News

Last Updated on Monday 28th July 2003.

Saturday 5th July 2003.

SUPERB FIGHTBACK.

Pirates staged a superb fightback, after trailing by 10 points at the mid way stage against Bournemouth Broncos, to snatch a 46-44 victory at Craigburn Park last night.

The result was in doubt right until the end before Rickard Reiner and Deon Standish team rode brilliantly in heat 15 to make sure of the points. It had been a strange match with Pirates slow out the start as they lost a 5-1 in the first race. Neither Jan Kirsten or Seth Latimer put in a good performance but Kirsten showed why he is world class with a superb pass of Mark Olsen to secure a vital 5-1 in heat 13. Latimer failed to score and looked a bit out of his depth after his rapid rise from reserve.

However, Standish and Reiner rallied brilliantly to notch 11+1 from 6 (although one of those rides was a tape exclusion) and 13+2 from 6. Lee Rough again showed his liking for his new home circuit with 8 from 5 meaning he has scored 17 from 9 races at Craigburn Park. His vital race win in heat 14 was a crucial contribution to the overall result. Martin Andersson put in another solid display with Nik Mills showing some promise as he caught and passed Nick Tyler in heat 4.

Team manager Kevin Tantrum said,'A brilliant fightback. I thought we were struggling at 19-29 but the lads pulled together to snatch a result. If we could get all 7 on form on the one day here I reckon we could hit 60.'

'JK had an off night, his engines just didn't seem to be right. He still managed that pass in heat 13 and that is the measure of the man. He can catch and pass SL heatleaders on a sick bike. Stan and the Rocket were phenomenal tonight as was Roughie, especially heat 14 where he held off Corben Butler for 4 laps. Martin did the usual and young Nik will take a few matches to get into the swing.'

'However, Seth Latimer has approached us and asked to go on loan to Division 1. He thinks he's improved too quickly and SL reserve to SL number 2 is a huge leap. He reckons a spell as a second string in the lower league will fill that 'experience gap'. We agree and we will gladly let him go in the meantime.'

'We also have an option to replace Martin with a stronger averaged rider but it's difficult to justify it as Martin is just so consistent. Jamie McNab is also available to be loaned out and we hope to get these guys fixed up sooner rather than later.'

Tuesday 8th July 2003.

BUCKS BEATEN.

Houston Bucks crashed out of the semi final of the YDL after, seemingly, doing the hard work last week against Wisbech.

A 21-21 draw last week saw Bucks on the verge but they could never get it together for the home leg and never led. Entering the vital heat 7 Wizards held a 19-17 lead.

Karl Sweeney capped a fine night with a win but Nik Mills slid off when mounting a desparate last bend challenge on Mark Lacey to try and snatch third place and the match tying point.

Kevin Tantrum said, 'Wizards deserved it and good luck to them in the final.'

'Karl had a great night and Jed Davies and Martyn Palmer did about what we expected. But Nik had an off night and it cost us. His last 2 home scores were 7+4 and 11+1 but tonight he could only manage 4+1. No blame attached to the lad, it just didn't happen for him tonight.'

Meanwhile, Jan Kirsten was beaten in a run off for first place, by Rune Oscarrsen, at the Wombourne Farewell meeting. Good news for Pirates as it appears JK has got his bikes sorted.

Wednesday 9th July 2003.

NARROW FIRST LEG DEFEAT.

Pirates gave themselves a chance of progressing to the third round of the KOC with a narrow defeat at Waltham Abbey last night although a last heat 5-1, from Deon Standish and Jan Kirsten, brought the score back to a more respectable 46-44 for the Hoods. The result stands Pirates in good stead for the second leg at Craigburn Park tomorrow night.

The stars of the show, for Pirates, were undoubtedly Rickard Reiner and Jan Kirsten. Reiner (14 from 5) was defeated just once, by Peter O'Brien in heat 7, while the world champion sacrificed his maximum hopes in his 4th ride to team ride Jamie Jackson to a 3-3. A third place in heat 13 was avenged by winning heat 15 on his way to 14+1 from 6.

Deon Standish had a decent match too with 2 second places before siezing his engine in his third ride. His second bike wasn't as competitive and he struggled to 7+1 from 5. Lee Rough won heat 2 but failed to contribute after that while Nik Mills picked up a solitary point.

Jamie Jackson had a bruising return to action following his lengthy lay off. In his first race back he clashed with Niko Nardelli and was a bit shaken up when he dusted himself off. That and race rustiness restricted him to 3 from 4 although it was good to see him walk away from a hefty crash with no ill effects other than bruising. Martin Andersson returned 2+1 from 3 rides.

Kevin Tantrum said, 'We are happy with that outcome. The last heat has given us a real shot at making round 3 but we are very mindful of the fact that Hoods are the only side to beat us at Craigburn Park this season. Staking a place in the next round is no formality but we'll give it our all.'

'JK seems to have come out of his form slump following his runners up place at Wombourne on Monday and his paid 15 point haul here. He had engine troubles but has them resolved now and looks to be back to his free scoring self. The Rocket put in a tremendous show to notch 14 and we should have used him in heat 15 too but out preselected order kicked in. Rickard is proving he's a quality rider and I think he could've made the World Final again if he hadn't been knocked out through injury in the Continental Quarter Finals.'

'Stan was unlucky to sieze his engine. If he hadn't we may have sneaked a win. Having said that, Hoods can point to a below par performance from Ian Lawson as to why their margin of victory wasn't greater. So that probably balances itself out.'

'Jacko was very rusty but that's only to be expected. Coming off in his first ride back didn't help but at least it proved he can take a fall without immediately re-injuring himself. He was riding earlier in the season when not fully fit and re injured his leg. That's a major setback in anyone's book and we realise it'll take Jacko a few matches to get back on song. Roughie continued his Jeckyll and Hyde run. Brilliant at home, not so hot on his travels. He's got the talent but he needs to turn it on away from home.'

'Millsy doesn't seem to be able to translate his YDL form into SL but he has time on his side and we will let him mature slowly. A solitary point isn't great but he is on the pace and every race is more experience for him. Having said that, Karl Sweeney is pushing for a place after impressing in his last few YDL matches and we have to consider him too.'

'Martin though was disappointing. He is fairly solid at home and we can't complain about that but we need to strengthen up a bit and as such his place is under threat. It seems that he returns low scores on the road just when we need him to hit his usual 5 or 6. Tonight was a tough match but it's little things like this that prevent us getting away wins.'

'We have a point and a half to play with and can accomodate a rider up to 7.48 if we were to replace Martin. Our other alternative is to replace Roughie with a rider up to 5.91 which would make us strong at reserve. Our choice is beef up the second string berth or beef up the reserve berth. Both are scoring well at home but poorly away and we need to address this if we wish to make any progress in the league.' 'We have put out 8 enquiries, some as purchases, some as loan swaps. Two have been rejected, one is a possible and another has been agreed subject to confirmation. This deal, however, will be shelved if deals further up our 'list' can be agreed.'

Thursday 10th July 2003.

IT'S A REPLAY!

After 30 heats of action the Pirates and the Hoods couldn't be separated and they have to travel to Coventry tomorrow to go at it again in a 15 heat, winner take all battle for a place in the last 8.

Things looked bad for the Pirates early on as they slipped 4 behind (6 on aggregate) but a big 5-1 from maximum man Rickard Reiner, his first full max and third overall, and Martin Andersson levelled the tie. A shared heat was followed by a 4-2 to tie things up on aggregate before the 4,939 crowd witnessed one of the tensest meetings ever seen at Craigburn Park.

Five shared heats saw the score at 31-29 after 10 before Hoods snatched the aggregate lead with a 4-2. As the tension increased Pirates hammered in a 4-2 and a 5-1 in the next 2 races to take a 4 point aggregate lead but, crucially, this but them 6 up on the night. Hoods immediately replaced Will Arber with Peter O'Brien and retaliated with a 5-1 of their own.

It was all down to the last heat with the huge, noisy crowd hardly able to stand the pressure. Jan Kirsten went round O'Brien to take a healthy lead but all eyes were at the back as Cane Richardson fought off passing attempt after passing attempt by Deon Standish to hold on to a crucial third place and take the tie to a replay.

Kevin Tantrum said, 'That was so unbelievably tense for the last 5 races. It swung their way then our way and what a final heat.'

'I'm proud of the team tonight. They rallied well after Nik's crash in heat 2. We can now confirm he has broken his wrist and a finger and will be out till late August. We don't hold Will Arber responsible at all. Nik tried to go up the inside but clipped Will's back wheel. Will knew very little about it and there is no way he can be held accountable. Karl Sweeney will be handed the number 7 race jacket for tomorrow's match.'

'JK was back to his marvellous best, pulling off passes everywhere and anywhere. Stan played a superb team riding role and the Rocket was superb out of the starts. However, I have to clear one thing up. Rickard Reiner could have been out in heat 15, maybe he should have, but after a quick discussion it was decided that Stan would take the ride as his team riding had been excellent all night.'

'That was our planning to ensure at least a replay. That if a Hood had gated and there was no way past for a Pirate that we would settle for a 3-3. As it happened, O'Brien did gate but JK flew past. However, Stan was trapped at the back and that was that. Maybe the Rocket could have gated and JK could've sat in third, well, we'll never know.'

'We look forward to tomorrow now and hope that Martin can raise himself for the challenge. His score of 3+1 was less than expected and his fall in heat 9 gifted a crucial point to the Waltham lads. If he can score just one or 2 more points at Coventry we may sneak through.'

'As for Jacko. Another decent outing. It's obvious the race rustiness is dropping away although his gating isn't as sharp. But that will come back soon hopefully. And a special mention for Lee Rough. The lad was shattered after heat 14 but he did well. 6+2 from 7 doesn't sound too great but he took the scalps of Rob Gamble, Ian Parris and Ian Lawson tonight and that is good work.'

Friday 11th July 2003.

PIRATES THROUGH.

Pirates have made the third round of the KOC after another nailbiting encounter against Waltham Abbey Hoods. And after 45 races it took a last heat decider, at Coventry, before the winner of the tie was decided.

However, after 7 races the match looked cut and dried as Pirates had cruised to a 27-15 lead aided by Hoods' riders anxiousness to make the start. No less than 3 tape exclusions in the first 3 races allowed Pirates to snatch a 10 point lead. But a superb comeback by the Hoods saw 5-1's in heats 8, 9 and 10 before another in heat 12 put Hoods 38-34 up.

Pirates responded with a 5-1 in heat 13 before a tied race in heat 14 and the whole tie hinged on that last race. It was the Pirates fans who went home happy after Jan Kirsten flew from the tapes to record his 4th win with Deon Standish blocking Peter O'Brien to seal the win and a paid maximum.

Kevin Tantrum said, 'What a meeting and it's a shame their had to be a loser. Hoods showed their quality to mount a fightback in the middle of the match but we gritted our teet, dug deep and got the win.'

'JK was awesome. 4 wins and an engine failure when leading. And Stan fired home a brilliant paid maximum. These guys were outstanding as was Lee Rough. A terrific heat 14 victory over Ian Parris and Ian Lawson which set up JK and Stan for heat 15.'

'The Rocket was a bit subdued after his heroics of last night but contributed well. Jacko could only hit 4 thirds but he is still a bit shaken up from his heat 1 crash at Waltham as well as not quite race fit. Karl Sweeney notched a paid win and looked ok while Martin Andersson could, once again, only notch three points.'

'Still, we are in the last 8 for the second year in a row and we are delighted to have won through after a tough series of meetings. We go to Ipswich next Wednesday on a high before the World Cup lay off.'

Saturday 12th July 2003.

KIRSTEN TAKES SCANDINAVIAN CROWN.

Jan Kirsten has taken the Scandinavian title, for the first time, with an impressive 14 point haul at Helsinki.

Pirates number 1 lost only once, to runner up Peter Pettersen in heat 14. JK now goes forward to the Inter Continental Final at Rosenborg on Sunday 31st of August. That is unless he wins the World Under 21 title for a third time which would see him seeded straight to the final and his good friend Kim Sorenson of Wisbech getting a reprieve.

JK has never won the Scaninavian title before due largely to the fact that he has withdrawn for the last 2 seasons having won the World Junior Crown before this meeting was staged. After the meeting he said, 'This is the real me away from the hype that surrounds Houston, Vojens and me. I am just a speedway rider who wants to win races, wherever that may be.'

Sunday 13th July 2003.

TRANSFER NEWS.

Pirates have strengthened the number 4 berth with the signing of former club captain Paul Augustine in a move that will delight the Houston faithful. The deal sees Martin Andersson and �40,000 head to Glasgow along with Jamie McNab on loan.

Augy, current Scottish National Champion, was a popular rider in the last 2 seasons and this addition gives the team a much stronger look. The other big benefit is that Augy is a track expert at Craigburn Park and should take very little time to settle in again.

'I have nothing but respect for former promoter Robert Elliot. He saw I was a bit unsettled after my short spell at Whitley and that I was keen to return to Houston. He was open enough to tell me he'd let me go if he could find a replacement.and was as good as his word when he signed Robert Hella yesterday.' said Paul Augustine at a hastily arranged press conference.

He continued, 'I demanded to leave last year when I became dissatisfied with my performances after a wrist injury. I was blaming the track and it got me into the mindset that it was time to move on. I still think it was the right decision at the time. I was back here with Glasgow last month and I realised then that this track is ideal for me. As soon as Pirates were in touch with Sharks I was desparate to come back.'

'The 'war of words' that George and I had when I demanded my transfer are ancient history. In fact, after the first Scotland match this season we talked and nowadays we joke about it. It's not a problem.'

A delighted Kevin Tantrum said, 'This signing makes us truly competitve. Augy will bolster the team no end.'

'We'd like to thank Martin for his efforts but it was obvious on current form that if we were going to take advantage of the 1.5 GSA points we had to play with the number 4 spot was the one that needed strengthened. We are also pleased to have Jamie McNab fixed up with a team place. Our transfer activity will stop once we have secured a place in a Division 1 side for Seth Latimer.'

Tuesday 15th July 2003.

CONNOR TAKES ROUND 2.

Peterborough's David Connor took the second round of the Scottish Junior Championship tonight with a storming 15 point maximum.

He was a bit of a surprise winner but rode the track brilliantly to take top spot. Runner up was Pirates own Karl Sweeney with a 13 point haul and third was Stacey Grant of Aisha's Motor who scored 12.

The overall standings see Graham Durie of Tipton leading with 25 points, Grant on 24, Connor and Toby Adamson on 23, Sweeney and Gavin Greening on 20 and London's Peter Stowell on 19. Next on the list is Owen Robertson with 15.

Connor said "I am a bit shocked really, there are some good riders in this tournament and tonight everything felt 100%. I have to thank George Seymour too because his track at Craigburn Park is marvellous, just right for me."

Thursday 17th July 2003.

DEFEAT AT IPSWICH.

Pirates slumped to an 8 point defeat at Ipswich last night to bring down the curtain on the first half of the season.

The difference between the sides was simply that Ipswich were solid from 1 to 6 while Pirates again suffered from a lack of input from Martin Andersson who was making his farewell appearance in a Pirates racejacket. There were also incidents involving Jan Kirsten which took points away from the Pirates but these weren't enough to affect the destination of the points.

In heat 1, with Pirates on a 3-3, Jamie Jackson pushed his team mate wide and JK had to bale out. This resulted in a 4-2 to the home side. In his next ride JK, leading at the time, was deposited into the first bend fence by Markus Dreissler after a robust inside challenge by the German. The ref saw nothing amiss and a 3-3 became a 5-1 to the Spitfires. However, had neither of these incidents taken place the score would still have been 46-44 to the home side.

The factor that may have made a difference was that JK was obviously suffering the effects of his falls despite recording 8 from his subsequent 4 rides but this takes nothing away from a solid performance by Ipswich especially man of the match Dreissler.

Kevin Tantrum said, 'Heat 5 was a racing incident and a hard move by Dreissler but I think he should have been excluded. I don't think there was any malice involved though and, I must admit, had the situation been reversed I'd probably be saying the ref got it right. These things have a habit of balancing out over time so we're not too bothered by it.'

'As for the overall performance by us, well, it was okay, nothing more. Deon Standish was our best with 12 from 6 with JK doing well to get 8 despite being shaken up. Rickard Reiner's 8 was alright but, he said himself, it should have been more.'

'Jacko's 6 is an indication that he's getting back into the swing of things although his team riding leaves a lot to be desired! The reserves were adequate and it's becoming obvious that Lee Rough is a Craigburn Park specialist. Karl Sweeney did well for his 3+1. But yet again Martin let us down with only 1+1. We hope to be a bit stronger on the road from our next match with Paul Augustine coming in to replace him.'

'We are now at halfway in the league and it's been slightly disappointing. Jacko, JK, Martin Andersson, Tomas Olsson and Jamie McNab have all seen their average drop and this has affected us. We've seen both Rickard and Jacko out for spells after being injured when riding in the World Championships but we have still struggled along to a 7 and 8 record from 7 home and 8 away matches.'

'It's not all been doom and gloom though. Rickard has shown that he is truly a top class rider by raising his average by half a point. Seth Latimer came on leaps and bounds too only to see his team place taken by a returning Jacko. Fortunately we have now got him fixed up, on loan, at Cardiff. The YDL Bucks made the semi final of Phase A of the competition, we are in the Third round of the cup after a superb replay victory over Waltham Abbey and we won at Cumbernauld.'

'In the second half we need to look to take the majority of bonus points and at least 3 away wins if we want to be in with a shout at the end but this will depend on the guys riding to their true capabilities and steering clear of injuries.'

Saturday 19th July 2003.

ASTLEY SIGNS UP.

Houston Bucks have strengthened the squad for the upcoming second part of the YDL season with the capture of 20 year old Ben Astley from Kidlington Krusaders.

The young Englishman recorded a 9.17 CMA in YDL last season but has been sidelined recently due to Krusaders not having a side in the competition. He joins Bucks on an indefinite loan.

Bucks were left in a situation of only having 5 riders available after Seth Latimer's brilliant start to the season which put him over the 3.00 eligibility limit. However, with Nik Mills due to miss the first match of the 4TT phase, against Wisbech, Yeovil and Huntingdon, it was felt that it was too risky to enter that match with only 4 riders.

Meanwhile, Pirates are in for a busy spell after the mid season break. With the WTC next week and a week off to allow riders recovery time, the next match for the club comes on Tuesday 5th of August at Cradley in the 4TT against Bournemouth, Whitley and Kidlington. A win there would see the club reach the semi finals on the Thursday where they'd compete for a final place at Coventry on the Sunday evening. Group winners only from round 1 with top 2 in each semi progressing.

On Wednesday the 6th Pirates travel to Broom where they encounter Cumbernauld, Witham, Tayside, Wisbech, London and Bournemouth in the Pairs. A top 3 place, or one of the two highest scoring fourth places, will be enough to go forward to the semi final on the Friday where a place in the Final, again at Coventry on Sunday (afternoon) will be the prize. Top 3 in both semi's and top scoring 4th placed side make the final.

Monday 28th July 2003.

PREPARING FOR THE 4's & PAIRS.

Pirates are taking advantage of the 'rest' week to prepare for the forthcoming Pairs and Fours championships with practice sessions set up for Craigburn Park on Thursday, Friday and Saturday this week.

The quartet for the Fours were all involved in the WTC recently with varying degrees of success. Jan Kirsten ended as 10th best averaged rider in the entire competition with a CMA of 8.65. He scored the most race points (64) and jointly, with Rory McMillan, had the most rides in the competition (31). However, a runners up medal is all JK has to show for his, once again, immense efforts.

Deon Standish had a decent competition as his side finished fourth overall. A 7.70 CMA was attained as he finished 25th overall from the 125 riders who took to the track. Paul Augustine started well but was disappointed with his showings in the Scottish defeats at the hands of Italy and Australia. He still managed a 6.20 CMA which was 4th in the Scottish rankings. Rickard Reiner had a WTC to forget as he blew 2 engines and struggled to a 4.92 CMA. He is, however, rebuilding his engines in preparation for next week.

The reserve for the Fours squad will be Jamie Jackson who has taken advantage of the WTC lay off to build up his fitness to a near normal level. His match sharpness still requires some work but that will have to wait. Track time in this weeks practices should help.

The pairs, unsurprisingly, will see JK partner Stan with The Rocket as reserve. This is a fairly strong pairing and JK will be hoping to complete a hat trick of pairs wins as will Danny Capirossi of Aisha's. The pair won the event for Nottingham 2 years ago and Coventry last season. However, competition will be tough among the top teams as everyone looks to a win in these short, sharp tournaments to set them up for a good second half to the season.