AARNIO, Tero Kalevi
DATE OF BIRTH: 17 April 1984, Kuusankoski, Finland.
BRITISH CAREER: (2008-09) Berwick; (2010) Scunthorpe; (2011) Scunthorpe, Wolverhampton.
MAJOR HONOURS: Finnish Under-21 Champion: 2004, 2005.
RIDER LINKS: Son of Timo Aarnio (born: 15 February 1953, Kuusankoski, Finland).
2011 STARTING AVERAGE: 6.12 (PL), 3.64 (EL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: The Finn was just two months old when he was taken to his first speedway meeting and the sport has been in his blood ever since. His father, a former rider, became his coach – a position he has retained throughout his career – and Aarnio took his initial rides on an 80cc machine at his hometown track of Kuusankoski, when just 10-years-of-age in 1994.

He first appeared on the junior scene in Sweden in 1996 and has ridden there every year since with the sole exception of 2008, when he concentrated on establishing himself in the UK with Berwick. Prior to that, he moved on to the full size 500 cc beasts in 2001, before claiming back-to-back successes in the Finnish Under-21 Championship in 2004 and 2005.

Having been signed by Berwick, the diminutive rider soon became immensely popular with the Shielfield Park faithful for his full-throttle style, earning the nickname of ‘Tero the Hero’. Still on board with the Bandits in 2009, Aarnio unfortunately suffered a number of confidence-sapping mechanical problems in the first half of the season.

However, having remained an integral part of the Borders side, a drop to the reserve berth saw the Finn hit form with a bang on 8 August, when he tallied 14+2 points for Berwick in a home Premier League match against reigning Champions Edinburgh.

Regrettably, he ended the season on the injured list following an horrific crash in heat eleven of the Bandits’ league fixture at Workington on 11 September. Chasing home rider Craig Cook, he fell on the third bend of the opening lap and team-mate Michal Makovský was unable to avoid riding into him.

Aarnio sustained a groin injury and underwent an operation shortly after the season’s end. Having recuperated, his services weren’t required in the UK until early May 2010, when Scunthorpe swooped to sign him as a replacement for the injured Viktor Bergström.

The Finn produced some good performances for the Scorpions, before he crashed out of a league meeting at King’s Lynn on 7 July with an injured coccyx. The fall, whilst leading Stars’ legend Tomáš Topinka, occurred in heat seven of the encounter. Thankfully, it was subsequently discovered that he hadn’t broken any bones.

The points continued to flow from his wheels, not least when he notched a five-ride paid maximum tally of 14+1 points, whilst riding out of the No. 3 berth versus Redcar in a Premier League encounter at the Eddie Wright Raceway on 20 August.

Aarnio then sustained rib injuries in heat nine of Scunthorpe’s league clash with their arch-rivals, Sheffield, at the Eddie Wright Raceway on 30 August. However, once again, he battled back to provide much in the way of entertainment for the faithful Scorpions’ supporters as the season drew to its inevitable conclusion.

The final statistics revealed a tally of 197 points from twenty-eight meetings, which equated to an average of 6.91 for the diminutive speedster. Aside from the previously mentioned home performance against Redcar, he also registered a paid maximum of 14+1 points against Somerset in the Young Shield on 2 October.

On 2 December, the North Lincolnshire club revealed that the Finn, who had proved such a hit after stepping into the mid-season breach caused by injuries, would again represent them in 2011. And he started brightly with 12+1 points in the Steel Town Trophy at home to Sheffield on 18 March.

However, he crashed with Tigers’ Hugh Skidmore in heat three of the return leg at Owlerton six days later, sustaining a knock to his elbow and pelvic injuries that ruled him out of the start of the Scorpions’ league programme.

Although there was a quick improvement to the elbow that was badly bruised, Aarnio struggled to overcome the injury to his pelvis and there was concern that the pain was in the same area as where a plate was inserted at the cessation of the 2009 campaign.

However, the Finn received the results of an MRI scan on 11 April and the news was positive. They showed that one of the screws in his pelvis had created an inch long cut in one of his muscles. This occurred when he landed on it at Sheffield and, although there was some severe bruising, the doctors gave him the all clear to resume riding after a week’s rest.

Having returned to the saddle, Aarnio was Scunthorpe’s hero when, on 2 May, he won the last two races to help his side to a dramatic home win over the reigning Premier League Champions, Edinburgh. The Monarchs led 40-38 after thirteen heats, but Aarnio and team-mate Thomas Jørgensen turned the match with a 5-1 in the penultimate race, before Aarnio completed the victory after skipper David Howe had fallen in the nominated heat, giving him a tally of 10 points.

On 15 July, Wolverhampton moved to add Aarnio to their squad in a ‘doubling-up’ capacity, alongside Ricky Wells. Aged 27 at the time, it marked the Finn’s first venture into the top-flight and came on the back of impressive form for Scunthorpe.

In a season that was littered with ill fortune, Aarnio was to aggravate whiplash injuries in September so Scunthorpe moved to recall Carl Wilkinson, who himself had lost his place due to a broken leg earlier in the campaign.

FIM Speedway World Cup Record:
SWC tournaments: 2
Events: 2 – 6th on Finland’s list; 101st on SWC all-time list
Points: 2 – 7th on Finland’s list; 143rd on SWC all-time list
Finals: 0
Gold medals: 0

ALDÉN, Sebastian (Seb) Carl
DATE OF BIRTH: 7 November 1985, Vasteras, Sweden.
BRITISH CAREER: (2005-06) Swindon; (2008) Swindon; (2011) Berwick.
CLUB HONOUR: Elite Shield winner: 2008 [Swindon].
2011 STARTING AVERAGE: 7.65 (PL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Aldén first rode at 80cc level with Masarna in his homeland at the age of eleven, before moving on to the full size steeds in 2002. Two years later, as a teenager, he represented Masarna in the Swedish Elite League, when his team-mates including the likes of Leigh Adams, Tony Rickardsson, Bjarne Pedersen, Magnus Karlsson and Fredrik Lindgren.

He appeared in seventeen league matches during the campaign, recording a total of 78 points for a healthy 5.63 average. His efforts helped Masarna to finish first in the table, thereby gaining a place in the end-of-term Play-Offs. This was when he really came into his own to finish the season with a flourish.

On 22 September, in front of 3,055 expectant home supporters at Avesta, he rode brilliantly to knock-up a 12-point tally as his side raced to a 61-35 success over Kaparna in the first leg of the semi-final. Then, in the return match two days later, he recorded 9 points as Masarna eased to a 56-40 victory to progress through by 117-points to 75 on aggregate.

So, to the Play-Off Final, which brought Masarna face-to-face with VMS Elit; a side that included David Ruud, Lee Richardson, Tomasz Jędrzejak and Aleš Dryml. The first leg took place at the Vetlanda home of VMS Elit on 28 September, when the crowd totalled an amazing 7,256.

The meeting proved to be a tad controversial, with a couple of refereeing decisions upsetting the Masarna side as they went down to a 52-44 defeat. Aldén’s contribution was 10 points, although reports suggested he would have scored more, but for being awarded second place in one race, which he was said to have clearly won by half-a-metre!

The second leg was played out in front of 5,709 fans one evening later and although Masarna collected a hard-fought 50-46 win, it was VMS Elit who were crowned League Champions by 98 points to 94 on aggregate. Nevertheless, Aldén notched 4 points in the match and took his tally in the Play-Offs to an impressive 35 points; it was this kind of form that led to Swindon initially signing him on 19 November 2004.

So it was that he made his debut for the Robins on 17 March 2005, when he greatly impressed with a 7+1 points tally in the Air-Tek Trophy versus Poole at the Abbey Stadium. Understandably, he found the going a little tough following that, as he was visiting all of the British circuits for the first time.

However, as the season wore on, he became more consistent and produced several excellent performances. The highlight of these undoubtedly occurred on 12 June, when he notched 11+2 points in a Knock-Out Cup encounter against Coventry at Blunsdon.

Regrettably, his season ended prematurely on 30 August, when he crashed in his Swedish homeland. The meeting was a home league fixture versus Indianerna and the accident happened in heat eleven, when he suffered a broken arm and damage to both wrists. With Aldén sidelined, his record for Swindon had seen him attain 143 points from thirty-six official appearances for a 3.95 average.

Back with the Robins for a second campaign in 2006, the Swede was expected to make the most of the experience gained the previous term. He certainly started in the right vein, scoring consistently from March through to the end of May.

Unfortunately, though, his form was to tail-off and, following a 1-point return from a home match against Poole on 6 July, he quit the British racing scene. He had ridden in twenty-five matches for the club, scoring 108 points for a 4.47 average.  

Aldén continued to hone his racing skills in Sweden throughout the remainder of 2006 and again the following year. And, on 13 December 2007, it was announced that he would be returning to ride for the Robins in 2008. Clearly happier in himself, he went on to post an average of 5.48 after netting 154 points from thirty appearances, although he did endure injury problems.

Aldén sustained a broken heel when he crashed out in heat seven of Swindon’s home league match versus Belle Vue on 10 July. The extent of his injury was confirmed at the Great Western Hospital and it was initially thought that he would miss the remainder of the season. As such, eight days later, the Wiltshire club announced the signing of Jurica Pavlić as his replacement, although the Croatian didn’t actually make his debut for the club until the following month.

Having made a quicker recovery than expected, Aldén was recalled to the Robins’ squad as a direct replacement for Travis McGowan on 2 September, the Aussie having struggled for form. But the Vasteras-born rider’s return was short-lived, as he collided with Coventry’s Olly Allen in a league match at Brandon on 22 September, sustaining a fractured collarbone. That led to a recall for McGowan, ahead of the Wiltshire side’s participation in the Play-Offs.

The rider then appeared lost to the British scene but, on 28 May 2011, Premier League Berwick announced that they had concluded a deal to recruit the Swede as a replacement for their No. 1, Charlie Gjedde, who they had parted company with after describing his performances as ‘exceptionally disappointing’. The Swede made his Bandits’ debut in a home league match against Sheffield on 4 June and included a race win in his tally of 8+2 points from four outings, as Berwick ran out 51-42 winners.

On 13 August, the Bandits’ management team were delighted to reveal that the super-star Swede was no longer an asset of Swindon on loan to Berwick, but was officially a fully-fledged club asset having signed a full contract with the side who had completed a transfer deal with the Wiltshire outfit.

Aldén went on to lower the Berwick track record by half-a-second in his third ride of the Bandits’ 54-40 Premier League victory over Newcastle on 20 August. Indeed, in clocking 63.3 seconds, the Swede shattered the mark previously held by Chris Harris for nearly two years.

ALLEN, Oliver (Olly) James
DATE OF BIRTH: 27 May 1982, Norwich, Norfolk.
BRITISH CAREER: (1997) Peterborough II; (1998) Mildenhall, Norfolk, Peterborough, Arena-Essex; (1999-2001) Swindon; (2002) Swindon, Peterborough; (2003) Swindon, Wolverhampton; (2004) Swindon; (2005) King’s Lynn, Swindon, Eastbourne; (2006-09) Coventry; (2010) Ipswich, King’s Lynn; (2011) King’s Lynn.
MAJOR HONOUR: Queensland State Champion: 2006.
CLUB HONOURS: League Championship winner: 1997 [Peterborough II], 1998 [Peterborough], 2007 [Coventry]; Knock-Out Cup winner: 2000 [Swindon], 2005 [King’s Lynn], 2006 [Coventry]; Young Shield winner: 2000 [Swindon], 2005 [King’s Lynn]; Four-Team Championship winner: 2003 [Swindon]; Elite Shield winner: 2006 [Coventry]; Craven Shield winner: 2008 [Coventry].
RIDER LINKS: Son of Dave Allen (born: 4 July 1957, Norwich, Norfolk). Brother of Tommy Allen (born: 4 September 1984, Norwich, Norfolk).
2011 STARTING AVERAGE: 4.78 (EL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Allen received a serious injury to the right hand whilst riding for Swindon in a Knock-Out Cup tie at Glasgow on 20 May 2001. The accident happened in a re-run heat ten, when he was sent sprawling after an over-zealous inside challenge from Stuart Swales on the third bend.

Although in obvious discomfort, Allen bravely participated in the second re-run but was subsequently excluded by referee Jim McGregor for not making a bona-fide attempt to race. He was to miss over two months of action while he regained fitness.

Allen re-broke his throttle hand during the British Under-21 Final at Sheffield on 18 April 2002. This occurred in the second semi-final, when Chris Harris cut back underneath him exiting the fourth bend, only to inadvertently knock his fellow countryman off when they clashed on the home straight.

Unluckily, Allen sustained a broken scaphoid when he spun and high-sided his machine on the third bend of heat one in a league match against the Isle of Wight at Swindon on 21 August 2003. And, after returning to the saddle, he suffered a recurrence of the injury when he crashed in the Pride of the East individual meeting at King’s Lynn on 25 September.

In 2004, Allen sustained a hefty knock in a tussle with Rafał Dobrucki of Oxford in Swindon’s first league match of the season at the Abbey Stadium on 8 April. This happened in heat eight, when the two riders clashed on the first bend and hurtled into the air safety barrier.

That was to be the start of a series of unfortunate accidents that year, which also included sustaining abdominal injuries in a home league match versus Arena-Essex on 17 June when, in heat seven, he collided with the air barrier on the second bend and took a blow in the stomach from his handlebars. Then, in an away match at Eastbourne on 6 September, he clashed with Steen Jensen on the back straight of heat fourteen and was catapulted through the safety fence and on to the concrete stock-car track.

On 6 April 2005, Allen received shoulder ligament damage when he was accidentally brought down by King’s Lynn colleague Jan Jaroš in a Premier Trophy match at home to Reading. The incident happened in heat seven, when the two team-mates collided and crashed into the safety fence on the third bend.

The 2007 campaign was blighted by a recurring shoulder injury for Allen, which saw him endure several spells on the sidelines in something of a stop-start season. This began when he was inadvertently taken off by Oxford’s Steve Johnston in heat three of a league engagement at Cowley on 2 April.

He did, however, play a part in what was a golden season for the Bees who scooped a fantastic treble, winning the League Championship, Knock-Out Cup and Craven Shield. In December that year, Coventry and Swindon concluded a direct swap deal that saw Allen join the Bees on a permanent basis, whilst Morten Risager became an asset of the Robins.

In 2008, Allen sustained three broken bones in his wrist in a crash in Poland on 1 May. This occurred whilst he was representing Grudziądz in a Division One fixture at Bydgoszcz when, in heat eleven, home rider Rafał Okoniewski caused the Brit to fall heavily. Allen entered his fourth successive season with Coventry in 2009 but, after a bright start to the campaign, he had the misfortune to sustain a broken tibia while again representing his Polish club, Grudziądz, in a league match versus Poznań on 3 May.

Whilst he recuperated, the elder of the racing brothers was replaced by the returning Scott Nicholls on a short-term basis. Allen was to resume in the Bees’ line-up in July, when Nicholls was released to join Ipswich on loan. His testimonial meeting subsequently took place at Brandon Stadium on 23 August, when Jason Crump took the spoils of victory in an individual event. After the conclusion of the season – in December – it was announced that Ipswich had agreed a loan deal with Coventry for the Norwich-born rider’s services in 2010.

Allen was ruled out of action after a first-race crash with Darcy Ward during the Witches’ league visit to Poole on 9 June. He returned to action a month later but, despite holding an average of 5.67 points per match courtesy of 98 points from twenty-one appearances, he was released in mid-July when the Ipswich management opted to sign Chris Słaboń in a bid to move away from the foot of the Elite League table.

Allen made a positive reaction to being dropped by putting himself right in the shop window courtesy of a second-place finish, behind Josef Franc, in the prestigious Scottish Open at Edinburgh on 23 July. And, in August, he returned to regular action as the No. 1 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. Allen effectively replaced Doolan, with the other incoming riders being Lasse Bjerre, Jamie Courtney and Cal McDade.

Allen immediately slotted into a high-scoring groove for the Stars, quickly racing to an average in excess of 9 points per match. He was temporarily halted, though, when he piled-up in the initial running of heat one in the Northern Riders’ Championship at Sheffield on 9 September, suffering bruising and concussion.

By the season’s end, he had made thirteen appearances for the Norfolk outfit, scoring 128 points for an average of 8.72. At Saddlebow Road, his best performance came in a league encounter versus Redcar on 10 August, when he registered a paid maximum tally of 14+1 points. Away, Allen’s highlight was to rack-up 15+1 points from five starts at Stoke four days later; his score on the night enhanced by 6 points from an early tactical outing in heat five.

Following King’s Lynn’s decision to go Elite League, it was announced on 9 December that Allen would be remaining with the club for their new challenge in 2011. He was joined by Kenneth Bjerre, Niels-Kristian Iversen, Mads Korneliussen, Tomáš Topinka (D/up), Morten Risager (D/up), Sam Masters (D/up), Lasse Bjerre (D/up), Filip Šitera and Adam Roynon (No. 8) in the completed squad.

Allen made a great start to the campaign, but sustained another dislocated shoulder when the Stars entertained Eastbourne in a league fixture on 4 May. This occurred when he fell on the second bend of heat three and necessitated a two-week break from racing.

FIM Speedway World Cup Record:
SWC tournaments: 2
Events: 2 – 14th on the Great Britain list; 102nd on SWC all-time list
Points: 5 – 17th on the Great Britain list; 118th on SWC all-time list
Finals: 1
Gold medals: 0

ALLOTT, Adam Nick
DATE OF BIRTH: 19 March 1983, Stockport, Cheshire.
BRITISH CAREER: (1998) Norfolk, Buxton; (1999) Buxton, Sheffield; (2000) Sheffield, Owlerton; (2001) Sheffield; (2002) Sheffield II, Swindon, Somerset; (2003) Buxton, King’s Lynn; (2004) King’s Lynn; (2005) King’s Lynn, Eastbourne, Workington, Stoke; (2006) Stoke II; (2007) King’s Lynn; (2008) Boston; (2009) King’s Lynn II, Scunthorpe; (2010-11) Buxton.
CLUB HONOURS: League Championship winner: 1999 [Sheffield], 2000 [Owlerton], 2010 [Buxton]; Young Shield winner: 1999 [Sheffield]; Premiership winner: 2000 [Sheffield]; Premier Trophy winner: 2001 [Sheffield]; Knock-Out Cup winner: 2007 [King’s Lynn], 2010 [Buxton]; National Trophy winner: 2010 [Buxton].
RIDER LINKS: Son of Nicky Allott (born: 15 December 1954, Buxton, Derbyshire). Great Nephew of Tommy Allott (born: 17 May 1908, Denby Dale, West Yorkshire). Grandson of Guy Allott (born: 19 September 1922, Penistone, South Yorkshire). Nephew of Trevor Stead (born: 24 May 1956, Sheffield, South Yorkshire) and Ian Stead (born: 25 April 1964, Sheffield, South Yorkshire). Cousin of Simon Stead (born: 25 April 1982, Sheffield, South Yorkshire).
2011 STARTING AVERAGE: 7.63 (NL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Allott made his debut in the sport with the then-Norfolk Braves at Buxton on 2 August 1998 as a raw 15-year-old, scoring 3 points. That proved a one-off performance for the short-handed side, but he subsequently grasped the opportunity to represent his hometown club in the final sector of the season.

It was quickly apparent that he had inherited the racing genes from his father, Nicky, and grandfather, Guy, both of whom had raced speedway in the past, of course. The following year, Allott started brilliantly when he won his first four rides in the Hitmen’s home league opener against Rye House on 23 May and looked to made strides in the sport. He was part of a very youthful side that included the likes of Aidan Collins, James Mann and Paul Burnett, and the kids were always entertaining to watch at the gateway to the Peak District.

The progress during the year was there for all to see as he topped the averages for the spa town team and this prompted Sheffield to offer him a place in their Premier League side on top of his commitments with the Hitmen.

He collected his first maximum as Buxton defeated Mildenhall and also held the Bronze Helmet match-race title for a while. During the winter of 1999/2000, he joined Sheffield on a full-time basis and was to be based with the South Yorkshire club at PL and CL levels until 2002, a season that also saw him enjoy spells at Swindon and Somerset.

At the start of 2003, Allott found himself with a team place and agreed to again race for Buxton until he could get back into the Premier League. His return lasted just two meetings before an opportunity came to race for King’s Lynn. With this move, his season turned for the better and the Norfolk outfit were so impressed that they signed him from Sheffield at the end of the year.

After two further terms on the Stars’ books, Allott linked with Stoke’s then-CL side in 2006, but he was to sustain serious injuries when he crashed whilst riding for the Spitfires in a Conference Shield match at Scunthorpe on 10 September. He suffered damage to his back and also a break to his right elbow, which needed plating.

The accident occurred in heat fifteen of the match, when he was launched into the safety fence at high-speed after being unable to avoid Tai Woffinden and Ben Barker, who had fallen in front of him. He announced his retirement at the end of the year, following medical advice suggesting that another knock could leave him badly injured; however, he bravely made a track return in September 2007, when he re-joined King’s Lynn.

He didn’t race at the start of the 2008 campaign and, in fact, only completed half-a-dozen official matches for Boston at the tail-end of the season. However, Allott subsequently made a full-time return to racing in 2009, when he linked with King’s Lynn’s second side, the Barracudas, in the newly-formed National League. He also linked with Scunthorpe towards the end of June, when he replaced Nick Simmons in the Scorpions’ line-up.

His spell with the Premier League side proved short-lived, though, as he was released in mid-July when Ritchie Hawkins joined the North Lincolnshire outfit. He saw the term out with the Barracudas for whom he tallied 283 points and a real-time 9.59 average from an ever-present total of twenty-four appearances. At the end of January 2010, it was revealed that Allott had concluded a deal to return to Buxton for the new campaign on loan from his parent club, King’s Lynn.

As club skipper, he was to play a full part in what was quite simply the Hitmen’s most successful term in their 16-year history, as they firstly sealed victory in the National Trophy. As the season came to a wonderful climax, he notched scores of 9 and 12 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. His contribution on the day was 7+1 points, as he concluded a wonderful campaign with a solid 8-point average to his name.

Looking at the stats in a little more detail, Allott was one of two riders to remain ever-present for the Hitmen throughout their 35-match programme – the other being Robert Branford – from which he plundered 346 points for an average of 8.20.

His leading performance at home occurred in a Knock-Out Cup quarter-final tie against Rye House on 13 June, when he registered a paid maximum tally of 16+2 points. Meanwhile, on the club’s travels, his best showing was a haul of 13+1 points from half-a-dozen starts in a National Trophy encounter at Weymouth on 3 September.

On 3 March 2011, Buxton announced that Allott had agreed to return to his hometown club for a second successive season on loan from King’s Lynn. The rider had captained the Hitmen to a fantastic treble of major National League honours the previous term, having first ridden for the club as a 15-year-old back in 1998.

ANDERSEN, Hans Nørgaard
DATE OF BIRTH: 3 November 1980, Odense, Denmark.
BRITISH CAREER: (2001-02) Poole; (2003) Peterborough; (2004-05) Ipswich; (2006-07) Peterborough; (2008) Peterborough, Coventry; (2009) Poole; (2010) Belle Vue; (2011) Coventry, Peterborough.
MAJOR HONOURS: World Cup Champion: 2006, 2008; Danish Champion: 2007; Czech Golden Helmet Champion: 2008.
CLUB HONOURS: Craven Shield winner: 2001, 2002 [both Poole], 2008 [Coventry]; League Championship winner: 2006 [Peterborough]; Elite Shield winner: 2007 [Peterborough]; Pairs Championship winner: 2008 [Coventry], 2009 [Poole].
GRAND PRIX HIGHLIGHTS: Scandinavian GP Champion: 2004; Danish GP Champion: 2006; Czech Republic GP Champion: 2006; Grand Final Champion: 2006; Italian GP Champion: 2008.
2011 STARTING AVERAGE: 8.39 (EL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: The Dane, who was first unveiled as a Poole signing at the one and only indoor meeting ever staged at the Bournemouth International Centre on 27 January 2001, rode as Hans N. Andersen during his early career, but the ‘N’ was dropped from his name in later years.

In 2006, he began a second stint in the colours of Peterborough and what a season it was for the Panthers, as they finished at the top of the final league table – albeit on race-points difference – ahead of Reading, both sides having attained 64 points from their forty matches.

Fittingly, it was the Panthers and the then-nicknamed Bulldogs who both battled through to the Play-Off final, Peterborough getting there by virtue of defeating Coventry 52-40 at the East of England Showground on 25 September.

The first leg of the final took place seven days later at Reading on 2 October, when the Bulldogs were only able to claim a hard-fought 49-47 success. The Panthers clearly started the second leg at their pacy home circuit as favourites, but Reading fought like tigers to lead 41-31 after heat twelve.

Just when it looked as if the Berkshire side were heading for the League Championship, Andersen took victory in a tactical ride and with team-mate Richard Hall in third place, the resultant 7-2 reduced the Bulldogs’ advantage to 43-38. Ryan Sullivan and Hall then combined for a 5-1, setting up an overwhelmingly tense last-heat decider as Reading clung desperately to a 44-43 lead. It wasn’t to be for the Bulldogs, however, as Sullivan and Andersen joined forces for a 5-1 over Greg Hancock, giving the Panthers the narrowest of aggregate successes by 95 points to 94.

In 2008, Andersen served a 14-day ban imposed by the sport’s authorities to enable the then-Peterborough promoter, Colin Horton, to attempt to resolve the financial difficulties, which had led to the Danish rider withholding his services due to unpaid wages. He subsequently joined Coventry in August for the remainder of the season, helping the Bees to victory in both the Elite League Pairs Championship and the Craven Shield.

Having initially decided not to compete in British speedway in 2009 in order to focus on riding in fewer meetings, the Dane had a change of heart and was signed by Poole – his first UK club – late in May, when he replaced Aleš Dryml in the Pirates’ declared line-up.

In November, Andersen was handed a wildcard for the 2010 Grand Prix series and, at the beginning of the following month, Belle Vue made the winter headlines when they announced that he would spearhead their attack in the new season, the Manchester-based outfit having agreed a loan deal with the Dane’s parent club, Peterborough.

The Aces’ skipper overcame a hip injury, sustained in heat one of a home league clash versus Poole on 17 May, but was in the wars again when he broke a finger on his left hand in a crash during the Scandinavian Grand Prix at Målilla, Sweden, on 14 August. This occurred in heat two, when he hit the safety fence after compatriot Nicki Pedersen had fallen in front of him.

The Dane pulled out of his meeting in Poland the following day and was forced to withdraw from the Belle Vue side a day later. He also sustained bruised fingers in the accident, pulled a shoulder and hurt a couple of ribs. However, he was able to return to racing a little over a week later with his broken finger supported by a bracket.

Having been dogged by injuries, it was little surprise that Andersen’s end-of-term average fell by over a point from the previous season’s 9.77 figure with Poole to 8.70 with the Aces, the rider having totalled 300 points from thirty official appearances. His best performance of the year came in a league encounter at home to Peterborough on 10 May, when he reeled off a 15-point maximum from five starts.

Andersen had been expected to re-join Coventry in 2011, but the Bees became involved in a winter-long dispute with the BSPA and, for a considerable time, it didn’t look like they would come to the line for the start of the campaign. However, the issue was finally resolved, allowing the Dane to link-up with the Bees; the rider having made it quite clear that the Brandon club was the only place he wanted to be.

Prior to satisfactory resolution between Coventry and the BSPA, Andersen had kicked-off the season in sparkling fashion by taking victory in the Ben Fund Bonanza at Scunthorpe on 12 March. Witnessed by almost 3,000 spectators – a record for the Eddie Wright Raceway – the Danish superstar rebounded from a last in his first ride to win his next five, including the semi-final and final. In the latter, he took the flag ahead of Ben Barker, Chris Harris and Davey Watt, as he followed in the footsteps of compatriot Nicki Pedersen to win the curtain-raising event.

Shortly after the Bees had commenced their fixtures, the Coventry No. 1 was to suffer a broken foot in a freak training accident. The Danish star was out running in the woods when he fell over a branch. He required an operation as a result and it meant that the club needed to book guest riders whilst the extent of the injury was assessed. Whilst he strived to regain fitness, the Bees announced the hot signing of Emil Sayfutdinov as his replacement on 19 May.

On 30 June, Coventry Speedway confirmed that they had released Andersen, with the rider free to speak to other clubs. The Dane had returned to racing on the continent, but the Bees had brought in Sayfutdinov and it was stated that the Russian would remain with the club for the rest of the season.

In early September, it was announced that Peterborough’s 2006 Elite League title-winning captain was to re-join the club. Andersen had agreed to make an East of England Showground return in place of compatriot Nicki Pedersen.

FIM Speedway Grand Prix Record:
Grand Prix ridden: 75 – 10th on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix points: 711 – 8th on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix races: 418 – 9th on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix race wins: 105 – 8th on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix wins: 4 – 10th on SGP all-time list      
Grand Prix finals: 21 – 7th on SGP all-time list

FIM Speedway World Cup Record:
SWC tournaments: 9
Events: 21 – 3rd on Denmark’s list; 7th on SWC all-time list
Points: 223 – 3rd on Denmark’s list; 9th on SWC all-time list
Finals: 8
Gold medals: 2

ANDERSSON, Dennis Gustav Martin
DATE OF BIRTH: 3 June 1991, Avesta, Dalarna County, Sweden.
BRITISH CAREER: (2011) Poole.
MAJOR HONOUR: European Under-19 Champion: 2010.
CLUB HONOURS: League Championship winner: 2011 [Poole], Knock-Out Cup winner: 2011 [Poole].
2011 STARTING AVERAGE: 4.00 (EL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Andersson had been on the radar for some time, having finished seventh in the European Under-19 Championship in both 2008 and 2009. In the former at Stralsund, Germany, he scored 9 points and in the latter at Tarnów, Poland, he notched a tally of 8.

But 2010 was his big year in the competition; on 20 June, he stormed to a 15-point maximum to win his semi-final at Elgane, Norway. Then, in the final at Goričan, Croatia, on 24 July, he recorded 14 points to tie for top spot with the Polish duo of Przemysław Pawlicki and Patryk Dudek, before taking the title through a glorious run-off victory on a rain-soaked track.

On 10 December, Poole announced the signing of the European Under-19 Champion, as he became the first confirmed name on their 2011 team-sheet. The rider had been closely tailed by Pirates’ promoter Matt Ford following his performances for Swedish club Lejonen and Wrocław in Poland, and came into the Dorseteers’ line-up on an assessed average of 4.00.

Andersson was an impressive newcomer to Wimborne Road on the occasion of Poole’s Press and Practice Day on 14 March. And he hit the ground running when the team action got underway, top-scoring with 12+2 points from the No. 7 berth in a challenge match at Eastbourne six days later, before collecting another sparkling tally of 11 points in the return encounter against the Eagles on 23 March.

The teenager was forced to sit out his final programmed ride in Poole’s home match versus Eastbourne on 24 April after aggravating a rib injury in a track crash in Poland the previous night. Despite suffering painful rib injuries, he courageously still came back to England to ride in the South Coast clash, winning heat two at a canter.

The super Swede certainly endured an unfortunate spell as, after suffering three crashes in as many days, he also reported a hand injury and a knock to a leg. As touched upon, Andersson’s first crash had occurred on Easter Saturday [23 April] when riding in Toruń for his Polish club, Wrocław, where he was run over in heat nine.

Back at Poole on Easter Sunday, he took another awkward fall and was forced to pull out of his last scheduled outing for the Pirates. He then returned to Poland on 25 April, where he only managed a point for Wrocław in a league match against Zielona Góra, which was played out on a treacherous track surface.

The talented teenager flew back into the UK on 27 April in readiness for Poole’s league encounter at Swindon the following evening after X-rays had revealed no broken bones. As a result, he originally declared himself fit to face the Robins, but the hand ballooned up overnight and the swelling prevented him from taking his place in the Pirates’ reserve berth after all.

However, he was soon back in action and posting good tallies for the Dorseteers, including a top-scoring contribution of 12+2 points as Poole comfortably overcame the reigning Elite League Champions, Coventry, in a live Sky Sports presentation from Wimborne Road on 9 May.

FIM Speedway Grand Prix Record:
Grand Prix ridden: 1 – 112th on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix points: 0 – n/a
Grand Prix races: 1 – 138th on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix race wins: 0 – n/a
Grand Prix wins: 0 – n/a      
Grand Prix finals: 0 – n/a

ANDREWS, Richard (Rich) James
DATE OF BIRTH: 6 May 1992, Tiverton, Devon.
BRITISH CAREER: (2009) Newport II; (2010) Weymouth; (2011) Newport II.
2011 STARTING AVERAGE: 3.00 (NL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Having initially been part of the declared 1-7 of Newport’s new National League side in 2009, Andrews shuffled to the No. 8 position in June, being replaced in the main body of the team by Shelby Rutherford. Then, towards the end of the same month, he lost his place in the squad altogether, when Tom Young returned from injury.

In February 2010, Weymouth handed the Tiverton-born youngster that last spot in their 1-7 for the new term after he had proved himself in the winter training schools at the Wessex Stadium. And he went on to remain ever-present for the Wildcats, his thirty appearances in their colours producing 81 points and an average of 3.06.

On 5 February 2011, Newport announced that their asset was returning to 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 Mattie Bates in the side’s starting line-up.

ARMSTRONG, Jon Thomas
DATE OF BIRTH: 1 August 1974, Manchester, Greater Manchester.
BRITISH CAREER: (1992-93) Belle Vue; (1994) Coventry; (1996) Buxton, Sheffield; (1997) Buxton, Belle Vue II, Swindon, Stoke; (1998) Newport, Newport II; (1999) Belle Vue, Stoke; (2000) Newport; (2001) Stoke; (2002) Buxton, Stoke; (2003) Stoke; (2004) Mildenhall, Belle Vue; (2005) Mildenhall, Peterborough; (2006) Mildenhall, Peterborough; (2007) Boston, Birmingham, Buxton; (2008-09) Weymouth; (2010-11) Dudley.
CLUB HONOURS: Four-Team Championship winner: 2004 [Mildenhall], 2011 [Dudley]; Conference Trophy winner: 2004 [Mildenhall]; League Championship winner: 2004 [Mildenhall]; Knock-Out Cup winner: 2004 [Mildenhall].
MAJOR HONOUR: Amateur League Riders’ Champion: 1997.
2011 STARTING AVERAGE: 8.61 (NL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: A lengthy career in the sport for the ‘Mighty Midget’ began at Belle Vue in the 1990s and saw him represent a variety of clubs at all three levels of the sport, before he arrived at Weymouth in 2008.

Regrettably, his campaign with the Wildcats came to an abrupt end on 31 May, when he suffered a broken tibia and patella tendon in a heat seven smash with team-mate Jay Herne during the Conference League Pairs Championship at his home track.

The Mancunian returned to the saddle with Weymouth as club skipper in 2009 but, after struggling with the leg he broke the previous year, he was ordered to take at least six weeks off on medical advice. In the interim, he was replaced in the Wildcats’ line-up by Mark Burrows.

Later in the season, following Lee Smart’s departure from the Wessex club, Armstrong – although still ruled out by knee problems – was briefly re-introduced into Weymouth’s declared 1-7, thus allowing them a facility in his continued absence. This was utilised in a home National Trophy engagement with Mildenhall on 31 July, but the move was subsequently vetoed and the Wildcats instead enlisted the services of Benji Compton in early August.

During his elongated spell on the sidelines, doctors ordered Armstrong to undergo a knee arthroscopy to assess the full extent of the damage. However, after being kept waiting by the NHS, he ended up spending £3,500 to get it looked at privately.

Having been warned that an operation might make things worse, he nonetheless decided to go for it anyway and underwent surgery on 26 August. Thankfully, this proved a success and Armstrong began planning his comeback to racing in earnest. And, on 9 April 2010, Dudley announced his acquisition as a short-term replacement for the injured Ben Taylor.

He had been due to revert back to his parent club, Weymouth, following the Heathens’ National League match at Rye House on 1 May but, because of his northern base and his full-time job, it was logistically impossible for him to do so.

That meant he was able to stay on with Dudley, for whom he had quickly become a big hit because of his all-action efforts. The club was delighted with the news and stated that the Manchester-born veteran would stay with them as a stand-in whilst Taylor continued his recuperation from a complicated wrist injury.

In the meantime, although he remained on board with the Heathens, it was revealed later in May that Newport had concluded a deal to purchase Armstrong on a full transfer from Weymouth. ‘Armo’ was to comfortably maintain a place inside the top twenty riders in the National League but – somewhat ironically – he was injured when making a guest appearance for Newport at King’s Lynn on 1 August. Unfortunately, he was left nursing a broken arm and broken toes after a hefty heat one crash at the Norfolk Arena.

Whilst he recuperated, Dudley acquired the services of Barrie Evans to plug the gap in their side. The luckless Armstrong had hoped to return to action in mid-September after recovering from his broken arm, but the Mancunian sustained a broken finger on his left hand after a freak fall at his home when returning from watching the Heathens’ Knock-Out Cup semi-final tie against Buxton at Wolverhampton on the 14th of the month. With his season over, he had appeared in thirteen matches for the club, scoring 132 points for a 9.18 average.

On 3 February 2011, Dudley Speedway was delighted to announce that Armstrong would remain with them for a second successive season – after a backlash from fans! The rider had made a huge impression with supporters of the former Cradley club in 2010, before his campaign was cut short by a broken arm.

Having regained full fitness, the Mancunian had turned down late interest from elsewhere to pledge his future to the Heathens just a week after he was told he wouldn’t be in their plans. However, the club had spoken to Newport – who still owned his contract – and as a result he came back into contention and finally got the nod. And, on 5 April, the Dudley outfit was delighted to announce that Armstrong had become a fully-fledged asset after they had completed a deal with the Welsh club.

The Heathens’ skipper was injured in a challenge match against the USA Dream Team at Monmore Green on 11 April, when he came down in his first race and suffered rib damage. Armo returned to action in a challenge match for the Heathens at Birmingham on 1 May, prior to giving his best performance in the club’s famous colours as Dudley edged out a powerhouse Scunthorpe side 47-43 in a National League thriller at their adopted Wolverhampton track the following day. Indeed, he notched 17 points from a possible 18 in a majestic display, which inspired his colleagues to keep the Saints at bay.

On 30 July, he was a member of the Heathens’ line-up that came through the semi-final stage of the National League Four-Team Championship at Stoke’s Loomer Road raceway, prior to taking victory in the final ahead of Belle Vue, the Potters and Mildenhall.

Shortly after that success, Armstrong crashed out of Dudley’s 55-40 defeat at the hands of Buxton at Monmore Green on 30 August. The Heathens’ skipper came to grief in heat thirteen, suffering a throat injury when his handlebars struck him.

A further update the following day confirmed that the rider had actually sustained a broken bone in his back after his spill against the Hitmen. Thankfully, though, the popular Mancunian had full movement in his body and the bone was reported to be stable, and further encouraging news was that he could breathe normally and had recovered his voice.

ASHWORTH, Richard (Ricky) David
DATE OF BIRTH: 17 August 1982, Salford, Greater Manchester.
BRITISH CAREER: (2001) Sheffield II; (2002) Sheffield, Sheffield II; (2003) Sheffield; (2004) Sheffield, Peterborough; (2005) Sheffield, Poole; (2006-09) Sheffield; (2010) Sheffield, Belle Vue; (2011) Sheffield.
MAJOR HONOUR: Premier League Riders’ Champion: 2009.
CLUB HONOURS: League Championship winner: 2002 [Sheffield]; Knock-Out Cup winner: 2002 [Sheffield]; Young Shield winner: 2002 [Sheffield]; Pairs Championship winner: 2010 [Sheffield].
2011 STARTING AVERAGE: 7.77 (PL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Rewinding in time, Ashworth’s initial speedway rides took place in second-half events at Belle Vue in 2001, after the outbreak of foot and mouth disease had put paid to any grass-track racing that year. He subsequently made his debut for Sheffield Prowlers at Conference level in July that same season. And he grabbed a place in the senior Sheffield side the following term, when the Tigers went on complete a glorious treble of winning the League Championship, Knock-Out Cup and Young Shield.

Indeed, they only just missed out on a clean-sweep, losing narrowly to Trelawny in the Premier Trophy final. Ashworth performed very well in his first season at this level to average 4.94, having appeared in a full, gruelling quota of fifty-six matches. The season also saw him remain with the Prowlers, with whom he posted an impressive 9.27 figure from twenty-three appearances.

The Salford-born racer increased his average to 7.57 with the Tigers in 2003 and added to his list of honours – albeit as a guest – when he helped Poole to win the British League Cup, appearing in both legs of the final against their South Coast rivals, Eastbourne.

Further improvement in 2004 saw Ashworth raise his end-of-term figure to 8.29 and he also spent the season ‘doubling up’ alongside Andrew Appleton at Peterborough. In total, he made twenty-two appearances for the Panthers, scoring 97 points for a 4.55 average.

Remaining ever-loyal to Sheffield in 2005, his final figure slipped back slightly to 7.98 in a campaign that also saw him extend his top-flight experience with a further twenty-two appearances for Poole, as he shared a ‘doubling up’ role with Edward Kennett.    

Having assumed the No. 1 race-jacket due to team-mate Andre Compton’s preference not to ride in the opening heat, a fifth straight term with the Tigers in 2006 brought 480 points and a career-high 8.59 second-tier average, as he remained ever-present during the 54-match programme. There was heartache, though, as the South Yorkshire side lost out to King’s Lynn in the Play-Off final, going down 100-82 on aggregate.

Ashworth maintained a consistent performance level in 2007, as Sheffield again suffered the anguish of losing out in the race for the league title via the Play-Off system. The semi-final stage saw them gain some revenge by defeating King’s Lynn, but they were beaten 111-74 by a very determined Rye House side at the final hurdle.

Unswerving in his reliability from the No. 1 position, he continued to give Andre Compton top-end backing the following season, before taking over pole position in the club’s averages in 2009. This came after his tall-scoring colleague had initially decided to retire, before a change of heart and circumstances rather than intent saw him end up in the Workington line-up.

On 27 September, Ashworth used his substantial knowledge of the Owlerton circuit – not to mention his characteristically exciting and aggressive riding style – to great effect by taking victory in the Premier League Riders’ Championship, as he scooped his initial major individual honour. In November, the Tigers once more named him as a member of their starting line-up for 2010, as he continued his long association with the club. The following month, it was also revealed that he had agreed to represent Belle Vue in a ‘doubling-up’ capacity.

He was replaced as Sheffield captain by Paul Cooper a week after a home defeat at the hands of Birmingham on 15 April. Shortly after, Ashworth sustained some ligament damage to a wrist when he crashed out of heat one in Sheffield’s Premier Trophy encounter at Birmingham on 30 May. But, on the plus side, another career highlight saw him join forces with Josh Auty to win the Premier League Pairs Championship on 9 July.

In the final, the Sheffield duo gained a stunning 7-2 race win over defending Champions Birmingham to take the title in front of a large crowd at Somerset’s Oak Tree Arena. In the showdown race, the Tigers’ No. 1 went around the outside to hit the front, but it was his partner who stole the show as he overhauled Brummies’ skipper Jason Lyons after Steve Johnston had suffered an engine failure.  

Having taken over as Sheffield’s stand-in skipper following the injuries sustained by Paul Cooper in a grass-track crash at Rhodes Minnis on 1 August, it looked like Ashworth had joined what at the time was the club’s extensive injury list when he sustained a bruising to the groin in a fourth-ride crash during an away fixture at Newcastle on 22 August. However, he rode through the pain barrier when he resumed in the saddle in the Tigers’ very next match at home to Redcar just four days later.

Ashworth went on to ride in all but one of Sheffield’s thirty-nine official meetings, recording 337 points to top the side’s averages on a figure of 8.28. Meanwhile, in the top-flight, he rode on just three occasions for Belle Vue, scoring 12 points for a 3.73 average.

On 6 December, Sheffield again confirmed the signing of the talismanic Ashworth for 2011, as the rider looked forward to completing a decade with the club, having first represented the-then Prowlers at Conference League level in 2001. And, on 19 January, it was revealed that the long-serving rider had been handed the captain’s armband for his milestone season.

He was to maintain an average of over 8.5 points per match in the first half of the campaign, but was injured when the Tigers appeared at Scunthorpe in a Premier League encounter on 10 June. This occurred in a re-run of the nominated heat, when he sustained knocks to a shoulder, hand and wrist in a fall.

As a result, his wrist and hand had no strength at all and simply wouldn’t have been able to cope with the vibrations of a speedway bike, ruling him out of Sheffield’s home league encounter versus Newcastle six days later.

ASPEGREN, Robin Alexander
DATE OF BIRTH: 24 March 1989, Vetlanda, Sweden.
BRITISH CAREER: (2010-11) Newport.
CLUB HONOUR: Knock-Out Cup winner: 2011 [Newport].
2011 STARTING AVERAGE: 6.03 (PL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Eastbourne gave the highly-rated youngster a trial at the end of the 2009 season, the Swede representing the Eagles in home and away challenge matches against Poole, on 10 and 14 October, respectively.

Although not initially handed a 2010 UK berth, Aspegren did eventually gain a place in the Newport side, some three weeks following the broken collarbone suffered by compatriot Anders Mellgren during a Swedish Elite League match on 8 June. As confirmed by the Welsh club, whilst in the UK the Vetlanda-born rider used Mellgren’s equipment.

His stint in the Wasps’ colours was to be fleeting but, after making his debut in a league match at Edinburgh on 2 July, he was to notch an excellent 9-point tally at Berwick the following evening. Then, on his home debut at Queensway Meadows, he fell in his opening ride before roaring to three straight wins and another 9-point haul versus Champions-elect Edinburgh. That gave him a real-time average of exactly 7.00 from his 3-match spell and he had certainly caught the eye of many a keen observer.

Mellgren had been due to return to the Newport line-up for a home league match versus Stoke on 18 July, but missed the meeting after unfortunately suffering a further injury setback. As a result, the Welsh outfit moved quickly to re-declare with Aspegren, who had made such a good impression during his original spell in the team.

In total, he was to make nineteen official appearances for the Wasps, which yielded 116 points and a 6.25 average. His leading performance at home occurred on 4 July, when he netted 9 points from four starts in a league encounter with Edinburgh. Meanwhile, on Newport’s travels, he recorded 9+1 points from five outings at Somerset on 3 September and 9+1 from four rides at Stoke on 9 October.  

On 5 December, the Welsh outfit confirmed the crowd-pleasing speedster as a definite starter in their line-up for 2011. However, the Swede faced several weeks out of action after sustaining a broken foot on 9 April, when he hit the fence on the first bend of heat one in the Wasps’ home defeat against Ipswich.

That left the Welsh club looking for a temporary replacement, who was initially going to be Chris Słaboń although that move was called off after commitments in his home country ruled out the Polish-born rider. But, in a surprise bonus, Aspegren made a quicker than expected recovery from injury and was able to return to the Wasps’ line-up for the Easter fixtures – less than a fortnight after breaking his foot!

ATKIN, Anthony (Tony) Neville
DATE OF BIRTH: 8 April 1966, Wrexham, North Wales.
BRITISH CAREER: (1986) Stoke; (1994) Wolverhampton; (1995) Bradford; (1996) Sheffield, Wolverhampton, Buxton; (1997) Stoke; (1999-2002) Stoke; (2003-07) Newport; (2008) Newport, Berwick; (2009) Newport II, Newport; (2010) Newport II; (2011) Stoke.
CLUB HONOURS: Knock-Out Cup winner: 1995 [Bradford]; Pairs Champion: 2009 [Newport II].
2011 STARTING AVERAGE: 7.78 (NL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: The four-times British 350cc Grass-track Champion (1993, 1997, 1999 and 2000) sustained a broken ankle while riding for Newport against the Isle of Wight at Queensway Meadows in the Premier Trophy competition on 6 April 2008. The accident happened in heat three after the popular Wrexham-born rider had clipped Cory Gathercole’s machine and then hit the late Paul Fry, before careering into the safety fence.

Regrettably, the Welsh track was forced to close down shortly afterwards following promoter Tim Stone’s death on 26 April. Only the side’s Premier Trophy and Knock-Out Cup matches were permitted to count in the riders’ records and Atkin subsequently re-located to Berwick.

The veteran of the grass-track and speedway scene resumed with Newport’s new National League side as skipper in 2009 and also linked with the senior Premier League outfit at Queensway Meadows late in May, when he replaced Kyle Newman. His stint back in the senior side proved short-lived, though, as the Wasps’ promotion recalled Newman – together with Kyle Hughes – as ‘doubling-up’ riders in place of Atkin early in June.

Aside from his Knock-Out Cup success with Bradford in 1995, a career highlight occurred at the Isle of Wight on 18 August 2009, when he partnered Grant Tregoning to the NL Pairs Championship. Late in October, it was confirmed by the Newport management that Atkin had signed on the dotted line to again represent the Hornets in 2010.

The North Walian was to post an average of 8.46, having scored 274 points from thirty-one meetings, as his side comfortably made the National League Play-Offs; indeed, they only just missed out on top spot in the final domestic standings due to a slightly inferior race-points difference to Dudley. The only downside for Atkin was a spell out of action after he had suffered cracked ribs in a first bend crash during heat seven of a league encounter at Scunthorpe on 10 September.

On 3 February 2011, Stoke announced the signing of Atkin on a full transfer from Newport ahead of their campaign in the National League, having made the decision to drop down from British speedway’s second tier for financial reasons. It represented the rider’s fourth stint in the Potters’ colours and he was instated as the club captain.

The Stoke skipper warmed-up for the campaign by becoming the new British Open Ice Champion after scoring a 15-point maximum at Telford on 13 February. Atkin edged out previous holder Martin Smolinski who finished on 14 points, beaten only by the Welshman in the first race, with Aidan Collins in third place. And the victorious rider dedicated his victory to the Potters’ supporters who made the trip.

AUTY, Joshua (Josh) Liam
DATE OF BIRTH: 8 September 1990, Mirfield, West Yorkshire.
BRITISH CAREER: (2005-06) Scunthorpe; (2007) Redcar, Scunthorpe; (2008) Redcar; (2009-10) Sheffield, Coventry; (2011) Sheffield, Coventry, Belle Vue.
MAJOR HONOURS: British Under-15 Champion: 2004, 2005; Queensland State Under-21 Champion: 2010; Queensland State Champion: 2010.
CLUB HONOURS: League Championship winner: 2006 [Scunthorpe], 2007 [Scunthorpe], 2010 [Coventry]; Knock-Out Cup winner: 2006 [Scunthorpe]; Conference Trophy winner: 2006, 2007 [both Scunthorpe]; Four-Team Championship winner: 2007 [Scunthorpe]; Pairs Championship winner: 2010 [Sheffield].
2011 STARTING AVERAGE: 7.69 (PL), 3.00 (EL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Following a disappointing 2008 campaign in Redcar’s colours, Auty was identified with Sheffield the following year, when he again linked with his former mentor and Tigers’ team manager, Eric Boocock.

He also initially took the role of club No. 8 at Coventry, prior to being promoted to a ‘doubling-up’ role in place of Joel Parsons in June. However, when his fellow ‘doubling-up’ rider, Jordan Frampton, sustained a wrist injury on 20 July, the Bees temporarily dispensed with using the facility.

Both Auty and Frampton were recalled to the dual position at the end of August, though, when Filip Å itera was released. Meanwhile, with Sheffield, he showed resurgent form throughout the campaign to post an average of 7.51 (including bonus) from forty-one official appearances.

Following the season, the Yorkshire lad spent the winter riding Down Under as part of a Darren and Sharon Boocock Scholarship, organised in the main by Ayr Speedway enthusiast and former rider Marcus Williams.

Whilst in Australia, the youngster won the Queensland Under-21 title at Gladstone on 21 November, defeating Mitchell Davey, Hugh Skidmore and Tyson Nelson in the final. Shortly after that triumph, it was confirmed that Auty would remain with Sheffield – despite competition for his services from other tracks – for a second successive term in 2010, whilst also continuing to ‘double-up’ with his parent club, Coventry.

He continued to enjoy his Australian trip on 12 December when, at North Brisbane, he added the senior Queensland State Championship to his U-21 title, winning the final ahead of Darcy Ward, Joe Haines and Mitchell Davey. Then, on 16 January at Mildura, he finished third in the Australian Under-21 Championship, behind Darcy Ward and Justin Sedgmen.

Auty efficiently bedded himself into the Sheffield side in the early weeks of his second campaign in their idiosyncratic colours, before his scoring really began to take-off a couple of months into the season.

That culminated in a starring performance at his former track, Redcar, which saw him net 16+1 points from six rides on 28 May. His showing included a crucial victory over former World Champion and Bears’ linchpin Gary Havelock in the penultimate race, which secured a Tigers’ win on the night.

Adding to his early career highlights, the Mirfield-born rider followed home team-mate Ricky Ashworth to win the Premier League Pairs Championship on 9 July. In the final, the Sheffield duo gained a stunning 7-2 race win over defending Champions Birmingham to take the title in front of a large crowd at Somerset’s Oak Tree Arena.

The showdown race saw the Tigers’ No. 1 go around the outside to hit the front, but it Auty who stole the show as he overhauled Brummies’ skipper Jason Lyons after Steve Johnston had suffered an engine failure.  

Auty later took over the No. 1 race-jacket from Ricky Ashworth for Sheffield and his first meeting in the position occurred in a league fixture against Stoke at Owlerton Stadium on 5 August. It was certainly one to remember for the spectacular speedster, as he scored a brilliant paid maximum (12+3 points) and three times got the better of the Potters’ best rider, Claus Vissing, with some trademark overtaking moves.

Meanwhile, although he didn’t represent Coventry in the Play-Offs, he had made sufficient appearances for the Warwickshire outfit to be credited with a League Championship success, as the Bees dramatically took victory over Poole in the televised showdown. Indeed, he represented the club on fifteen occasions in all official competitions during the campaign and notched 51 points for a 3.65 average.

His highest score at home was 7+3 points from four rides in a league encounter with Eastbourne on 23 July whilst, on the team’s travels, his best return was 5+3 points from seven outings at Peterborough in the Bees’ first away league match of the campaign on 2 April.

Indeed, 2010 was a big breakthrough season for the Yorkshireman who made sizeable gains on his average with Sheffield, partnered Ricky Ashworth to Premier League Pairs Championship victory at Somerset – and also provided some of the most exciting racing seen anywhere in the country courtesy of his trademark blasts from the back.

Having remained ever-present throughout the team’s 40-match schedule to notch 334 points and achieve an excellent real-time average of 8.23, Auty met with club bosses ahead of their end-of-season party at Owlerton Stadium on 21 October and agreed terms on a new deal on loan from his parent club, Coventry, for 2011. Following that, he again toured Down Under during our winter break and came back to fill a ‘doubling-up’ role with the Bees for a third successive term.

Auty finished fourth in the British Under-21 Championship at Lakeside on 15 April and followed it up by taking a brilliant victory in the World Under-21 Championship qualifier at Herxheim, Germany, two days later. The West Yorkshireman defeated Swedish sensation and Poole ace Dennis Andersson in a run-off for top spot in the meeting and described the success as the best result of his career.

Auty was maintaining an average of over 7.5 points per match for Sheffield in British speedway’s second sphere, whilst also sitting nicely on a figure in excess of 6 points a meeting for top-flight Coventry when, on 4 June, he suffered a broken ankle whilst competing in the World Under-21 semi-final at Žarnovica, Slovakia.

The rider was declared fit to return from injury on 6 July, when he raced for Coventry in a Knock-Out Cup-tie against Peterborough at Brandon, scoring 3 points. The talented youngster had made a rapid recovery from a broken ankle and his first meeting back was to have been for his Premier League club, Sheffield, in their clash with Edinburgh the following day.

But that comeback was brought forward by twenty-four hours to enable Auty to step in for Peter Kildemand, as the Dane faced a couple of weeks on the sidelines after suffering shoulder damage in a crash in his Grand Prix qualifier in Italy on 2 July.

The West Yorkshireman endured another short stint on the sidelines after clattering into the Owlerton safety fence in heat five of Sheffield’s Knock-Out Cup clash with Workington on 21 July. However, he recovered quickly and returned a week later to top score for the Tigers with 13+1 points in a home league match versus Rye House.

Late in the season, Belle Vue were given clearance by the British Speedway Promoters’ Association to sign Auty to replace absent Pole Łukasz Jankowski ahead of their Knock-Out Cup semi-final second leg tie against Lakeside at Kirkmanshulme Lane on 12 October. The Aces were handed a 28-day facility to use the rider, although he was subsequently unavailable to represent them in both legs of the final against Poole.