Scunthorpe V Buxton ( N L) - Sunday, October 12th (approx 7pm)

[lucifer sam]

DOUBLE-HEADER TO BRING DOWN CURTAIN ON 2014 SEASON

 

THE EDDIE WRIGHT RACEWAY stages its final 30-heat feast of speedway of the 2014 season on Sunday (please note start-time of 5pm), before the long break for the winter months, with a mouth-watering double-header featuring both Scunthorpe sides, with Sheffield and Buxton providing the opposition.

 

There’s local derby action between the FluidAir Power Scorpions and Sheffield Tigers in a Premier League match, with the Scorpions having had the ‘Indian Sign’ over their nearest-and-dearest in recent seasons.

 

It’s the sixth clash between the two local rivals in 2014. Scunthorpe have won all three meetings at Sheffield’s Owlerton Stadium, while it stands at one apiece at the Eddie Wright Raceway; the Tigers having won a League Cup match at Scunthorpe right at the outset of the season.

 

Looking at league meetings alone, the Scorpions have a remarkable run against Sheffield, having won every PL encounter home and away against the Tigers since 2012 – a run of seven meetings.

 

And while the Premier League match normally takes star billing at the Eddie Wright Raceway, the following National League clash on Sunday, between the Henderson Insurance Scunthorpe Stags and the Buxton Hitmen, is just as highly anticipated.

 

The Stags are chasing their first win of the 2014 season, against the team just above them in the league table.

 

They put in a fighting performance at Buxton last week, before succumbing to a narrow 40-51 defeat, and the Stags are looking for revenge against the Hitmen on Sunday.

 

Scunthorpe promoter Rob Godfrey said: “It’s a long break for the winter months, and it’s going to be over five months, nearly six, until the next speedway meeting at the Eddie Wright Raceway. The fans are going to be starved of action over the next few months, so this is the chance for one last feast before the end of the season.

 

“There should be some fantastic action ahead, during the two meetings in the double-header on Sunday.

 

“Everyone loves to have the upper hand on their local rivals, and we have a chance to make it four wins out of four in Premier League matches against Sheffield this season. We want to take the bragging rights into the winter.

 

“Plus we have the young Stags looking for their first win. These lads have improved so much over the course of the season, hitting the 40-point barrier in their last two outings, and it would be great if they could finish the season with a victory over Buxton.”

 

Nicolai Klindt and Ryan Douglas are both ruled out by the spate of scaphoid injuries that scuppered the Scorpions’ chances in the play-offs, with Somerset’s Todd Kurtz stepping in as a guest, alongside the rider replacement facility. Skipper Ashley Birks is set to return from his scaphoid injury.

 

Scunthorpe also give another opportunity to club asset Matt Williamson at No 6, who won his first race in Scorpions’ colours last Friday, much to the delight of both management and supporters.

 

Sheffield are another side who have suffered due to injury, but bring in a number of former Scunthorpe riders, in the shape of Carl Wilkinson, Benji Compton and James Sarjeant, none of whom are slouches around the Eddie Wright Raceway.

 

Heat 15 of the Scunthorpe vs Sheffield match has special significance, as it will determine the winner of the Kenny Smith Memorial Shield, the former Scorpions’ team manager and co-promoter, who passed away in 2009, after a battle against cancer.

 

Sunday’s adult admission price for the double-header is £17. It’s just £2 more than a single Premier League meeting at the Eddie Wright Raceway, for 15 extra heats of action.

 

The circuit rightfully has won the award, several times, for being the best racetrack in the Premier League, so a full and exciting afternoon/evening of racing is ahead. Don’t miss it – it’ll be a fair few months until the next chance!

 

Admission prices for Sunday:

 

Adult: £17.00

Student/OAP: £15.00

Child (10 – 17): £5.00

Child (0 – 9) Free (accompanied by paying adult)

Family Ticket £39 (2 adults, 2 Children 10-17)

Match Programme: £1.00

 

NOTE REGARDING ADMISSION PRICES FOR SUNDAY FOR THOSE WITH A VALID SCUNTHORPE v SHEFFIELD RE-ADMISSION TICKET:

 

Admission prices on Sunday for those with a valid re-admission ticket from the abandoned Scunthorpe v Sheffield meeting from August 15th will be as follows:

 

Adult: £15.00 (£2 deduction)

Student/OAP: £13.00 (£2 deduction)

Child (10 - 17): £3.00 (£2 deduction)

Family Ticket £33 (2 adults, 2 Children 10-16) (£6 deduction)

 

Expected teams for Sunday (English unless stated):

 

FluidAir Power Scunthorpe Scorpions: 1. David Howe, 2. Rider replacement for Ryan Douglas (Australia), 3. Thomas Jørgensen (Denmark), 4. Todd Kurtz (Australia), 5. Josh Auty, 6. Matt Williamson, 7. Ashley Birks.

 

Sheffield Tigers: 1. Aaron Summers (Australia), 2. R/R for Taylor Poole (Australia), 3. Ben Wilson, 4. Carl Wilkinson, 5. Leigh Lanham, 6. Benji Compton, 7. James Sarjeant.

 

Henderson Insurance Scunthorpe Stags: 1. Sam Chapman, 2. Arron Mogridge, 3. Danno Verge, 4. Reece Downes, 5. Steve Jones, 6. Ellis Perks, 7. Ryan MacDonald (Scotland).

 

Buxton Hitmen: 1. Liam Carr R/R, 2. Tony Atkin, 3. Adam Extance, 4. Tom Woolley, 5. Ryan Blacklock, 6. Stefan Farnaby, 7. Paul Bowen.

 

 

KENNY SMITH 1954-2009

A legend of Scunthorpe Speedway

 

Kenny Smith died in 2009, after a brave battle against throat cancer. He was both co-promoter and team manager of the Scorpions. Just two days before he passed away, he was taken around the Scunthorpe track on the back of David Howe’s bike for two emotional laps of honour.

 

Kenny’s grandfather was one of the pioneer riders in the sport’s early days back in the 1920s. Kenny began his own racing career in grasstrack, before taking up speedway in the late sixties at Doncaster.

 

However, he is best remembered for his involvement on the other side of the speedway fence. After being involved at Middlesbrough, he switched to Newcastle when the Teesside club’s Cleveland Park track closed. Newcastle boss George English, soon made him Assistant Team Manager and Kenny took responsibility for the Newcastle Gems when they entered a side in the Conference League.

 

With speedway returned to Scunthorpe to 2005 after a twenty-year absence, Kenny offered his services, as the Gems had withdrawn from the Conference League following the 2004 season. He was taken on board as Scorpions’ team manager, and was delighted when the Scorpions carried all before then to sweep to successive Conference League titles in 2006 and 2007.

 

Kenny’s unswerving passion for the sport and the Scunthorpe club was rewarded in 2007 when he became a co-promoter and the club could have never wished for a greater ambassador.

Edited October 10, 2014 by lucifer sam

[mac101]

Scunnys first win of the season

[dirtdodger]

best of luck to the stags,come on lads you can win this one!

[EC Rides Again]

^{Stags win !}

[Blackbird]

Scunnys first win of the season

Er, last match so make that ONLY win!!

Seriously though, massive well done.

Finally the club recognised the need to win a match - hence Perks in at reserve and taking six rides. That's what clubs are MEANT to do - try and win!!

[Ommer Mon]

Yep congratulations to Scunny.

 

I'm sure the team are feeling much better after that than they usually do and I hope all the lads take that feeling with them into next season.

 

Nice to see the nephew of a former Heathen leading the way in spectacular style! Well done Ellis Perks.

[pete cc]

11 race wins should win the match. well done to all at scunthorpe & you can now firmly raise two fingers to those here on this forum who slagged you off at the start of the season. you have done what you said & now next season is phase 2.

[Blackbird]

11 race wins should win the match. well done to all at scunthorpe & you can now firmly raise two fingers to those here on this forum who slagged you off at the start of the season. you have done what you said & now next season is phase 2.

Not sure that's wholly accurate. Scunthorpe still proved very poor visitors to all tracks they went to save Buxton and I can't imagine you'll find many promoters/chairmen from the other NL clubs who'd welcome a repeat of the Stags' 'experiment'.

[pete cc]

Experiment? i think you will find several clubs doing the same next season.

[BuxtonTiger]

Dead right, if we get Eastbourne, Arena, Tyne/Tees and possibly Peterborough then that's another 28 riders needed. From where? For this to happen the points limit needs drastically reducing and hopefully ALL sides would have to include at least 4 three point riders.

 

I but dream of this happening and National League racing returning to the quality of meetings that have happened at Buxton & Scunthorpe in the past couple of weeks.

[phillwhitewasmad]

If all these teams join why not go for six man teams and give them all five rides each. No rr and no guest riders if in the event of an injured rider during the meeting everybody but your top rider can be used

[montie]

Not sure that's wholly accurate. Scunthorpe still proved very poor visitors to all tracks they went to save Buxton and I can't imagine you'll find many promoters/chairmen from the other NL clubs who'd welcome a repeat of the Stags' 'experiment'.

 

These the same promotion who then use the riders Scunny produce?

[vog]

Dead right, if we get Eastbourne, Arena, Tyne/Tees and possibly Peterborough then that's another 28 riders needed. From where? For this to happen the points limit needs drastically reducing and hopefully ALL sides would have to include at least 4 three point riders.

 

I'm just picking up on this, do you mean 3 point riders as in 3.00, or below 4? Because saying at least 4 3 point riders would do more harm than good!

[greyhoundp]

I think there is no need to include any ruling with regards 2/3/4 three point riders, the natural reduction to a 35/36 point max and 30 point min limit, would mean Teams would have to include them to get under the limit, the most interesting view is are there enough riders to get ALL Teams over a 30 point minimum ruling ?.

[Halifaxtiger]

I think there is no need to include any ruling with regards 2/3/4 three point riders, the natural reduction to a 35/36 point max and 30 point min limit, would mean Teams would have to include them to get under the limit, the most interesting view is are there enough riders to get ALL Teams over a 30 point minimum ruling ?.

 

Malcolm Vasey says on the Eastbourne thread:

 

'it is essential that it (the points limit)is related to the number of teams in the League and the more there are at this level the lower the points limit must be so that the best riders are shared around between the teams as far as is possible. Therefore it cannot be formulated prior to the commitment of Clubs to compete at National league level for the 2015 season'.

 

He's right, although that might apply to all riders not just the best ones.

 

What would be needed is some careful consideration regarding the pool of riders available before the limit was set and even before teams were allowed to join.

Experiment? i think you will find several clubs doing the same next season.

 

What Scunny did this season was by choice.

 

If next season the points limit is much lower and teams are much weaker (at least on paper) that will be by necessity.