Speedway: Rivalry is name of game

Apr 21 2008 The Journal

NEWCASTLE Diamonds will once again have to race without the power of injured George Stancl as they host the re-staging of the Premier Trophy match against the Scunthorpe Scorpions tonight at the Newcastle Stadium (7pm start).

Stancl is now back in his native Czech Republic for treatment as he’s still sidelined with a broken collar bone.

Rider replacement will once again cover the four races he misses in what is sure to be an intense battle with the Scorpions. Rivalry will be the name of the game with the visitors sporting four former Newcastle riders, most notably Carl Wilkinson who was a 2007 Diamond.

Also lining up for the home side against the Diamonds is an old boy from several seasons back, Richard Hall, who’s improved no end and is now a real force to be reckoned, along with former Newcastle Gems riders Byron Bekker and Benji Compton.

Diamonds’ team manager George English said: “We know we’re going into a hard match tonight with these Scorpions but all our riders are of the full belief we can come away with a positive result, and I’ll stand by their feelings.

“It is a big match full of rivalry as there is such a strong Newcastle connection on track and off as my fellow manager for Scunthorpe is long-time Newcastle associate team manager, Kenny Smith, and we both want to get one over the other.”

On Saturday night at Shielfield Park, Berwick Bandits consolidated their position on top of the Premier League with a comprehensive victory over the Sheffield Tigers 52-41 in a vibrant match bristling with thrills, spills and conflict. Tigers’ Ricky Ashworth was fined by the referee for knocking Berwick’s Michal Makovsky off at speed after heat 11 had finished, although thankfully there was no harm to the Bandit, apart from a wrecked bike.

Berwick now have seven league points from their opening three matches, equalling their total 2007 total from 28 matches.

Meanwhile, Redcar Bears overcame the loss of two riders to injury at the Newport Wasps yesterday to take a narrow one-point League win 46-47.

Twelve points up, the Bears young American Josh Auty hit an unexpected patch of grip in Heat 10, causing him to scoop up his Bears partner James Grieves and send the pair into the fence and out of the meeting.

LAWRENCE HEPPELL