Swift Saint

URGENT PRESS RELEASE FROM STOKE SPEEDWAY POTTERS TURN TO KIRBY With regular high scoring reserve James McBain absent from the Stoke “Easy Rider” Potters line up due to injuries received in the last home match the Potters have filled the gap created with 19 year old Lincolnshire born Adam Kirby who will also race in the away encounter against Cradley Heathens on Tuesday (17th) . Stoke Team Manager Malcolm Vasey explained the difficulties posed by McBain’s absence “We are forced to make a change in the team at reserve due to James McBain being out of action with a head injury. This appears to be improving well but James will be unable to return for at least two more weeks. "It’s a great pity because we had unearthed a real winner in James but he will come back as good as new as soon as he can. “We used Alec Wright at Leicester and he was riding very well in Heat 2 there until a nasty accident that will keep him out of action for at least six weeks. We have scrutinised the details all of the three point riders who are currently uncontracted and available to race for Stoke and have chosen Adam Kirby who spent last season at Kent and is unlucky to be without a team place. He will ride on Saturday niight and on Tuesday at Cradley which is a tough assignment and we will review the situation then. Adam has been around for a year or two but has steadied himself somewhat in his races and looks ready to move forward with his career. Sometimes these situations bring out the best in people and Adam is more than capable of scoring points for us. Our other reserve Rob Shuttleworth is also proving his worth despite his inexperience and improves almost match by match. The rest of the team have done incredibly well too and I expect to continue our great form against Buxton on Saturday." Buxton are unchanged except in their riding order from the team that Stoke beat at High Edge in May. Former Potter Liam Carr has taken over at No.1 from Tony Atkin who also faces his old Club on Saturday evening at Loomer Road. Those two will certainly provide good opposition with Carr in particular riding well in the Premier League for his parent Club Berwick. A win will lift the Potters into the National League Play-Off positions by virtue of their two victories away from home and their unbeaten start in the League so far this season. Promoter Dave Tattum said “Things are going well so far and we hope to complete a double over Buxton on Saturday. Then we travel to Monmore Green to face Cradley Heathens on Tuesday and we intend to make sure that they know they have been in a match. Everybody describes them as unbeatable at home we don’t see it that way and will take each race at it comes on the night. Our riders have all excelled this season and whilst we have great respect for Cradley we intend to tear into them from the off and give them something to think about.” On Sunday (15th) the National League Riders Pairs Championship take place at Mildenhall at 3.30 pm and Stoke will be represented by Ben Wilson and Jon Armstrong. It could be a great afternoon out for Stoke fans if these two could win the Trophy last held by Stoke in 2011. They are great riders in good form and have a chance to put their names on the winners shield. The Club hope that supporters will travel to Mildenhall on Sunday to support their riders. It should be noted that the pivotal National Trophy match against Leicester is on Sunday 22nd June and the start time is 3.00 pm. A victory for Stoke will almost certainly earn them a place in the National Trophy Final Play Off and an opportunity for silverware. Teams for Saturday: Stoke: Ben Wilson, Chris Widman, Ben Hopwood, Lee Payne, Jon Armstrong (Capt), Rob Shuttleworth, Adam Kirby. Buxton: Liam Carr, Sean Phillips, Ryan Blacklock, Tom Woolley, Tony Atkin, Stefan Farnaby, Adam Extance. There will also be a second half Midland Development League match on Saturday evening between Stoke Spitfires and Sheffield. Malcolm Vasey Stoke Speedway

URGENT PRESS RELEASE FROM STOKE SPEEDWAY BIG WEEKEND FOR THE POTTERS It looks like for once that Stoke Potters have drawn a longer straw than usual with good weather in prospect for a pivotal weekend as they seek to further strengthen their position in the National Trophy Competition. The Potters seemed to be on the crest of a wave two weeks ago when they won at Kings Lynn following on from their good victory against Kent a few days earlier. These matches extended their run of wins to four with three of these being on opponents’ shale. On Saturday evening (7.00 pm) the Mildenhall Fen Tigers are at Loomer Road the only team to have beaten Stoke so far this season. That was Stoke’s very first match of the season with the Potters unquestionably short of practice and now they are anxious to square matters against their visitors from Suffolk. Stoke welcome back Lee Payne to the, side he was injured in his first Fast Track outing for Belle Vue but has recovered and takes his place at No.4 in an otherwise unchanged line up. There is no doubt that Stoke will have to hit form early against the Tigers in what should be an enthralling fixture with the Potters seeking to strengthen their position at the top of the National Trophy table, although to be strictly accurate they have ridden more than most of their rivals. The top two teams will meet over two legs in the National Trophy Final and the Potters would like nothing more than to be one of them. “These lads are so keen to make a good mark in all competitions this season and the matches against Mildenhall and Leicester are pivotal with Kent having a lot of ground to make up.” said Team Manager Malcolm Vasey. “Mildenhall always bring excitement and entertainment to West Row and we are ready for the inevitable battle. Leicester have a strong group of riders and despite their problems I am sure they will be set up to try and win the match, we must definitely be on our mettle." added Vasey On Sunday (4.00 pm) it’s the relatively short trip to Leicester to meet the Lion Cubs who comfortably saw off Kent in their only fixture so far. Leicester have had numerous problems and changes to make this week and Stoke will look to try and use the situation to their advantage. “Even as I speak it’s not definite exactly what Leicester’s line up will be they have had to endure a very difficult time. Rest assured that whoever they put out we will go for it with our usual never say die determination and try and bring the valuable points at stake back to Loomer Road“ said Malcolm Vasey. “Our form has been impressive so far although there are big guns out there that we have yet to meet. But this side is good enough to win anytime and I am pleased with all of them. Against Mildenhall there is no doubting their power at reserve and that is something we must try and abate. Leicester at full strength destroyed Kent but they are battling for fitness so we must wait and see. Very often in such circumstances a team will galvanise themselves and prove hard to beat and we must match their effort With our own Stoke (Both matches) Ben Wilson, Chris Widman, Ben Hopwood, Lee Payne, Jon Armstrong (Capt), Rob Shuttleworth, James McBain Mildenhall Joe Jacobs, Connor Coles, Dan Halsey R/R, Connor Mountain, Josh Bates, Brendan Johnson, Jack Kingston. Leicester (to be finalised) There will also be second half Midland Development League matches between Stoke Spitfires and Milton Keynes Knights on Saturday and the Spitfires face Long Eaton Invaders at Leicester on Sunday

It isn't bullying for the individual concerned to continually malign us and on that occasion with deliberately misconstruing a comment I made and reported in the press. Why should I put up with that and be assured if the need arises so will the court case bullying or not? I am not going to watch people try and destroy Stoke without reminding them that there is legislation in place to deal with such occurrences. That is not bullying it is defending Stoke Speedway and myself but you know what the negative people on here are causing considerable amusement at their own expense in the speedway world. So many people have expressed their views to me about these crass and unworthy comments and not one says they are justified. We have done a lot to try and improve Stoke Speedway both in terms of the track and the team and I will not let anyone deliberately try and ruin that with such remarks. Fair comment is one thing mischievous trouble making is quite different. Maicolm Vasey Stoke Speedway

Well we would love to return to the Premier League but the only possible way that will happen at present is for the support and finances to be able to sustain that level of racing. This was not the case from perhaps about 2008 onwards and would not appear to be the case now given the economics of the country and the fact that there is still undoubted limitations in the disposable income available to most hard working people. We are making every effort at Stoke we have taken the problems of the track on head to head and further work is scheduled for next week. I believe that we have assembled a strong team of racers with excellent reserves who are delivering results and the spirit amongst the team is as good as any I have experienced. We too have been short handed with the very talented Lee Payne missing the last two matches due to injury so please let's have some balance when saying our opponents were short handed. They were also on their own tracks! For my team Ben Wilson is really getting it wound on now after his lengthy lay off. Chris Widman has produced career best results and got up from the floor to score more points at Kings Lynn after a dreadful looking first bend crash. Ben Hopwood is riding well that's why Poole have signed him and Jon Armstrong predicted that we would win at Kings Lynn when we were eleven points behind with only five heats left. He is the "definitive" Captain and went from last to first in Heat 15 at Kings Lynn sweeping around the outside and hammering down the back straight like he was 18 years old.. James McBain was injured in his second ride and a faller whilst second in his first race so we had to overcome that problem so we were very incomplete numbers wise due to the absence of Lee Payne already and used only three riders in one race because I was ensuring that Rob Shuttleworth had a gap between his races in the later stages at Kings Lynn. Rob Shuttleworth tackled the situation like a man and produced vital points despite his inexperience and he will grow into a great rider. He has skill determination and looks far from a man who has only five National League level matches under his belt and went into the match with a damaged wrist himself. We have great respect for every other team in this League but we will do our utmost to beat them on every single occasion and every single race. We are worth watching and we are stronger match by match. Malcolm Vasey Stoke Speedway

Wouldn't mine be much to small for you Don't be surprised if you get potted tonight

Mimmo "Seriously though, lets home for a good one tonight in front of a sizeable crowd, and hey here's a thought, if Rory Schlein is going to grow his beard for a charity, I wonder if a certain gentleman (note MV, I called you a gentleman) would let you cut his ponytail off for the same worthwhile cause?????" Yes and perhaps you'd like to have your teeth removed by a dentist Mike if you hhave any left.

URGENT PRESS RELEASE FROM STOKE SPEEDWAY Stoke V Kings Lynn National League 10/05/14 The dreadful weather yesterday and overnight combined with the forecast of heavy showers and blustery wind have forced the call-off of the above match. The match will be re-staged on Saturday 19th July 2014. Stoke very much regret the inconvenience to everyone of this unavoidable postponement Malcolm Vasey Stoke Speedway

URGENT PRESS RELEASE FROM STOKE SPEEDWAY STOKE HOPE TO CONTINUE RUN The Stoke ‘Easy Rider’ Potters take on Kings Lynn “Fusion Clothing” Young Stars in an intriguing National League match at Loomer Road, on Saturday 7.00 pm. Kings Lynn did very well to finish as Runners-Up in the National League Championship in 2013 beaten only by the all conquering Dudley. Stoke appear to have put together a strong all round side this season as witnessed by their two victories last weekend and face a Kings Lynn side with a string of wins behind them some of whom know the Loomer track quite well having worn the red and white race jacket in the not too distant past. But their is justifiably an air of confidence about the Potters who have seen two of their riders promoted under the Fast Track Rules into the Elite League this week whilst still able to ride for Stoke in all but a very small number of fixtures. The Fast Track races involving National League riders have been a great and popular success with Elite League crowds proving how exciting and unpredictable this level of speedway can be. Sadly, Lee Payne was injured at Poole on Wednesday dislocating a shoulder and he misses tomorrow’s match and the match against Kent at Sittingbourne on Monday the Rider Replacement facility being used. This gives extra rides to Ben Hopwood and Chris Widman both of whom have started the season very well and Hopwood himself has been added to Poole’s Elite League squad after a guest appearance for them on Wednesday. All of the Stoke riders rode well at Buxton on Sunday and had no last places quite unusual especially in an away match. Ben Wilson has led well from the No.1 position and has teamed up well with Chris Widman who scored his first ever paid maximum in Derbyshire. Jon Armstrong scored fourteen at Buxton and seems to have dusted off the cobwebs after ending last season on the injured list and James McBain has been a revelation at reserve. Rob Shuttleworth too has shown some pluck none less so than when he got off the floor to catch and pass Sean Phillips at Buxton. Kings Lynn have the rapidly developing Lewis Rose at No.1 partnered by the experienced Darren Mallett a formidable opening partnership but certainly no stronger than the Stoke pair. James Cockle, no stranger to Loomer Road is at No.3 and Marc Owen, after a long period on the sidelines rides at No. 4 signed to replace the seriously injured Darryl Ritchings. At No, 5 will be Kyle Hughes holder of that position at Stoke all last season and doubtless keen to excel against his former employers. Teenager Josh Bailey and the more mature Scott Campos fill the reserve berths and make an interesting combination. Bailey has great potential whether he can match the tenacity and pace of McBain remains to seen. Campos, ten years in the sport has plenty of experience will he be able to employ that to quickly weigh up the new look Loomer Road? Stoke Team Manager Malcolm Vasey felt quite assured about his teams prospects. “We have enough firepower to win this even without Lee Payne and everybody is full of confidence” he said. “Kings Lynn are good side and we wont under estimate them for one minute and the fact that a number of riders have ridden for the opposite team to that they find themselves in on Saturday increases the interest.” he added. Ben Wilson successfully defended the Bronze Helmet at Buxton and will attempt to repeat that against Kings Lynn and the Stoke Spitfires have a Midland Development League fixture against Kings Lynn so there is plenty of entertainment on offer at Loomer Road. Teams: Stoke: Ben Wilson, Chris Widman, Ben Hopwood, Lee Payne (Rider Replacement), Jon Armstrong, Rob Shuttleworth, James McBain Kings Lynn: Lewis Rose, Darren Mallett, James Cockle, Marc Owen, Kyle Hughes, Josh Bailey, Scott Campos Malcolm Vasey Stoke Speedway

URGENT PRESS RELEASE FROM STOKE SPEEDWAY STOKE HOPE TO CONTINUE RUN The Stoke ‘Easy Rider’ Potters take on Kings Lynn “Fusion Clothing” Young Stars in an intriguing National League match at Loomer Road, on Saturday 7.00 pm. Kings Lynn did very well to finish as Runners-Up in the National League Championship in 2013 beaten only by the all conquering Dudley. Stoke appear to have put together a strong all round side this season as witnessed by their two victories last weekend and face a Kings Lynn side with a string of wins behind them some of whom know the Loomer track quite well having worn the red and white race jacket in the not too distant past. But their is justifiably an air of confidence about the Potters who have seen two of their riders promoted under the Fast Track Rules into the Elite League this week whilst still able to ride for Stoke in all but a very small number of fixtures. The Fast Track races involving National League riders have been a great and popular success with Elite League crowds proving how exciting and unpredictable this level of speedway can be. Sadly, Lee Payne was injured at Poole on Wednesday dislocating a shoulder and he misses tomorrow’s match and the match against Kent at Sittingbourne on Monday the Rider Replacement facility being used. This gives extra rides to Ben Hopwood and Chris Widman both of whom have started the season very well and Hopwood himself has been added to Poole’s Elite League squad after a guest appearance for them on Wednesday. All of the Stoke riders rode well at Buxton on Sunday and had no last places quite unusual especially in an away match. Ben Wilson has led well from the No.1 position and has teamed up well with Chris Widman who scored his first ever paid maximum in Derbyshire. Jon Armstrong scored fourteen at Buxton and seems to have dusted off the cobwebs after ending last season on the injured list and James McBain has been a revelation at reserve. Rob Shuttleworth too has shown some pluck none less so than when he got off the floor to catch and pass Sean Phillips at Buxton. Kings Lynn have the rapidly developing Lewis Rose at No.1 partnered by the experienced Darren Mallett a formidable opening partnership but certainly no stronger than the Stoke pair. James Cockle, no stranger to Loomer Road is at No.3 and Marc Owen, after a long period on the sidelines rides at No. 4 signed to replace the seriously injured Darryl Ritchings. At No, 5 will be Kyle Hughes holder of that position at Stoke all last season and doubtless keen to excel against his former employers. Teenager Josh Bailey and the more mature Scott Campos fill the reserve berths and make an interesting combination. Bailey has great potential whether he can match the tenacity and pace of McBain remains to seen. Campos, ten years in the sport has plenty of experience will he be able to employ that to quickly weigh up the new look Loomer Road? Stoke Team Manager Malcolm Vasey was quite felt quite assured about is teams prospects. “We have enough firepower to win this even without Lee Payne and everybody is full of confidence” he said. “Kings Lynn are good side and we wont under estimate them for one minute and the fact that a number of riders have ridden for the opposite team to that they find themselves in on Saturday increases the interest.” he added. Ben Wilson successfully defended the Bronze Helmet at Buxton and will attempt to repeat that against Kings Lynn and the Stoke Spitfires have a Midland Development League fixture against Kings Lynn so there is plenty of entertainment on offer at Loomer Road. Teams: Stoke: Ben Wilson, Chris Widman, Ben Hopwood, Lee Payne (Rider Replacement), Jon Armstrong, Rob Shuttleworth, James McBain Kings Lynn: Lewis Rose, Darren Mallett, James Cockle, Marc Owen, Kyle Hughes, Josh Bailey, Scott Campos Malcolm Vasey Stoke Speedway

LEE PAYNE A FAST MAN ON A FAST TRACK Lee Payne Stoke “Easy Rider” Potters talented ace has been signed to race for Belle Vue in the Elite League under the Fast Track System demonstrating the rapid development of the young man who only had his first match in Stoke colours in the middle of last season. It is a great reward for a young man who has practiced at every single opportunity since he came into the sport and he will reap considerable benefit from this additional opportunity and will still be allowed to ride for Stoke in the National League. Stoke Promoter Dave Tattum expressed his pleasure at this rapid development of Lee Payne’s career. “Lee carries the good wishes of everyone at Stoke into this venture and we wish him every success in a move that will hopefully advance his career rapidly. He is 27 and it is important for him that he reaches his peak as a rider as quickly as possible and he sees this as a golden opportunity. That he gets the ride for his nearest Club and that happens to be the world famous Belle Vue Aces only enhances the opportunity and Lee is just the man to make a success of it.” said Tattum. “I love riding for Stoke and will continue to do so, said Payne “I have to grab this opportunity with both hands and I am so happy that Stoke have helped me so much. There is only one fixture clash this season as things stand and I look forward to also furthering my career in the Potteries.” Malcolm Vasey Stoke Speedway

HUNDRED PERCENT WEEKEND FOR STOKE SPEEDWAY The re-launch of speedway at Loomer Road and for the Stoke Potters could hardly have been bettered in an excellent weekend that produced a total of four victories for Stoke’s two teams. The track was in excellent shape after the extensive work that has taken place and although it seemed unfamiliar to the Stoke riders initially they soon began to appreciate the excellent racing lines available. National League Potters began their home season with a hard fought National Trophy win over a plucky Kent side and then followed that up with a magnificent victory at Buxton in a National League match that they largely dominated from start to finish with a very professional performance before a good sized amount of away support at Hi Edge. It is fair to say that Kent were hampered by injuries in the Loomer Road opener whilst a lack of track action saw the Potters looking race rusty on an unfamiliar track but as the match against Kent progressed the Stoke riders gained in confidence and were clear winners. With the cobwebs arising from the delayed start to the season at Loomer Road now very largely brushed aside, Stoke looked very solid throughout at Buxton and the match really illustrated the qualities within the team. Whilst it is fair to say that the Potters will face stronger sides than Buxton there was plenty of evidence that they have the armoury, spirit and support to be serious challengers when the more fancied sides are around. Ben Wilson led from the front in both fixtures and whilst at Loomer Road the team took a little time to settle on what was almost like an away track this unfamiliarity will disappear very quickly. Chris Widman has started the season in fine fashion passing opposition No. 1 Simon Lambert at Stoke and scoring the first paid maximum of his career at Buxton. Ben Hopwood rode well enough in both matches to be chosen for the two Heat 15 nominated races and Lee Payne weighed up both circuits to romp home in the penultimate heat of each match. Jon Armstrong has had very little racing this season but at Buxton looked back to his best reeling in four victories as he showed his paces at one of his earlier stomping grounds. The two reserves appear to have plenty to offer and although Rob Shuttleworth is clearly starting the speedway learning curve he is bold into the first corner and ready to mix it with more experienced riders. James McBain looks an outstanding reserve at this level with gating and overtaking skills in evidence in both matches with ten points against Kent and eight against Buxton. Such was the measure of Stoke’s victory over Buxton every Stoke rider scored in every race. To add the icing to the top of the cake Ben Wilson beat Simon Lambert in the Bronze Helmet Match Race Championship at Stoke and successfully defended his title at Buxton beating Tony Atkin. His defence against the top Kings Lynn rider will be a feature of Stoke’s next match at Loomer Road this coming Saturday at 7.00 pm. At the end of a hectic weekend Stoke Team Manager Malcolm Vasey said “We won’t get too carried away with those good performances. We made heavy work of Kent who battled hard but there were reasons for that. At Buxton we took control from the start and rode professionally for a great victory. But we have much more to come than this we are a great unit and the riders are honing their skills match on match. We face tougher opposition with last season’s National League Runners-Up Kings Lynn our visitors on Saturday evening. But we fear no-one at Loomer Road.” He added defiantly. Stoke 49 Kent 40 Stoke: Wilson 10, Widman 6, Hopwood 9, Payne 6, Armstrong 7, Shuttleworth 1, McBain 10. Kent: Lambert 17, Compton 0, Chessell 10, Mason 7, Harris 5, Freemantle 1 Buxton 30 Stoke 64 Buxton: Atkin 10, Phillips 0, Blacklock 3, Woolley 6, Carr 9, Farnaby 0, Extance 2, Stoke: Wilson 9, Widman 10, Hopwood 12, Payne 6, Armstrong 14, Shuttleworth 5, McBain 8. Midland Development League Stoke 22 Rye House 14 Buxton 10 Stoke 24

There will be an addition to the programme tomorrow - Simon Lambert beat James Sarjeant at Coventry tonight to retain the Bronze helmet and he will defend it against the top Stoke rider after between the two matches tomorrow. Malcolm Vasey Stoke Speedway

PRESS RELEASE FROM STOKE SPEEDWAY ALL SYSTEMS GO FOR TRACK RETURN AT LOOMER ROAD After a week of prolonged work and intense activity at Loomer Road the track is ready for speedway action tomorrow when the Potters take on Kent Kings in a National Trophy battle. It has taken a gargantuan effort from all of the staff who work on the track at Loomer Road and Promoter Dave Tattum was at great pains to express his appreciation for their efforts and those of Colin Meredith who has been at the track for several days using his knowledge and expertise to get the track ready for racing. “Everyone has given their absolute all, said Tattum on Friday evening as he completed some of the more routine tasks and preparation. “It’s been a tough week and the small work force have been absolutely focussed and none more so than Colin Meredith who has put a lot into this exercise. My hope now is that the public, who have been starved of speedway, will turn out to watch what should be a great encounter.” he added. Stoke face a Kent team that will provide an excellent early season test for the new look side that wears the red and white of Stoke Potters, Kent include a number of riders well familiar with the Loomer Road circuit including Simon Lambert who rode for Stoke in 2012 and 2013 and Luke Chessell who road for Stoke last season. Former Riders’ Champions Benji Compton and David Mason are in the line up for what should be an epic battle. Stoke have new No.1 Ben Wilson making his home debut for Stoke at this level although Ben rode for the Potters in the Premier League during 2010 and is returning to speedway after an absence of two years. He scored eleven points in the match at Mildenhall and followed that up with ten at Kent riding as a guest in an Easter Challenge match for Kings Lynn. Ben Hopwood and Captain Jon Armstrong should provide plenty of points with the very talented Lee Payne and the experienced Chris Widman completing the top of the Potters’ order. At reserve for Stoke are exciting prospects James McBain and Rob Shuttleworth. Tapes will go up for Heat One at 7.00 pm and the match will be followed with a Midland Development League fixture between Stoke Spitfires and Rye House Raiders. It should all make for great speedway entertainment and the action continues with the Potters at Buxton on Sunday in a National League match which gets underway at 3.00 pm. Stoke expect to be unchanged for Sunday’s encounter. Malcolm Vasey Stoke Speedway

We will be delighted to welcome you Mike and hope that you will enjoy the match. Malcolm Vasey

Thanks Buxton Tiger shale continues to be laid this morning and it is nice to reply to genuine respondents rather than those who do nothing more than criticise and abuse often quite unjustifiably. I am sure that we will have an exciting speedway match on a great track unless there is a monsoon in Stoke tomorrow and the forecast is good. Iannewsman accused me of having no confidence in my team but I quote in full the article from the Stoke Sentinel that he refers to so that you can judge his valueless comments for what they are, Are these the words to the Press of a Manager lacking confidence in his team? I think not and whilst I have considerable respect for the two Clubs we face this weekend I expect to win both matches. Having said that many things happen in speedway and my confidence might prove wrong but the balance of probabilities tells me to be optimistic as the Sentinel's report suggests which was seriously misunderstood by Iannewsman in spite of his claimed long association with the media. This should tell you that his purpose ion life would seem to be to try and further destroy the credibility of Stoke Speedway however unfairly. Here is the piece Judge for yourselves: "TEAM boss Malcolm Vasey is predicting a big weekend for the Stoke Easy Rider Potters when they kick-start their season in earnest with two meetings. The Potters face Kent at Loomer Road on Saturday (7pm) in the National Trophy before travelling to near neighbours Buxton the following day when National League points will be up for grabs. And they will be praying for good weather after seeing their 2014 campaign held up by track problems at Loomer Road. Their only fixture to date was a 54-40 National Trophy defeat at Mildenhall on April 6, but Vasey is confident his team can finally get their season back on track. He said: "We obviously want to do well in front of our supporters in our first home meeting of the season, and the hope now is that we will click quickly against what is a strong Kent side who already have a few meetings under their belts." Work has been continuing this week to resolve the problems at Loomer Road, described by the club as a "seepage of moisture into the sub soil beneath the track". Two areas have been affected, but the worst was on the entrance to the first turn, a particular issue for riders. However, the club is confident all will be well by the weekend. Although the cause of the problem remains unclear, it has eased recently with the better spring weather. The club have also laid more shale on the problem areas this week to ensure the track is in great shape by the time Kent come to town. With them will be Simon Lambert, the former Stoke number one who won the National League pairs title for the club with Tim Webster in 2011. Vasey added: "Kent include a strong heat leader trio in Simon, Benji Compton and Ben Morley, so we know that we will have our hands full. "And I'm sure Simon would like to come back here and show us he is just as good now as when he rode for Stoke. "It's not about one rider though, and I will be looking for a good performance from Stoke as a team. The National Trophy is a competition that we want to do well in, and winning your home meetings will go a long way to making that happen." "We also want to build confidence to take to Buxton the next day as that's a meeting we should be capable of doing well in." Stoke reserve Rob Shuttleworth warmed up for the weekend by scoring 11 points for Belle Vue Colts in a Midland Development League fixture against Milton Keynes. Potters asset Shaun Tedham claimed a paid 10 for Milton Keynes as Belle Vue ran out 20-14 winners". Read more: http://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/Speedway-Potters-aim-track-weekend-double-header/story-21038969-detail/story.html#ixzz30YDYk4Dp Malcolm Vasey

I just knew you would be flushed out of wherever you were lurking Malcolm vasey

Its ok Ian just be warned and be careful. Malcolm Vasey

Whatever I am I am not a bitter and twisted failed announcer with a chip on his shoulder and words like a thunderstorm at funeral. You really are boring Ian with your constant attack on people who if they ever did a single good thing it was to dispense with your services and before the usual suspects come here to defend you plenty of people said that whilst you were in post. Get a life. There is a law concerning the deliberate use of media to deliberately harm a business with malicious attacks it is the Malicious Communications Act 1988 and I suggest you read the legislation very carefully and ensure that you retain a position the right side of the law. Our advice is that you have almost certainly already transgressed and all of your comments are retained in hard copy so take it easy. Just a word of advice in the face of your remarkable spate of damaging statements. Malcolm Vasey

A significant amount of work has been carried out at Stoke and continues today. The work is going well but is not complete but the track will certainly be ready by the weekend. All of the preparations described previously are in progress. I hope top provide full details and team news tomorrow. Malcolm Vasey Stoke Speedway

I haven't blamed any supporter for anything I just said there were not enough of them. Blame was not mentioned,. And I don't hide behind anonymity Malcolm Vasey

They were not present in sufficient numbers or anywhere near in 2009 and 2010 Stokielee please tell me where they will come from now? Malcolm Vasey Stoke Speedway

We are working hard to try and better than how things have been of late and our efforts are directed at that. Whether that would lead to a return to the Premier League is a decision that must be based on viability. I cannot offer any more than that at present but we work very hard to maintain a Club at Loomer Road. We have had some brilliant National League speedway at Stoke during the last three years. The place should be packed Last season the racing was often very good the results were not. We have a great team for 2014 I hope we will get support. Malcolm Vasey Stoke Speedway

And how long do you think that would last? It has nothing to do with the shale ordered by Stoke this week Malcolm Vasey Stoke Speedway