å itera.
After three months on the sidelines with his broken leg, Barker was deemed fit to resume for the Bees towards the end of July and he went on to complete the campaign with an excellent real-time average in excess of 7.5 per match. Deservedly, he scooped the club’s Rider of the Year award and, in December, he was named in the team’s starting line-up for 2010.
Barker enjoyed one of the best nights of his career to secure an excellent third place in the British Final at Wolverhampton on 14 June. And even better came at the season’s sharp end, as he was part of a stunning late-season revival that saw Coventry grab the last spot in the Play-Offs. They then defeated Peterborough at the semi-final stage, before facing runaway table-toppers Poole to decide the title.
After winning 51-39 in the first leg at Brandon on 27 September, Coventry journeyed to Wimborne Road for the return fixture seven days later. And they completed an astonishing transformation from early-term relegation candidates to Championship material on a stunning night when they overturned the overwhelming favourites – not only by defending their 12-point first leg lead, but also by winning the away leg, 50-40, as well.
Barker was to be the only rider who remained ever-present throughout the Bees’ 38-match schedule in official competition and, with a total of 243 points, he attained an average of 6.56. His personal highlight at home was a score of 9+4 points from five rides in a league match versus Peterborough on 20 August. Meanwhile, on the club’s travels, his best showing occurred at Ipswich on 12 August, when he obtained 12+2 points from six outings.
In December, it was announced that the Cornish star had agreed to join Plymouth for their first season of Premier League racing in 2011. However, the move was subject to the necessary paperwork being completed and, due to an embargo on former Coventry and Peterborough riders, there was something of a delay.
He was to comfortably head the overall Premier League averages on a figure in excess of 10 points per match as Plymouth went into the second half of the season. Barker also established a remarkable run of 31 consecutive race wins at the St Boniface Arena, before conceding a 5-1 to the Berwick duo of Seb Alden and Ludvig Lindgren in heat one of a league encounter on 6 August.
On 4 October, Plymouth announced that their No. 1 rider was to miss the remainder of the season because of a leg injury. Barker required surgery on the leg he broke in 2009, having unfortunately further aggravated the injury in a crash in the Czech Republic.
However, the rider had an operation on his injured leg on 7 October and intended to practice at Stoke five days later to test his fitness. Prior to that, Birmingham announced that he would be their representative in the Elite League Riders’ Championship, with the Cornishman – who was due to have surgery to remove metalwork from his leg at the end of the campaign – refusing to give up, having reportedly been shocked to read that he was out for the season.
FIM Speedway Grand Prix Record: Barker has signed on as a reserve for two Grand Prix, at Cardiff, Wales, both the 2010 and 2011 FIM British Speedway Grand Prix, but did not get a ride in either meeting and is still waiting to make his SGP debut.
FIM Speedway World Cup Record: SWC tournaments: 1 Events: 2 – 15th on Great Britain’s list; 106th on SWC all-time list Points: 13 – 13th on Great Britain’s list; 91st on SWC all-time list Finals: 0 Gold medals: 0 BARRETT, Lloyd DATE OF BIRTH: 1 July 1994, Cullompton, Devon. BRITISH CAREER: (2011) Newport II. RIDER LINKS: Son of Wayne Barrett (born: 22 March 1968, Redruth, Cornwall). 2011 STARTING AVERAGE: 3.00 (NL). ADDITIONAL INFO: Having come through the grass-track ranks and the British speedway’s under-15 development scheme, Newport were happy to name the son of the former Poole, St Austell, Exeter and Wimbledon rider, Wayne, as the No. 8 for their National League side on 8 February 2011. This followed some excellent progress from the youngster in the regular training schools at Queensway Meadows.
BASEBY, Aaron Henry DATE OF BIRTH: 31 May 1990, Pembury, Kent. BRITISH CAREER: (2005-08) Sittingbourne; (2009-10) Bournemouth; (2011) Mildenhall CLUB HONOUR: Knock-Out Cup winner: 2009 (Bournemouth), 2011 [Mildenhall]; League Championship winner: 2009 [Bournemouth]. RIDER LINKS: Brother of Mark Baseby (born: 28 February 1988, Pembury, Kent). 2011 STARTING AVERAGE: 3.81 (NL). ADDITIONAL INFO: A keen carpenter, the younger of two racing siblings set out on his speedway career with Sittingbourne at Conference level and eventually moved from a reserve berth to a second-string role at the Kent club in 2008 as he continued to improve.
The formation of the National League in 2009 gave him the opportunity to again ride alongside his brother – as he had done previously with the Crusaders – in the highly successful Bournemouth team, based at Poole’s Wimborne Road venue.
Indeed, in a great year, the Buccaneers completed a wonderful double, winning firstly the Knock-Out Cup and then the League Championship. Late in November, Bournemouth announced that Baseby would remain with them for the 2010 campaign but, after a solid term at reserve the previous term, he found life difficult in a second-string role.
That was fully illustrated by a real-time average of little over 4 points per meeting, compared to his figure of close on 6 points a match in 2009. In September, the club’s management acted by replacing him with Nick Laurence.
In April 2011, Mildenhall completed their line-up for the season by signing Baseby after an impressive display at their Press and Practice Day, the rider following in the footsteps of his brother, Mark, who previously represented the West Row club.
BASEBY, Mark Charles DATE OF BIRTH: 28 February 1988, Pembury, Kent. BRITISH CAREER: (2003) Stoke II, Swindon II; (2004) Rye House II, Sittingbourne; (2005) Sittingbourne; (2006) Mildenhall II; (2007) Sittingbourne, Mildenhall; (2008) Mildenhall, Sittingbourne; (2009) Bournemouth; (2010) Bournemouth, Somerset; (2011) Mildenhall. CLUB HONOURS: Knock-Out Cup winner: 2009 [Bournemouth], 2011 [Mildenhall]; League Championship winner: 2009 [Bournemouth]. RIDER LINKS: Brother of Aaron Baseby (born: 31 May 1990, Pembury, Kent). 2011 STARTING AVERAGE: 6.93 (NL). ADDITIONAL INFO: Baseby sustained a shoulder injury that brought his 2007 season to a premature end, when he spun and fell awkwardly on the third bend during heat fourteen of Mildenhall’s home league match versus Newport on 4 September.
Then, in 2008, the Pembury-born rider aggravated an ankle ligament injury when he fell on the first corner during the initial running of heat five in Mildenhall’s home league match versus the Isle of Wight on 20 April.
That occurred after team-mate Jan Graversen had almost run into him, the Dane having initially tangled with visiting rider Cory Gathercole as they left the gate. Having returned to the saddle, Baseby regrettably suffered a crushed vertebra when he crashed heavily in heat nine of Mildenhall’s away league fixture at Sheffield on 3 July.
Fully fit, he joined the Poole-based Bournemouth team for their inaugural season of activity in 2009 and, after some impressive performances for the Buccaneers in the new National League, he was named in a re-declared Pirates’ line-up late in May, when he replaced Paul Hurry.
However, prior to turning a wheel for Poole, another change saw Baseby replaced by Karol Baran. Along with his younger brother, Aaron, the siblings played a full part as Bournemouth went on to win the Knock-Out Cup, before completing a wonderful double by defeating Plymouth in the Play-Off final to scoop the League Championship.
Baseby again represented the Buccaneers in 2010 and took the role of club skipper on a full-time basis following the early-season back injury sustained by Jay Herne. He had actually been Bournemouth’s stand-in skipper in 2009 – when the Aussie wasn’t available – so this was a natural step for both rider and club.
Continuing his progress, Somerset announced on 4 May that they had also acquired his services as a replacement for the recently-retired American, Brent Werner. He was to lose his spot in the Rebels’ team declaration at the end of June, though, when Aussie Jake Anderson was drafted into the side. He had represented the side in fourteen official meetings, obtaining 33 points for a 2.64 average.
Meanwhile for the Buccaneers, Baseby went on to total 162 points from twenty-one appearances, which equated to an average of 7.74. But, at the season’s end, he admitted that he had become disheartened with the sport and would spend the winter contemplating his future.
That came after an alarming crash during his last race of the campaign, in heat nineteen of the National League Riders’ Championship at Rye House on 30 October, when King’s Lynn’s Simon Lambert lost control in front of him and fell. Baseby struck the stricken rider and then ploughed into the safety fence, sustaining hefty knocks to his shoulder and hands.
Following the decision not to run Bournemouth beyond their 2-season stint, there was no team place for Baseby at the start of the 2011 season but, having seen the progress of his younger brother at Mildenhall, he was keen to re-join the Fen Tigers himself. And, when the opportunity presented itself after James Brundle’s move to Premier League Rye House in June, he jumped at the chance.
BATCHELOR, Troy Matthew DATE OF BIRTH: 29 August 1987, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. BRITISH CAREER: (2005) King’s Lynn, Eastbourne; (2006) King’s Lynn, Coventry; (2007) Poole; (2008) Swindon; (2009) Swindon, Ipswich; (2010-11) Peterborough. MAJOR HONOURS: Australian Under-16 Champion: 2003; Queensland State Champion: 2007; South Australia State Champion: 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011. CLUB HONOURS: Knock-Out Cup winner: 2005, [King’s Lynn], 2006 [King’s Lynn and Coventry]; Young Shield winner: 2005 [King’s Lynn]; League Championship winner: 2006 [King’s Lynn]; Premier Trophy winner: 2006 [King’s Lynn]; Elite Shield winner: 2008 [Swindon]. 2011 STARTING AVERAGE: 7.03 (EL). ADDITIONAL INFO: The ‘Queensland Firebrand’ initially began learning how to skid a speedway bike in 2000, when aged just thirteen. His progress was such that he won the Australian Under-16 Championship at Bibra Lake (near Perth) in Western Australia on 10 January 2003.
Impressive showings like that naturally generated a good deal of interest from further afield and he was signed by the Isle of Wight during the 2003/04 winter, although a work permit was refused because he hadn’t reached his seventeenth birthday.
He subsequently took his British bow with King’s Lynn in 2005, helping the side to a Knock-Out Cup and Young Shield double. More trophies came his way with the Norfolk outfit in 2006 and his potent form led to a move into the top-flight with Poole the following year. Unable to be accommodated by the Pirates in 2008, Batchelor was snapped-up by Swindon.
His year with the Robins was largely a fruitful one, the only downside being when he sustained a fractured elbow after he was struck by another rider whilst participating in a practice session for his Polish club, Leszno, on 17 June. Having spent the season on loan at Swindon, the Aussie became a full-time asset of the Wiltshire club in April 2009, when the Robins reached agreement on a transfer deal with King’s Lynn.
Regrettably, though, just a few weeks later, on 21 May, ‘Batch’ crashed heavily in heat four of Swindon’s Elite League encounter with Wolverhampton at Blunsdon, suffering a broken scaphoid. Whilst he recuperated, the Robins signed Matej Žagar as a temporary replacement.
However, the Slovenian proved a hot stand-in, so much so that Swindon agreed a deal to keep him in the side for the remainder of the season, whilst Batchelor was made available for loan elsewhere. The Aussie subsequently linked with Ipswich in July, when he took the place of the off-form Piotr Åšwiderski.
At the season’s end, the Aussie was asked if he’d like to return to Swindon in 2010, but a deadline of 13 November came and went, and Batchelor was made available for sale. Peterborough subsequently showed considerable interest in the rider and, in December, actually named him in their side for 2010.
However, that provoked an angry reaction form the Robins’ bosses and the situation ended up in the hands of the BSPA management committee. Matters were amicably resolved on 16 December, though, when the Australian became a full Panthers’ asset for an undisclosed fee.
The following month, Batchelor finished second to Chris Holder in the Aussie Championship and, on 17 January, followed that up by winning the South Australian title for a third year on the bounce. He took a hefty knock to the shoulder whilst riding in Sweden on 3 August but, after missing only one match for Peterborough, he bravely returned to action in an away league encounter just six days after the accident.
The Aussie was to damage the shoulder again in a re-arranged match in Poland during Leszno’s defeat at Tarnów on 19 August. That caused him to be an absentee from Peterborough’s Elite League meeting at Coventry the following evening.
Again, he soon returned to action and went on to help the Panthers secure a Play-Off berth, although they were eliminated at the semi-final stage by Coventry. The season’s statistical run-down gave Batchelor an average of 7.48, the exciting rider having notched 274 points from thirty-four official meetings in Peterborough’s colours.
Batchelor did very well in the close season, winning the Leigh Adams Testimonial at Mildura on 5 January 2011 and, three nights later, he collected a fourth successive victory in the South Australian Championship at Gillman, Adelaide, finishing ahead of Cory Gathercole, Ricky Kling and Jason Doyle in the final.
The Aussie looked forward to another season of racing with the Panthers in 2011, however, the East of England Showground-based outfit became involved in a winter-long dispute with the BSPA. Despite that leaving the club’s future in the balance, Batchelor turned down offers from at least three other top-flight outfits in order to remain loyal to Peterborough and his stance paid off in the end when a resolution paved the way for the Panthers’ return to the Elite League fold.
FIM Speedway World Cup Record: SWC tournaments: 3 Events: 6 – 8th on the Australian list; 50th on SWC all-time list Points: 46 – 7th on the Australian list; 48th on SWC all-time list Finals: 2 Gold medals: 0
BATES, Matthew (Mattie) Adam DATE OF BIRTH: 26 July 1989, Exeter, Devon. BRITISH CAREER: (2004) Weymouth, Coventry II; (2005) Weymouth, Mildenhall; (2006) Plymouth; (2007) Oxford II; (2008) Weymouth; (2009-10) Plymouth; (2011) Newport II. NOTE: Bates also appeared for Mildenhall prior to re-joining Plymouth in 2010, but this is not credited in his career record because the club closed down prematurely, with all their matches expunged from the records. CLUB HONOUR: National Trophy winner: 2009 [Plymouth]. 2011 STARTING AVERAGE: 4.47 (NL). ADDITIONAL INFO: Bates first rode a speedway bike in December 2002 and subsequently signed for Weymouth on his fifteenth birthday in 2004. He was identified with other clubs in the interim, as he continued to work his way up the ladder, culminating in a full season with Plymouth in 2009.
In a season when his team-mates included the likes of Mark Simmonds, Kyle Hughes, Seemond Stephens, Paul Starke and David Gough, he played a full part in the Devils’ National Trophy success. Overall, he made thirty-one official appearances for the Devon outfit, netting 193 points for a real-time average of 6.60.
Early in January, Mildenhall announced that they had secured his services for the 2010 campaign. However, he was affected by an injury and the long distance travelling to home meetings; as a result, in May, the Fen Tigers’ management negotiated a swap deal with Plymouth that saw Bates return to the South-West, whilst Cambridge-based Matt Wright made his move back to West Row.
The rider, who boasts well over 4,000 friends on Facebook, went on to make a total of twenty-three appearances for the Devils, scoring 108 points for an average of 5.56. His best performance occurred in a home league fixture against Weymouth on 18 June, when he went through the card unbeaten to register 10+2 points from four outings.
On 5 February 2011, Newport announced that Bates would represent the Hornets at National League level in the season ahead. He joined Aussies Jay Herne and Todd Kurtz, Newportonians Jamie White-Williams, Tom Young and David Gough, plus fellow Devonian Richard Andrews in the side’s starting line-up.
The season also saw the former Exeter mascot use his initiative to sort out a Falcons team of his own and organise second-half matches, the first of which saw them face Long Eaton – another defunct team – at Leicester on 4 June. On the night, Bates captained his hometown side, which also included Connor Coles, the son of Exeter’s all-time top-scorer, Michael, local rider Richard Andrews and former Falcon Jason Prynne. BEKKER, Byron Anthony DATE OF BIRTH: 2 July 1987, Kibler Park, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa. BRITISH CAREER: (2004) Newcastle II; (2005-07) Scunthorpe; (2008) Scunthorpe, Scunthorpe II; (2009) Scunthorpe, Scunthorpe II, Edinburgh; (2010) Weymouth; (2011) Belle Vue II, Edinburgh. MAJOR HONOURS: South African Under-21 Champion: 2000, 2001. CLUB HONOURS: League Championship winner: 2006, 2007 [both Scunthorpe]; Knock-Out Cup winner: 2006, 2007 [both Scunthorpe]; Conference Trophy winner: 2006, 2007 [both Scunthorpe]; Conference Shield winner: 2006 [Scunthorpe]; Four-Team Championship winner: 2007 [Scunthorpe]. RIDER LINKS: Cousin of Martin Bekker (born: 1984, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa). Grandson of Johnny Bekker (born: Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa). 2011 STARTING AVERAGE: 7.70 (NL), 3.00 (PL). ADDITIONAL INFO: The rider is nicknamed ‘Boris’ for obvious reasons, after the famous German tennis player. Bekker, who first raced a speedway bike in 1999, has been branded as the most successful rider to have competed abroad in over seventy-five years of South African speedway. The only other known South African rider to have won silverware in Britain was Fred Lang, who helped Wembley to National Trophy success in 1954.
Indeed, Bekker remained an ever-present for Scunthorpe, making 127 consecutive official appearances in the Scorpions’ colours, between joining the club in June 2005 and 19 July 2008, when he sustained a broken collarbone during the Bronze Helmet individual meeting at Weymouth.
During his time with the North Lincolnshire side at Conference level between 2005 and 2007, he helped the Scorpions win numerous trophies: League Champions (2006 and 2007), Knock-Out Cup winners (2006 and 2007), Conference Trophy winners (2006 and 2007), Conference Shield winners (2006). Not only that, but Bekker was also part of the Scunthorpe quartet that won the CL Four-Team Championship in 2007.
Having struggled for form at Premier League level in 2009, Bekker was released from the Scorpions side in June, when Nick Simmons was drafted into his place. The South African returned to PL action in July, however, when he joined Edinburgh as a replacement for Sean Stoddart.
He also remained on board at NL level with Scunthorpe Saints but, having been part of the scene almost from the start of their tenure at the Eddie Wright Raceway, Bekker’s association with the club ended abruptly later the same month after he had posted a forum message on their official website expressing his dismay at being left out of the team line-up for away matches at the Isle of Wight and King’s Lynn. The rider was subsequently replaced in the squad by James Sarjeant.
After failing to score from three rides during the first leg of Edinburgh’s Play-Off semi-final at Newcastle on 4 October, the South African asked to be left out of the team. However, he was talked into completing another week for the side due to the difficulty in finding a replacement at short notice. He subsequently stood down in the middle of the month, when the Monarchs re-signed Finnish rider Kalle Katajisto, who had previously ridden for them in 2007.
In December, Weymouth announced that they had acquired the Kibler Park-born rider’s services for 2010. Before setting off for the UK, Bekker’s final appearance of the season in his home country saw him participate in his own benefit meeting at Walkerville on 28 February and he rode undefeated to win the event, finishing ahead of teenage national Champion Neil Pettit in the final. Prior to that, he had also completed a hat-trick of successes in the Alan Hunt Memorial Trophy, also at Walkerville, tasting victory in the event in 2008, 2009 and 2010.
Bekker spent a spell on the sidelines through aggravating a back injury in the abandoned National League Four-Team Championship at Mildenhall on 6 June; it was thought he had a trapped nerve down one side of his body. He returned to action to notch 11 points in a home league match versus Dudley on 25 June, though, and on 2 July recorded his first maximum for the South Coast club on his 23rd birthday – tallying 13+2 – in another league encounter at Radipole Lane against his parent club, Scunthorpe.
However, he was injured again on 27 August when, in heat ten of a league fixture against Newport at the Wessex Stadium, he tangled with Tony Atkin and sustained a broken right collarbone and a broken knuckle. He was replaced in the Wildcats’ line-up by the returning Adam McKinna. With his season at an end, Bekker had represented Weymouth on seventeen occasions, scoring 154 points for an 8.36 average.
Following the close season decision of Belle Vue to run a second team in the 2011 National League, the Manchester outfit announced on 16 February that Bekker would be part of a solid line-up that also included local boys Kyle Howarth and Jason Garrity, along with Adam McKinna, Scott Richardson, Karl Mason and Chris Widman.
Bekker proved a solid No. 1 for the Colts, but sustained a cracked shoulder blade whilst representing the side in heat fifteen of a league fixture at the Isle of Wight on 24 May. Whilst he recovered fitness, the Manchester club drafted in Charles Wright as a temporary replacement.
The rider was to re-join Edinburgh for a second spell later in the season after impressing with a tally of 5+1 points, when he made a guest appearance at Armadale in a league fixture versus Redcar on 19 August. He replaced Tim Webster, who had faced plenty of long-distance travel for Premier League meetings and had suffered several falls.
BELLEGO, David DATE OF BIRTH: 15 May 1993, France. BRITISH CAREER: (2011) Glasgow. CLUB HONOUR: League Championship winner: 2011 [Glasgow]. 2011 STARTING AVERAGE: 5.00 (PL). ADDITIONAL INFO: In September 2011, Glasgow announced the signing of the highly gifted 18-year-old Frenchman for the remainder of the season as a replacement for the injured Christian Henry.
Bellego had been spotted at Ashfield a couple of weeks beforehand, as he toured a few tracks looking for a team place and the timing proved perfect because the long-tracker had just completed his other commitments and was able to link with the Tigers without any additional complications on the horizon.
After making his club debut in the home leg of a Knock-Out Cup tie against Newcastle on 18 September, the Frenchman went on to showcase some eye-catching contributions including tallies of 8+2 and 10+2 points versus Scunthorpe and Somerset, respectively, as Glasgow secured their first League Championship in 17 years courtesy of back-to-back victories in a double-header at Ashfield on 9 October.
BERGSTRÖM, Viktor DATE OF BIRTH: 14 November 1986, Kolmården, Sweden. BRITISH CAREER: (2008-10) Scunthorpe; (2011) Scunthorpe, Leicester. 2011 STARTING AVERAGE: 4.65 (PL). ADDITIONAL INFO: The Swede is unrelated to former Berwick speedster Andreas Bergström. The rider from Kolmården took his UK bow with Scunthorpe in March 2008 and went on to enjoy a fine debut campaign, making thirty-eight official appearances and achieving a solid real-time average of 6.58.
Bergström remained with the Scorpions for a second term in 2009, but his season came to a crunching end in a league fixture versus King’s Lynn at the Eddie Wright Raceway on 31 August, when he tangled with visiting rider Tomáš Topinka on the second turn of heat nine and careered into the air safety barrier. Regrettably, the accident left him nursing a broken wrist and two broken fingers. In September, it became clear that the injuries would keep the rider out of the saddle for the remainder of the season.
Bergström’s pre-injury form had definitely warranted a return and, prior to the end of October, Scunthorpe concluded a deal to keep him on board for a third successive term in 2010. However, he was again in the wars on 24 April, when he sustained injuries in a Premier Trophy encounter at Stoke. This occurred in heat fifteen, when home rider Hynek Štichauer collected the Swede in the first turn and they both went flying into the air safety barrier.
It quickly became apparent that Bergström was in a lot of pain with a hand injury and also a leg that had been burnt as he had been trapped with it up against the silencer for some considerable time. After taking a trip to hospital it was found that there were no broken bones in his hand, but instead he had suffered a tyre-burn in addition to the silencer burns on his leg. He was replaced shortly afterwards in the Scorpions’ line-up by Tero Aarnio.
Having undergone a skin graft operation, the Swede was to be out of action for a considerable length of time. But, after practicing along with team partner David Howe at the Scunthorpe raceway on 15 June, Bergström – who was sporting a new race suit and bike covers – was deemed fit to resume racing for the club. His return marked the end of the Scorpions’ use of the rider replacement facility for long-term injury victim Joel Parsons.
Unfortunately, his return to action was short-lived and, in his very first meeting back – a league fixture at Workington on 19 June – he sustained a broken finger. This happened in heat eleven, when he fell on turn three of the second lap. The accident also saw him take a blow to the head and the rider later admitted that his leg still wasn’t very good. In fact, he feared that if he had one more crash, then he might not be able to ride again.
Despite this, he subsequently had a protective cover fitted at hospital to ensure that – if he did take another fall – he wouldn’t do further damage to his skin grafts. He again returned to action for Scunthorpe in a league match at Sheffield on 15 July, but struggled to find consistency and eventually dropped to a reserve berth in September. But he really hit a high note in his first meeting in the position, posting a six-ride paid maximum tally of 15+3 points when the Scorpions entertained Glasgow on the 3rd of the month.
Bergström’s end-of-term statistics added up 116 points and a 5.57 average, the rider having completed twenty-five meetings for the North Lincolnshire outfit. His best showing at home was the previously mentioned performance versus Glasgow, whilst the Swede’s away highlight occurred in a Premier Trophy encounter at Stoke on 24 April, when he notched 10+2 points from five starts.
On 20 December, the North Lincolnshire club was pleased to announce that he would fill a reserve slot in their line-up for 2011. When the side was eventually completed, he was joined by David Howe, Thomas Jørgensen, Carl Wilkinson, Tero Aarnio, Ben Wilson and Steve Worrall.
The Swede made a solid start to the term to average over 6 points a match in the first half of the campaign, but he was injured when the Scorpions raced at Ipswich in a Knock-Out Cup replay on 16 June. This occurred in heat three of the encounter when he collided with Witches’ Chris Mills and sustained concussion.
Having recovered quickly, Bergström was in the wars again when he had a big crash whilst racing in the Swedish Elite League on 5 July. He suffered a punctured lung and a wrist injury and, in mid-month, the club took the decision to replace him with the returning Richard Hall, who had previously ridden for the Scorpions in 2008. The Swede made a return to the British racing scene towards the end of August, though, after linking with Leicester as a replacement for Charles Wright.
BIRKS, Ashley Adam DATE OF BIRTH: 19 October 1990, Sheffield, South Yorkshire. BRITISH CAREER: (2010) Scunthorpe II; (2011) Sheffield, Scunthorpe II/Sheffield II. CLUB HONOUR: League Championship winner: 2011 [Scunthorpe II/Sheffield II]. RIDER LINKS: Son of Russell Birks (born: 9 October 1960, Sheffield, South Yorkshire). 2011 STARTING AVERAGE: 3.00 (PL), 4.92 (NL). ADDITIONAL INFO: In February 2010, the former motocross rider was signed by Scunthorpe Saints to fill one of their reserve berths for the new National League campaign. The youngster switched to sliding a speedway bike at the end of the 2009 season after serious injuries had put a stop to his motocross ambitions.
Regrettably, he had suffered a broken metatarsal, fractured left leg and damaged ligaments in the top and bottom of his foot, as well as those in his lower leg. This understandably took a considerable amount of time to repair and, afterwards, he couldn’t do the jumps because of the pain in his legs.
It was at this point that Tai Woffinden – whom Birks’ brother, Jono, is a full-time mechanic for – suggested he tried speedway. And, he soon impressed in Scunthorpe’s amateur meetings. So much so that, on 12 December, he split established National League riders Paul Starke and Mattie Bates to fill the runner-up position in the second round of the club’s Winter Series.
Whilst Birks’ leg might have hurt when he was performing moto-cross jumps, there wasn’t a problem with his fitness as he regularly participated in cycle speedway and was British Under-19 Indoor Champion in 2008.
Following injuries to a number of other riders during the 2010 campaign, he was replaced in the Saints’ declared line-up by Arlo Bugeja at the end of April. Birks returned to the Scunthorpe squad the following month, though, when he replaced Luke Chessell in the No. 8 berth. He went on to total sixteen appearances and scored 94 points for an average of 5.66.
Unfortunately, he ended the season with a broken collarbone but, having recuperated, there was great news for the youngster on 22 December, when it was announced that he would represent his hometown team, Sheffield, at Premier League level in 2011. It was confirmed a couple of days later by Scunthorpe that Birks had joined the Tigers on a free loan from them in order for the rider to gain experience.
On 10 February, it was confirmed that he would also again ride in the NL for the Saints. It was later revealed that the NL team would be a joint venture with Sheffield and that home fixtures would be split between the two tracks.
Birks became the first rider of the season to win the Bronze Helmet on 23 March. The silverware was re-introduced for the 2011 campaign, with National League riders competing for it on a monthly basis. The first race-off of the season saw Birks defeat Belle Vue Colts’ star Jason Garrity at Kirkmanshulme Lane. Belle Vue hammered Sheffield Prowlers 60-31 on the night with Birks scoring 14+1 points, whereas Garrity was previously undefeated for the Colts on 15.
Birks was relieved of the Bronze Helmet in his first defence of the title following the Saints’ home league match against King’s Lynn on Easter Monday [25 April], when visiting rider Darren Mallett out-sprinted him.
The rider continued to make strides as the season progressed and really hit the heights on 12 August, when he reeled off six superb race wins for an imperious 18-point maximum in a home match for Scunthorpe Saints against Dudley.
BJERRE JENSEN, Kenneth DATE OF BIRTH: 24 May 1984, Esbjerg, Denmark. BRITISH CAREER: (2002) Newcastle; (2003) Newcastle, Peterborough; (2004-06) Belle Vue; (2007-10) Peterborough; (2011) King’s Lynn. MAJOR HONOURS: European Under-19 Champion: 2003; Danish Under-21 Champion: 2000, 2003, 2004, 2005; Danish Champion: 2010. CLUB HONOUR: Elite Shield winner: 2007 [Peterborough]. GRAND PRIX HIGHLIGHT: Swedish GP Champion: 2010. RIDER LINKS: Brother of Lasse Bjerre Jensen (born: 31 October 1993, Esbjerg, Denmark). 2011 STARTING AVERAGE: 9.47 (EL). ADDITIONAL INFO: The Dane has always ridden as Kenneth Bjerre. Regrettably, he broke his left femur whilst representing Slangerup in the first leg of the Danish League Play-Offs at Fjelsted on 31 August 2005. The injury was sustained after Holsted’s Nicki Pedersen had slightly locked-up in front of him, with both riders going into the safety fence at speed.
Unluckily, Bjerre broke the same leg in a Danish Super League meeting while riding for Esbjerg in a home match versus Fjelsted on 21 May 2008. The break occurred in heat eleven, when his team-mate, Brian Lyngsø, picked up drive exiting the second bend and lifted just prior to inadvertently running into Bjerre’s left thigh. Incredibly, having had an operation, the diminutive Dane was back riding again just 10 days after the accident!
The Dane was a fully-fledged Grand Prix rider in 2009 and was tipped by many in the sport to excel on the world stage over the coming years. Renowned for his lightning quick gating, Bjerre enjoyed his third successive full term with Peterborough and again proved a real fans’ favourite at the Panthers’ East of England Showground.
In what was a highlight of the season, his neat style and impressive race pace saw the Esbjerg-born rider storm to a 21-point maximum for his country in Event One of the Speedway World Cup at Vojens in his homeland on 11 July.
In December, he was again named in Peterborough’s starting line-up for 2010, as he continued his lengthy association with the Alwalton outfit. And, following a blistering start to the domestic campaign with the Panthers, the pint-sized Dane sealed a maiden Grand Prix success when he won the Swedish round at the Ullevi Stadium, Gothenburg, on 8 May.
However, Bjerre escaped relatively unscathed from a horror crash just days before the British GP. Paramedics feared that the Peterborough No. 1 had broken his wrist during the Panthers’ Elite League fixture at Eastbourne on 5 July.
The rider suffered a hand and knee injury that required several stitches, although he was fit enough to take his place at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium five days later. He initially went to Eastbourne General Hospital, but after being told there was a four-hour waiting time for treatment was driven to a hospital close to his Huntingdon home.
He went on to compile big scores with regularity for Peterborough, whilst also launching a frequent attack on the East of England Showground track record, although his best time was eventually bettered by Coventry’s Krzysztof Kasprzak. And, on 6 August, he made sure of his first Danish title courtesy of victory in the second leg of the Championship at Holsted. Meanwhile, on the world stage, he was to conclude the Grand Prix series in seventh place overall.
The end-of-season domestic statistics gave Bjerre an average of 9.62, the rider having compiled 398 points from thirty-five official appearances. That gave him third place in the overall Elite League figures, behind Wolverhampton’s Fredrik Lindgren and Leigh Adams of Swindon. The Dane’s record for the year took him to eleventh place in Peterborough’s all-time scoring list, having acquired over 1,500 points in the club’s colours since first representing them in a ‘doubling-up’ capacity in 2003.
Shortly after the conclusion of the campaign, Peterborough confirmed that he would represent them for a fifth straight term in 2011, as co-owner Rick Frost challenged him to be the Panthers’ version of Leigh Adams! The brilliant Aussie had called time on his European career at the end of October at the age of 39, having broken all of the Robins’ point-scoring records.
That came after Bjerre had been voted Rider of the Year by the Peterborough management team and presented with the trophy at a successful Panthers’ 2010 Party on 6 November. However, later that month, much debate was created when both Peterborough and Coventry shocked the speedway world by failing to declare their intent to run in 2011 at the BSPA AGM.
That left the Dane feeling disappointed as he had wished to spend the remainder of his career with the Panthers, although he fully understood the stance of the management and hoped to return to the club in the future. And, on 7 December, it was announced that King’s Lynn had sensationally captured the signing of the World No. 7 to form a powerful spearhead alongside fellow ex-Peterborough rider Niels-Kristian Iversen.
FIM Speedway Grand Prix Record: Grand Prix ridden: 35 – 26th on SGP all-time list Grand Prix points: 317 – 23rd on SGP all-time list Grand Prix races: 199 – 23rd on SGP all-time list Grand Prix race wins: 52 – 18th on SGP all-time list Grand Prix wins: 1 – 19th on SGP all-time list Grand Prix finals: 7 – 18th on SGP all-time list
FIM Speedway World Cup Record: SWC tournaments: 8 Events: 16 – 5th on Denmark’s list; 15th on SWC all-time list Points: 169 – 4th on Denmark’s list; 12th on SWC all-time list Finals: 6 Gold medals: 1
BJERRE JENSEN, Lasse DATE OF BIRTH: 31 October 1993, Esbjerg, Denmark. BRITISH CAREER: (2010) King’s Lynn; (2011) Ipswich, King’s Lynn. MAJOR HONOURS: World Under-21 Team Cup Champion: 2010; Danish Under-21 Champion: 2011. CLUB HONOUR: Four-Team Championship winner: 2011 [Ipswich]. RIDER LINKS: Brother of Kenneth Bjerre Jensen (born: 24 May 1984, Esbjerg, Denmark). 2011 STARTING AVERAGE: 5.80 (PL), 3.48 (EL). ADDITIONAL INFO: The Dane has always ridden as Lasse Bjerre. As a 16-year-old, he initially appeared competitively in the UK in Peterborough’s 40th Anniversary meeting versus an International Select at the East of England Showground on 15 March 2010.
Representing the select side, he raced out of the No. 6 berth and demonstrated good pace on his way to 1+1 points and also emerged unhurt from a heat twelve crash. And, in August, he landed his first British berth with Premier League King’s Lynn amidst an astonishing raft of changes at the Norfolk club.
The first move had seen Adam Roynon replace Joe Haines and this was immediately followed by another four amendments to their team declaration, as 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 Bjerre, Jamie Courtney and Cal McDade.
Adding to some early impressive performances for the Stars, the Esbjerg-born rider was part of the Danish side that finally broke Poland’s grip on the World Under-21 Team Cup, notching 5 points in the final at Rye House on 5 September.
Bjerre went on to complete fourteen official meetings from King’s Lynn and gleaned 88 points for an average of 6.71. At home, his most eye-catching display came against Newcastle in the Stars’ final league fixture of the campaign on 20 October, when he notched 10+3 points from five rides.
Away from home, the Dane’s highlight occurred at Glasgow on 12 September, when he posted a return of 12+1 points from half-a-dozen starts; his tally on the afternoon was augmented by 6 points from a tactical outing in heat eight.
On 6 November, he joined his elder brother, Kenneth, at Peterborough’s end-of-season party, when he was formally introduced as a full club asset of the Panthers. However, it was revealed on 8 December that Bjerre had agreed to link with Ipswich on loan ahead of the 2011 campaign for his first full season of UK racing. That came after the Witches’ decision to drop down to the Premier League at the BSPA AGM in Bournemouth the previous month.
A day later, he was named by King’s Lynn in a ‘doubling-up’ position following the Stars’ move into the top-flight. And, on 17 December, the Norfolk outfit confirmed that he would share the role with Somerset’s Sam Masters.
Following an injury to Morten Risager, a re-shuffle at King’s Lynn on 16 May saw Bjerre’s ‘doubling-up’ role switched alongside the incoming Lee Complin, who had effectively replaced Risager. Meanwhile, Masters continued in a similar role with Tomáš Topinka.
Bjerre sustained a knee injury in his homeland on 20 June, meaning a short break from racing but he was able to return to action for Ipswich in the second leg of their Knock-Out Cup reply at Scunthorpe on 1 July. However, he was to suffer a suspected broken femur in a crash during a league fixture at Leicester just eight days later, when he tangled with new Lions’ No. 1 Kauko Nieminen going into the first bend of the deciding heat.
Ironically, the race had already been stopped at that point due to an unsatisfactory start but, whilst a shaken Nieminen walked away, the paramedic was required to accompany Bjerre to hospital, leading to the abandonment of the meeting. Thankfully, though, subsequent X-rays revealed no broken bones and he was released from hospital before travelling back to Denmark for further treatment on his leg.
BLACKBIRD, Lewis DATE OF BIRTH: 21 February 1987, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire. BRITISH CAREER: (2006) Sittingbourne; (2007) Oxford II; (2011) Mildenhall. CLUB HONOUR: Knock-Out Cup winner: 2011 [Mildenhall]. 2011 STARTING AVERAGE: 3.00 (NL). RIDER LINKS: Son of Carl Blackbird (born: 26 March 1965, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire). Nephew of twins Mark and Paul Blackbird (born: 17 December 1970, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire). Cousin of Tom Stokes (born: 23 April 1994). ADDITIONAL INFO: Following in the footsteps of his father, Carl, who rode for a variety of teams between 1981 and 1993 – most notably Belle Vue – Lewis first appeared competitively for Sittingbourne in a Conference Shield fixture at home to Scunthorpe on 7 October 2006, when he scored 2+1 points from four outings.
He was next identified with Oxford Lions in 2007, prior to the team taking over the Cheetahs nickname after the demise of the senior Elite League side at Sandy Lane. Blackbird rode in just two Conference Trophy matches for the club, from which he netted 7 points for an average of 5.00.
In 2008, he participated in British Mini-bikes and was very successful at the discipline, although other commitments curtailed his hopes of continuing with speedway until he purchased a machine from Andy Taylor, a Southern Track Rider, towards the end of the 2010 season. Keen to kick-start his career, he was recruited by King’s Lynn in January ahead of the 2011 National League campaign.
However, prior to turning a wheel in anger for the Young Stars, Blackbird re-located to Mildenhall as a full asset on 24 March, thus joining the club that his father, Carl, had ridden for from 1981 to 1985. In return, Olly Rayson went in the opposite direction to King’s Lynn on a full transfer, with the Fen Tigers’ management grateful to their counterparts at the Norfolk Arena for the way they had co-operated in the deal.
Blackbird proved to be a great signing for Mildenhall, early highlights including a 10-point tally against Belle Vue at West Row on 8 May and a brilliant contribution of 14+2 points – again at home – against their local rivals, King’s Lynn on 15 May.
Then, on 24 July, he scored his first full maximum for the Fen Tigers, as they got the better of Hackney in a highly eventful National League clash at West Row. Blackbird reeled off five straight wins in his side’s 57-35 win, which included a bizarre heat nine when home duo Joe Jacobs and Daniel Halsey were involved in a crash, with Halsey disqualified and Jacobs unfit to continue.
Jacobs’ replacement Cameron Heeps then fell in the re-run leaving just two Hawks riders, with Ben Morley going for double points, and when he suffered mechanical trouble his partner, Brandon Freemantle, was disqualified for stopping racing to allow Morley to come home in front – leading to an unusual 0-6 race result.
BLACKLOCK, Ryan DATE OF BIRTH: 21 September 1988, Bowflatts, Great Clifton, Workington, Cumbria. BRITISH CAREER: (2011) Buxton. 2011 STARTING AVERAGE: 3.00 (NL). ADDITIONAL INFO: On the eve of the 2011 National League season, Buxton revealed that they had signed Blacklock, who had been a member of the Northern Centre Moto-cross Club since he was 6 years-of-age. The rider hoped to emulate fellow Cumbrian and ex-moto-crosser Craig Cook’s success with the Peak District outfit. This came after Cook had, in fact, recommended the rider to the club and vice-versa.
Indeed, Blacklock decided to make the switch to speedway after watching the success of his good mate, Cook. Although he was very much a rookie in the speedway world going into the season, having never ridden in a competitive match before and also having had limited track time, the teenager did possess plenty of experience of motorcycles and it was hoped he would improve as the campaign progressed.
BLAIR, Greg Sam Andrew DATE OF BIRTH: 14 October 1990, Jedburgh, Roxburghshire, Scotland. BRITISH CAREER: (2006-07) Cleveland; (2008) Redcar II; (2009) Berwick, Buxton; (2011) Scunthorpe II/Sheffield II. CLUB HONOUR: League Championship winner: 2011 [Scunthorpe II/Sheffield II]. 2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 7.20 (NL). ADDITIONAL INFO: ‘Wee Greg’, as he is affectionately known, burst on to the speedway scene as a fifteen-year-old when he joined Cleveland Bays in 2006. Regrettably, though, having reached top spot in the club’s averages, he sustained a serious injury to his left elbow on 2 August 2007, whilst representing the side in a home league match versus Scunthorpe. The accident happened in heat twelve and saw the teenager clip Scott Richardson’s machine, before hitting the fence and being catapulted over the top.
Having only just returned to the saddle in 2008, Blair suffered a broken thigh whilst making a guest appearance for Berwick in a Premier Trophy encounter at Glasgow on 16 March. This occurred in heat four, when the young Scot got his footrest caught in the safety fence on the fourth bend and was thrown from his steed.
A team re-shuffle in May 2009 saw the locally-based rider brought into the Berwick side as a direct replacement for Danny Warwick. However, on 29 July, he was hospitalized for a minor operation to remove tubing, which had remained in his chest cavity following his crash in 2007. He also lost his place in the Bandits’ line-up to Frank Facher, but it was stressed by the club that – as an asset – he remained part of their future plans.
Blair subsequently relocated to Buxton, taking the place that had previously been filled by Lee Smethills. He made his debut for the Hitmen in a league match at home to King’s Lynn on 2 August but, in his first ride, he pulled off the track after looking decidedly uncomfortable and had to be examined by the paramedics.
That was to prove his only ride for the club and, in his continued absence, Buxton operated the rider replacement facility until acquiring the services of Scott Richardson as a replacement towards the end of September. Blair did eventually return to the saddle before the season’s end, making a couple of guest appearances for Berwick – one in the Young Shield and the other in a challenge match.
The irrepressible one-time carpenter – who took up the dying trade of dry stone walling – got back on the comeback trail late in 2010, when he appeared in Redcar’s Stars of Tomorrow meeting and included one Premier League appearance for Edinburgh as a guest at home to Stoke on 10 September.
Then, in 2011, he was included in Scunthorpe/Sheffield’s National League squad for a fortnight after replacing the unavailable Gary Irving. He made his first appearance for the Saints in a home encounter with King’s Lynn on 25 April and marked the occasion with some gutsy riding to score an excellent 9+2 points from four starts.
Following Irving’s return to the line-up, Blair retained his place at the expense of Paul Cooper, who had work commitments. And he still remained on board when ‘Coops’ returned, as Stefan Nielsen was shuffled to the No. 8 position.
He was injured, however, when representing Sheffield in a league match at Stoke on 28 May. In heat eight, he crashed into the safety fence on the third bend at high speed, sustaining knee ligament damage. Understandably, on 28 July, Scunthorpe confirmed that the rider had decided to retire and they acted quickly to replace him with Lee Smethills.
BONDARENKO, Ilya (Lliya) Nikolaevich DATE OF BIRTH: 16 February 1982, Togliatti, Samara Oblast, Russia. BRITISH CAREER: (2011) Leicester. RIDER LINKS: Nephew of Anatoliy Bondarenko. 2011 STARTING AVERAGE: 7.00 (PL). ADDITIONAL INFO: Leicester Speedway broke new ground in September 2010 with the signing of Sergey Darkin and, on 6 December, promoter David Hemsley announced that he had reached agreement with a second Russian rider, Bondarenko, to represent the Lions in 2011. Like Poole’s Renat Gafurov, both riders had to take an English test, before being issued with work visas.
The rider was first capped by his country in 2006 and made a dream debut on the international stage by winning his opening race at senior level for Russia in a Speedway World Cup qualifying round at Daugavpils, Latvia, on 27 May that year.
Apart from brief spells with Lokomotiv Daugavpils (Latvia), Vostok Vladivostok (Russia) and Kaskad Rivne (Ukraine), he has spent the majority of his career riding for his hometown team, Togliatti. Indeed, it has been a long and distinguished association with the club that began when he was just 15-years-old.
Leicester’s Russian international comes from a family steeped in motorcycle folklore. His uncle is Anatoliy Bondarenko, a renowned ice speedway rider and multi-gold medallist in team and individual events. Anatoliy first came to prominence in 1978, when he finished second in the World Individual Ice Racing Championship final.
Then, twelve months later he won the title, breaking the sequence of four consecutive victories in the competition by Sergey Tarabanko. Anatoliy retained the title the following year and again finished as runner-up in 1983. He was also twice on the winning side for the Soviet Union in the final of the Team Ice Racing World Championship.
Leicester’s challenge match against Birmingham at Beaumont Park on 28 May provided an opportunity to test the Russian’s fitness and, although he notched 2+2 points from three rides, it was felt that he required at least a further fortnight’s recuperation before he was ready to resume Premier League racing.
FIM Speedway World Cup Record: SWC tournaments: 1 Events: 1 – 14th on Russia’s list; 134th on SWC all-time list Points: 3 – 14th on Russia’s list; 132nd on SWC all-time list Finals: 0 Gold medals: 0
BOWEN, Luke Alex DATE OF BIRTH: 26 January 1986, Harlow, Essex. BRITISH CAREER: (2002) Rye House II, Carmarthen; (2003) Rye House II; (2004) Rye House II, King’s Lynn II; (2005) Rye House II; (2006-07) Rye House, Rye House II; (2008-11) Rye House. CLUB HONOURS: Four-Team Championship winner: 2003 [Rye House II]; League Championship winner: 2007 [Rye House]. RIDER LINKS: Son of former rider Kevin Bowen (born: 23 February 1956, Harlow, Essex). 2011 STARTING AVERAGE: 5.14 (PL). ADDITIONAL INFO: On 9 October 2003, Bowen sustained a broken thigh during a Conference League match for Rye House at Swindon. Having resumed in the saddle in 2004, the British speedster fractured a bone in his wrist, whilst appearing for the Raiders in a CL fixture at Weymouth on 18 June.
Later in 2004, on 21 October to be precise, he had the misfortune to suffer a nasty foot injury at Swindon a little over a year after his previous accident at the Wiltshire raceway, when again representing the Raiders in a league match against the Sprockets.
Bowen was in the wars again on 23 April 2005, when he sustained serious back injures in a second-half accident at Rye House. This followed an earlier Premier Trophy encounter between the Rockets and King’s Lynn, which the Harlow-born rider hadn’t appeared in.
Nicknamed ‘Bowen 747’, the rider was again sidelined in 2008. Firstly, he dislocated two fingers when he crashed on the third bend of heat three in Rye House’s Premier Trophy match at Birmingham on 2 April; then, he sustained ligament damage to his arm and shoulder in heat one of the Rockets’ PT fixture against King’s Lynn at Hoddesdon on 19 April.
Late in the 2009 season, Bowen suffered a broken metatarsal in his right hand but, following a three-day spell of extensive laser treatment, he missed few meetings and was passed fit to resume riding with a heavily strapped hand and arm. At the campaign’s end, he had posted a real-time average of just a shade under 7 points per match and, for the second season on the spin, collected the ‘Mr. Rocket’ Rider of the Year award.
Having begun the 2010 season again in the characteristic Rye House colours, the Harlow-born racer was involved in a frightening crash at the Hoddesdon circuit on 17 April, when King’s Lynn provided the opposition for a Premier Trophy encounter.
In heat five, the home duo of Bowen and Jordan Frampton gated ahead of Tomáš Topinka, before the Czech endeavoured to drive outside the two Rockets in a single manoeuvre coming off the fourth bend. However, although the visiting No. 1 succeeded in getting past Frampton, he locked together with Bowen and took himself and the home speedster into the first bend safety fence in a truly terrifying smash.
The match was delayed for half-an-hour whilst paramedics attended to the pair, who were – amazingly – able to walk away from the incident. Topinka sustained a broken fibula and severe bruising to his right hand, while the Rye House man suffered torn shoulder ligaments and bruising.
Bravely, Bowen appeared for the re-run and won the race, before going on to complete the meeting. He did, however, miss the Rockets next match at Somerset in the Premier Trophy on 23 April due to the effects of his shoulder injury.
The Essex boy went on to be a key contributor for the side, but was to sustain a broken right forearm in the vicinity of his elbow during a Premier Trophy semi-final, second leg clash at Birmingham on 23 June, which necessitated a spell on the sidelines.
The injury – which was initially described as a clean break without complications and not requiring surgery – was received in heat five of the encounter, when the ‘Harlow Flyer’ fell and hit the Perry Barr safety fence. Whilst he recuperated, Rye House announced the signing of Robbie Kessler to plug the gap in the side.
Bowen did subsequently require an operation on his broken arm, though, and underwent surgery on 8 July, during which a steel plate was inserted to secure the bone correctly. The healing process was expected to take some eight to ten weeks – unfortunately longer than anticipated at the time of the break – but the doctors were confident that the operation would turn out to be a complete success.
He was to miss the remainder of the season, having yielded 97 points and a 6.05 average from nineteen appearances. But, on 22 November, after the conclusion of the BSPA AGM, the rider was again named on Rye House’s team-sheet for 2011, when he naturally hoped for an injury-free run.
However, the unlucky rider was to be injured again when the Rockets appeared in a league encounter at Ipswich on 2 May. In the reserves’ race, he clipped partner Ben Morley’s rear wheel when picking up extra drive heading out of the second bend, sending both riders to the deck. It was initially thought that the Harlow Flyer had suffered only severe bruising, but X-rays later confirmed a broken L1 vertebra, which unfortunately meant more time on the sidelines for Bowen.
There was subsequently hope that the rider wouldn’t be out of action for as long as initially thought and, following a visit to Brian Simpson at the Physiotherapy Clinic in Ipswich on 9 May, he was cleared to resume racing five days henceforth. Although still in some discomfort, the Harlow Flyer downplayed the factor in his determination to get back on his bike. BOXALL, Steven (Steve) Shane DATE OF BIRTH: 16 May 1987, Canterbury, Kent. BRITISH CAREER: (2002-03) Rye House II; (2004-05) Rye House, Rye House II; (2006) Rye House; (2007) Rye House, Poole; (2008) Belle Vue; (2009) Newcastle, Belle Vue, Poole; (2010) Somerset; (2011) Rye House. MAJOR HONOUR: Conference League Riders’ Champion: 2005. CLUB HONOURS: Four-Team Championship winner: 2003 [Rye House II]; League Championship winner: 2005, 2007 [both Rye House]; Premier Trophy winner: 2005 [Rye House]. 2011 STARTING AVERAGE: 6.88 (PL). ADDITIONAL INFO: Boxall started his speedway career with Rye House, being a product of their Conference League side. He was the winner of the prestigious CLRC in 2005, as well as being a part of the senior Rockets’ line-up that won the Premier League and Premier Trophy that same year.
After ‘doubling up’ between the Conference and Premier Leagues with Rye House, the 2006 campaign saw him move full-time into the Rockets team and he was a member of the side that scooped the League Championship for a second time in 2007.
Having decided that the time was right for a move into the Elite League, he signed for Belle Vue in 2008 however, not long after joining the club, he sustained a dislocated shoulder during the Aces’ Craven Shield match at Coventry on 28 March.
That occurred in heat eight, when he took a nasty fall whilst dicing for the lead with home rider Olly Allen. After visiting a surgeon, the Belle Vue teamster was instructed that he required an operation, when a scan on his damaged shoulder revealed a tendon problem. As a result, he was to sit out the remainder of the season.
He returned to action with Newcastle at the beginning of the 2009 campaign, but lost his place in a ‘doubling-up’ role at Belle Vue in May. This followed the Manchester club’s signing of Morten Risager and their decision to opt for a straight 1-7 line-up.
In June, Boxall also found himself surplus to requirements with the Diamonds following a disappointing run of form, which had culminated in him sustaining a broken hand in the lead-up to the club’s 80th Anniversary meeting.
The injury was the legacy of some high jinks with a punch-ball at one of the city’s many nightspots and followed a Civic Reception, hosted by the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress at the Mansion House on 15 May. He was replaced in the Diamonds’ line-up by Rene Bach.
The Canterbury-born rider wasn’t out of work for long, though, as he was snapped-up by Poole in July to replace the out-of-form Karol Baran. His tenacious efforts rapidly won over the Pirates’ supporters, but a series of engine blow-ups led to the rider announcing his retirement from the sport.
The decision was quickly reversed, however, after club skipper Bjarne Pedersen stepped forward with the loan of a bike. Boxall was further boosted by the news that a trackside collection would take place during Poole’s home meeting versus Swindon on 12 August, with the monies added to by a donation from the Riders’ Equipment Fund (REF) and the club’s own ‘Pep Talk’ fanzine.
No takers came in for Boxall’s services after the cessation of the season but, on 3 January 2010, the rider put himself firmly in the shop window courtesy of a superb victory on borrowed machinery in the New Year Classic at Newport.
Then, on 19 January, Somerset announced that they had secured his services to fill the team place left vacant following the tragic death of Emil Kramer in a road traffic accident in his native Sweden on 9 December.
Then, on 3 February, he was named as Swindon’s No. 8 rider for the year. However, before he had turned a wheel for the Robins, it was announced by the Wiltshire outfit on 14 April that he had been replaced in the position by club asset Justin Sedgmen. The decision by the Robins’ management came after Boxall had been absent from the Somerset side on a couple of occasions, with little or no notice.
Then, just hours before the Rebels’ home match against Rye House in the Premier Trophy on 23 April, the Oak Tree Arena-based side were rocked with the news that Boxall had quit the sport. His decision was conveyed in a short, 4-word, text message to new Somerset co-promoter Mark Saunders, who understandably was disappointed with not only the news, but the way in which the rider informed the club of his decision.
Indeed, Boxall’s message was received at lunch-time on the day of the meeting against his former club and bluntly stated: ‘I quit sorry mate’. With the rider deemed to be withholding his services, the Rebels were granted a 28-day facility to cover his absence. At the time of his departure, he had ridden in just three official meetings for Somerset, which yielded 26 points and an average of 8.57.
The rider later admitted that he had missed his speedway and began practising again at Rye House towards the end of the season, with a view to making a full-time comeback in 2011. He explained that he had had to take time out from the sport in order to concentrate on his career as a gas fitter and obtain his gas ticket qualification for the sake of his future.
On 22 November, it was announced that Boxall would be returning to his original stamping ground of Rye House – after a three year absence – in 2011. The ‘Boxmeister’ had captured the Conference League Riders’ Championship as a 2005 Raider, also marching on to the World Under-21 semi-finals, was voted the Rockets’ Rider of the Year in 2006 and was an important cog in Rye’s 2007 Premier League Championship machine.
Subsequent seasons had, of course, been far less rewarding, but with a handy starting average and mounted on new equipment tuned by former World Champion Michael Lee, it was a fair bet that Boxall would be resurgent on his return to the Rockets’ colours.
However, that return was to be delayed. The club issued a press release on 15 March, which stated: ‘Rye House Speedway is aware of speculation circulating regarding events at and around Friday’s Press and Practice Day last Friday (March 11th). The club has not been in a position to comment before now, but further developments enable it to make the following announcements.
‘An unfortunate incident took place at Rye House Stadium very early last Friday morning and which resulted in Steve Boxall suffering a serious injury to his upper arm. The nature of the incident and its subsequent handling prevents further comment at this point. The Rockets have investigated a number of rider options to cover for Boxall’s enforced absence, but have been unsuccessful so far.’
Jason Doyle was drafted in as a temporary replacement and did an excellent job but, on 13 May, the Rye House club was delighted to report that Boxall was finally in a position to join the Rockets’ line-up, beginning with a Knock-Out Cup tie at Newcastle two days later.
Having originally looked very quick during the team’s initial pre-season practice, Boxall took a lengthy private practice session at the Hoddesdon circuit on the day of the announcement to help shake off the cobwebs of the previous few weeks.
He did appear at Brough Park as scheduled, scoring 8 points from the No. 5 position. Then, on 21 May, he made a successful return to Hoddesdon with three race wins in his first home appearance of the season for Rye House. Indeed, a delighted Boxall totalled 10+1 points in the Rockets’ impressive 54-39 win over Premier League leaders Somerset.
BRANFORD, Robert Peter DATE OF BIRTH: 23 November 1993, Adelaide, South Australia. BRITISH CAREER: (2010) Buxton; (2011) Redcar, Buxton. RIDER LINKS: Son of Darrell Branford (born: 9 September 1964, Whyalla, Eyre Peninsula, South Australia). CLUB HONOURS: National Trophy winner: Buxton [2010]; Knock-Out Cup winner: 2010 [Buxton]; League Championship winner: 2010 [Buxton]. 2011 STARTING AVERAGE: 3.00 (PL). ADDITIONAL INFO: In mid-March 2010, Buxton announced the signing of Branford – the son of ex-rider Darrell, who had spells with both Edinburgh and Long Eaton back in 1988. This followed talks between the two parties that had been ongoing since the previous September.
The youngster had actually contacted several clubs but, after a lot of discussion and a recommendation from former Hitmen skipper Scott James, he pledged his immediate future to Buxton just before Christmas. Branford holds a British passport and initially participated in go-kart racing, before taking up speedway in junior events at the age of 10.
As with many young riders from Down Under, he rode at the famous Sidewinders track in Adelaide and also participated in junior moto-cross. For two years on the spin, he ran third-place finishes in the South Australian Under-16 Championship; in 2007, he came home behind Arthur Sissis and Justin Sedgmen, whilst a year later he finished behind Sedgmen and Nick Morris.
On 29 October 2008, he took his very first ride on a full-size 500cc steed and the following year, on 31 October, he made his senior debut at Undera Park Speedway in Victoria, prior to the season opening at his local track, Gillman Speedway.
Branford was one of 31 riders who took part in fifty-six races at Scunthorpe’s Eddie Wright Raceway on 11 April in the opening round of the club’s highly popular Summer Championship. And the 16-year old excelled in the Open Class, winning the ‘B’ Final before seeing off the experienced trio of Danny Hodgson, Gary O’Hare and Jamie Swales to claim victory in the ‘A’ Final.
He subsequently showed good form from a reserve berth for Buxton and hit the jackpot on 2 May when, in a Knock-Out Cup tie versus Mildenhall, he registered his first official paid maximum, scoring 9+3 points. Unfortunately, that was later scrubbed from the records followings the Fen Tigers’ mid-season close down.
Branford was to help the Hitmen win the National Trophy, before the club went on to complete a clean sweep of the silverware in British speedway’s third tier to mark the most successful term in the team’s 16-year history. As the season came to a wonderful climax, he notched scores of 11+3 and 13+1 points, respectively, in the home and away legs against King’s Lynn in the Knock-Out Cup final.
Then, on the last official day of the season – 31 October – Buxton defeated Newport 56-35 in a one-legged Play-Off final on their own track after the scheduled first leg in South Wales had been washed out two days beforehand. The Aussie led the way on the big day, top-scoring with a tally of 14+1 points from six starts.
He had been one of the finds of the year and remained ever-present throughout the club’s thirty-five official matches, scoring 334 points to yield an average of 8.26. At home, his best showing occurred in a National Trophy fixture against Weymouth on 29 August, when he notched a paid maximum tally of 16+2 points from the side’s No. 4 slot. His high spot away from home also occurred against the Wildcats in a league match on 4 June, when he notched 13+2 points from seven outings.
On 5 December, Redcar revealed that they had agreed terms with the rider for a season of Premier League racing in 2011. And, having arrived in Manchester on 2 March, it was announced by Buxton seven days later that the popular Aussie was to also return for a second term in a ‘doubling-down’ capacity at Hi-Edge, having joined the Bears on a full transfer.
BRIDGER, Lewis Alan DATE OF BIRTH: 4 November 1989, Hastings, Sussex. BRITISH CAREER: (2005) Weymouth; (2006-09) Eastbourne; (2010) Peterborough, Coventry; (2011) Eastbourne. MAJOR HONOURS: British Under-18 Champion: 2006; British Under-21 Champion: 2009. CLUB HONOURS: Four-Team Championship winner: 2005 [Weymouth]; Knock-Out Cup winner: 2005 [Weymouth], 2008 [Eastbourne]; Elite Shield winner: 2009 [Eastbourne]; League Championship winner: 2010 [Coventry]. 2011 STARTING AVERAGE: 4.97 (EL). ADDITIONAL INFO: Bridger burst on to the scene as a fifteen-year-old with Weymouth in 2005, shattering the track record at the Wessex Stadium in August that year and going on to post a sensational average in excess of 9 points per match at Conference level. He then shocked the speedway world by taking the bold step to bypass the Premier League and move straight up to the Elite League with Eastbourne in 2006.
His tenacious riding earned many plaudits amongst such exalted company and he was to card a very respectable 4.84 average, having remained ever-present throughout the Eagles’ fifty official matches. To cap a fine campaign, he won the British Under-18 Championship at Wolverhampton on 2 October courtesy of a sublime 15-point maximum.
He upped that figure to 5.51 in a second term with the East Sussex outfit the following year, as he remained on course for a big future in the sport. However, the Hastings-born race-ace admitted assault following an incident that took place at TJs nightclub in Eastbourne on 12 December 2007. The rider and his associates had become embroiled with a Japanese student, an occurrence that saw Bridger and two others arrested and subsequently charged at Lewes Crown Court on 18 April 2008.
However, Bridger was spared jail at a sentencing hearing in the same court a little over a month later on 19 May. Judge Charles Kemp ordered him to pay a £1,500 fine and £500 compensation to his victim after watching CCTV footage of the attack. The youngster managed to keep riding throughout with the Eagles, though, increasing his final average to 6.31 in the process.
Firmly established in the top-flight, the 2009 campaign represented Bridger’s fourth successive season in the colours of Eastbourne. Possessing bundles of natural talent, his steady progress continued and some spectacular outside blasts saw him scoop the British Under-21 Championship at Lakeside on 24 April, as he added to his previous success at Under-18 level.
His season was marred on 20 July, though, when he missed the Eagles’ league match at Belle Vue and instead rode for his Polish club, CzÄ™stochowa, that same evening. The rider was subsequently hit with a two-match ban by the BSPA, as well as a £5,000 club fine by Eastbourne and a two-week suspension from competing abroad. Having overcome that setback, he went on to complete the campaign with a real-time average of 7.46.
Following the cessation of the season, there was speculation that he craved a moved to a larger home track and, in November, he agreed terms to link with Peterborough on loan from the Eagles. In December, the GB international revealed that he would like to return to his parent club in the future, having admitted that the Sussex outfit had had such a huge bearing on his career thus far.
Meanwhile, Aussie youngster and fellow Panthers’ acquisition Ricky Wallace – who was loaned to King’s Lynn – was initially part of Bridger’s pit crew, being based with the Hastings-born rider at his home in the seaside resort of Bexhill, East Sussex.
For one reason or another, Bridger wasn’t able to find his best form with Peterborough and, towards the end of May, a dramatic move saw both him and Krzysztof Kasprzak – who had been released earlier in the month by Lakeside – snapped-up by Coventry. Making way, the Bees allowed Rory Schlein to switch to the Panthers, whilst Filip Šitera was also made available to other clubs. At the time of his departure from Peterborough, he had scored 52 points from a dozen meetings for an average of 4.90.
Frenzied conjecture followed and it was thought that the Hastings-born rider would return to Eastbourne after the Eagles’ management had intervened to state that it was wrong of the two clubs to hammer out a deal over the future of one of their assets without any discussion or involvement from the parent club.
A series of lengthy and time consuming negotiations – those involving the BSPA Management Committee members – subsequently took place and it appeared as if a compromise deal had been reached. It was apparently agreed that Bridger would ride three matches for Coventry, before reverting to the Eastbourne line-up.
Further news came on 31 May that the rider himself wanted to remain with the Bees and had accepted a deal offered to him by them to stay for the rest of the season. He was to post an average in excess of 6 points a match, as a stunning late-season revival saw Coventry grab the last spot in the Play-Offs.
They then defeated Peterborough at the semi-final stage, before facing runaway table-toppers Poole to decide the title. After winning 51-39 in the first leg at Brandon on 27 September, Coventry journeyed to Wimborne Road for the return fixture seven days later.
And they completed an astonishing transformation from early-term relegation candidates to Championship material on a stunning night when they overturned the overwhelming favourites – not only by defending their 12-point first leg lead, but also by winning the away leg, 50-40, as well.
The term’s statistics gave Bridger an average of 6.29 for the Bees, the rider having totalled 141 points from twenty-six official appearances in their colours. However, with the addition of the earlier figures for Peterborough, his overall average was 5.84 courtesy of 193 points from a season’s total of thirty-eight official matches.
On 24 December, Eastbourne Speedway unwrapped a great Christmas present for their fans with the announcement that their asset had signed a contract to return to the Eagles’ nest in 2011. Bridger had last ridden for the East Sussex club in 2009 and, on the back of a string of stunning performances, held the No. 1 race-jacket for a brief period that year.
FIM Speedway World Cup Record: SWC tournaments: 2 Events: 3 – 12th on Great Britain’s list; 82nd on SWC all-time list Points: 7 – 16th on Great Britain’s list; 108th on SWC all-time list Finals: 0 Gold medals: 0
BRUNDLE, James Michael DATE OF BIRTH: 15 December 1986, King’s Lynn, Norfolk. BRITISH CAREER: (2002) King’s Lynn II, Mildenhall; (2003-04) King’s Lynn, Mildenhall; (2005) King’s Lynn; (2006) Mildenhall; (2007) King’s Lynn, Boston; (2008) Eastbourne; (2010) King’s Lynn II, Bournemouth; (2011) Mildenhall, Rye House. CLUB HONOURS: League Championship winner: 2003, 2004 [both Mildenhall]; Knock-Out Cup winner: 2004 [Mildenhall], 2008 [Eastbourne]; Premier Trophy winner: 2007 [King’s Lynn]. 2011 STARTING AVERAGE: 8.97 (NL), 5.14 (PL). ADDITIONAL INFO: Having previously ridden at Conference and Premier League level – mainly with King’s Lynn – Brundle endured a tough year in the top-flight with Eastbourne in 2008, before sitting out the whole of the following season as he filled a role as part of Troy Batchelor’s pit team.
However, he felt the time spent with the Eagles had improved him as a rider and, with increased confidence, looked to return to the saddle at Premier League level in 2010. That avenue bypassed him but, in February, it was announced that he had agreed to re-join his hometown club at National League level.
That was seen as a stepping stone to a later return to the PL and, hopefully, to the top-flight. And, in May, Brundle left King’s Lynn after deciding he was, indeed, ready to take on the commitments of higher level racing only. He was replaced in the Young Stars’ line-up by Simon Lambert. He had made just three appearances at National League level, scoring 31 points for a 9.33 average.
At the end of June, though, he returned to the NL fray when he was identified in a re-declaration of the Bournemouth side, following Chris Mills’ departure to King’s Lynn. Regrettably, Brundle was to see out the season on the injured list after sustaining neck, lower back and left leg injuries when the Buccaneers entertained Newport in a Play-Off encounter on 6 October.
That occurred after he had tumbled on the first corner of heat fifteen and was inadvertently hit by team-mate Mark Baseby’s machine as he lay stricken on the track. With his campaign curtailed, he had made nine appearances for Dorset side, scoring 92 points for a 9.74 average. This gave him a combined seasonal tally of a dozen meetings at NL level for King’s Lynn and Bournemouth, which yielded 123 points and an average of 9.63.
Following the rescue package put together by ex-riders Chris Louis, Michael Lee and Kevin Jolly to get Mildenhall up and running again, the club was delighted to announce on 16 February 2011 that they had secured the services of Brundle to lead them into the new era. This, of course, meant a return to West Row for the rider who had previously enjoyed spells with the Fen Tigers from 2002-04 and 2006.
The King’s Lynn-born rider was to comfortably head the Mildenhall averages and earned a call-up to the Premier League in mid-June, when a re-declaration of the Rye House team saw him replace the struggling Ben Morley in the Rockets’ line-up.
Prior to linking with the Hoddesdon outfit, Brundle had more than impressed in a Knock-Out Cup clash for the Fen Tigers against Hackney at Rye House on 11 June, when three trademark lightning starts gave him successive wins before he was only edged out by Barrie Evans in his final ride.
The rider had been really keen to get back into Premier League racing and had invested heavily in new equipment toward that end. And, having departed from West Row, he was replaced in the Mildenhall line-up by Mark Baseby.
BUCZKOWSKI, Krzysztof DATE OF BIRTH: 30 April 1986, GrudziÄ…dz, Poland. BRITISH CAREER: (2007) Reading; (2010-11) Peterborough. MAJOR HONOURS: World Under-21 Team Cup Champion: 2006, 2007. 2011 STARTING AVERAGE: 5.59 (EL). ADDITIONAL INFO: Buczkowski was signed by Reading promoter Malcolm Holloway in August 2007 and went on to make eleven official appearances for the now defunct Berkshire club, during which he showed great style and pace on his way to a real-time average of 4.52.
Regrettably, he had to have his spleen removed and was left in an induced coma after sustaining four broken ribs and bruising to his lungs, brain and spine in a horrifying spill whilst representing Bydgoszcz in a home match versus Ostrów in the Polish Division One Play-Offs on 21 September 2008.
Thankfully, he subsequently regained fitness and, in December 2009, the double Under-21 World Cup gold medallist was named in Peterborough’s starting line-up for 2010. ‘Buszek’ quickly settled in and was to be an impressive scorer in several of the Panthers’ early-season matches, but required a short spell on the sidelines after suffering a broken metatarsal in a crash at Rybnik in his homeland on 2 May.
The Pole underwent an operation the day after the accident, when surgeons inserted a metal pin in his fractured foot. He quickly returned to action for the Panthers and was to reel-off an amazing string of jaw-dropping tallies from a reserve berth at the East of England Showground; 15+1 points v. Wolverhampton on 14 May, 14+4 points v. Belle Vue on 20 May, 16+1 points v. Ipswich on 31 May and 14+3 points v. Lakeside on 3 June.
Having become an asset of the club, the exciting rider went on to yield 228 points from thirty-four matches for an excellent average of 6.39. As a result, he all but swept the board in Peterborough’s end-of-season awards on 6 November. Indeed, the Polish star carried off a sackful of silverware at the 2010 Panthers’ Party.
He was voted Riders’ Rider of the Year by his team-mates and also picked up the top honour as the 100 Club Rider of the Year. On top of that, he was voted Most Improved Rider of the Year and also won the special Barry McIntosh Trophy, in honour of the former fan and sponsor.
Following a close-season dispute with the BSPA, Peterborough eventually took their place amidst the Elite League and Buczkowski was happy to line-up with the Panthers for a second successive term in 2011.
He was to maintain an average in excess of 6.5 points per match over the first half of the campaign, before hitting the heights with a first-ever Elite League maximum against Swindon at the East of England Showground on 15 August, when he tallied 13+2 points from five rides out of the often-difficult No. 2 berth.
FIM Speedway Grand Prix Record: Grand Prix ridden: 1 – 115th on SGP all-time list Grand Prix points: 1 – 129th on SGP all-time list Grand Prix races: 1 – 139th on SGP all-time list Grand Prix race wins: 0 – n/a Grand Prix wins: 0 – n/a Grand Prix finals: 0 – n/a
BUNYAN, Jason Michael DATE OF BIRTH: 9 March 1979, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire. BRITISH CAREER: (1995) Poole; (1996) Eastbourne II; (1997) Oxford, Isle of Wight, Peterborough II; (1998) Isle of Wight; (1999-2001) Ipswich; (2002) Reading; (2003) Coventry; (2004) Isle of Wight, Coventry; (2005-08) Isle of Wight; (2009-10) Stoke; (2011) Plymouth. CLUB HONOUR: Pairs Championship winner: 2007 [Isle of Wight]. MAJOR HONOURS: New Zealand Champion: 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010. TEAM HONOUR: Pairs Championship winner: 2007 [Isle of Wight]. 2011 STARTING AVERAGE: 8.05 (PL). ADDITIONAL INFO: Bunyan chipped a bone in his heel during his racing trip to New Zealand in early 2004. The Milton Keynes-born rider broke the tibia and fibula in his left leg whilst representing Neuenknick in a German League fixture at Diedenbergen on 10 April 2005; that actually being the fourth broken leg suffered in his career. Bunyan’s testimonial was held at the Isle of Wight on 19 August 2008, when Edward Kennett and Lewis Bridger took victory in a pairs event.
At the close of the 2009 UK season, Bunyan made his eighth successive winter trip to race in New Zealand, admitting how much he fancied settling there at some point in the future. Having proved a big hit at Stoke due to his never-day-die approach to racing, he was rewarded in November when the club announced that he would return as their skipper in 2010. And, on 27 February, he claimed his sixth New Zealand Championship in seven years, courtesy of a 15-point maximum at Oreti Park, Invercargill, prior to jetting back for his second term in the Potters’ colours.
He was injured shortly after the commencement of the season, though, when he sustained knee ligament damage in Stoke’s home match versus Sheffield in the Premier Trophy on 10 April. This occurred in heat one, when the vastly experienced rider pulled out after just half-a-lap, having twisted his knee when his foot got caught under his footrest.
He was subsequently advised to have total rest and the Potters were to employ guest riders in his absence. Bunyan had regular physiotherapy on the joint and hoped to return to action sooner than anticipated, but broke down in a practice session at Loomer Road on 1 June. However, he was finally able to resume in the Stoke line-up on 3 July, when he notched 9 points in a home league match versus Newcastle.
Rotten luck befell the Potters’ captain shortly after his return to the saddle, though, when he suffered a broken arm in a home fixture versus Berwick on 11 July. Bunyan crashed in the final race of the Premier League encounter against the Bandits and was taken to the University Hospital of North Staffordshire.
His arm – which was shattered in four places just above the elbow – was initially put into plaster and he was kept in hospital overnight, before undergoing an operation the following morning to have two plates bolted either side of the broken bones.
It also transpired that the accident had left him with a broken hand, too. During the week that followed, Stoke announced the re-signing of Claus Vissing as his replacement. With his season at an end, Bunyan had represented the Potters in only five official meetings, from which he had accrued 34 points and an average of 6.80.
Having regained fitness, Bunyan again rode in New Zealand during the close season and, following Stoke’s decision to drop into the National League, it was announced in December that Plymouth had signed the vastly experienced rider to spearhead their attack in 2011, having moved in the opposite direction and joined the Premier League. The rider had previously set a track record at the St Boniface Arena when he represented an Isle of Wight Select side there in a challenge match on 3 October 2008.
The rider again toured New Zealand in the close season, but had to settle for the runner-up spot – behind Grant Tregoning – in the National Championship at Rosebank Speedway on 27 February, with fellow Englishman Ritchie Hawkins in third place.
Bunyan came to grief in heat seven of Plymouth’s opening home meeting, a challenge match versus the USA Touring Team, on 15 April. He received severe bruising to his chest and had to visit the local hospital where, because he was having difficulty breathing, he was detained overnight. Thankfully, an MRI scan proved clear the following day and he was released from hospital.
He posted an average of over 5 points a match during the first sector of the campaign, but suffered a leg injury in heat nine of Plymouth’s league match at Newcastle on 19 June. The Devils were to operate the rider replacement facility in his absence, prior to drafting Ricky Wells into the side in July to plug the gap.
BURMEISTER, Tyson DATE OF BIRTH: 19 July 1984, Murrieta, California, USA. BRITISH CAREER: (2011) Wolverhampton. CLUB HONOUR: Elite Shield winner: 2011 [Wolverhampton]. 2011 STARTING AVERAGE: 3.00 (EL). ADDITIONAL INFO: Burmeister started speedway at a late stage, actually taking his first outing on 6 September 2008, when aged 24. He was part of the USA Dream Team in 2009 when, only a year after first racing speedway, he surpassed expectations to top score with 11 points at Newport; his performance including three heat wins from his five rides.
His potential was further underlined with a win in the 2010 New Years Classic at Perris Raceway in California. The former professional super-cross rider again raced in Britain that year for the USA Dream Team and caught the eye with his lightning quick starts. His best showings occurred against Plymouth (2 April, 9+1 points), Rye House (3 April, 11 points including 6 points from a tactical ride) and Dudley (7 April, 8+1 points).
The talented all-round motorcyclist went on to enjoy a productive season in his homeland, finishing as runner-up in the SRA US National Championship and taking third place in the California State Championship.
Meanwhile, at San Bernardino, he was a four times winner of the regular Scratch Main Events during the summer months. On top of that, he won the Handicap Main Event on 25 June and was also the Firecracker Derby Champion at the same venue.
On 23 January 2011, Wolverhampton announced the signing of the Californian racer ahead of the Elite League season. Burmeister was highly recommended to the Monmore Green outfit by USA legends Sam Ermolenko and Bruce Penhall, both of whom gave him a glowing reference. This came after he had appeared in the prestigious Banks’s Olympique at the Wolves’ raceway on 18 October the previous year, scoring 3 points.
Wolverhampton entertained Lakeside in a league match on 2 May and, in a remarkable show of courage, Burmeister put personal tragedy to one side by racing in the meeting just hours after learning that his father had taken his own life. He subsequently returned to America for the funeral, before resuming in the Wolves’ line-up on 30 May for a home league match against Belle Vue, which was curtailed by rain after heat three.
Although Burmeister battled on gamely, it was announced on 8 August that he had been replaced for the final weeks of the season by LuboÅ¡ TomÃÄek. The rider had clearly had a tough year with the tragic loss of his father and the stress of the situation had eventually told.
BURNETT, Paul Antony David DATE OF BIRTH: 24 October 1981, Bradford, West Yorkshire. BRITISH CAREER: (1997) Buxton, Belle Vue II, Western Warriors; (1998-2004) Buxton; (2005) Scunthorpe, Mildenhall; (2006-07) Cleveland; (2008) Buxton; (2011) Buxton. 2011 STARTING AVERAGE: 3.12 (NL). ADDITIONAL INFO: Burnett – whose father used to be a second-half rider – first rode at an Olle Nygren Speedway School in 1996, before starting his long association with Buxton in May the following year.
After spending several seasons with the Hitmen, he had spells with both Scunthorpe and Mildenhall in 2005. He was then identified with Cleveland for a couple of seasons, before returning to Buxton in 2008, when he made thirteen appearances for 51 points and a 4.29 average.
They appeared to be his last outings in the sport, but he surprisingly returned to the Hitmen’s ranks on 24 May 2011 when, in a team re-declaration, he replaced John MacPhail. The move was necessitated because the Hitmen were not getting sufficient points from their reserve slots and, as the club wanted to give Ryan Blacklock a little longer to develop, it was MacPhail who had to make way.
BACH, René
BAGER, Henning
BARKER, Benjamin (Ben) John
BARRETT, Lloyd
BASEBY, Aaron Henry
BASEBY, Mark Charles
BATCHELOR, Troy Matthew
BATES, Matthew (Mattie) Adam
BEKKER, Byron Anthony
BELLEGO, David
BERGSTRÖM, Viktor
BIRKS, Ashley Adam
BJERRE JENSEN, Kenneth
BJERRE JENSEN, Lasse
BLACKBIRD, Lewis
BLACKLOCK, Ryan
BLAIR, Greg Sam Andrew
BONDARENKO, Ilya (Lliya) Nikolaevich
BOWEN, Luke Alex
BRANFORD, Robert Peter
BRIDGER, Lewis Alan
BRUNDLE, James Michael
BUNYAN, Jason Michael
BURMEISTER, Tyson 
BURNETT, Paul Antony David
