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Last Updated on Friday 31st October 2003.

Friday 3rd October 2003.

NARROW HOME WIN AS KIRSTEN STARS.

Pirates were taken right to the last heat tonight by a determined Boston side but had no answer to an on form Jan Kirsten as he won 3 of the last 5 races to ensure a 46-44 home win.

JK was the main man with a 17+1 score, his 3rd paid max of the season, and his form must augur well for his World Championship defence at former home track Coventry later this month.

The match itself was fairly even until Outlaws slammed home a pair of 5-1's in heat 9 and 10. Pirates replied with a tactical substitute in heat 11 which secured a 4-2 before notching 2 5-1's of their own to lead by 2. Outlaws squared the match and it was all down to heat 15 for the match points. JK raced well clear ahead of the impressive Klas Ingesson but debutante Magnus Karlsson roared round Peter Andersen on the second lap to ensure both points.

Karlsson had a solid debut scoring 8+1 and looks to be a quality signing. Lee Rough did well with 5+1 from 3 and Karl Sweeney continued to improve with a 2+1 return. Paul Augustine had another lowish score but had a vital heat win in the opening race. Rickard Reiner managed 6 but had a fall while leading the first running of heat 9. His exclusion curtailed his scoring. Darren Rice had a bad debut against his former club only returning 3 points but also needs time to learn the track.

Kevin Tantrum said, 'JK was phenomenal. He is the best in the World and everyone can see why with performances like this. Magnus had a good debut but it'll take a week or two till we see his best from him. He is a world class rider but needs to re-adjust to SL racing. Most of the team perfromed ok but Dazza had a bad match. He was a bit over anxious, particularly as it was against his old club. But we're unconcerned, he'll show his true form very soon.'

Monday 6th October 2003.

BUCKS FINISH SECOND.

The Houston Bucks put in a creditable performance at Huntingdon tonight to finish second in the highest group of the second phase of the YDL.

They had entered the evening tied in second place with Huntingdon Kestrels but the home side charged to a 33 point haul which saw them finish top, as they had in the first phase. Bucks' 25 points pushed them into second as previous leaders Wisbech Wizards had a dreadful night only scoring 10 and going from top of the group to the bottom in one night. Yeovil Youths managed second on the night with 28 points and moved from 4th to 3rd overall.

Individually, Karl Sweeney was top man with 9 from 4 to follow up his excellent 12 point haul in yesterday's Scottish Junior Championship meeting at Tayside. This puts him third overall with 57 points with one round remaining. SJC 'ringer' Graham Durie, who managed to meet the eligibility criteria just before hitting a rich vein of form which sees his current Division 1 CMA at 5.13, is a street ahead on 70 while Aisha's Stacey Grant is second with 62 and the final leg still to be staged at the Motor Arena.

Sweeney finishes with a YDL CMA of 7.58 which isn't bad after a poor start. Nik Mills finishes on 8.09 after a solid 7 points while Ally Borland managed 6 to see his CMA finish on 7 from his 2 appearances. Jed Davies could only score 3 and finishes the season on a disappointing 4.55. Top man, not surprisingly, was Seth Latimer who notched 9.57 before his SL average moved over 3 making him ineligible for YDL.

Kevin Tantrum said, 'Overall it's been a good YDL campaign. We topped our phase 1 group before going down narrowly in the semi's. A second place finish in the second phase group which contained the top 4 from the first stage, is pretty good.'

'Some of the riders haven't really shown and this will be addressed. Three are certain to be here next season whether there is a YDL or not. They are Karl Sweeney, Nik Mills and Ally Borland. The rest will need to wait and see if there is a YDL next year and if they are to be involved at Houston.'

Tuesday 7th October 2003.

PIRATES DOWNED.

Pirates went down 48-42 at second placed Huntingdon tonight but did more than enough to take the bonus point.

The score could have been closer but Jan Kirsten, with 4 race wins and a third to his name, ground to a halt when leading the final heat. That handed Hawks a 5-1 which was enough to secure the match. Magnus Karlsson trailed in last in the last heat decider, the score having been 43-41 before the race, so even had JK not retired Pirates would still have went down 46-44.

Kirsten top scored with 13 from 6 with Magnus Karlsson and Rickard Reiner, on his 100th appearance for the club, providing able support with 8+1 and 7+1. However, Paul Augustine revelled in the move back to number 4 with an 8+2 haul from 4 races in a show that was reminiscent of the Augy of last season. Lee Rough performed well but Darren Rice struggled to 3 while Karl Sweeney failed to score.

Kevin Tantrum said, 'It was a good showing against a good team. Hawks deserved the win and I couldn't see us getting better than the bonus point before the match started so we are satisified with the result.'

'We travel to Wisbech next week and that will be tough. After that there are 7 matches left and we have 5 at home. The two other away matches are at relegation threatened Bournemouth and Glasgow. From that lot we hope to get enough points to move up the table a bit. I can't see us winning the title but I'm hopeful that we won't be involved in a relegation dog fight.'

'The clubs stated aim was not to get relegated. That is still our primary purpose. We have won the fours and are still in the KO Cup but establishing ourselves as a SL club is the priority.'

Thursday 9th October 2003.

JACKO GOES EAST.

Jamie Jackson is on the move to the East coast tonight after Pirates agreed a loan deal with high flying Division 1 outfit Tayside Buccaneers.

Pirates young English star has had a torrid time with injuries over the last year and the rider and management felt a spell in the lower league could help him regain fitness and confidence again. A successful spell with the Bucs could see Jacko return as a Pirate next season but things will be reviewed at season end. If Jacko feels he needs more time in a lower league he could be on his travels again.

The deal sees Jacko join for the rest of the season and also sees 21 year old Swede Anders Heinrardssen make his way to Craigburn Park on loan. Heinrardssen has lifted his average from 5.47 to 6.96 in 10 matches with the Bucs since joining in mid June for a fee of Ł28,000. His CMA is currently at 7.08.

He started season 1 at Bexwell on an assessed 8.00 figure before joining Kidlington late in the season where he finished on 6.18. A close season transfer to Long Eaton didn't work out and he was on his travels again to Cardiff where his average dropped again to 5.47. The Devils released him in the close season but Bucs took a gamble and signed him when he became available 4 months ago.

Team manager Kevin Tantrum said, 'It's a good move for Jacko. He needs to get some good scores and rebuild his fitness. Division 1 is slightly easier than SL but still competitive enough to get Jacko back on song.'

'Anders is joining as a squad member and will be given a chance if either of the second strings has a poor run. Dazza is having a torrid time settling in at the moment and it has affected his form. If that continues Anders is waiting in the wings.'

Sunday 12th October.

McNAB REJOINS REDWINGS.

Pirates have parted company with Jamie McNab after accepting a Ł25,000 offer from Division 1 leaders Tipton Redwings.

The 18 year old started the campaign at Tipton on loan and returned to Pirates after 6 matches. He then rode a further 9 matches for Pirates before finding himself on the sidelines due to average restrictions. A loan spell at Glasgow saw him remain on the sidelines.

He returned to Pirates but was still awaiting a recall when the offer from Redwings came in.

Kevin Tantrum said, 'Jamie returns to Tipton after a loan spell there early in the season. He impressed the Redwings promotion but couldn't be accomodated when the short term loan deal came to an end. He has been on the fringes since early in the season and when the offer came in he indicated he was keen to have regular racing again. We felt we couldn't stand in his way and wish him the best of luck in the future.'

Tuesday 14th October 2003.

PIRATES GO CLOSE AT WISBECH.

For the second week running Pirates have slipped to defeat in a last heat decider away from home. This time it was at Wisbech as the Pirates slipped to a 46-44 defeat although comfortably secured the bonus point.

The score was 43-41 to the Warriors entering the final heat of a match that had seen both sides leading by 4 at one point or another. Jesper Kroger sped from the gate to secure the vctory in the final heat but Jan Kirsten and Rickard Reiner were on his tail throughout.

Reiner secured the man of the match award as well as top scoring for the Pirates with 12 from 5. JK had 11+1 from 5. Anders Heinrardssen had a solid debut with 6+1 while Paul Augustine had 5+1 in a pair of decent second string performances. However, Magnus Karlsson disappointed with 5+1 when just a point or two more could have swung the match Pirates' way. Ally Borland picked up a point on his debut while Lee Rough amassed a fairly solid 4.

'We've come close the last two weeks and that is a very good sign,' said team manager Kevin Tantrum. 'However, we finish now with 5 home matches from the final 7 fixtures and are hopeful we can haul ourselves up the table a bit.'

'Tonight was a bit frustrating as Magnus appears to be struggling to adapt to SL racing but he is convinced his bikes are the problem. We tend to agree with him. He had been using his number 2 engine as his number 1 has been tuned for the World Final but he is now planning to use it next week at Craigburn Park before having it redone on the Saturday before the trip to Coventry the next day.'

'Magnus is a genuine class rider and this blip will only serve to strengthen his character.'

'Darren Rice was left out this week after he called to say his engines had been delayed at the tuners. But rumours have reached us that he was unhappy when we brought Anders in on loan. Other rumours suggest he is telling folk that he wants away after only 2 matches and that he didn't want to travel so made up an excuse.'

'These are the rumours and until we hear anything solid from Darren we must give him the benefit of the doubt. We paid 65k for him late last month and that's not the kind of investment you just throw away.'

Friday 24th October 2003.

CUMBERNAULD JINX STRIKES AGAIN.

The remarkable run of results between Pirates and fierce local rivals Cumbernauld Tigers continued tonight with the on form visitors taking a win. It was the fourth meeting between the sides and the home side has never won.

Tigers took the points after a late run in heats 12,13 and 14. Pirates had looked in charge up till that point and had never been headed but Rickard Reiner missed the start in heat 12 and Tigers levelled the match. Heat 13 got worse as Rory McMillan and Eoin Williamson team rode superbly to but the visitors 4 up and the job was completed in heat 14 as Egil Sundsgot and super reserve Wayne Pareirra took a 4-2 over Lee Rough.

Pirates needed a 5-1 in the last heat to force a bonus point run off and that is just what they did. Jan Kirsten flew from the gate to ensure the extra point stayed at Craigburn Park. The World Champion then relieved McMillan of his Golden Helmet match race title with another convincing from the gate win.

Team manager Kevin Tantrum said, 'We hate losing at home to Cumbernauld. That's twice they've been here and twice they've won. However, they've never beaten us at Broadwood so I suppose it evens out.'

'Tonight had it's highs and lows. JK taking the BP run off and Golden Helmet was excellent. Magnus looks to be settling into SL now and that was a fine performance. Rickard did well too and only that poor gate in heat 12 stopped him getting a very good score. Anders was again good value and we can't blame Augy for his 1 point showing.'

'He took a heavy fall in heat 3 but insisted on continuing. The reserves weren't going so well so we had to risk it. As it turns out that fall cost us the match. A fit Augy would have scored more. Still, credit to the Tigers, they deserved the win and they are going very well at the moment.'

'As for the Scottish Cup. Had Rory beaten JK Tigers would have won the cup but we can now retain it by winning or drawing at Glasgow on the 14th of November.'

Sunday 26th October 2003.

JK STRIKES TRIPLE GOLD.

Jan Kirsten is no longer the double world champion. He is now the Triple World Champion after decimating a quality field at Coventry tonight to take his third successive crown. The Main Dane also collected his first ever World Final maximum but it took some breathtaking passing and some hard moves to achieve it.

Magnus Karlsson, Pirates other representative, finished a very good 7th after a good heat 1 win. He followed that with a second in 6 having been passed for the lead by Filipo Rossi. Gate 4 proved his undoing in heat 10 as he made no impression and his challenge was ended in heat 14 as ex-Pirate Tomas Gabovka swept past him to secure third place. A good second in heat 18 took his tally to 7.

But the imperious Kirsten produced a passing show of the utmost quality. In 5 races he never once gated to lead all the way. He produced no less than 8 passes and came from 4th place in one ride. His defence started in heat 3 when he was up against title favourite Leigh Langley. The two superstars gated and fought out a neck and neck battle until JK produced an outstanding pass round the Hawks rider to take his first win.

He next appeared in heat 7 and found himself in second behind the fast starting Billy Hicks. JK didn't give up and overhauled the London rider to make it 2 from 2. Two races later and JK appeared from the dreadful gate 4 and found himself stone last at the firtst corner. However, he blasted round Jensen Sneider on turn 2 and flew uned Jens Kleinendorst entering the second lap. Peter Hotter was 2 bike lengths up going into the third lap but Kirsten was gaining and he dived under the Seaton rider, pushing him wide, on turn 2 of the final lap.

By this stage it was looking almost certain that JK was on the title trail again barring mechanical gremlins. Heat 14 saw him gate in second behind ex-team mate Danny Capirossi and on turn 4 JK made a mistake which saw him lift as he went under the Italian. But he kept the power on to race through for his fourth win.

This win secured a podium place at least and by the time of his final outing in heat 20 he knew a third place would clinch the title again. Again he missed the gate and had to fend off an inside challenge by Cane Richardson for third place. This he achieved but wasn't content to settle for third and set off after Lee Jarman and Filipo Rossi. Jarman was passed on lap 2 and JK dived hard under Rossi on the last lap to take his 3rd successive title with a truly awesome maximum.

In the after meeting interview the spectre that is JK's possible move back to Vojens raised it's head when he said he was 'talking to them'. He also added that his main aim was now to help Pirates to stay in the SL so his heart is still at Craigburn Park, at least till the end of the season. Pirates management were quick to put their side of the story to the press.

Kevin Tantrum told the gathered media, 'It's true, Jan is talking to Vojens. He, like all the riders, is on a 1 year contract. He has to keep his options open and we know all about the situation. Further than that we are not prepared to comment at this moment in time.'

'However, we are delighted for Jan tonight. He is the World Number 1 and will go down in history as one of the all time greats. It's amazing to think that he is only 19 and could have over a decade and a half left in the sport. Magnus Karlsson also showed that he can live with the best tonight and the fact that he's disappointed with 7th place tells you everything you need to know about him.''

'Thursday night will be a special night at Craigburn Park for our KOC Semi Final second leg match. Both JK and Magic will do a pre-match parade with JK showing off the trophy he has made his own.'

Monday 27th October 2003.

PIRATES SLUMP IN LONDON.

Pirates have left themselves a mountain to climb in Thursday's KOC semi final second leg at Craigburn Park after going down to a hefty 54-36 defeat at London Jaguars tonight.

The Clerkenwell Bowl was a dirt free zone and the home riders put on a gating show to take an 18 point lead into the second leg. As a spectacle it was a non event with even Jan Kirsten unable to pass on the concrete-like surface.

JK top scored with 12 from 6 with Magnus Karlsson supporting with a 9 point return. Paul Augustine managed 7 while Lee Rough supplied 3+2 from 3 starts. The rest struggled with Ally Borland failing to score, Anders Heinrardssen only returning 2+1 from 3 and, most disappointingly, Rickard Reiner with 3+1 from 5.

Kevin Tantrum said, 'Jaguars caught us out with their track prep tonight. It's usually dry/grippy and it was slick. We were set up for grippy and it showed.'

'It was a tactical master stroke although the racing definitely suffered because of it. Still, credit to London for the win although we intend to make them fight for the final place on Thursday.'

Thursday 30th October 2003.

CUP RUN ENDS.

A 49-41 victory over London was not nearly enough to overhaul the Jaguars 18 point lead from the first leg as Pirates crashed out of the KOC tonight and the London side made the KOC Final for the second year running.

However, it was still a gala night as the fans rose to acclaim the newly re-crowned World Champion and also Magnus Karlsson who finished 7th in last Sunday's World Final. JK gave the fans the best thank you possible with a 15 point maximum.

That full house wasn't enough to stop Jags going through but a fairly solid team performance saw a good win. Paul Augustine scored 13 with his only defeat coming in heat 15 when Billy Hicks relegated him to third place. This score seemed to be in response to some stinging criticism by team boss Kevin Tantrum earlier in the week but, when asked for a comment, all Augy would say was, 'I'll speak to you tomorrow.'

The rest of the side turned in reasonable performances with Reiner scoring 6+1, Karlsson, 6, Heinrardssen 5+1 and Rough 4+1. Ally Borland failed to score for the second match running.

Kevin Tantrum said, 'We got the win but after Monday's trouncing London were always the favourites. I'm delighted for JK. The fans gave him a standing ovation and he repaid them in the best way. Well done to London on making the final.'

'Tomorrow will see some news for Pirates fans. We have called a press conference for 7pm where we hope to announce a couple of big news items.'

Friday 31st October 2003.

PIRATES BUSY IN THE TRANSFER MARKET.

Pirates called a 7pm press conference tonight to announce their latest moves in the transfer market and they look to have boosted the side with a 2 signings while 3 second strings leave the club.

Kevin Tantrum said, 'After some intense negotiations this week we have secured the signature of 28 year old American Mark Villegas from Peterborough.'

'The deal involves Paul Augustine moving to Flyers along with Ł40,000. We are delighted with the move and it's just a shame Augy couldn't show the form of last nights 13 from 5 more often. We felt that he and Darren Rice weren't performing and that is why transfer moves have been made'.

'Darren joins Wombourne for a fee of Ł60,000. He hadn't settled here and it was obvious he regretted the move. We wish him no ill will and hope he goes on to be as solid at his new club as we hoped he would have been here. Also leaving is Anders Heinrardssen. He has done nothing wrong in his few weeks here but he wasn't going to fit in with the new averages and rather than keep him on the sidelines we felt it was fairer to him to give him the chance of racing elsewhere.'

'With the 3 second strings gone and the number 2 jacket to fill we made enquiries about riders who'd fit under the 6.20 we had left. We tried for Markus Olsson but couldn't tempt Broom to sell. Likewise with Alexander Demetri at Wombourne. Our other plan was to recall Seth Latimer, although he still needs time in Div 1 to develop fully, and we initially did this only to have the second deal confirmed with 20 minutes left till the deadline.'

'That deal sees 25 year old Australian Shane Slavko join for a fee of Ł30,000 and he will, initially, slot in at number 2 although we have another enquiry out there that may see him move to reserve.'

Mark Villegas, or Vegas as he's known, started in the UK in 2001 when he joined Norfolk on an 8.50 assessed average. He managed 8.39 in Division 1 that season, helping the Knights lift the 4TT Cup before he joined SL side London in a part exchange deal for season 2002. The higher league only saw Vegas drop his GSA by 0.25. He also recorded his only maximum to date at Cardiff in the KOC semi final when he notched 14+1.

The close season saw Peterborough pay Ł115,000 for his services and initially he was going really well. However the 10 times capped USA international began to be unsettled after a brief 2 week loan spell at Long Eaton which culminated in a move back to the top flight.

Shane Slavko, known as the Slayer due to his robust riding style, began his UK career with Faircross on an assessed 7.50 average which he increased to 7.68 by the end of the season. He moved with the franchise to Seaton but found himself on his travels last June when he went to Bournemouth as part of a deal which saw Robert Fryka head to the Comets and then, just 3 weeks later, he left the south coast to join Walsall in the Super League.

Being unsettled had seen his GSA drop from 7.38 at the start of the campaign to 7.00 by the time of his move to Swifts and this dropped further to 6.35 as he was riding as a second string. The close season saw Coalville pay Ł25,000 for his services and he was picking up form when a nasty tumble saw him break a wrist. Since returning he has only been used 4 times by Demons.