(SPEEDWAY 1)
LAKESIDE supremo Jon Cook says Monday's last-heat cliffhanger with table-toppers Coventry was a great night... on AND off the track!The Hammers are the subject of an uncertain future with potential development of the Arena-Essex Raceway without plans for speedway.But Cook believes the 45-45 draw in front of their best crowd of the season and important guests will raise awareness of their campaign to keep the sport in Essex.He said: “We couldn't have asked for more, a crowd of over 2,000 and fantastic speedway, a last heat decider, race to the line and all in front of our local MP Jackie Doyle-Price.“I'd say it was probably the most important and successful night in the history of this great club.”
(SPEEDWAY 2 - MONDAY REVIEW)
LAKESIDE skipper Andreas Jonsson salvaged a dramatic 45-45 draw with Elite League leaders Coventry in a Purfleet thriller on Monday.Jonsson narrowly got the better of Hans Andersen in a spectacular finale on the run to the line in Heat 15 after the Bees had looked set to take their seventh away win of the season.The visitors lost Stuart Robson in a Heat 1 crash but reserve Jason Garrity took extra rides and piled up 15+1, whilst the Hammers suffered problems at reserve with Adam Ellis damaging a hand when he fell due to a chain breakage, and guest Adam Roynon suffered a collarbone injury.The Bees led 41-37 with two heats to go but a Lakeside 5-1 from Edward Kennett and Richard Lawson in Heat 14 levelled the scores, and the decider was shared with Jonsson ahead of Andersen and Chris Harris, leaving Coventry with two league points and a five point lead in the league table.Andersen said: “I knew I’d lost it when I lifted coming off that corner, and it’s just one of those things. I had to change bikes just before the race because the clutch broke on the bike I’d just won a race on, so I went out on a bike I hadn’t used at all. But no excuses, I made the gate and just needed to hold on for less than half a lap and I just made a rider error.“Both teams had a bit of good and bad luck, so in the end it was probably a fair result and a good meeting on TV.”Meanwhile Swindon gave their play-off hopes a massive boost with a 51-39 win at Wolverhampton to move back into the top four.Polish star Grzegorz Zengota kept up his remarkable form with a 16-point haul as the Robins hauled back from 27-33 down to take all four points from the meeting - despite the early withdrawal of Nick Morris, who aggravated his previous elbow injury.Swindon boss Alun Rossiter said: “The atmosphere was great tonight and it was probably the best team spirit I've seen all year; after going six down in heat ten, everyone rallied round, they really pumped themselves up and finished the meeting in an outstanding manner."Luck didn't seem to be going our way at one point, but we stuck at it and pulled off a great result in the end.”Wolves promoter Chris Van Straaten said: “It was a very disappointing night in the end and there's no excuses after holding the lead that we did. "As the track slickened off we struggled but you can't take anything away from Swindon, they're a really fine team, they took the meeting by the scruff of the neck and ended up winning comfortably.”
(SPEEDWAY 3)
BERWICK chief John Anderson has hinted he would be willing to hand over control of the Shielfield Park club at the end of the season.Anderson says he and colleagues George Hepburn, George Fairgrieve and son Ryan are feeling the burden of a tough run of late, with a detrimental effect on their health.Anderson said: “We would welcome further investment from interested parties who might share our wish to see the sport remaining as a vital, irreplaceable part of a Saturday night out in Berwick-upon-Tweed and who might want to take on a part of our shareholding and stand beside us, working with us and taking some of the load off the present directors and in time perhaps taking more and more control.“Alternatively, we would be prepared to sell the company outright. Lock, stock and barrel to a new custodian who - and I make this clear – we feel could be trusted to serve the Bandits and their fans in the way of our honoured predecessors.“We really want new partners to join us to take the club forward, or we want to sell it on as a going concern to a suitable buyer. But we have to make clear that if we don’t find new investment, or we don’t find a viable purchaser before October, then the dreadful alternative of closure has to be contemplated as a serious and very final option.”(FIXTURES)
WEDNESDAY JULY 29:ELITE LEAGUE: Belle Vue v Lakeside 8pm, King’s Lynn v Leicester 7.30, Poole v Swindon 7.30CITY GEARBOXES NATIONAL LEAGUE: Birmingham v King’s Lynn 7.30
THURSDAY JULY 30:ELITE LEAGUE: Swindon v Lakeside 7.30PREMIER LEAGUE: Ipswich v Scunthorpe 7.30, Sheffield v Rye House 7.30
FRIDAY JULY 31:ELITE LEAGUE: Coventry v King’s Lynn 7.30, Lakeside v Swindon 8pmPREMIER LEAGUE: Somerset v Plymouth 7.30
