Bob Kilby Memorial Meeting 22.09.2011

[Midland Robin]

http://www.swindonrobins.co/news.php?extend.1501

[SwineTown]

Sounds like a great format - will def bring the crowds too.

[lucifer sam]

Midland Robin - sounds great.

 

Heard a couple of rumours regarding this meeting, nice to see it confirmed.

 

All the best

Rob

[lucifer sam]

David Howe now also riding for Oxford:

 

http://www.swindonrobins.co/news.php?extend.1505

 

Looking forward to this.

 

All the best

Rob

[Midland Robin]

Line-ups here

 

http://www.swindonrobins.co/news.php?extend.1518

[lucifer sam]

REBELS RETURN TO HONOUR FORMER OXFORD SKIPPER KILBY

 

OXFORD Rebels will make a rare return to action at Swindon’s Abbey Stadium tonight (Thursday, September 22nd) at 7.30pm.

 

The occasion is the Bob Kilby Memorial Meeting. Former Oxford skipper Kilby died in 2009 at the age of 64.

 

The meeting is a three team tournament featuring Swindon, Oxford and Exeter - the three clubs that Kilby rode for during a highly successful 20-year career between 1964 and 1983.

 

Oxford were called the Rebels during the spell that Kilby rode for the club in 1973 and 1974, so Oxford will ride as the Rebels rather than the more traditional Cheetahs.

 

With no permanent team, the Oxford side has been specially constructed for the evening. It consists of a quartet of former Oxford riders in Niels-Kristian Iversen, Charlie Gjedde, David Howe and Lubos Tomicek.

 

Niels-Kristian Iversen is a two-time World Cup Winner with Denmark, and has ridden in 26 Grand Prix rounds during his career. He rode for Oxford between 2003 and 2005, helping the club to the Craven Shield at the conclusion of the 2005 season.

 

Charlie Gjedde was the darling of the Oxford crowd in 2003. The Dane rode for the club in a doubling-up capacity that season, competing for Oxford in the Elite League and Swindon in the Premier League and ended the season with an average in excess of eight points for Oxford.

 

David Howe rode for the Oxford Cheetahs in 2006, the club’s penultimate year of operation. He is now the No.1 for Premier League Scunthorpe.

 

Lubos Tomicek made his debut for Oxford in 2003 as a 17-year-old in the short-lived British League Cup competition. He made appearances for Oxford between 2003 and 2007, and was making huge strides forward in 2007 only for the Elite League operation at Cowley to cease mid-season.

 

Ex-Oxford rider & team manager Mick Bell will manage the side,

 

Cheetahs’ fans are being encouraged to turn up at Blunsdon wearing the team colours.

[miro]

Cheetahs’ fans are being encouraged to turn up at Blunsdon wearing the team colours

 

 

Which Oxford colours Rob - navy and gold, red white and blue, purple and yellow, green, purple and silver...?

 

I hope its a fine evening and a good crowd to honour Bob Kilby.

Edited September 22, 2011 by miro

[lucifer sam]

Cheetahs’ fans are being encouraged to turn up at Blunsdon wearing the team colours

 

 

Which Oxford colours Rob - navy and gold, red white and blue, purple and yellow, green, purple and silver...?

 

I hope its a fine evening and a good crowd to honour Bob Kilby.

 

As long as its got Oxford Cheetahs or Oxford Rebels or even Oxford Silver Machine on it, it doesn't matter.

 

Late change: Niels-Kristian Iversen has been stolen by those pesky Poles in a re-arranged Ploish league meeting, so in a reshuffle, Scott Nicholls rides for Oxford.

 

Hopefully Scott will score a maximum for Oxford, and leave the Swindon faithful furious.

 

All the best

Rob

[spikethebike]

Does anyone know;

 

How many heats tonight ?

 

What are the final line ups? (ie as described on the site or are there changes?)

 

Is it the usual price?

Edited September 22, 2011 by spikethebike

[Krisims]

Will there be updates for this race? Thanks!!

[lucifer sam]

Good meeting tonight, with Exeter just pipping Oxford in the final race, and Swindon nowhere.

 

All the best

Rob

[lucifer sam]

Thursday, September 22, 2011

BOB KILBY MEMORIAL MEETING (at Swindon):

EXETER FALCONS 35 OXFORD REBELS 32 SWINDON ROBINS 20

 

Oxford Rebels narrowly missed out on victory in the Bob Kilby memorial meeting at the Abbey Stadium at Swindon.

 

The Rebels were one point in front going into the final race, and represented in that race by the previously unbeaten Scott Nicholls.

 

However, with final choice of gate, Nicholls found himself boxed in going into the first bend, and spent the whole race unsuccessfully trying to overhaul Simon Stead. Meanwhile, Rory Schlein (who survived one scary moment, when he bounced off the air fence on the second bend of the final lap!) won the race to clinch the meeting for the Exeter Falcons.

 

The Rebels got off to a slow start and were trailing after Heat 3, but then six successive heat advantages between Heats 4 & 12 put them in with a great chance of overall victory.

 

Oxford were not involved in Heat 1, which ended in a 4-2 to Swindon over Exeter – Swindon’s only heat advantage of the night.

 

Nicholls led all the way in Heat 2 ahead of Jesper B Monberg, but with Richard Sweetnam overhauling Lubos Tomicek on the opening lap, the heat was shared 3-3 between Oxford and Swindon.

 

The Rebels were left trailing coming out of the gate in Heat 3, but Charlie Gjedde stormed inside Mark Lemon down the back straight, almost passing race-leader Lewis Bridger as well, but Bridger held on. A battle ensued for third, with David Howe briefly into third, but Lemon repassing him. A 4-2 to Exeter and scores after 3 races read: Swindon 7, Exeter 6, Oxford 5.

 

Heat 4 was re-run after the bike of Kenny Ingalls set on fire at the tapes at the first attempt to run the race, needing a fire extinguisher to put it out! Nicholls was leading at the time of the stoppage, and again trapped in the re-run, to head home Stead, as the Rebels moved into a joint lead with the Robins.

 

In Heat 5, a 5-1 for Bridger and Lemon over Sweetnam, with Monberg pulling out with machinery problems, thrust the Falcons from last to first.

 

Gjedde kept a challenging Schlein at bay in Heat 6, and with Howe in third ahead of Kyle Newman, the Rebels took a 4-2 over the Falcons. Scores after 6 races: Exeter 13, Oxford 13, Swindon 10.

 

Heat 7 was the best race of the evening. Lemon was the early leader, but he was overhauled by Stead at the end of the first lap. Bridger then took second from his team-mate, and a fine battle for the lead between Stead and Bridger ensued, with Bridger eventually coming out on top.

 

Gjedde & Howe gated in Heat 8, but Monberg moved past Howe into second place on the second bend, to restrict the Rebels to a 4-2.

 

Nicholls kept up his unbeaten record in Heat 9, keeping comfortably ahead of Schlein, while Tomicek took third to leave the Rebels ahead after 9 races: Oxford 21, Exeter 19, Swindon 14.

 

Tactical rides were permitted in this meeting even if a team were 6 points or more behind the leaders, so Heat 10 saw Swindon boss Jan Staechmann nominate Stead for double points. The move did not pay off, as Gjedde & Howe rocketed from the start. Gjedde held back to team-ride for a couple of laps, then moved off to secure the win, while Howe kept his old rival Stead at bay. The 5-1 to the Rebels killed off any challenge from Swindon in the meeting.

 

A quirk of the rules saw Exeter allowed a tactical ride in Heat 11 – there were 7 points behind Oxford, but largely because they had rode in one race less! Schlein & Newman got out in front for the Falcons, but Monberg raced around Newman on the opening lap. However, Monberg ground to a halt on the third lap, and Newman (having fended off the challenge of Sweetnam) moved back into second place. An 8-1 to Exeter to move them into the lead by one point.

 

Heat 12 saw the clash of the two unbeaten riders in Nicholls and Bridger. It turned into something of an anti-climax, with Bridger making a shocking start and then pulling up from fourth place with bike problems. Meanwhile, Nicholls cut back to move inside early race-leader Lemon on the second bend of the second lap, to take a lead he never surrendered. A 4-2 to the Rebels who moved back into the lead with just one race remaining: Oxford 30, Exeter 29, Swindon 16.

 

The decisive Heat 13 saw all three teams represented by their top scorer, with double points on offer. Gate positions were decided with the lowest placed team getting first choice, and the leading team having last choice. As already mentioned, Nicholls and the Oxford Rebels missed out - but it had been an entertaining night with the Rebels in contention right up the end and Swindon soundly beaten!

 

SWINDON ROBINS 20

Simon Stead 3 2 2 1! 4# (12)

Kenny Ingalls 1 X 0 0 (1)

Jesper B Monberg 2 R 2 R (4)

Richard Sweetnam 1* 1 0 1 (3+1)

Team manager: Jan Staechmann

 

OXFORD REBELS 32

Scott Nicholls 3 3 3 3 2# (14)

Lubos Tomicek 0 1 1 1 (3)

Charlie Gjedde 2 3 3 3 (11)

David Howe 0 1 1 2* (4+1)

Team manager: Mick Bell

 

EXETER FALCONS 35

Rory Schlein 2 2 2 6! 6# (18)

Kyle Newman 0 0 0 2* (2+1)

Lewis Bridger 3 3 3 R (9)

Mark Lemon 1 2* 1 2 (6+1)

Team managers: Ron Byford & Tony Lethbridge

Referee: Jim Lawrence

 

! = tactical ride

# = top scorers race – double points

 

HEAT DETAILS:

1: Stead (S), Schlein (E), Ingalls (S), Newman (E), 66.52 (S4 O0 E2).

2: Nicholls (O), Monberg (S), Sweetnam (S), Tomicek (O), 67.18 (S7 O3 E2).

3: Bridger (E), Gjedde (O), Lemon (E), Howe (O), 67.99 (S7 O5 E6).

4: (Re-run) Nicholls (O), Stead (S), Tomicek (O), Ingalls (S) (excluded / cause of stoppage), 67.83 (S9 O9 E6).

5: Bridger (E), Lemon (E), Sweetnam (S), Monberg (S) ret), 67.43 (S10 O9 E11).

6: Gjedde (O), Schlein (E), Howe (O), Newman (E), 68.05 (S10 O13 E13).

7: Bridger (E), Stead (S), Lemon (E), Ingalls (S), 68.48 (S12 O13 E17).

8: Gjedde (O), Monberg (S), Howe (O), Sweetnam (S), 68.49 (S14 O17 E17).

9: Nicholls (O), Schlein (E), Tomicek (O), Newman (E), 67.49 (S14 O21 E19).

10: Gjedde (O), Howe (O), Stead (S) (TR), Ingalls (S), 68.71 (S15 O26 E19).

11: Schlein (E) (TR), Newman (E), Sweetnam (S), Monberg (S) (ret), 68.71 (S16 O26 E27).

12: Nicholls (O), Lemon (E), Tomicek (O), Bridger (E) (ret), 68.68 (S16 O30 E29).

13 (top scorers – double points): Schlein (E), Stead (S), Nicholls (O), 68.52 (S20 O32 E35).

 

REPORT: ROBERT PEASLEY.

Edited September 23, 2011 by lucifer sam

[keef]

Couldn't make it due to work, but a fitting tribute to one of the Swindon greats. I was lucky to see Bob ride for his home-town club in the late 60s, with Robins legends Briggo, Ashby, Broady. Good to see Oxford and Exeter back for the night. Preferred the all-star individual format for the original memorial meeting, would probably have attracted more fans, but at least the meeting is still running. Probably Scotty's best night at The Abbey.

Remember when Kilb rode for Oxford, and they asked him for 3 choices of where he would like to ride. He wrote Swindon, Swindon, and Swindon.

Edited September 23, 2011 by keef

[lucifer sam]

Couldn't make it due to work, but a fitting tribute to one of the Swindon greats. I was lucky to see Bob ride for his home-town club in the late 60s, with Robins legends Briggo, Ashby, Broady. Good to see Oxford and Exeter back for the night. Preferred the all-star individual format for the original memorial meeting, would probably have attracted more fans, but at least the meeting is still running. Probably Scotty's best night at The Abbey.

Remember when Kilb rode for Oxford, and they asked him for 3 choices of where he would like to ride. He wrote Swindon, Swindon, and Swindon.

 

Scott Nicholls did ride well last night. He just missed the gate in the last race, and got boxed in on the opening turns. Ironically had Bridger not had his engine failure in Heat 12 and Exeter been a point in front, then I think Oxford would have won - as Nicholls could have choosen the outside gate that Schlein ended off, and I don't think anyone would haved it touched Scott off gate 4. I'm just glad it was Scott who was transferred into the Oxford team, instead of Judas B Monberg, who was as useless as always.

 

The meeting did build nicely to a climax last night.

 

Shame the crowd wasn't bigger. It was a bargain at £10 (if you had the voucher, which we did - I think almost everyone had these) for 13 races. Have Swindon's crowds been that bad all season?

 

All the best

Rob

[keef]

Scott Nicholls did ride well last night. He just missed the gate in the last race, and got boxed in on the opening turns. Ironically had Bridger not had his engine failure in Heat 12 and Exeter been a point in front, then I think Oxford would have won - as Nicholls could have choosen the outside gate that Schlein ended off, and I don't think anyone would haved it touched Scott off gate 4. I'm just glad it was Scott who was transferred into the Oxford team, instead of Judas B Monberg, who was as useless as always.

 

The meeting did build nicely to a climax last night.

 

Shame the crowd wasn't bigger. It was a bargain at £10 (if you had the voucher, which we did - I think almost everyone had these) for 13 races. Have Swindon's crowds been that bad all season?

 

All the best

Rob

 

Dont know how many were there but someone said that the crowds have been the lowest since the return to the EL in 2004, which is obvious as they have had such a poor season. Around 1500 average according to her. The televised Eastbourne clash was the lowest I've seen at The Abbey. Hopefully will pick-up next year with a better team.

The original memorial meeting attracted a large crowd, with a strong line-up. The Swindon team did look the weakest on paper. Bit different to the days when Bob was riding, when they would get 8-10,000 on a good night at the Abbey. Never went below 4,000.

Crump-Collins Golden helmet, they locked the gates with 16-17,000 packed inside. fantastic atmosphere.

 

Sure Bob's family will be grateful to the Swindon promotion and fans for continuing to honour him.

Edited September 24, 2011 by keef