Red Leader 1

Here are the full details of the Leicester v Wolverhampton match to be broadcast this coming week:- Tuesday 22nd Jan. Midnight on Sky Sports 3 Wednesday 23rd Jan. 1pm on SS3 Saturday 26th Jan. 6am on SS4 There will be 30 minutes of match highlights in the first half of the one hour "Sports Unlimited" programme. Remember you can keep up to date with all the latest cycle speedway news on Spokesman On-line.

Leicester v Wolverhampton is next up on Sports Unlimited and will be screened three times starting at Midnight on Tuesday Jan 22nd. Full details of all three transmissions t/w with the Sky Sports channels will be posted shortly. There are three more BCTG Elite League matches in the series still to come.

Birmingham v Oxford broadcast dates and times for next week are:- Tuesday Jan 8th SS4 at 7pm and repeated at midnight on SS3 & Wednesday Jan 9th SS3 at 1pm. Half hour coverage of match highlights in "Sports Unlimited"

An "Introduction to Cycle Speedway" film dating back to 1994 has just been posted on You Tube :http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfUN_6dK80g It was filmed in the days before the sport came under the arm of British Cycling so the contact details are out of date, as are the hairstyles! What is interesting is the interview with Dave Lanning and his comments about the potential for the sport in terms of television coverage. With a seven match highlights series from the 2012 BCTG Elite League currently underway, its very much a case of better late than never. Of course several British Individual finals have been broadcast in the meantime, but we have not had the more robust team events until now. Match 3 featuring Birmingham and Oxford is due to be screened next week - broadcast times to follow shortly.

A Rider of the Year poll currently running. Check-out the link on the Spokesman-Online website. If you are not a cycle speedway regular, then maybe a rider that has impressed you on the Sky matches might get your vote! Currently amongst the front runners are Birmingham captain Paul Heard who was the star of their victory at Wolverhampton in this weeks programme and European Champion Marcin Szymanski who top scored for Poole in their win over reigning champions Oxford. Leading the ratings at the moment is British champion Andy Angell from Hull. Viewers will see plenty of him in action for Sheffield in two of the forthcoming televised matches against Ipswich and Oxford. Andy has his new website up and running so check him out!

The featured match in the BCTG Elite League series to be featured on Sky Sports this week will be the local derby between Wolverhampton and Birmingham. Like the first televised match between Poole and Oxford last week, the all-Midlands clash went to a last heat decider with plenty of incidents and controversial moments thrown in for good measure. Broadcast times are:- Wednesday 19th Dec 0030 Sky Sports 4 Wednesday 19th Dec 1300 Sky Sports 3 Saturday 22nd Dec 0600 Sky Sports 3 Sunday 23rd Dec 0500 Sky Sports 3 Look out for more BCTG Elite racing on Sky in the new year. Match 3 will be screened in early January and features the top of the table clash between Birmingham and Oxford.

Team Cycle Speedway racing makes its debut on SKY SPORTS tonight featuring action from the BCTG Elite League! Dont miss it. See post 34 for timings.

Cycle Speedway in Japan! Yes its true...right in the heart of Tokyo. Checkout the links from the Spokesman Online website. 200 competitors turned up last weekend despite the cold weather. They might be able to teach us a thing or two about setting up temporary tracks in busy town centres. Next big thing?

Probably wont be long before it finds its way on to utube!

Cycle Speedway`s Elite League is set to hit Sky Sports TV shortly with the first broadcast of a 6 match series from this years newly sponsored BCTG Elite League, which went down to a thrilling last day of the season decider. The 30 minutes of pedal sport action, featuring a robust encounter between glamour club Poole and 2011 league champions Oxford, will be screened across the Sky Sports platform in their Sports Unlimited programme on Tuesday 11th December. These include a prime time 8pm slot. The REVISED listings are: Tuesday 11th December at 5pm, 8pm and Midnight (Sky Sports 4), Wednesday 12th Dec, at 2am (Sky Sports 2) and at 12 midday (Sky Sports 3). The transmissions will also be shown in 32 countries and have a global reach to 152 million homes. The second match of the series features the local derby match between Wolverhampton and Birmingham is provisionally scheduled for 18th Dec. Will post again when confirmed.

Six teams will compete in the 2013 Elite League - Birmingham, Ipswich, Horspath (Oxford), Poole, Sheffield and Wednesfield (Wolverhampton). Significant transfer activity will see World Champion Lukasz Nowacki lining up for the current league champions Horspath while Ipswich will welcome Adam Peck and the Osborne brothers back to race for their local club. Wednesfield have captured Paul Heard who was top of the 2012 league averages and he will join Leicester's Craig Marchant in a powerful looking Aces line-up. Adam Stephenson joins fellow Hull based British Champion Andy Angell at Sheffield while Poole welcome back Gavin Wheeler to Harbourside where he will team up with the highly experienced Steve Harris. Birmingham will be lining up with most of their 2012 squad but a change of venue will see them in action at the excellent Sandwell circuit.

They may no longer have a speedway team but Oxford's Horspath Hammers once again came out on top of the cycle sport version with a crucial 81-94 win at Sheffield, becoming BCTG Elite League champions for 2012. The inclusion of Steve Harris in their team transformed the Hammers from the side which lost their last home against Poole. A 84-95 away win for the Dorset club against a full strength Leicester line-up secured them second place while Wolverhampton's pride and joy, the Wednesfield Aces, slipped into third place ahead of Sheffield on points aggregate after they avenged an earlier home defeat at the hands of Birmingham. Filming has taken place at all 7 Elite venues throughout the season in readiness for a highlights series which is to be featured on SKY TV's "Sports Unlimited" so watch this space for more details soon.

Oxford's Horspath "Hammers" need to get a result at Sheffield on Sunday if they are to successfully defend their Elite title. If the "Stars" pull off a shock win, the league could be decided by a Poole v Oxford play-off at Newport on November 11th. But for that to happen, Poole would need to win their final away match at Leicester on Sunday afternoon. Poole have recorded home and away victories against Oxford this season, the only time the champions have dropped any points so the pressure is firmly on the Hammers to win in Yorkshire. It all adds up to an intriging final day, details of which will be posted on SPOKESMAN-ONLINE as they happen!

Horspath were unable to wrap up another Elite League title after they surrendered their 100% home record yesterday when Poole sprang a surprise result, winning 90-88. With the scoreline at 84-84, heat 18 was heading for a 5-5 with a lap to go but the Dorset side pulled off a 6-4 thanks to a brilliant pass by Thomas Reed to send the BCTG league title race into the final round of matches in a fortnight's time. Having filmed all the drama at Oxford yesterday in readiness for the forthcoming series featured in on Sky Sports, the cameras will be heading to Sheffield on Sunday 28th for the all important decider between the Stars and the Hammers. With British Champion Andy Angell leading the Sheffield team who are unbeaten on their own track, the season could end in a more dramatic fashion.

The BCTG Elite League title will be on the line next Sunday afternoon (2pm) when the defending champions from Oxford take on Poole at the Recreation Ground circuit, Horspath. The Hammers only need a single point to clinch the championship having suffered defeat just once all season but that reversal was down at the Dorset track in May when European Champion Marcin Szymanski made his Poole debut. The talented Pole is expected to be in action again for this return match and his presence could certainly add spice to what will be a classic encounter. Cycle speedway's TV crew will be on hand to capture the action which will be screened on Sky Sports later in the year.

The crew will be at Whitton Sports Centre on Sunday 16th Sept to film the Ipswich v Sheffield BCTG Elite League fixture which is match 5 in the TV series. Newly crowned British Champion Andy Angell will be racing for Sheffield who can expect a hard battle against the rapidly improving young Ipswich Eagles team who had a morale boosting 109-67 victory over Birmingham last week.Racing starts at 2pm - more information on British Cycling website in their cycle speedway pages.

Coventry Cycle Speedway club stage their most attractive home match of the season tonight (Wednesday 15th August), when they face Midland League leaders Wednesfield Aces, of Wolverhampton, 7.15pm start. The match goes ahead at Hearsall Common with Coventry looking to notch their second Midland League success of the season at division one level. They will face a stern challenge with the visitors currently uneaten all season. Coventry team boss Steve Bromwich has a full squad of riders available, with the exception of Polish star Dominik Rycharski, currently back home in his homeland recovering from injuries sustained in the recent European Individual final. The city side will be led by inform Polish ace Konrad Pietak. The 28 year old, in his first season of British racing, has scored freely at all tracks and he has been a key reason in the Coventry clubs` successful comeback campaign. Coventry will have available for selection skipper Dave Frith, top second string Norman Venson and on-loan Bretford star Joe Kemp, who all missed the recent defeat at Birmingham.

Big match in the BCTG Elite League next Sunday July 22nd at Harbourside Park, Poole when the current British Champion Andy Angel heads a Sheffield team against Poole/Seaview Coaches who will feature Polish champion Matiej Ganczarek. This promises to be one of the matches of the season and already the two EL matches at Poole have produced last heat deciders! Satnav setting is BH15 1TQ and racing starts at 2pm. Details via www.poolecsc.com

Harbourside Park is the only place to be over the Diamond Jubilee weekend for all the very best in cycle speedway as Poole stages a two day race meeting with five mouth-watering events. Opening the procedings on Sunday June 3rd at 1pm is the Ade Gale Laurels, sponsored by Read Fabrications. The Junior line-up includes all the top names while in the Senior Laurels, no less than eight current or former British Champions will feature (3pm) along with Polish riders Greg Gluchowski and Michel Nowak. It will be the first chance for locals to see 2011 British champion Andy Angell since he picked up his title and the Hull based star man is sure to start as one of the favourites. Day 2 kicks off on Monday 4th at 1pm with two new Laurels events - Womens and Under 14's and again all the top names will be in action. All the top girls will be on track in the Womens event including World champion Laura Watson from Leicester, British Champion Livvy Horsley and Exeter's blond bombshell Lauren Hookway who will probably start as favorite after her brilliant recent performance at Harbourside to win the South West championship. Also in action will be Kayleigh Clarke from the Findon club in South Australia who is making her first visit to the UK. Rounding off a busy weekend on Monday afternoon at 3pm will be the Kerry Foods sponsored International Club Best Pairs with a quality line-up to bring the Jubilee trackfest to a spectacular conclusion.

Well the match at Harbourside Park certainly did not disappoint the crowd of several hundred who enjoyed 18 heats of drama and excitement and a last heat decider which saw Poole beat the 7 times League champions Horspath (Oxford) 89-86. Their top scorer was 2007 World Champion Marcin Szymanski who was truely awesome. During the afternoon they announced that this match had been filmed and will be the first of six televised Elite League matches on Sky Sports later this year. Watch this space!

Three top matches in the Elite League this weekend at Leicester, Wednesfield and Harbourside Park, Poole where the home side take on the formidable Horspath Hammers from Oxford who have won the title for the last 7 years. The Hammers have a powerful squad drawn from 5 different regional teams including Sean Rudman from Swindon and Lewis Bates from Stoke who have both been in exceptional form this year. Poole will featuring former British Youth Champion Tom Colling from Southampton and Exeter star Thomas Reed along with Polish Ace Greg Gluchowski to lead their attack in their attempt to record their first ever home league victory against the Oxford club. Racing is at 2pm on Sunday afternoon with free parking and admission.

There is a chance to see some of Britain's top girl riders in action at Harbouside Park, Poole on Saturday. The current British Champion Livvy Horsley from Oxford is in the line-up for the South-West Womens Individual Championship along with other top stars such as Lauren Hookway and Charlie Jane Herbert. Racing starts at 1pm and is followed by the regional Best Pairs championship at 3pm. To find the track see www.poolecsc.com