lucifer sam

Hi Phil, I think the surname is Allan rather than Allen. He's an Australian, but one with a British passport. He came across at the Scunny P&P as very enthusiastic. He has rode in the Scunthorpe Stags MDL team this season. Haven't got a clue of his age - apologies if I've made him older than he is, but I would estimate he's somewhere in his 20s.. All the best Rob

Ashley Morris guests for Jerran Hart this evening. All the best Rob

Good meeting yesterday, with the final scoreline not doing justice to some excellent racing (Heats 9 & 10 were both right out of the top drawer). Some great performances by youngsters on both sides - which is what speedway at this level is all about. Stood with Phil K, who commented how much Tom Young had improved since last year. And Max Clegg's ride in Heat 14 was faultless, such a mature ride from one so young. The initial diagnosis on Adam Wrathall is a suspected broken wrist, let's hope that once the swelling goes down it just proves to be battered and bruised rather than broken. All the best Rob Yes, both riders appeared again, and ironically both crashed again in Heat 6. I think both were OK, after that second tumble. All the best Rob

30 HEAT BANK HOLIDAY SPEEDWAY FEAST HENDERSON INSURANCE Scunthorpe Scorpions commence their home Premier League fixtures at the Eddie Wright Raceway on Bank Holiday Monday (3.00pm), with the highly-anticipated visit of 2008 and 2010 league champions, the Edinburgh Monarchs. The Scunthorpe v Edinburgh clash forms the first half of a mouth-watering double-header, which also features the Scunthorpe Saints in National League Knockout Cup match action against the Stoke Potters. The double-header concludes a busy weekend of action, which also sees both the Scorpions and Saints in league action on Sunday, at Newcastle and Mildenhall respectively. Scorpions’ team boss Richard Hollingsworth said: “We are certainly not going to under-estimate Edinburgh, despite their slowish start to the season in the League Cup. “They are always attractive visitors around the Eddie Wright Raceway. They have a former Scorpion and track specialist Andrew Tully (pictured) in their ranks, and their team contains other riders who can perform around our track. Scunthorpe v Edinburgh is always an entertaining match full of great racing and I’m expecting no different on Monday. “However, if we perform as we are capable, I see no reason why we can’t take the three Premier League points on offer. “Before that, we face the Newcastle Diamonds at Brough Park on Sunday – also in a league match. The meeting was quickly arranged, after Newcastle’s home meeting was washed out last weekend. Newcastle didn’t want two successive blank weekends, so Rob (Godfrey) has agreed that we fill the gap. We will be looking to pick up league points from the meeting.” With skipper David Howe still on the sidelines, as he recovers from a dislocated shoulder, Nick Morris will guest for the Scorpions at Newcastle and the side will operate rider replacement for Howe at the Eddie Wright Raceway for the Edinburgh match. Hollingsworth added “The best guests aren’t available but all six riders are eligible for an extra ride so I don’t see it being a problem. This way you can try and find your four most in form riders rather than the ‘eggs in one basket’ route with a guest”. Monday’s adult admission price for the double-header is £16. It’s just £2 more than a single Premier League meeting at the Eddie Wright Raceway, for 15 extra heats of action. With the circuit recognised as one of the best racetracks in the country (it has finished in the top two of a poll conducted by SCB speedway referees for the last three seasons), it is a fixture for the speedway connoisseur. “It certainly looks like a cracking afternoon of action, as the Saints match looks like it could also be a humdinger”, commented Hollingsworth. “Stoke are a tough test, with Richie Worrall and Ashley Birks both in their line-up. It’s a cup match, so it’s a case of trying to build up as big a lead as possible for the return at Stoke on Sunday, May 13th. “We have a great heat leader trio of Jerran Hart, Steve Worrall and Gary Irving whilst I can’t wait to see young Danny Phillips and Max Clegg make their home debuts, having seen them ride so many times.” Premier/National League Double Header Admission Prices: Adult: £16.00 Student/OAP: £14.00 Child (10 - 16): £5.00 Child (0 - 9) Free (accompanied by paying adult) Family Ticket £37 (2 adults, 2 Children 10-16) Match Programme: £1.00 NOTE REGARDING ADMISSION PRICES FOR MONDAY’S DOUBLE-HEADER FOR THOSE WITH A VALID SCUNTHORPE v SHEFFIELD RE-ADMISSION TICKET: Admission prices on Monday for those with a valid re-admission ticket from the abandoned Scunthorpe v Sheffield meeting from April 13th will be as follows: Adult: £13.00 (£3 deduction) Student/OAP: £11.00 (£3 deduction) Child (10 - 16): £3.00 (£2 deduction) Family Ticket £29 (2 adults, 2 Children 10-16) (£8 deduction) Teams for Monday (English unless stated): Henderson Insurance Scunthorpe Scorpions: 1. Rider replacement for David Howe, 2. Thomas Jørgensen (Denmark), 3. Tero Aarnio (Finland), 4. Michael Palm Toft (Denmark), 5. Josh Auty, 6. Jerran Hart, 7. Ashley Birks. Edinburgh Monarchs: 1. Craig Cook, 2. R/R for Derek Sneddon (Scotland), Theo Pijper (Netherlands), 4. Matthew Wethers (Australia), 5. Andrew Tully (Scotland), 6. Micky Dyer (Australia), 7. Charles Wright (or guest). Jotun Paints Scunthorpe Saints: 1. Jerran Hart, 2. Tom Young (Wales), 3. Gary Irving, 4. Adam Wrathall, 5. Steve Worrall, 6. Danny Phillips, 7. Max Clegg. Stoke Potters: 1.Ashley Birks, 2. Jaimie Pickard, 3. Tony Atkin (Wales), 4. Rhys Naylor, 5. Richie Worrall, 6. Ross Walter, 7. Ben Reade. Scorpions Info - up to 1 May 2012 Following the Redcar meeting last Friday: Jerran Hart has passed 500 points for the club (507 points to date). Tero Aarnio has passed 500 points for the club (501 points to date). Thomas Jorgensen has passed 400 points for the club (403 points to date). Edinburgh's Results at EWR: 26 May 2008 - PL Scunthorpe 39 Edinburgh 53 25 May 2009 - PL Scunthorpe 49 Edinburgh 44 11 July 2009 - PT Semi-Final Scunthorpe 44 Edinburgh 46 31 May 2010 - PL Scunthorpe 41 Edinburgh 48 2 May 2011 - PL Scunthorpe 46 Edinburgh 44 29 August 2011 - PL Ph 2 Scunthorpe 50 Edinburgh 41 Other Notes: Craig Cook 2009 National League Riders Champion. Member of Workington's Young Shield Winning Teams in 2009 and 2010. Member of Buxton's National League Championship, National League KO Cup and National Trophy Winning Teams in 2010. Micky Dyer Made his British League debut in the National League for Dudley in 2010. Debut Premier League season after a year's absence from the British scene. Theo Pijper Member of Edinburgh's Premier League Championship Winning Team in 2003. Member of Glasgow's Premier League Championship Winning Team in 2011. Member of Swindon's Elite Shield Winning Team in 2009. Derek Sneddon Member of Armadale's Conference Trophy Winning Team in 2005. Member of Edinburgh's Premier League Championship, Premier Trophy and Play-Off Winning Teams in 2008. Member of Newcastle's Premier Trophy, KO Cup and Play-Off Winning Teams in 2010. Member of Newcastle's Premier Shield Winning Team in 2011. Andrew Tully Ex-Scunthorpe rider who was a member of the successful Conference League teams in 2006 and 2007. - Member of Scunthorpe's Conference League Championship and Conference Trophy Winning Teams in 2006 and 2007. - Member of Scunthorpe's Conference League KO Cup and Conference Shield Winning Teams in 2006. Member of Edinburgh's Premier League Championship Winning Teams in 2008 and 2010. Member of Edinburgh's Premier League Play-Off Winning Teams in 2008 and 2009. Member of Edinburgh's Premier Trophy Winning Team in 2008. Member of Armadale's Conference Trophy Winning Team in 2005. 2012 Scottish Open Champion. Matthew Wethers 2001 South Australian State Under-16 Champion. Member of Edinburgh's Premier League Championship Winning Teams in 2003, 2008 and 2010. Member of Edinburgh's Premier League Play-Off Winning Teams in 2008 and 2009. Member of Edinburgh's Premier Trophy Winning Team in 2008. Charles Wright Member of Workington's Premier League Fours and Young Shield Winning Teams in 2008. Edinburgh Monarchs 2012 (Results - up to 1 May 2012) 22/03/2012 LC A L Edinburgh 41 Redcar 49 25/03/2012 ST(1) A L Edinburgh 38 Glasgow 52 30/03/2012 ST(2) H W Edinburgh 56 Glasgow 36 (On agg - W: 94 - 88) 31/03/2012 CH A L Edinburgh 39 Berwick 50 06/04/2012 LC H W Edinburgh 42 Newcastle 33 07/04/2012 LC A L Edinburgh 31 Workington 62 13/04/2012 LC H L Edinburgh 42 Redcar 48 15/04/2012 LC A L Edinburgh 38 Newcastle 57 20/04/2012 LC H W Edinburgh 54 Workington 39 27/04/2012 LC H W Edinburgh 61 Glasgow 33 29/04/2012 LC A L Edinburgh 41 Glasgow 52 Edinburgh Monarchs at EWR Ave Ave Best Name M R Pts BP (no BP) (w BP) T/R Pts Performance Craig Cook 6 27 38 1 5.63 5.78 0 16 from 6 rides (2011) Micky Dyer DEBUT @ EWR Theo Pijper 2 8 7 0 3.50 3.50 0 5 from 4 rides (2011) Derek Sneddon 6 25 21 4 3.36 4.00 0 7 from 4 rides (2011) Andrew Tully 6 29 55 3 7.59 8.00 4 16 from 5 rides (inc 6 pts T/R (2009)) Matthew Wethers 5 21 30 3 5.71 6.29 0 7 + 1 from 4 rides (2008) Charles Wright 4 15 11 2 2.93 3.47 0 4 from 4 rides (2008) Stoke’s Previous Results @ EWR (at Conference/National League level) 26 June 2005 - CT Scunthorpe 55 Stoke 39 18 September 2005 - CL Scunthorpe 41 Stoke 49 18 June 2006 - CL Scunthorpe 64 Stoke 28 23 July 2006 - CL KOC Round 2 Scunthorpe 59 Stoke 36 10 September 2006 - CS Scunthorpe 48 Stoke 42 20 May 2007 - CT Scunthorpe 69 Stoke 21 8 July 2007 - CL Scunthorpe 67 Stoke 23 Other Notes Tony Atkin National League Pairs Championship Winner (2009 - Newport with Grant Tregoning). Ashley Birks Member of Scunthorpe's National League Championship Winning Team in 2011. Doubling-up at Premier League level with the Scorpions. Rhys Naylor 2008 British Under-15 Champion (250cc). Made his Conference League debut in 2008 for Boston. Jaimie Pickard Member of Plymouth's Conference Trophy and Conference League KO Cup Winning teams in 2008. Ben Reade Made his first appearance in the National League, riding as a guest in 2009 for Plymouth. Ross Walter Has National League experience, having ridden in 2010 for Dudley and Plymouth. Rode as a guest for the Saints at Newport in the final match of the 2011 season, scoring 4 points from the number 1 race jacket. Richie Worrall Member of Scunthorpe's National League Championship Winning Team in 2011. Doubling-up at Premier League level with Newcastle. Stoke Potters at EWR Ave Ave Best Name M R Pts BP (no BP) (w BP) T/R Pts Performance Tony Atkin 2 7 15 1 8.57 9.14 3 15 + 1 from 5 rides (inc 6 pts T/R (2009)) Ashley Birks 16 78 147 12 7.54 8.15 0 18 from 6 rides (2011) Rhys Naylor 2 9 2 0 0.89 0.89 0 1 from 4 rides Jaimie Pickard 7 30 8 3 1.07 1.47 0 3 + 2 from 5 rides (2010) Ben Reade NL DEBUT @ EWR Ross Walter NL DEBUT @ EWR Richie Worrall 6 27 55 6 8.15 9.04 0 14 from 6 rides (2011 - for Saints) Stoke Potters 2012 (Results - up to 1 May 2012) 31/03/2012 CH H W Stoke 46 Isle of Wight 44 03/04/2012 Staffs Cup A L Stoke 43 Dudley 47 (Stats courtesy of John Eyre)

One thing also worth taking into account is Eric's excellent form in the BLRC. He was the closest to taking the crown from Briggo between 1965 and 1970. Having only seen one of them race in the "flesh" (Nigel in NL action for Exeter(??) in 1980, when he was way past his best), it's very difficult to decide from just stats, although maybe Nigel's World Final record gives him the edge. All the best Rob

Unfortunately it hasn't. Double header called off, track already wet and more rain scheduled to fall all day. Sheffield LC fixure re-arranged for Friday (April 13th) at 7.30pm, no new date for Saints vs KL Young Stars as yet. All the best Rob

Here's a preview of the new season for the Saints: SCUNTHORPE SAINTS SEASON PREVIEW JOTUN PAINTS Scunthorpe Saints team boss Stuart Parnaby has set just one aim for his young side in 2012: “I’d like not us to finish bottom.” That may sound a slightly unambitious target for the reigning National League champions, who clinched the title in such unforgettable fashion at Mildenhall last October. But it’s a much more inexperienced Saints side that takes to the track this season – with the onus on finding future prospects for the Premier League Scorpions. And Parnaby, now in his third season in charge of the Saints, has been here before… in 2010. He expands: “We had the same ambition not to finish bottom two years ago, during my first year as team manager. “That year we had Ashley Birks and Steve Worrall in as rookies, with Richie Worrall also coming in during the course of the season. “We eventually finished two places off the bottom of the table, and just look where those three lads are now! “I feel this season is similar to that one. Again we’re bringing in some new faces into the National League, in the shape of Oliver (Greenwood), Danny (Phillips) and Max (Clegg). “We are going to put no pressure on them at all. They’ve just got to go out there, ride the bike and enjoy themselves and hopefully score a few points in the process. “We will keep the pressure off them, and see how they develop over the course of the year. And then hopefully we can have another go at winning the National League in 2013!” The Saints team for 2012 splits into three levels of riders. There’s the spearhead of Steve Worrall (aged 20) and Gary Irving (23), who in addition to riding for the Saints, also ride in the Premier League for Newcastle and Workington respectively. There’s then the mid-section of the team, featuring Adam Wrathall (20), Tom Young (20) and squad member Richard Franklin (19), all young riders looking to build on previous National League seasons and move up a step. And then there’s the aforementioned rookie trio of Greenwood (16), Phillips (15) and Clegg (not 15 until next Wednesday) whose only league appearances are three outings for Greenwood during 2011. Parnaby explained the presence of Worrall and Irving: “They are there to take the pressure off the rest of the team. “Maybe by saying that I’m putting pressure on Stevie and Gary, but to be honest, at this level, they are quite capable of going out there and knocking up double figure scores in each meeting. “I feel both probably need just one final season of doubling-up between the Premier League and the National League. “Riding for the Saints will be a confidence booster for both Stevie and Gary. If they are having a hard time in the Premier League, they can go out for the Saints and get some race wins under their belts, and it will help restore their confidence.” Skipper Adam Wrathall returns for a fifth season with the Saints in 2012. “It’s a big year for Adam”, says Parnaby. “He’s got to come out of the shadows and grab a heat-leader position. I don’t need to put any pressure on him, because I think he’ll do that himself. “He wants Premier League, and to grab the eye of promoters, he needs to add a couple of points to his starting average. “For the final meeting last year at Newport, I took a load of rookies down, and Adam was given the No. 5 racejacket. He scored 14 points. He revels with a bit of extra responsibility, and that’s what he’ll have with the way the team is set up this season.” Welshman Tom Young, a signing from now-defunct Newport, has impressed over the winter, winning the amateur Winter Series Open Class Championship at the Eddie Wright Raceway. Parnaby commented: “I think the change of track will really help Tom. I think he found it a bit hard at Newport, both on and off the track. “But he’s coming to a club where he is going to be settled and there is no question of him being taken in-and-out of the side, which happened with him at Newport. He has a permanent team place with the Saints. “He’s really come on over the winter – I think it’s because he’s enjoying his speedway. At one point during the practice day, he was out there with David Howe and catching him.” Oliver Greenwood and Danny Phillips have already caught the eye in the first two Midland Development League matches at the Eddie Wright Raceway. Parnaby said: “It’s good that Oliver and Danny have also been riding in the Midland Development League. There are only a certain number of National League meetings over the season, so it’s good extra experience. “It’s also got them used to riding around the track under floodlights, which is totally different to riding in the daytime. “As Max is not 15 until just after the first league match at home to King’s Lynn, Oliver and Danny will be at reserve for that, as were are bringing in Richard Franklin, who will ride at No. 2. Hopefully that will help Oliver get off to a good start, and also take any pressure off Danny. “After that, when we track three 3.00 men, I think it will be Oliver up in the team and the other two at reserve. Although they are all young, Oliver is just that little bit older and more experienced. “Meanwhile, there are likely to be other opportunites for Richard, when one of our regular seven are missing. He is currently named as part of our squad. For instance, for our second meeting of the season at Mildenhall, Stevie Worrall is missing, as Newcastle will be riding that day. “It makes sense to use Richard. He’s a Scunthorpe asset, and doesn’t have a club in 2012, as Dudley have decided not to use him.” Max Clegg has been part and parcel of the set-up at Scunthorpe for five years, having done many laps around the club’s mini-track. “Max is very much part of the Scunthorpe family”, enthused Parnaby. “He seems to have been here all his life. “He’s from Brighouse, which is also my town. I see him down the park every night, when I’m walking the dog and Max is on the BMX ramps. “I’ve started bringing him to Scunthorpe for the Premier League meetings, because I help out Thomas Jorgensen and now Max is helping me with that. It’s all about getting him involved.” At one point early in the 2011/2012 closed season, it looked like Scunthorpe may not run a team in the National League for the forthcoming season. But the enthusiasm of the likes of Parnaby, his wife (and assistant Saints’ team manager) Rebecca, Scorpions’ team manager Richard Hollingsworth, plus that of the supporters, persuaded promoter Rob Godfrey to enter the Saints in the National League for both 2012 and 2013. In a recent article in the Speedway Star, Godfrey revealed it costs him around £1000 for each Saints’ fixture, but that is offset against bringing in riders for the future of the club. Parnaby said: “I’d just like to say thanks to the supporters. One of the reasons we’re back this season is because the fans persuaded Rob to continue with it. Rob does listen to the fans, and they made it clear that they’d love to see the Saints back, and here we are! “Scunthorpe started off as a Conference League track when the club returned in 2005, so I think a lot of the supporters are very interested in watching the lads at a grass roots level. “It’s like one big family. The supporters can come and have a chat with the riders and the management, and have a laugh and a joke with us. It’s a very good point about the place. “Meanwhile, I can’t wait for our first meeting of the season against King’s Lynn on Easter Monday”, concluded Parnaby. Scunthorpe Saints 2012: Steve Worrall (8.36) Gary Irving (7.91) Richard Franklin (4.84) Adam Wrathall (4.70) Tom Young (3.25) Oliver Greenwood (3.00) Danny Phillips (3.00) Max Clegg (3.00) Teams for Easter Monday clash at the Eddie Wright Raceway (follows Scunthorpe v Sheffield League Cup meeting): Jotun Paints Scunthorpe Saints: 1. Steve Worrall, 2. Richard Franklin, 3. Tom Young, 4. Adam Wrathall, 5. Gary Irving. 6. Danny Phillips, 7. Oliver Greenwood. King’s Lynn Young Stars: 1. James Cockle, 2. Brendan Johnson, 3. Lewis Kerr, 4. Adam Lowe, 5. Jake Knight, 6. Tom Stokes, 7. Scott Campos.

The start of the new season for the Saints!! Here's the Press Release regarding the double-header: TABLE-TOPPING Henderson Insurance Scunthorpe Scorpions will be looking to continue their excellent start to their League Cup campaign when they entertain local rivals Sheffield Tigers at the Eddie Wright Raceway on Easter Monday (3pm). The match will form the first half of a double-header, which also sees the Jotun Paints Scunthorpe Saints in National League action against King’s Lynn Young Stars. And that’s not the only action this weekend. The Scorpions are also away at Newcastle in a League Cup match on Easter Sunday, while the Saints trio of Adam Wrathall, Tom Young and Richard Franklin compete in the semi-final of the British Under-21 Championship at Stoke on Saturday. Scorpions’ team boss Richard Hollingsworth said: “It should be a great day of action at the Eddie Wright Raceway on Monday. “We want to get one over Sheffield this season. It’s just 45 miles to Sheffield from Scunthorpe, so they are our local rivals. It’s always a bit of a grudge match against the Tigers. “They are a successful club and they are like the big boys next door. Sheffield are one of only three of the current teams in the Premier League that we haven’t finished ahead in the league table in one or more seasons since 2008 (the others are Workington and Ipswich). We will be looking to put that right this season. “We won’t be complacent against the Tigers on Monday, but I am convinced that we can defeat them and take the three League Cup points on offer. “Following that, we have the Saints in action for the first time in 2012, so it promises to be quite an afternoon”, added Hollingsworth. Monday’s adult admission price is £16, just £2 more than a single Premier League meeting, despite the extra 15 heats of action. With the Eddie Wright rightly acknowledged as one of the best racetracks in the country, it is a fixture for the speedway connoisseur and fans have been known to travel large distances to the Eddie Wright Raceway for bank holiday action. The Scorpions management are still searching for a replacement for the injured Tom Armstrong, so will utilise guests this weekend. Adam McKinna rides at Newcastle on Sunday, while Steve Worrall guests for his parent club at the Eddie Wright Raceway on Monday. It will be a busy afternoon for Worrall, as he will also line-up at No.1 for the Saints. Premier/National League Double Header Admission Prices: Adult: £16.00 Student/OAP: £14.00 Child (10 - 16): £5.00 Child (0 - 9) Free (accompanied by paying adult) Family Ticket £37 (2 adults, 2 Children 10-16) Match Programme: £1.00 Teams for this weekend (English unless stated): Henderson Insurance Scunthorpe Scorpions (for both matches): 1. David Howe, 2. Thomas Jørgensen (Denmark), 3. Josh Auty, 4. Michael Palm Toft (Denmark), 5. Tero Aarnio (Finland), 6. Adam McKinna (Scotland) / Steve Worrall, 7. Ashley Birks. Newcastle Diamonds: 1. Mark Lemon (Australia), 2. Christian Henry (Australia), 3. Ludvig Lindgren (Sweden), 4. Claes Nedermark (Denmark), 5. Stuart Robson, 6. Steve Worrall, 7. Richie Worrall. Sheffield Tigers: 1. Josef Franc (Czech Republic), 2. Hugh Skidmore (Australia), 3. Ricky Wells (United States), 4. Richard Hall, 5. Emiliano Sanchez (Argentina), 6. Klaus Jacobsen (Denmark), 7. Joe Haines. Jotun Paints Scunthorpe Saints: 1. Steve Worrall, 2. Richard Franklin, 3. Tom Young, 4. Adam Wrathall, 5. Gary Irving. 6. Danny Phillips, 7. Oliver Greenwood. King’s Lynn Young Stars: 1. James Cockle, 2. Brendan Johnson, 3. Lewis Kerr, 4. Adam Lowe, 5. Jake Knight, 6. Tom Stokes, 7. Scott Campos. And here's the latest Saints news: JOTUN PAINTS Scunthorpe Saints have added Gary Irving and Richard Franklin (pictured) to their eight-man squad prior to their first National League meeting of the season against King’s Lynn Young Stars at the Eddie Wright Raceway on Easter Monday. 23-year-old Irving comes into the team as a replacement for Jason King, who has been snapped up by Premier League Berwick Bandits and is therefore now ineligible to ride for the Saints. Meanwhile, Franklin comes in on Monday as cover for Max Clegg, who does not celebrate his 15th birthday until next Wednesday (April 11th). Regarding the departure of King, Saints boss Stuart Parnaby said: “We always knew Jason would be snapped up by a Premier League club at some point, although maybe we didn’t expect it so soon. “But with the number of injuries so far this season, we were just waiting for the phone call. “Although he didn’t get to ride in a National League fixture, he has still contributed to the Saints’ cause. He has been at the Eddie Wright Raceway helping out the younger members of the team. “And he’s told the lads if they have any problems, to give him a call, because he’ll be there for them. That’s a nice gesture and we wish Jason well at Berwick.” Parnaby is clearly delighted to be continuing his association with Irving, who will form a dual spearhead at the top of the Saints line-up, alongside Steve Worrall. “I have a soft spot for Gary”, Parnaby admitted. “We rode half a season together at Scunthorpe in 2008. Gary was just returning from a big road crash, and we got to know each other. “He’s rode a lot at Scunthorpe, not only in National League, but also amateur meetings. He’s very much part of this club. I’m glad he’s back riding a fifth season for the Saints. “It will be a confidence booster for him to be riding for us in addition to Premier League Workington. If has had a bad meeting for Workington, he can ride for us, knock up the points and get himself back on track. “I know he’s been struggling a bit with his starts, and we’ll help him with that. “We suspected it was only a matter of time before Jason went Premier League, so I had already been speaking to Gary. We’re grateful to Workington for their help in allowing Gary to join the Saints and I’m sure it will be beneficial to both clubs.” 19-year-old Franklin rode for the Saints in 2009, before riding for Dudley in 2010 and 2011. However, his found himself surplus to requirements by the Heathens this season. Parnaby said: “Richard is a Scunthorpe asset and was looking for a club. He will come in for Max on Monday, since Max isn’t 15 years old until later in the week. “Monday is a great opportunity for Richard to show the speedway world what he is capable of. “With the number of National League teams reducing from 10 to 8 this season, after the departure of Newport and Belle Vue, unfortunately there were going to be riders left on the sidelines. “Who knows what will happen after Monday. There are highly likely to be other opportunites for Richard to ride for the Saints. Alternatively, another club may be able to offer him a permanent place. “But, as he’s our asset, it’s in our interests to get him out there riding.” Franklin’s inclusion in the team on Monday will drop Oliver Greenwood to reserve for the clash against the Young Stars, where he will partner Danny Phillips.

Latest news: JOTUN PAINTS Scunthorpe Saints have added Gary Irving and Richard Franklin to their eight-man squad prior to their first National League meeting of the season against King’s Lynn Young Stars at the Eddie Wright Raceway on Easter Monday. 23-year-old Irving comes into the team as a replacement for Jason King, who has been snapped up by Premier League Berwick Bandits and is therefore now ineligible to ride for the Saints. Meanwhile, Franklin comes in on Monday as cover for Max Clegg, who does not celebrate his 15th birthday until next Wednesday (April 11th). Regarding the departure of King, Saints boss Stuart Parnaby said: “We always knew Jason would be snapped up by a Premier League club at some point, although maybe we didn’t expect it so soon. “But with the number of injuries so far this season, we were just waiting for the phone call. “Although he didn’t get to ride in a National League fixture, he has still contributed to the Saints’ cause. He has been at the Eddie Wright Raceway helping out the younger members of the team. “And he’s told the lads if they have any problems, to give him a call, because he’ll be there for them. That’s a nice gesture and we wish Jason well at Berwick.” Parnaby is clearly delighted to be continuing his association with Irving, who will form a dual spearhead at the top of the Saints line-up, alongside Steve Worrall. “I have a soft spot for Gary”, Parnaby admitted. “We rode half a season together at Scunthorpe in 2008. Gary was just returning from a big road crash, and we got to know each other. “He’s rode a lot at Scunthorpe, not only in National League, but also amateur meetings. He’s very much part of this club. I’m glad he’s back riding a fifth season for the Saints. “It will be a confidence booster for him to be riding for us in addition to Premier League Workington. If has had a bad meeting for Workington, he can ride for us, knock up the points and get himself back on track. “I know he’s been struggling a bit with his starts, and we’ll help him with that. “We suspected it was only a matter of time before Jason went Premier League, so I had already been speaking to Gary. We’re grateful to Workington for their help in allowing Gary to join the Saints and I’m sure it will be beneficial to both clubs.” 19-year-old Franklin rode for the Saints in 2009, before riding for Dudley in 2010 and 2011. However, his found himself surplus to requirements by the Heathens this season. Parnaby said: “Richard is a Scunthorpe asset and was looking for a club. He will come in for Max on Monday, since Max isn’t 15 years old until later in the week. “Monday is a great opportunity for Richard to show the speedway world what he is capable of. “With the number of National League teams reducing from 10 to 8 this season, after the departure of Newport and Belle Vue, unfortunately there were going to be riders left on the sidelines. “Who knows what will happen after Monday. There are highly likely to be other opportunites for Richard to ride for the Saints. Alternatively, another club may be able to offer him a permanent place. “But, as he’s our asset, it’s in our interests to get him out there riding.” Franklin’s inclusion in the team on Monday will drop Oliver Greenwood to reserve for the clash against the Young Stars, where he will partner Danny Phillips.

After a gate-and-go Heat 1, Jonsson passes Bjarne Pedersen on the final lap of Heat 2. All the best Rob

I get up early for F1, so why not speedway? I'll send you a text early on Saturday morning "OMG!!! Bunyan has won the GP!!!" All the best Rob

Nah, stay up and watch it live. I need some (online) company while watching the GP to keep me awake. All the best Rob

Richard is a credit to both Scunthorpe and British Speedway. He always seems to email me in the early hours of the morning - I think he thinks of Scunthorpe Speedway 24/7. I honestly didn't think I would ever become associated with a particular speedway club again after the demise of Oxford, but Richard has persuaded me otherwise. All the best Rob

Arnie, I agree with your sentiments over the 1993 heat format (although the joke format used in the 1998 Elite League was worse - the one with "nominated riders" replacing the No. 4 throughout the programme). But the 1994-1996 heat format consisted of 16 heats not 15 (there was a "nominated" Heat 15 followed by a "top scorers" Heat 16). All the best Rob

Wembley was only at full capacity for the following World Finals: 1949 1950 1951 1952 All the best Rob

I tend to look at big meeting consistency as opposed to league meeting consistency. Fundin finished in the top 3 of the World Final every year between 1956 to 1965. Translate that kind of form into a GP series and you've got a man who would have been hard to beat. I agree with Norbold. Fundin would have reigned supreme between 1956 and 1963, and won 6 maybe 7 out of the 8 titles. Briggo wouldn't have had to wait until 1964 though - he would have made it happen for him, like he did in the run-off for first place in 1957. He'd have won one title, and then been a leading contender between 1964 and 1967, adding another 2 or 3 titles. Briggo would maybe have won as many titles. Fundin would have won more. Sadly the guy who may have missed out would have been Peter Craven, wnose World Final record was inconsistent. Craven could definitely beat the best on his day (and remember his World Final record was equal to beat of Briggs at the time of his death, with 2 titles each), but also he had one or two World Final stinkers. That may have cost him over a series. Craven's best form was in 1960 when he was one ride away from going through the whole World Championship unbeaten, so maybe he would have triumphed that season. All the best Rob

Falcace, good point well made - and your list doesn't even include: Bluey Wilkinson, Vic Duggan, Jan O Pedersen, Nicki Pedersen, Jack Parker, Leigh Adams, Igor Plechanov, Graham Warren, Tom Farndon or Vic Huxley. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Whether Mike Bast could have done a credible job riding in the British League is open for debate - I think he would have done. Of course we can't know for sure. Stating he is amongst the best 20 or even 50 best riders of all-time is stretching the bounds of credibility. All the best Rob Sidney, I agree - since 1928 there have been many greats. If Bast was as good as them, he would have made the Overseas Final a bit more. All the best Rob

Hans just didn't have a very good 1990 - well not by his own standards. He was pretty good the whole year around, but if anything he got even better just before a World Final. There was less avidence of that in 1990. His average was down by about a point from 11.00 to just above 10.00. Which was low for Hans. And he looked more beatable than usual heading into the World Final - including at Bradford in the Gold Cup Final. I was much more surprised when he didn't win in 1991. He was flying for much of July and August 1991, culminating with winning 13 out of 13 races on the Bank Holiday before the World Final. But he just had a bad meeting. Well I say bad meeting, but third in the world is still not too shabby. But I did expect Hans to win in 1991. And Erik's accident did definitely affect him. At the time of Erik's accident, Hans's BL average was around 11.30. By the end of 1989, it was down to less than 11.00. And then he never got that high again. The main reason is Hans stopped taking the chances when he missed the gate at BL level. Before he was always quite aggressive pushing others riders aside on the first/second bend, even if it was a challenge match or a second half race. Not dirty as such, but quite hard. Hans at his peak was quite a tough cookie. He was still a damn good rider - but not quite the unstoppable force we saw every week at Cowley between 1985 and 1989. All the best Rob

It wasn't an excuse, I just had a hunch going into that final that Hans wasn't going to win it and I was right. And I hardly need to make excuses for a four-time World Champion. All the best Rob Sidney, Your figures are out. We once researched into this: http://www.speedway-...pic=38689&st=15 Top league averages were: 1. Nielsen 11.83 (1986) 2. Nielsen 11.73 (1987) 3. Fundin 11.60 (1958) 4. Michanek 11.55 (1973) 5. Duggan 11.54 (1947) 6. Mauger 11.53 (1969) It turns out that Mauger's 1969 average was incorreclty reported, as two tape exclusions were not counted. His proper league average for that year is 11.53 - still a superb figure. All the best Rob

Falcace, I never expected Nielsen to win that final. He had been very good at Bradford in the past, but that all changed after Erik's accident. Hans started to have some very mediocre performances for Oxford at Bradford, even failing to hit double figures one or twice, which was almost unheard of. Hans lost some of his edge over Erik's accident (although he was still good enough to finish a point ahead of anyone else in the 1990 British League averages), in particular at Odsal. But he was still the best rider in the world for most of the time between 1990-1996, but not the force of 1985-1989. As for Shawn Moran, it was a farcical situation, especially as he had been completely open at the Overseas Final as to what he'd been taking for his cold. The FIM should have either stopped him from riding that day, or excluded him from the championship shortly afterwards - to leave it until after the final was just crazy. I thought he was going to win it, as he just seemed to get better and better as the night progressed. All the best Rob

Mauger was not far behind Michanek in domestic form in 1973 ahd way ahead of him in international form. It's difficult to look beyond Mauger between 1968 and 1975, only Olsen could have gone the distance and maybe have won one (maybe in 1972?). Collins and Olsen would have then taken over between 1976 and 1978, while Lee would be my favourite for 1979. All the best Rob

I would like to see a slightly different qualitying system to the GP series with more different riders each year (personally I think only the top 6 should automatically qualify for the following year). BUT I can't think of one single year from 1995 to 2011 where there has been a rider outside of the series who could have won a 6 to 11 round series that year. White Knight, could you enlighten me to the year and the rider where this has happened? On the other hand, it happened a lot under the old one-off World Final. Quite often one of the top stars was missing by the time we reached the World Final - mainly through either injury or bad luck. Examples over just a short period of time (1976-1984): * Ole Olsen and Anders Michanek (1976) * Peter Collins (1978) * Ivan Mauger (the reigning World Champion) and Ole Olsen (1980) * Erik Gundersen, Michael Lee and Bobby Schwartz (maximums in BOTH the WTC and World Pairs) (1982) * Tommy Kundsen (1983) * Michael Lee (suspended) and Dennis Sigalos (1984) All these riders might have won in those years have they reached the final. Don't get me wrong, I love the old World Final, it was so very dramatic. But far more many top riders did not contest the World Final compared to the GP series which DOES feature the cream competing against each other with almost no exceptions. All the best Rob

Stop it All the best Rob

Surely each system has its good and bad points. Yes, I miss the old World Final for its sheer drama, but it isnt coming back any time soon. The current system means we get Cardiff once a year rather than every six or seven years. Cardiff is no great shakes in terms of racing, but in terms of the ocassion, it's the highlight of the British season. Under a Grand Prix, the best rider is probably more likely to end the year as World Champion, but it's still not guaranteed. And the one-off World Finals always produced a worthy winner, even if it wasn't necessarily the best rider that year (but rather the best rider that day). And as Iris has pointed, it certainly was NOT the case that EVERY rider had the chance to become World Champion under the old system. So its swings and roundabouts - both system have their merits, However, they do seem to be some who take the opportunity to belittle the GP series at every single opportunity and it gets a little boring. All the best Rob