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THE Final of the Premier League Fours will be re-staged at Leicester on a date to be confirmed later in the season.Heavy rain following the completion of the semi-finals forced the abandonment of the Beaumont Park showpiece event last Sunday, preventing the 12-heat Final from starting. The re-staging of the Final will be over 16-heats.Hosts Leicester sailed through their semi-final with an impressive 21 points – just three short of the maximum, with Kauko Nieminen and Magnus Karlsson each winning both of their two outings and Jan Graversen and Ilya Bondarenko also taking wins.The Lions were joined as qualifiers by Somerset, who have an impressive record in the competition and just edged out Glasgow for second place in the group, with Edinburgh also missing out on qualification.The Rebels finished just one point clear of the Tigers, with Cory Gathercole confirming their progression by finishing just one place behind Nick Morris in the final race of the group, Sam Masters having taken a crucial win in the penultimate heat.Group 2 was won by Ipswich, who had both Kevin Doolan and Lasse Bjerre in good form as both riders won their first outings and followed up with second places.The Witches finished with 15 points, one clear of Workington who also gave a solid performance throughout their team with late replacement Richard Lawson – in for the injured Peter Kildemand – scoring five out of six, and James Wright also a race winner.Sheffield missed out despite an impressive display from veteran Shane Parker, who also scored five, whilst Redcar were also eliminated after an up-and-down performance which saw the Bears win three of their eight races but also suffer a total of four last places. *BRITISH Youth co-boss Neil Vatcher says the British Under-19 team will benefit from the experience they gained in Sweden over the weekend.The GB team finished fourth on their debut in the UEM European Under-19 European Team championship, with Denmark and Sweden finishing clear at the top of the scoreboard in the semi-final event. Brendan Johnson top-scored for GB with five points.Vatcher said: “As soon as the first heat had been run we could all see that we would be in for a tough day, as the Danish and Swedish teams looked very strong from the off.”We all thought that we could try and at least try and beat the German team, and all the five boys gave it their very best shot and picked up at least one point in the majority of heats. Germany had one rider who scored 12 of their 18 points, and in hindsight that is what the GB Team was missing was - a rider that could score double figures ”The Management team could not fault any of the boys for their effort and we are sure that they will all benefit from the experience and in the future make them stronger and better riders, also with knowing what set-ups etc to use when they race in Europe.”We feel that the only way to progress is to compete against the best in these type of meetings, and hopefully learn from these experiences and go on to become full internationals themselves.”The Young Lions would like to thank the following people for there help towards the riders for this event: Andrew Johnson from Hoddesdon, and Alex and Richard Nix from Cambridge for sponsoring the team with tyres. Also a supporter who does not wish to be named, for a £200 donation.

SUPER7EVEN SERIES SPEEDWAY GB EVENTSBRITISH UNDER-21 FINAL: TAI WOFFINDENELITE LEAGUE PAIRS: POOLEBRITISH FINAL: SCOTT NICHOLLSPREMIER LEAGUE PAIRS: GLASGOWPREMIER LEAGUE FOURS: Leicester, Date TBC PREMIER LEAGUE RIDERS CHAMPIONSHIP: Sheffield, September 25 ELITE LEAGUE RIDERS CHAMPIONSHIP: Swindon, October 15

ELITE LEAGUE LATEST…

BELLE VUE star Charlie Gjedde collected the vital last-heat win to give the Aces a narrow 45-44 win over Birmingham in a hard-fought contest on Monday night.Gjedde said: “I had worked hard all night so I was really pleased when (manager) Jim (Lynch) asked me to do the last race.“I was really dialled into the track by then and it was great to win the race. I haven’t always done well throughout this season when I have been given the last heat ride.”BIRMINGHAM manager Graham Drury was frustrated to miss out on a win at Belle Vue on Monday after leading for much of the meeting – but he hailed his side’s effort as their recent improvement continued.Drury said: “I’m pleased with our efforts, I thought we rode very well and could so easily have won the meeting. It’s difficult to take defeat in the last race but I thought speedway was the real winner.“Ales Dryml had bike problems and we tried to sort that out for him, but that apart there are no excuses for letting it slip. I can’t fault the lads tonight, they all gave it everything they’ve got.”COVENTRY boss Alun Rossiter said the form of youngster Josh Auty was a big plus point from the Bees’ narrow defeat at Peterborough in the KO Cup on Monday, with the major damage to their hopes having already been done in a first-leg home defeat last month.Rossiter said: “I was pleased to see Josh riding so well, that was a plus, and he got a good race win in Heat 12. He knows his biggest problem is his gating and he knows you can’t afford to give it away from the start, but I’m pleased with him tonight.“To lose by two points here is frustrating but we know we lost it at home really. We’re riding better now and we’re looking at what we can do over the next couple of weeks with the team.”EASTBOURNE sent out a warning to their top-four rivals with a hugely impressive 57-35 win over title favourites Poole at Arlington in Saturday’s south coast derby.Manager Trevor Geer said: “All our boys rose to the occasion tonight and I think the Eastbourne team showed they wanted it the most. There was good, hard riding as the amount of re-runs showed.“It was an absolutely fantastic match. I knew it was going to be one of the hardest matches of the year but to come away with three league points was absolutely great.”KING’S LYNN promoter Keith Chapman is wary of the threat provided by Coventry when the two sides clash at the Norfolk Arena on Wednesday, with Emil Sayfutdinov making his second appearance at the venue.Chapman said: “Coventry are in the in form team of the moment and I am worried they could throw a spanner in the works in our attempt to reach the play-offs. “We cannot afford to suffer any bud luck like we did last week and on top of that I believe all our riders must be on top form as Coventry’s line up is mind blowing and they will be the toughest team King’s Lynn have taken on this season!”LAKESIDE say they still have issues to address with their own team despite being awarded victory over Coventry last Saturday following Edward Kennett’s illegal silencer penalties.The Hammers said: “The gaining of three league points in these circumstances is not something to overly celebrate, and we will be making further press releases midweek addressing the lack of form shown by the team on Saturday night, and plans for the next three weeks to keep our play-off hopes alive.“We wish to record our thanks to the Management of Coventry Speedway for both their direct personal contact and commendable Official Statement. The two clubs have always enjoyed a warm relationship and we feel sure that this will continue.”PETERBOROUGH star Troy Batchelor returned from illness to top-score for the Panthers as they advanced to the quarter-finals of the KO Cup with a 47-45 home win over Coventry.Batchelor said: “We did well tonight even if we did dip a bit at the end. We knew we would have to be on our guard because Coventry are pretty good around here and they showed that.“Obviously we had the eight point lead from the first leg but we wanted to win today to keep our unbeaten record at home. The track got a bit slicker towards the end and we struggled a bit but we had a good start and that was enough.”POOLE promoter Matt Ford has fired a warning to the Elite League leaders after their heavy defeat at Eastbourne on Saturday – with the Pirates determined to carry form into the play-offs this season after falling at the final hurdle in 2010.Ford said: “Last season this management persevered with certain elements of the team after a loss of confidence and ultimately we paid a huge price by failing to land the Elite League title despite being the most consistent and strongest team throughout the league season.“I vowed then and maintain now that I will not let that happen again. I will leave no stone unturned in ensuring our heat leaders are provided with the best possible back up between now and the end of the season.”SWINDON boss Jan Staechmann was encouraged by his team’s showings last week, when they gained a point at King’s Lynn and then held on for a 47-43 win over Peterborough.Staechmann said: “It was there for the taking with Peterborough missing Nicki Pedersen, Troy Batchelor and also Kacper Gomolski, but they had such a fantastic guest in Kenneth Bjerre that they were able to cover for the missing riders.“The boys did really well and I’m quietly happy about how things are going. Nicolai (Klindt) had an absolutely dreadful night and we were still able to win, so that’s got to be a good omen.”WOLVERHAMPTON boss Peter Adams has praised American rider Tyson Burmeister, who has returned home for personal reasons with Lubos Tomicek now signed as his replacement.Adams said: “The awful events surrounding the tragic loss of his father early in the season have had a massive effect on his progress and the stress has finally told.“He feels he has to go home to sort himself out and we fully understand the situation. However, he has shown enough this season to suggest he can make a career from British Speedway, and probably at Elite League level, so we hope to see him back with us at Wolverhampton in the future.”

PREMIER LEAGUE LATEST…

BERWICK pulled off one of their best-ever away results with a sensational 57-36 victory at Plymouth last Saturday, their all-round team effort headed up by Swedish duo Sebastian Alden (14) and Ludvig Lindgren (10+3).Team boss Ian Rae said: “This was one of the very best Bandits team performances I’ve ever seen and that’s over more than four decades! Every member of the side deserves the greatest credit for knuckling down and hammering our mark well and truly on this away meeting.”EDINBURGH star Craig Cook accepted that Glasgow had deserved their away win from last Friday’s Scottish derby, which gives the Tigers an even stronger position in the race for the title.Cook said: “I didn't have an engine to get me round and I struggled all evening, I had my set-up dialled in but when I got to Armadale I didn't expect the track to be so grippy. But fair play to Glasgow, they were the better team and deserved to win and we must accept that and move on.”GLASGOW co-promoter Stewart Dickson is keen to keep feet on the ground after the Tigers took another step towards the title with a key win at Edinburgh last Friday.Dickson said: “All we can do just now is win every meeting that we can, and put as much pressure on the teams around us to win their ties. I said a month or so ago that our home form is perhaps more important and I stand by that, but this win does wonders for our confidence.”IPSWICH boss Pete Simmons will have strong words prior to the Witches’ home clash with Sheffield this week after feeling there were some disappointing displays in the defeat at Scunthorpe on Friday.Simmons is looking for a repeat result to the one achieved against the Tigers on Good Friday to ensure all three points, and has warned his riders that underperformance will not be tolerated.LEICESTER boss Jason Attwood expects Danish star Henning Bager to return from injury for the Lions’ busy fixture programme this weekend, starting at Plymouth on Friday.Attwood said: “Henning was still feeling a little second-hand and we spoke on Saturday lunchtime and made the decision to leave him out for the Fours and focus on getting fit for the league meetings. Hopefully the extra week’s rest will have done him good.”NEWCASTLE manager George English has explained the reasons for now signing a replacement for the injured Jason King, with Joe Haines joining the club – whilst Rene Bach is also back from long-term injury with Stuart Robson now on the sidelines.English said: “The new August figures brought matters to a head because Jason’s average has fallen to a level whereby only Derek Sneddon of our other riders in the main body of the team could take an extra ride, with the remaining three shared between Kyle Newman and Richie Worrall. It’s far better to track a seven-man team, and we welcome Joe to Byker.”NEWPORT promoter Steve Mallett is optimistic that the Wasps can mount a big challenge for silverware this season via the Knockout Cup, with their side now much-improved on their early-season struggles which saw them lose ground in the Premier League.Mallett said: “We are on a great run at the moment and we are very much looking forward to our semi-final with Workington. It is my opinion that our current line-up is our best side since we took over three years ago.”PLYMOUTH promoter Mike Bowden is urging a big response from his team following a heavy home defeat against Berwick last week, when they return to action at the St Boniface Arena against Leicester on Friday.Bowden said: “This is a real basement battle and we will be keen to go for the win. But Leicester have made a number of changes to their side since we beat them up there and they have a strong looking line-up.”REDCAR are awaiting the results of a fitness test for Adam Roynon following two heavy falls at last weekend before finalising their plans for Thursday’s home clash with reigning champions Edinburgh.Promoter Brian Havelock said: “'It was tough against Rye House last Thursday and ended in a draw. It was a reminder of the tough fixtures ahead but we are not only determined to keep matters ticking at home but we have the confidence to do so. Fans are in for a treat over the next two months.”RYE HOUSE reserve Nelson kept his side in contention with a run of four successive wins in the away match at Newcastle on Monday, before falling in his final two outings.Nelson’s 13-points were backed up by skipper Chris Neath with 10 (paid 11) as the Rockets gained a consolation league point from a narrow 45-44 defeat.SCUNTHORPE star Richard Hall returned to top form with 13 points from five rides in the 53-39 win over Ipswich last Friday – the Scorpions’ ninth home win on the trot as they continued a good run of form.Hall said: “We have got a very, very good team here now. We are not just relying on one rider, we have got three or four riders who are all capable of getting some good scores and the aim this season will be to finish as high in the league as we can.”SHEFFIELD promoter Neil Machin says the remaining matches of this season offer several Tigers riders their opportunity to stake a claim for a place in next year’s line-up.Machin said: “We’re not writing this season off, far from it. In fact, it is an opportunity for the remaining weeks of the season to see who may or may not focus in our plans for 2012. We will be keeping a close eye on some of the riders in particular because there have been times this season when certain team members have let themselves and the team down.SOMERSET face a tough encounter at the Oak Tree Arena on Friday with high-flying Workington the visitors in a fixture re-arranged following a rain-off back in June.Promoter Debbie Hancock said: “After our excellent performance against Berwick last Friday, it goes without saying that it will be a case of ‘more of the same’ when we face Workington this week. We need to keep the pressure on the top two in the league, and winning our home matches, claiming maximum points in the process, is a must from here on in.”WORKINGTON boss Tony Jackson was pleased with his side’s Premier League Fours display, which ensures the Comets will compete in the Final when it is re-staged at Leicester later in the season.Jackson said: “We were just trying to finish in the top two because there was no advantage to winning the group. In the last heat Tomas (Topinka) took it easy and showed his years of experience after he got squeezed out. We have the line-up for the Final and nobody has gained an advantage”

FIXTURE PICTURE…

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 10:SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: King’s Lynn v Coventry 7.30, Poole v Swindon 7.30

THURSDAY AUGUST 11:SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Birmingham v Peterborough 7.30, Swindon v Poole 7.30 PREMIER LEAGUE: Ipswich v Sheffield 7.30, Redcar v Edinburgh 7.30

FRIDAY AUGUST 12:SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Lakeside v Swindon 8pm PREMIER LEAGUE: Edinburgh v Newport 7.30, Plymouth v Leicester 7.30, Somerset v Workington 7.30 NATIONAL LEAGUE: Scunthorpe v Dudley 7.30

SATURDAY AUGUST 13:PREMIER LEAGUE: Berwick v Ipswich 7pm, Leicester v Scunthorpe 7.30, Newport v Plymouth 7pm, Rye House v Glasgow 7pm, Workington v Newcastle 7pm NATIONAL LEAGUE: Stoke v Dudley 7.30

SUNDAY AUGUST 14:PREMIER LEAGUE: Glasgow v Leicester 4pm, Newcastle v Ipswich 6.30 NATIONAL LEAGUE: Buxton v King’s Lynn 3pm, Mildenhall v Stoke 4.30, Newport v Hackney 2.30

MONDAY AUGUST 15:SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Birmingham v Belle Vue 7.30, Peterborough v Swindon 7.30, Wolverhampton v King’s Lynn 7.30TUESDAY AUGUST 16:NATIONAL LEAGUE: Dudley v Belle Vue 7.30, Isle of Wight v Mildenhall 7.30

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 17:SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Poole v Birmingham 7.30 NATIONAL LEAGUE: King’s Lynn v Stoke 7.30

THURSDAY AUGUST 18:SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Swindon v Coventry 7.30 PREMIER LEAGUE: Ipswich v Leicester 7.30, Redcar v Scunthorpe 7.30 NATIONAL LEAGUE: Sheffield v Isle of Wight 7pm, Sheffield v Belle Vue (follows previous fixture) BRITISH YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 4: Isle of Wight 7pm

FRIDAY AUGUST 19:SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Coventry v Belle Vue 8pm, Lakeside v Peterborough 8pm PREMIER LEAGUE: Edinburgh v Redcar 7.30, Scunthorpe v Plymouth 7.30, Somerset v Newport 7.30 FOUR-TEAM TOURNAMENT: Plymouth 7.30

SATURDAY AUGUST 20:PREMIER LEAGUE: Berwick v Newcastle 7pm, Newport v Somerset 7pm, Rye House v Scunthorpe 7pm, Workington v Plymouth 7pm

SUNDAY AUGUST 21:NATIONAL LEAGUE: Mildenhall v Scunthorpe 4.30

MONDAY AUGUST 22:SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Belle Vue v Poole 7.30, Wolverhampton v Peterborough 7.30

TUESDAY AUGUST 23:NATIONAL LEAGUE: Dudley v Stoke 7.30, Isle of Wight v Newport 7.30

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 24:SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Poole v Peterborough 7.30 NATIONAL LEAGUE: King’s Lynn v Belle Vue 7.30