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                                          2010 Fixture List  



  Key  PL = Premier League, SWL = South West League, BTC + British Team Champ.
                  Matches start at 2pm unless stated

  • Sep 4th           Junior League - Nat Rd 3 (Wolverhampton - Wedsfd) 12.00
  • Sep 5th           Wednesfield (H)              PL 
  • Sep 19th         Newport (A)                  SWL
  • Sep 25th         Junior League - Nat Rd 4 (E.Newport) 12.00
  • Sep 26th         Sheffield (A)                   PL
  • Oct 2nd          S.W. Junior Lge Rd 6 - POOLE 12.00
  • Oct 3rd           Southampton (A)           SWL
  • Oct 10th          Southampton (H)           SWL
  • Oct 16th          S.W. JUNIOR LEAGUE FINALS DAY at POOLE 12.00
  • Oct 17th          Leicester (H)                   PL
  • Oct 23rd          Exeter (A)                      SWL
  • Oct 24th          E.Newport (H)                 SWL
  • Oct 31st           Leicester (A)                   PL
  • Nov 13th         PRESENTATION EVENING - CHAMPS BAR

                        


                2010   RACING REVIEW

Sunday August 22nd  POOLE  v  HELLINGLY  (SWL)

Poole 100 Hellingly 78 (Chris Shylock 16+2  Sam Hearn 16+2  Leyton Glover 14+1  Ben Donohue 13+4  Pete Young 12+2  Luke Armes 11+1  Dean Hook 10+1  Matt Mildon 8)

In the Division 2 fixture Poole recovered from a hesitant start to pull away and the crowd were pleased to see Alex Lane and Kristina Mines to round off their match with a 7-3 max. Poole 47 Hellingly 32 (Will Bristowe 13  Arron Smith 12 Marcus Warwick 10 Alex Lane 7 Kristina Mines 5).

Poole were able to leave out 4 of their top 6  U.18 squad and name the other 2 at reserve in the Conference League giving a valuable league match experience to younger and less experienced riders. Harry Boucher, Arron Smith, Marcus Warwick and Will Bristowe were highly effective as an attacking quartet and they all dropped just a single point to an opponant taking 11 race wins between them. Alex Lane and George Newman earned their places after great BYJL performances at Exeter the previous day. Poole 89  Hellingly  58 (Harry Boucher 19  Marcus Warwick 17+2  Aaron Smith 16 Will Bristowe 12+3  Alex Lane 11+2  George Newman 7+1  Matt Elston 4  Matt Mildon 3+1).



Sunday 15th August:  BIRMINGHAM  v  POOLE  (PL)

JOB DONE!
Bhamwin.JPG
Seaview Winning Team at Birmingham

Poole gained full revenge for the somewhat unfortunate home defeat at the hands of the second city club at Harbourside earlier in the season but it was only in the latter stages of this match that they got the better of their opponants.

Procedings opened brightly enough as Gavin Wheeler opened up a gap for skipper Pete Young and took care of Stoke based duo of Bates and Thaw for a 7-3. The came a series of four 6-4 heat reversals as the hosts used their home track knowledge to full advantage. Thomas Reed stopped the rot in heat 6 with a fine win over the strong Wadhams & Mould pairing but Tom Colling looked out of sorts with his second last place of the match. Poole's Polish pairing of Greg Gluchowski and Artur Poprawski gave the team renewed hope with a 6-4 in heat 7 and with Wheeler and Reed picking up wins in shared heats 8 & 9, their was just a 2 point gap between the sides at the interval - scoreline 46-44.

Four more shared heats after the break suggested a potential nailbiting finish especially when a heat 14 6-4 from Poprawski and Sam Hearn levelled the aggregate scores at 70-70 after a do or die first bend from Paul Heard failed to pay off. Fast starting Greg Gluchowski took his third race win in heat 15 - all three of those wins coming from gate 2, awesome stuff from the holidaying Gniezno based rider. Tom Colling made amends for a poor first half with a vital 3rd place in heat 16 as Gav Wheeler took the 4 points giving Poole the narrowest of leads 79-81 with two to go.

Pressure told on the home side in heat 17 as Paul Heard moved on gate 1 giving referee Mick Aris little option but to rule out the home star. Thomas Reed and Greg Gluchowski made short work of sole home survivor Richarski in the re-start for a potential match winning 81-88 lead. Artur Poprawski would probably count himself unfortunate to pick up an exclusion in heat 18 but with Pete Young sitting for 3 points, the league points were wrapped up.

This was a good all-round team effort from all eight riders with Thomas Reed and Greg Gluchowski at their very best while Gav Wheeler turned on a cycle speedway masterclass with an awesome performance! His controversial exclusion against Marcus Wadhams in the home match in May was well and truely laid to rest in heat 13 with a comprehensive powerhouse gate from grid 2 in heat 13, drawing gasps of admiration from all those present.

BIRMINGHAM  87  POOLE  91:  Gavin Wheeler 18+1  Thomas Reed 17+1  Greg Gluchowski 16+1  Pete Young 11  Tom Colling 10  Artur Poprawski 10  Sam Hearn 6+1  Dave Murphy 3.

The late finishing BYJL at Blakenham 24 hours previously, followed by an Ipswich Travelodge stopover seemed to take some of the steam out of the young Division 2 team against the formidable PLD2 leaders who won by 10 points.
Birmingham 69  Poole 59: Leyton Glover 16  Dean Hook 11+1  Arron Morgan 10+1  Matt Mildon 8  Luke Armes 8  Matt Elston 6+1.

http://new.britishcycling.org.uk/cyclespeedway/article/cys20100816--Report--British-Premier-League---Birmingham-V-Poole-0

Follow this link for Action shots and a report on the British Cycling website

Sunday 8th August:  POOLE  v  HORSPATH  (SWL)

When Pete Young failed a late fitness test, Poole knew they were in for a tough match against their great rivals and so it turned out to be as a healthy crowd enjoyed a tense and entertaining battle at Harbourside. With Jake Williams away on holiday, the re-shuffled Poole team faced opponants who included a European finalist and three members of the Horspath British title winning vets team.

First blood was to Poole with a fine 7-3 from Sam Hearn and Arron Morgan in heat 4 but this was immediately reversed when Ben Donohue was needlessly excluded in the next race, conceding a 7-2 in the process. The response was magnifient as two of the U.16 squad Dean Hook and Leyton Glover pulled off a remarkable maximum heat over Matti Szymczak to restore a 4 point advantage which remained the margin up to the break.

Further wins from Leyton Glover and Arron Morgan featured in a run of drawn heats then in heat 14, Chris Shylock and Arron Morgan teamed up for a 7-3 to make the scoreline 73-65. Horspath resiliance was amply demonstrated in the next two races as they hammered in two 7-3's to draw level as Szymczak got his revenge over Dean Hook in heat 16.
When Mike Burgess fell and picked up an exclusion in heat 17 it looked like Poole would be home and dry but they failed to clinch a 7-2 as Wayne Clark gave Horspath a lifeline by holding off Sam Hearn for 4 laps.

The ominous presence of Steve Harris for the visitors in the last heat decider had Poole hearts in mouths but as good as he is, the Horspath star could not engineer the necessary 7-3 as Leyton Glover and Arron Morgan settled for a 5-5 to take the match by a three point margin. Once again, the crowd were treated to another fine South-West league fixture and there is no doubt that this is Britain's most competitive regional competition and in some peoples eyes, every bit as entertaining as the Premier League!

POOLE 90  HORSPATH 87  Arron Morgan 18+1  Chris Shylock 14+1  Leyton Glover 14+1 Sam Hearn 13+2  Dean Hook 12+1  Ben Donohue 8+1 Matt Mildon 6+1 Luke Armes 5

Poole maintained top spot in the Conference League and their 100% record into the bargain as they shifted up a gear after early heats were shared. This was an all round team effort with every rider playing his part including two members of the U 13 squad, Harry Boucher and Aaron Smith.
Poole 86  Horspath 61  Scorers: Harry Boucher 16+2  Dean Hook 15+1 Matt Mildon 15  Aaron Smith 13+2 Matt Elston 9  Arron Morgan 8  Will Bristowe 7+2 Leyton Glover 3+1.

There were some tough races for Kristina Mines  Alex Lane and Sam Harbord in the Division 2 match but their valuable points contributed league victory over a formidable looking Horspath line-up.
Poole 42 Horspath 37  Matt Elston 14  Harry Boucher 14  Will Bristowe 5  Alex Lane 4  Kristina Mines 3 Sam Harbord 2.

                                            

August 7th: BRITISH CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS

Checkout the British Cycling coverage of our big meeting on this link -

http://new.britishcycling.org.uk/cyclespeedway/article/cys20100810-cycle-speedway-Report--British-Open-Club-Championships-0

August 1st:  HORSPATH  v  POOLE  (PL)

The village circuit is a hard enough location to visit for PL racing at the best of times but once again, absenteeism amongst the senior ranks yielded a younger and more inexperienced line-up than Poole would have wished for. However, what they lacked in years they more than made up for in effort and enthusiasm. Typifying this spirit, young Matt Mildon took a heat victory over Euro finalists Steve Harris and Matty Szymczak which must set some sort of record for a 13 year old.
 
Gav Wheeler got well amongst the home stars and Artur Poprawski was a solid performer. The rest of the team battled hard and will benefit from racing at this level in future seasons. Horspath were well worth their win and must surely go on and successfully defend their league title as they have the necessary resources to field a team capable of outscoring the strongest of opponants.

HORSPATH 102  POOLE 76  Gavin Wheeler 15+1 Artur Poprawski 14 Sam Hearn 11  Matt Mildon 10 Tom Colling 9+1 Leyton Glover 7+1 Arron Morgan 7 Dean Hook 3

In the combination match the hosts once again tracked a fully loaded team of "mature" riders who were a marked contrast to the young upcoming Poole septet so it was hardly surprise to see which way the league points went! Maybe the PL management would do well to refresh this second tier of racing and make it more relevant to the developmental needs of the sport!   Horspath 72  Poole 55    Leyton Glover 12  Dean Hook 11+2  Luke Armes 9  Will Bristow 8  Matt Elstom 8 Arron Smith 4  Matt Mildon 3

                      July 31st: BRITISH U.13 TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS  (at Kesgrave, Suffolk)

Semi final result - Ipswich 51  Poole 47  Exeter 38  Sheffield 30. Top two qualify for final
Poole team - Alex Lane, Pas Chattin, Harry Boucher, Arron Smith and Kristina Mines.
Final - Half time scores   Ipswich 26  Kesgrave  22 Poole 22  Leicester 10.
Final score - Ipswich 51  Poole 46  Kesgrave 43  Leicester 19
Scorers - Harry Boucher 16  Arron Smith 14, Pass Chattin 8, Alex Lane 8, Kristina Mines dnr
Action from two races in the Final featuring Alex and Arron are on UTUBE...follow this link
http://www.youtube.com/user/cyclespeedwayphotos#p/a/u/2/vrgPbusoQBk
 Action shots courtesy of Brian Barnett are on this link
<a href="http://s891.photobucket.com/albums/ac116/cyclespeedwayphotos/?action=view

Poole earn another 20 points in cycle speedway's most comprehensive team competition - the British Club Championships and extend their lead at the top of the table with 2 events
remaining....at Harbourside Park - next Saturday!

Latest British Team Championship Table - top positions

Poole                        99
Ipswich                     73
Horspath                   69
Sheffield                   58
Wednesfield              54
Leicester                   46
Sandwell                   43
Kesgrave                   43

                                      JULY 25th: SOUTH WEST JUNIOR FOURS

Southampton 58: Dan Miller 12  Alex Matthews 10  Etan Day-Lewis 9  Hayden Chant 9  James Colling 9 Jamie Miller 9.
Poole A 50: Harry Boucher 14  Arron Smith 12  Alex Lane  10  Sam Widdcombe 7  Callum Joyce 7.
Poole B 45: Marcus Warwick 17  Will Bristow 15  Kristina Mines 6  Sam Lane 4  Fraser Hoare 3.
Exeter 36: Will Tidball 9  Jamie Lovering 9 Jack Herbert 7 Owen Tidball 7.

Referee - Pete Young

Under 10's in action following the Junior Fours
HaydnGP.JPG
Hayden Rowles leads the way!

                                    JULY 23RD - 25TH  EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS

Five riders from the Poole club - Thomas Reed, Leyton Glover, Arron Morgan and Matt Mildon (Junior U.18) and Dave Murphy (Senior),  are in action in Poland over 3 days racing at Zielona Gora and Leszno in the 2010 Euro Championships which are staged every two years. Junior competition progress:-

Day 1 at Zielona Gora  (23rd July):
Junior Qualification Rounds - Leyton Glover 10, Arron Morgan 17, Matt Mildon 10
Repercharge (2nd chance)    - Leyton Glover 19, Matt Mildon 17.
All three riders qualify for Round 2

Day 2 at Leszno (24th July):
Junior Round 2 - Arron Morgan 18, Matt Mildon 14, Leyton Glover 13.
All 3 qualify for Semi-finals.
Thomas Reed received the England nomination as seeded rider for the semi-finals.

Day 3 at Zielona Gora (25th July):
Junior semi-final scores - Arron Morgan 11,  Matt Mildon 9, Leyton Glover 8 (1 exc). Thomas Reed scored 15 and is Poole's only qualifier for the final. 
Final - Unfortunately Thomas has a bad day with 2 exclusions to rule him out. Poles took top 2 places on the rostrum but congratulations to 2009 Poole rider Ben Mould who finishe in 3rd place.

In the Senior event at Leszno, Poole's Premier League star Marcin Paradzinski was crowned European Senior champion after tying on 18 points with Maciej Ganczarek and heading home the defending champion in a tense tie break race.   CONGRAULATIONS MARCIN! Further details later.

                                          July 11th  POOLE  v  NORWICH   (PL)

The hot weather provided challenging conditions for the riders but this was a match which provided some very good racing with the scoreline probably not doing justice to the Norfolk club who battled hard - especially the Grange brothers Ian and Lee. There were some notable performances for Poole with Sam Hearn having his best Premier match and could have added a couple more points but for a fall in heat 7 when he was caught out by track conditions. For a demonstration cycle speedway "masterclass" look no further than Gavin Wheeler who earned most of his points with some breathtaking overtakes.

The crowd was pleased to see Artur Poprawski in action again at Harbourside and he was back into his stride after a couple of early races in place of Tom Colling who was unavailable. Pete Young continued his fine run of form while Chris Roberts is still plagued by a leg injury and was forced to pull out of his second half races. This was a day when everyone made a valuable contribution to the victory with Thomas Reed, Ben Donohue and Jake Williams always in the thick of the action - invariably from outside gates!

POOLE  98  NORWICH  78   Gavin Wheeler 18  Pete Young  17+2  Sam Hearn  15+2  Thomas Reed 13+1  Artur Poprawski  13  Ben Donohue 9+2  Jake Williams 9+1  Chris Roberts 4.

Norwich have a good record of tracking strong 8 rider Division 2 sides and so it proved in this match so Poole responded with a strong and talented octet of their own and the two sides dished up some top quality entertainment.
Arron Morgan and Leyton Glover spearheaded a convincing victory and there were classy rides from Dean Hook, Luke Armes and Matt Elston. But for sheer entertainment and raw endeavour, it was the youngest three riders in the team who dished up the lions' share of the thrills and spills.
Harry Boucher rarely takes any prisoners and scorched to 3 unbeaten rides while PL debut boy Aaron Smith gave further evidence that he is a gilt edged prospect. Last but by no means least we come to Matt Mildon. If we charged people to watch cycle speedway....he would be worth the admission money alone! Nuff said.   Poole 82 Norwich 48:    Leyton Glover 13+1  Arron Morgan 12  Matt Mildon 11+1  Harry Boucher 11+1  Matt Elston 10  Dean Hook 10  Luke Armes 9+2  Aaron Smith 6+2.


July 4th   POOLE v HORSPATH (BTC)

The welcome news of a home BTC draw was offset by the fact that the opposition was none other than reigning holders Horspath whose recent record  at Harbourside made them firm favourites and so it proved to be - although the interval scoreline of 44-45 had a few Oxford nerves jangling!

Poole knew they could afford zero errors and maybe hope that the visitors would concede the odd point or two. That was largely the story of the first half as the Hammers were pegged back by a tapes exclusion allowing Poole to capitalise with a 7-2 in heat 6 after the visitors had taken an early 8 points lead. Thomas Reed rode a brilliant heat 7 with a superbly judged pass on Steve Harris to raise hopes further. Then Gav Wheeler bounced back from a disappointing opening ride to head Mark Boaler with Chris Roberts drawing on all his years of experience to fend off Sean Rudman for a valuable 6-4.

A run of drawn heats either side of the break meant that there was still only a point between the side at the start of heat 12 and the pressure was on. Unfortunately it was too much for Sam Hearn on gate 1 who jinked fractionally under orders but it was enough for referee Colin Simmons who gave Sam his marching orders. Thomas was given too much to do against the Osborne brothers and the resultant 7-2 gave Poole a mountain to climb. Tom Colling surrendered a 3rd place in heat 13 and when heat 14 was also shared it looked like desperate measures might be the order of the day.

Sure enough Gav Wheeler chanced a dive on race leader Mark Carmichael in heat 15 but the referee was on the spot and the re-started race gave the visitors a 7-2 and they were on their way to the semi's at East Park. Just a word of praise for Poole skipper Pete Young for a vintage display of controlled riding and a gutsy match from Chris Roberts - well short of match practise but never less than 100% effort.

The Oxford club are certainly the team of the moment with their central location and ample resources enabling them to hand pick their senior squad to the extent that it would be foolish to bet against them adding a further notch on the grand old trophy. Of course they still have a long long way to go to match the Poole club record of 12 wins in the competition over three decades - years during which a whole galaxy of top clubs graced the competition!

POOLE 80  HORSPATH 96  Pete Young 17+1  Chris Roberts 13+1  Tomas Reed 12+1  Tom Colling 11+2  Gav Wheeler 9  Sam Hearn 7  Leyton Glover 6  Arron Morgan 5.

With no second team match, the opportunity was taken to stage a mini GP  for some of the highly promising Poole youngsters who have been dominating the first 4 rounds of the 2010 BYJL competition.

July 3rd  GOLD CUP (at Southmpton)

Full credit to Harry Boucher and Will Bristowe for stepping in at the 11th hour as several first team regulars were unable to compete in the Gold Cup and both riders drew great praise from experienced onlookers for their 100% efforts. Also impressive was Sam Hearn who notched the top individual score of the day - no mean feat with riders of the calibre of Steve Harris, Gav Wheeler and the Hollebons in action. Horspath successfully defended the cup - probably their only South West trophy of the season while hosts Southampton would probably be disappointed with runners up. Full marks to Poole's young quartet for finishing ahead of the rest.
Horspath 61  Southampton 54  Poole 47  Hellingly 45  Exeter 45  E.Newport 43
Poole scorers - Sam Hearn 18  Luke Armes 14  Will Bristow 8  Harry Boucher 7. 

                                           June 27th  LEICESTER  v  POOLE  (PL)

To avoid a clash with the World Cup football, this match will be re-arranged for later in the season. Leicester had requested a 12.30 start but Poole were unable to agree due to the late finish of BYJL racing at Swindon the previous evening. The matter was referred to the Premier League management who agreed to the re-arrangement.

                                          June 20th:  POOLE v NEWPORT (SWL)

 A tough and incident packed SWL encounter with much improved Newport provided the stiffest test of the season and it was just as well the experienced hands of Pete Young and Chris Roberts were in the line-up to steady the ship as things became a little too hot under the collar at times as the scoreline tightened. After four early drawn heats, Poole notched 2 good 7-3's but the 8 point advantage was halved by the interval as Sam Hearn picked up a tapes exclusion and Chris Roberts suffered a bike failure at the start line so the 46-42 half time scoreline meant that the match was wide open. 

Fortunes threatened to improve after the break as Arron Morgan teamed up with Leyton Glover for a 7-2 after Dave Murphy had received his marching orders and the lead had extended to 11 points after twelve races as Pete Young chalked up a second race win and Chris Shylock held a safe third place. No one could have been prepared for the events of heat 13 which was a nightmare for Poole as they conceded a 7-0 in controversial circumstances. Jake Williams was battling away with Lee Tippings when referee Robin Spicer excluded the home rider who - along with the rest of his team mates - protested about unseen blind-side tactics of his opponant. Scarcely had the tempers receded than Leyton Glover came crashing down in the re-start and incensed his team mates by making no effort to remount and collect his 2 points. 

At 64-60, it was wide open once again adding more tension to the closing heats. Chris Roberts won a shared heat 14 and Pete Young took the chequered flag a race later as Arron Morgan rode a perfect 4 laps to hold on to 3rd place under pressure. No sooner had the margin opened to 6 points than it was back to just 4 again as the visitors picked off a 6-4 of their own. A fourth race win from top visitor Mark Carmichael ensured a last heat decider with the score now on 84-80. A double change by the Poole management team of Kev Lowman and Dave Newman saw Chris Roberts and Arron Morgan drafted in and for his second match running Chris delivered the goods when it mattered as he sped from gate 2 and guided his partner to the front for a welcome 7-3. The result was probably more important than the performance for Poole but all credit to Newport who will be favourites in the return.

POOLE 91  NEWPORT 83 : Ben Donohue 15+2, Pete Young 15 (4r), Arron Morgan 13+1 (4r), Leyton Glover 12 (4r), Chris Roberts 10+1 (4r), Chris Shylock 9+2, Sam Hearn 9+1, Jake Williams 8+1.

The impressive part played by the Under 18's in the Division 1 match caused a couple of last minute team changes for the Conference League match as Jake Williams and Leyton Glover were drafted in to re-inforce the team which was to prove a wise move. Poole were 10 ahead at the halfway stage but exclusions for Leyton Glover and Dean Hook gifted two 7-2's to Newport and the lead was 51-47. Fortunately Arron Morgan and Matt Mildon showed they are a class act at this level with consecutive race wins and by the time they teamed up for a 7-3 in heat 15 the league points were wrapped up.    Poole 81 Newport 67: Arron Morgan 19+1, Matt Mildon 19+1, Leyton Glover 9+1, Dean Hook 9, Harry Boucher 8, Jake Williams 7+1, Matt Elston 6, Arron Smith 4.

                           June 19th:   BRITISH CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS  (ROUNDS 3 & 4)

Teams from both ends of the British Championship age scale were in action at Oxford (Horspath) seeking to emulate Poole success in the U.19 and U.16 competitions. Unfortunately the Under 10's had a really tough draw and came up against the two strongest teams in the competition - Kesgrave and Horspath - so their 3rd place in their semi-final was highly creditable.
Scorers - Alex Strutt 12, George Newman 12, Callum Smith 7, Harry Hiscocks 6, Hayden Rowles 2.

Moving to the Vets competition, there was good news as the Poole quartet of Pete Young, Rob Haywood, Colin Wheeler and Dave Murphy as they won their semi-final ahead of Wednesfield. Hot favourites for the title were the other semi winners Horspath who went on to win the final on their "home" track with Poole outscoring East London and Wednesfield to finish a very creditable runners-up.
Semi-final scorers - Pete Young 16  Dave Murphy 13  Rob Haywood 13  Colin Wheeler 9  Colin Sutton 2
Final scorers  -  Pete Young 14  Dave Murphy 12  Colin Wheeler 10  Rob Haywood 8

Best news of all is that the combined scores of the U.10 team and the Vets keeps Poole right at the top of the British Club table after 4 events! See NEWS page for BCC Update.

                                     June 13th:  HELLINGLY v POOLE  (SWL)

A sound all round team performance secured the two league points at the tricky Lower Dicker circuit which is always a tough place to win. The home side wasted no tactical opportunity to use their twin spearhead of Neil and Martin Hollebon who had 6 rides apiece, whereas Poole packed stregth from 1 to 8. Leyton Glover picked up a harsh exclusion in heat 18 after a battle with Martin Hollebon leaving the home brothers to round off with a 7 - 2. Arron Morgan was the only rider to lower the colours of the home stars when he headed home Martin in  heat 6 while hats off to Dean Hook who again showed more evidence of his improving form. Team manager Kev Lowman was delighted with the win which enables the team to maintain its challenge for the South West league title.

HELLINGLY 85 POOLE 93:  Arron Morgan 18+1, Sam Hearn 14+2, Leyton Glover 14, Chris Shylock 12+1, Dean Hook 10+1, Jake Williams 10+3, Luke Armes 9, Matt Mildon 6.

There were a few anxious moments in the Conference League match as the new Poole young guns got to grips with the Hellingly circuit but after trailing 41-38 at one stage they came good in the closing stages to win by 11 points with Aaron Smith showing up well on his league debut and Sam Harbord recording his first race win. Hellingly 68 Poole 79:   Scorers - Matt Elston 18+1, Will Bristowe 12+1, Aaron Smith 11+1, Matt Mildon 10, Marcus Warwick 9+1, Sam Harbord 9+1, Alex Lane 9+1.
Matt Elston lead the combination team to a 49 - 31 victory with a full 16 point maximum. Other scorers - Luke Armes 13+3, Aaron Smith 11+1, Marcus Warwick 9.


Follow this link to the British Cycling website for a foto feature on the Hellingly v Poole match

http://new.britishcycling.org.uk/cyclespeedway/article/cys20100614-Report--Cycle-Speedway-Weekly-Roundup-0

                                     June 6th:   NORWICH  v  POOLE  (BTC)

It took a last heat 6-4 heat win from Pete Young and Chris Roberts to squeeze through to the quarter finals of the British Team Championship by the narrowest of margins in this tense affair on a dusty Norfolk circuit. Yet it looked like a comfortable win was in prospect after the early exchanges with Poole 6 points ahead. It all went wrong after the break when Chris Roberts got his marching orders for a racing infringement and team partner Gav Wheeler followed him to the pits in the restart for a tapes offence - one of two such exclusions for the ex-British champion. The home team capitalised on the gift 7-0 and used their home track advantage to keep their noses in front until the match saving finale from the two Poole stalwarts. There might have been a "got out of jail" element to this result but the team was delighted to get through to the quarter-final stages and a chance to have a crack at one of the fancied contenders like last years finalsts Horspath and Wednesfield.

NORWICH 87 POOLE 88. 
Scorers - Pete Young 16+1, Thomas Reed 15+3, Sam Hearn 12, Chris Roberts 12, Tom Colling 11+1, Gav Wheeler 10, Leyton Glover 8, Arron Morgan 4.

May 29th/30th: For full coverage of Whit weekend festival of racing...follow these links -

http://new.britishcycling.org.uk/cyclespeedway/article/cys20100601-Cycle-Speedway-Reports-0


                                    May 23rd:  POOLE  v  SHEFFIELD  (PL)

Brilliant sunshine brought out another healthy and appreciative crowd at Harbourside to witness a close encounter between two much changed line-ups. A full programme of Polish League racing reduced the rider options for both clubs and for the visitors, Jamie Brown was ruled out due to exam preparations. Potentially more damaging for Poole was the absence of Gav Wheeler and Tom Colling who reluctantly stepped aside in favour of a regional event at East Newport but Pete Young made a successful return from injury and was probably the match winner.
Arron Morgan won the first race from gate 1 but Leon Wild shed a chain whilst in second place to gift Poole a 7 - 2 start before a series of three shared heats with wins for the impressive Smith brothers  and former British Champion Pete Young. With Andy Angel lining up from the number 8 position, he was expected to triumph in heat 5 but a surpise 7 - 3 from the Reed/Donohue pairing pushed the score to 29 - 20.
With an exchange of 6 - 4's in the next 3 heats it was 43 - 36 after 8 races with Poole set to extend this with another potentail heat win from the Glover/Young pairing. However the young home rider collected the first exclusion of the day at the tapes and the interval margin was back to 6. Sheffield came back from the break in determined mood with two 6 - 4's then did even better in heat 14 with a 7 - 3 to level the scores at 69 - 69.
After such a good fight back, the visitors were stopped in their tracks by two pieces of misfortune when Leon Wild shed his chain for a second time whilst leading heat 15 and then Matt Smith got his marching orders from referee Terry Ashford after a tussle with Tom Reed in heat 16 which saw the Poole rider end up on the deck.
The score was now 87 - 79 and Pete Young played a true captains role when he withstood the pressure to win the penultimate race which secured the league points for his team while Chris Roberts, racing in his first match of the season, gave the home side a comfortable margin when he expertly held Andy Angel at bay in the final race. 

POOLE 92 SHEEFIELD 84
Thomas Reed 16  Pete Young 16  Ben Donohue 11  Sam Hearn 11  Arron Morgan 10, Leyton Glover 10  Chris Roberts 9  Jake Williams 9.

In the Premier Combination League Shane Bentley underlined just what a gilt edged prospect he is at just 13 years of age as the team emulated their senior club colleagues with a victory against the Yorkshire opposition. 
Poole 71 Sheffield 59:  Shane Bentley 15  Dean Hook  13  Luke Armes  11  Matt Elston 10  Harry Boucher 9  Will Bristowe 7  Sam Harbord 4  Kristina Mines 2

Tom and Ben get a vital 7-3 in heat 5
Sheff.JPG

                             

                               May 16th:   EAST NEWPORT  v  POOLE  (SWL)

A last heat decider at Larch Grove just favoured the home side by a narrow margin on a rainy day in South Wales which saw Poole drop their first SWL Div 1 points of the 2010 season. Without the services of Chris Shylock and Pete Young this was always going to be a tight affair but below par tallies from Ben Donohue and Luke Armes proved decisive.

EAST NEWPORT 91 POOLE 86  Sam Hearn 16+1, Arron Morgan 14, Jake Williams 13+1 (1 exc), Dean Hook 12, Leyton Glover 10+2, Matt Mildon 9, Ben Donohue 8+1, Luke Armes 4.

A power-packed display in the Conference encounter saw Poole produce another top of the table performance with Shane Bentley joining the line-up with an impressive return of 15+2. The title could well hinge on the results between Poole and the two South Wales clubs so this result was highly significant.
East Newport 65.5 Poole 83.5
Scorers -  Matt Mildon 18, Leyton Glover 16.5 +2, Arron Morgan 16+1, Shane Bentley 15+2, Dean Hook 8+1, Matt Elston 6, Marcus Warwick 1.  With the home side lining up with an experienced Division 2 team, there were only limited opportunities for the new young guns Will, Marcus, Alex and Sam who will nevertheless have learnt a good deal from their first visit to the "polo" circuit! As the saying goes...their time will come.  East Newport 45 Poole 34 (Shane Bentley 11, Matt Elston 9, Marcus Warwick 7, Wil Bristow 3, Alex Lane 3, Sam Harbord 1)

                           May 15th:   BRITISH CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP (ROUND 2) 

The British Under 16 Team Championships at Wolverhampton sees the Poole/Seaview Coaches team in action in the quest to repeat the clubs title winning performance in the Youth (U.19) competition a month ago. They got off to the best possible start with a convincing semi-final victory with all five riders playing an important part as they cruised through to the final along with fellow South West club Newport. Arron Morgan took 4 wins from his full quota of races with the remaining quartet taking three rides apiece.
Scores:- Poole 60 (Arron Morgan 16, Leyton Glover 12, Matthew Mildon 11, Dean Hook 11, Harry Boucher 11)
Newport 40, Ipswich 36, Sheffield 20.

Final update.... Pre-match favourites Sandwell lived up to expectations to win the final ahead of Poole who out-battled Stockport for a worthy second place and 20 valuable points to put the club clear of the field in the British Club Championship table after two events! A frustrating first half saw tumbles for Dean and Leyton as Poole trailed both Sandwell and Stockport. The West Midland club maintained their advantage but Poole overtook the Northerners on the run in to take second place.
Score  Sandwell 49  Poole 42  Stockport 38  Newport 30
Scorers - Leyton Glover 13, Arron Morgan 10 (3r)  Dean Hook 9, Matthew Mildon 9, Harry Boucher 1 (1r)

For full report and photo feature, follow this link....

http://new.britishcycling.org.uk/cyclespeedway/article/cys20100517-Report--Under-16-Club-Championships-0

                                   May 9th:  WEDNESFIELD  v  POOLE  (PL) 

With the exception of Gavin Wheeler and Ben Donohue, Poole tracked a team drawn from the youth and junior ranks for the PL visit to Ashmore Park which has always been a difficult place to visit even with a full senior line-up! Although the outcome was never seriously in doubt, the scoreline might have been closer if the whistle had been deployed other than to summon the riders to the start line. It is hoped that the match will pay dividends when Poole return to this venue in 6 days time to defend their British U.16 team trophy. The acute shortage of seniors had an unfortunate knock on effect in the D2 match as a well earned victory was wiped out by penalty points. 

WEDNESFIELD 103
POOLE 74     Gavin Wheeler 16, Sam Hearn 13, Tom Reed 11, Leyton Glover 10, Ben Donohue 8, Arron Morgan 8, Jake Williams 7, Dean Hook 1

Poole won the Division 2 encounter but paid a heavy toll with penalty points due to rider availability.  Wednesfield 87 Poole 80   Matthew Mildon 16, Leyton Glover 14, Arron Morgan 14, Sam Hearn 12, Dean Hook 10, Matthew Elston
For a full report and some great shots capturing the action in both matches, follow this link -
http://new.britishcycling.org.uk/cyclespeedway/article/cys20100509-cycle-speedway-Report--Wednesfield-v-Poole-0

                                 May 2nd: SOUTHAMPTON  v  POOLE (Ch) 

With senior racing suspended for the weekend to allow the Euro-Club tournament to take place at Manchester, it was left to the younger and newer Conference riders to provide the race action in a return challenge match against local rivals Southampton. Hats off to Callum Joyce who travelled all the way down from Canterbury for his first match for Poole especially as he celebrated his debut with a race win. With an older and more experienced line-up, the home side won the match but this was as much about experience and enjoyment and there was plenty of each for both sides!
Southampton  92  Poole  57 
Scorers - Marcus Warwick 15,  Will Bristow 12, Alex Lane 9, Callum Joyce 9, Kristina Mines 6, Holly Morgan 6.

                                       April 25th: HORSPATH  v POOLE (SWL) 

With both clubs missing riders from their top end, there were changes to line-ups as Poole kept up their unbeaten SWL record in the new campaign to remain at the top of the table. Fresh from their U.19 success of the previous day spirits were high and the same quartet formed a powerful spearhead which forged the victory. Good to see Matt Mildon and Dean Hook joining the fray at this level and hopefully Matthew will not have been put off by a baffling exclusion just before the break. With league points assured in Poole's favour, Arron Morgan had to contend with"tactics" which simply have no place on the race-track in his final race and although tempers became heated, it was a credit to the team that they did not react to the provocation more strongly.

HORSPATH 84 POOLE 92  Leyton Glover 18  Sam Hearn 15  Arron Morgan 14  Jake Williams 12  Ben Donohue 11  Dean Hook 10  Luke Armes 8 Matt Mildon 4

Along with experienced Matt Elston, the "new young guns" had another opportunity to gain league racing experience with Alex, Marcus, Sam and Will all benefitting hugely from riding at this level. The confidence they are gaining is sure to pay dividends as the season unfolds.
Horspath 48 Poole 32  Matt Elston 16  Marcus Warwick 6  Sam Harbord 5  Alex Lane 3  Will Bristowe 2     A powerhouse performance by the reigning league champions chalked up another victory to maintain their position at the top of the 2010 table. The top six were solid throughout, and with Harry Boucher unavailable, the opportunity was taken to include Will Bristowe and Marcus Warwick.   Horspath 60 Poole 88
Dean Hook 18  Leyton Glover 17  Jake Williams 13  Arron Morgan 13  Matt Elston 13  Matt Mildon 13  Will Bristow 3  Marcus Warwick 2.

                                 APRIL 24TH   BRITISH CLUB CHAMPIONHIPS (ROUND 1)

celebrate.JPG
Poole are British U.19 Champions!

Poole were crowned British U.19 team champions at Ipswich today after a tense victory over Sandwell, Leicester and defending champions Birmingham. Having won their semi with 4 points to spare against pre-match favourites Birmingham, events took a different direction in the final when second city outfit capitalised on a costly tumble by Arron Morgan when leading from his grid 1 start so that at the half-way stage they were two points ahead.
Worse was to come just after the break when Thomas Reed picked up a tapes exclusion and it was beginning to look as if Poole had a mountain to climb!

Gradually however, they hauled themselves back into contention and in the penultimate heat, Sam Hearn rode a blinder to relegate Birmingham's Robbie Venson who then took a tumble and all of a sudden Poole were ahead by a single point! The tactical use of Thomas Reed from the number 5 slot paid dividends in the crucial heat 16 with his team finishing the match on the disadvantageous gate 4 slots. He was able to tuck in behind fast charging Ben Mould for a vital 3 points which brought the scores level at 45 apiece between the two major players.

Referee Dave Hunting called the two team managers forward to toss the coin for the all important gate positions for the championship deciding race off. Colin Sutton called correctly and his nominated rider Thomas Reed duly lined up from gate 2 against Birmingham's best, Paul Heard. Any thoughts that it was game over for the Midlanders were dispelled when Heard caught Reedy knapping and all of a sudden the Birmingham side of the pits was preparing for a celebration until Thomas Reed was sent sprawling as he attepted to drop back under his pacey opponant. Ultra experienced referee Hunting had no hesitation in ruling out the unfortunate Heard and Thomas was mobbed by his team-mates as the victory was hailed.
Poole 45  Birmingham 45  Sandwell 37  Leicester 31
Scorers: Sam Hearn 13  Thomas Reed 10  Jake Williams 8  Arron Morgan 8  Leyton Glover 6
(Rider of the match award went to Leyton Glover).

For action shots please follow this link to the excellent Brian Barnett website:-

http://s891.photobucket.com/albums/ac116/cyclespeedwayphotos/


Poole raced through to the final of the British U.19 team championship at Ipswich today by winning their semi-final ahead of defending champions Birmingham who finished four points behind in second place allowing them to also book their place in the final. Norfolk side Hethersett challenged strongly in the earlier stages but the two Premier League clubs powered ahead in the closing stages with Ipswich 4th and Wednesfield 5th. Along with Poole and Birmingham, the final will also feature Sandwell and Leicester who were the top two clubs in the first semi. All five Poole riders performed consistently with Sam Hearn taking 4 rides and the remaining quartet each starting 3 times.
Poole 51, Birmingham 47, Hethersett 41, Ipswich 34, Wednesfield 25.
Poole scorers - Sam Hearn 13, Thomas Reed 11, Leyton Glover 10, Arron Morgan 9, Jake Williams 8.

April 18th:   Warm sunshine, a healthy crowd and a generous portion of the very best racing that the Premier League can offer provided the perfect setting at Harbourside Park as Poole and Birmingham battled out an eighteen heat classic. There was an early set back for the home side in heat three when their captain Pete Young took an awkward tumble on the first bend and was unable to continue, giving the visitors pairing a 7-2 race advantage.
Although he struggled to compete in two more races the ex-British Champion was forced to withdraw from the meeting with a painful foot injury.
Birmingham notched up two 6-4 advantages to extend their lead to 7 points with  Stoke based Garry Pearce and Lewis Bates prominent but the home duo of Jake Williams and Tom Colling bounced back with a 7-3 just before the break to make the scoreline 43-46 and put the match in the balance. Paul Heard teamed up with Mark Winwood for a 7-3 after the interval to restore the 7 point advantage which was held by the Midland side until a disastrous twice re-started heat  14 which saw Ben Mould crash out on the first bend and Mark Winwood excluded for forcing out the ever improving Jake Williams who followed home Gavin Wheeler for an unexpected 7-0.
At  68-68 a nailbiting finish was on the cards with Marcus Wadhams inspiring a heat 15  6-4 race win and the excellent Thomas Reed rounding off a superb performance with his second win over Paul Heard in heat 16 to make it 77-79 with two races remaining. The bad luck which had dogged the home side earlier in the meeting looked to have switched sides in the penultimate race as the crowd saw their pairing of Gav Wheeler and Sam Hearn take a dramatic 7-3 race advantage. Or so they thought!
Wheeler made what appeared to be a classic pass on Marcus Wadhams who slipped momentarily on the exit to turn 2 on lap 2. The two riders clipped each other and Referee Robin Spicer pointed to the home man to the surprise and huge disappointment of the vociferous crowd.  The bemused former British Champion protested his innocence and he appeared to have a very good case but the re-run proceeded without him allowing Birmingham to put the match beyond doubt with a 7-3 heat win. 
With Polish star Greg Gluchowski a victim of volcanic ash  disruption and grounded in Poland, Poole were unable to track their planned line-up and the withdrawal of Pete Young was the final straw. Gavin Wheeler pulled off some amazing manouvres and Thomas Reed was imperious. Tom Colling was almost back to his very best while Ben Donohue made a good case for a regular PL team place. The young guns did not disappoint either and Jake Williams caught the eye in several of his races. Although disappointed to lose,  the match was enjoyed by the crowd as a spectacle drawing plenty of positive comments and the racing throughout was right out of the top drawer to the credit of both teams.

Poole 83  Tom Reed 16 Gavin Wheeler 14  Jake Williams 14  Tom Colling 13  Ben Donohue 9  Sam Hearn 9  Arron Morgan 6  Pete Young 2 (Withdrawn inj)
Birmingham 92   Marcus Wadhams 17  Garry Pearce 14  Chris Timms 14  Paul Heard 14  Lewis Bates 12  Ben Mould 9  Nathan Groves 6  Mark Winwood 6
Referee  Robin Spicer

Division 2

Quite how Poole lost this match was totally baffling as points were conceded in race after race due to a combination of youthful exuberance and sheer bad luck typified by poor Harry Boucher who suffered two heavy tumbles and Dean Hook who was leading when he fell in heat 9 with Poole on a 7-3. The absence of Matt Elston and the need to use Arron Morgan for first team duties further hampered progress and after 2 successive victories, this defeat was a disappointment. On the plus side, the whole side battled gamely against vastly more experienced opponants and there was the added bonus of a Premier League debut ride for Holly Morgan and Kristina Mines in heat 13. 
Poole 61.5  Luke Armes 13  Leyton Glover 12.5  Arron Morgan 11  Dean Hook 10  Matt Mildon 9  Harry Boucher 3  Kristina Mines 2  Holly Morgan 1
Birmingham 71.5  Andy James 14  Paul Timms 13  Carl Winwood  13  Tom Sensical 8.5  Natalie Timms 7  Phil Widdas 6  Adam Lamb 4
Referee  Dave Newman

April 11th:   Exeter provided the majority of the race winners including an immaculate six ride maximum from Thomas Reed but it was the solid team work of the home side that won the day in terms of league points. Five shared races before the break kept things tight but in heat 7, Sam Hearn teamed up with Ben Donohue for the first 7-3 of the day to put a little daylight between their team and the visitors.

Three second half race wins from the impressive Craig Nethercott and careful use of the rules with 5 tactical changes restricted Poole to two 7-3's after the break with the Hearn/Donohue combination successful again in heat 12 and reserves Leyton Glover and Arron Morgan rounding the procedings off in similar fashion in the final race. This was an excellent advert for regional league racing - sportingly contested from beginning to end.

Poole 97   Sam Hearn 15, Ben Donohue 14, Leyton Glover 13, Arron Morgan 13, Chris Shylock 12, Pete Young 11, Jake Williams 10, Luke Armes 9.
Exeter 81  Thomas Reed 24, Craig Nethercott 19, Aaron Herbert 14, Mark Reed 7, Dan Winchester 6, Andy Collett 4, Corey Heyde 4, Joe Avery 3.
Referee - Mike Legge

Division 2

This was a match of contrasts against an accomplished Exeter D2 team with Matt Elston and Dean Hook battling hard to remain unbeaten by an opponant while the remaining four team members found the going tough but will gain experience, especially Will Bristow who made his league debut after just 2 mid-week practise sessions!
Poole 40  Matt Elston 16, Dean Hook 14, Will Bristow 3, Kristina Mines 3, Holly Morgan 2, Sam Harbord 2.
Exeter 40  Charlie Jane Herbert 11, Sam Dart 10, Jamie Lovering 8, Lauren Hookway 7, Matt Trechmann 4.

Conference

Harry Boucher took a heavy tumble while battling with Corey Heyde for second place in his opening race but recovered well to win his remaining 4 races in fine style including two wins against Aaron Herbert who raced for the Exeter first team. George Newman and Alex Lane picked up some valuable team racing experience in a side which has a very strong look and seems determined to hold on to this particular league title!
Poole 86  Harry Boucher 17, Matt Elston 15, Dean Hook 14, Leyton Glover 13, Arron Morgan 11, Jake Williams 8, Alex Lane 5, George Newman 3.
Exeter 63  Aaron Herbert 13, Corey Heyde 12, Charlie-Jane Herbert 9, Lauren Hookway 9, Matt Trechmann 8, Jamie Lovering 8, Jack Herbert 4.

April 10th:  Sam Hearn scored 8+2 for England on his full senior international debut at Filton today in the 102 - 75 victory against Wales for whm Dave Murphy scored 6+1. Young England won the corresponding U.19 test match against their Welsh counterparts 104 - 74 with Thomas Reed (15+1) and Leyton Glover (12+1) featuring strongly.


gregwin.JPG
A winning start for Greg Gluchowski

April 4th: Horspath clinched the league points after a last heat decider in another fine Premier League showpiece at Harbourside. The margin was heading for a country mile at the interval stage with the defending champions twelve points ahead and seemingly in cruise mode. Poole had committed a series of errors between heats 5 and 9 which gave the Hammers a 14 point advantge from 5 race wins but typically they clawed their way back to come within 3 points of an unlikely result.
Sean Rudman and Mark Boaler relegated the home duo to minor placings in heat 5 to take a 24-26 advantage and a costly exclusion for Marcin Paradinski cutting across on Mike Morgans looked to be penalised equally harshly with a 7 - 2 until Morgans got his marching orders for a foot on wheel offence. Heat 7 was a crucial 7 - 2 to Horspath after Tom Colling slipped and accidentally brought down Mark Carmichael and there was worse for the hosts in the re-start when Gavin Wheeler slipped on the same turn 4 spot and gifted all the points to the opposition.
Rafal Dulinski replaced absent Matty Szymczak in the line-up and he proved the trump card at resereve when he came in for an extra ride in heat 8 and lowered the colours of new Poole signing Greg Gluchowski for the only time in the match. Another win for Rafa over Torun clubmate Paradinski in heat 9 in a 6 - 4 win  and the home side seemed dead and buried, or were they?
Three heat wins later with Young, Gluchowski and Wheeler taking the chequered flag narrowed the margin to 55 - 60 but the visitors steadied the ship with 6 - 4's in heats 14 and 16 to lead 74 - 81 with two heats remaining. The heat 16 win by Lewis Osborne ahead of hard charger Paradinski was crucial to the final outcome as Gav Wheeler and Pawel Cegielski outpowered the Morgans/Carmichael pairing in the penultimate heat for an unlikely 7-3.
In the last heat decider, Horspath had the double benefit of inside grids and their trusty Harris/Boaler match winning pairing but they had no answer to supercharged Gluchowski and were content to relegate home skipper Young to the back for a share of the spoils.
Horspath had the better 1-8 strength in depth and made just 2 mistakes when Morgans and Rudman picked up exclusions. The form of Greg Gluchowski was a revelation but the absence of Thomas Reed was the telling factor and tipped the balance of the match in favour of the Hammers.
Poole 86  Greg Gluchowski 19  Gavin Wheeler 16  Pete Young 12  Marcin Paradinski 11  Pawel Cegielski 10  Tom Colling 10  Jake Williams 4  Sam Hearn 3
Horspath 89  Lewis Osborne 17  Rafal Dulinski  14  Mark Boaler 12  Steve Harris 12,  Mark Carmichael 11  Sean Rudman 9  Chris Osborne  8  Mike Morgans  6
Referee -  Robin Spicer

Division 2

Two eight rider line-ups which would not have looked out of place in a South-West league division 1 match battled it out for the PL Div 2 points and after a tentative start, the home side pulled away in the closing stages to record an impressive victory. Arron Morgan notched a peerless maximum after his successful debut for Young England just 24 hours previously while crowd pleaser Matt Mildon pulled off the ride of the match in heat 5 when he powered past the opposition pair  for a vital 7-3 to put some daylight between the sides at 27-22. Hats off too for the youngest member of the home team - reserve Harry Boucher who came in to partner Leyton Glover for a fine 7-3 win in heat 12. There were sound performances from Matt Elston, Dave Murphy and Luke Armes while Dean Hook gained bags of experience with three very good third places in tight tactical races.

Poole  73 
Arron Morgan 16, Leyton Glover 13,  Dave Murphy 11, Matthew Mildon 10, Luke Armes 7, Dean Hook 6  Matt Elston 6, Harry Boucher 4.
Horspath 56  Mike Burgess 14, Wayne Clarke 12, Mark Janes 9, Zak Payne 8, Lee Clarke 5, Matt Coulter 4, Jess Lamb 4, Rachael Edge dnr
Referee -  Pete Young

3rd April:  Arron Morgan played an impressive part in the Young England victory against their Welsh counterparts at E.Newport today scoring 14 points. An inauspicious opener saw him start with an unfortunate tapes exclusion but he covered himself in glory in his other 4 rides taking 14 points and heading home Britain's top two Junior riders Ben Mould and Mark Carmichael. Match result Y.Wales 80 Y.England 98 (See Spokesman Online for full report).

28th March:  Tracking what was probably their youngest and least experienced Premier League line-up to date, Poole stormed back from a five point interval deficit to win their PL season opener by 90 points to 85 with every rider playing their part in an unlikely but magnificent victory at Norwich. An opening heat tapes exclusion for Pawel Cegielski was a little harsh as was the disappointing decision against Jake Williams a few heats later. However, the team kept their composure and after an good interval talk from team manager Pete Barnes, the SeaView boys set about the opposition and 2 months of intensive training began to pay dividends with a series of overtakes on home riders. After 17 heats, Poole held a 3 point advantage with a 81 - 84 scoreline and with inside grids Gavin Wheeler was the perfect choice to seal the victory from gate 1 with partner Ben Donohue rounding off probably his best ever PL performance with a fighting 3rd. As expected, Gavin along with Pete Young and Pawel Cegielski provided a solid and experienced backbone for the team and they were delighted with the form shown by their team colleagues. With Thomas Reed unavailable and Tom Colling still sidelined through injury, there were fears of a repeat of the 2009 reversal at Eaton Park but this year the "young guns" delivered....big time! 
NORWICH 85 POOLE 90  Pete Young 18, Gavin Wheeler 17+1, Pawel Cegielski 15, Ben Donohue 12+1, Sam Hearn 10, Jake Williams 9+3, Arron Morgan 5, Leyton Glover 4.

The Poole Division 2 squad was a little depleted due to a couple of late withdrawals but despite conceding 28 penalty points, they secured a victory by 10 points with Matt Elston and Dean Hook linking up with a quartet from the first match. NORWICH 73  POOLE 83  Leyton Glover 19, Arron Morgan 19, Jake Williams 14, Matt Elston 12, Sam Hearn 10, Dean Hook 9.

For full report and action shots go to
- http://www.spokesman-online.co.uk/page_172.html

21st March: Poole secured two more league points as they wrapped up an early season home and away double against Swindon with every rider playing a full part in this comfortable victory. No-one had an answer to jet propelled Sean Rudman who reeled off 5 straight wins but Ben Donohue ran him close in heat 16 having featured in the race of the day in heat 1 when he inched past Danny Harper to join partner Sam Hearn for a curtain raising maximum start. The match ended controversially in heat 18 when Pete Young seemed to have passed Harper but was forced across the track centre resulting in both riders falling and failing to finish the race.
POOLE 106 SWINDON 70  Sam Hearn 17+2, Arron Morgan 16+1, Chris Shylock 15+3, Jake Williams 14+3, Ben Donohue 13+4, Pawel Cegielski 13+1, Pete Young 12, Leyton Glover 6+1.
Referee - Robin Spicer

There was a league debut for Kristina Mines in the Combination fixture which Poole won by 3 points with Harry Boucher reeling off four electrifying starts to head the scores.
POOLE 41 SWINDON 38  Harry Boucher 16, Alex Lane 9, Kristina Mines 6+2, Dean Hook 4 Matt Elston 3+1, Sam Harbord 3.

A busy afternoon was completed with a junior challenge match against local rivals Southampton. Sam Harbord, Alex Lane and Kristina Mines were thrown in at the deep end against more experienced opposition but responded well while the quartet of Luke Armes, Dean Hook, Matt Elston and pocket rocket Harry Boucher all completed their races unbeaten by an opponant. For the Saints, it was good to see Dan Miller back in action and he came the nearest to defeating the home top four.
POOLE 83 SOUTHAMPTON 67  Luke Armes 19+1, Harry Boucher 19+1, Dean Hook 16+4, Matt Elston 16, Alex Lane 6, Kristina Mines 5, Sam Harbord 2.

14th March:  The league season got under way with a potentially tricky away match at the Oasis where Swindon were convincing winners against Poole in 2009. It was a different story this time around as early season fitness training certainly paid dividends for the SeaView boys who ran out winners by 12 points. A timely 7 - 3 from Sam Hearn and Luke Armes in heat 4 steadied the nerves and levelled the scores after two early race reversals. Captain Chris Shylock and his partner Pawel Cegielski piled on the points for Poole while the rest of the side rallied round with good support. Exclusions to Ben Donohue and Sam Hearn restricted their tallies.
SWINDON 83  POOLE 95  - Pawel Cegielski 16+3, Chris Shylock 16+1, Arron Morgan 14, Jake Williams 12+2, Leyton Glover 12+1, Sam Hearn 11+1, Luke Armes 7, Ben Donohue 7.
Referee - Mike Legge
Debut matches for Marcus Warwick and Sam Harbord were successful as both riders played their part in a comfortable victory against a young Swindon side as did Alex Lane who raced a handfull of matches at the end of the 2009 season. Matt Elston and Dean Hook  showed the sort of form which will have them knocking on the door for a first team place very soon!
SWINDON 33 POOLE 50 - Dean Hook 15+1, Matt Elston 12, Marcus Warwick 8, Alex Lane 8, Sam Harbord 4.
Referee - Martin Glover

marcusswindon.JPG
Marcus Warwick leads on his league debut at Swindon

6th March: First Poole rider into competitive action in the new season was Thomas Reed who braved the freezing conditions to compete in the Midland Grand-Prix at Wednesfield. Despite limited opportunitites to train on his home town track in Exeter due to adverse winter weather, Thomas showed a clean pair of wheels to his rivals by scorching to maximum points in his semi-final. He went on to amass 18 points in the final and joined Polish Star Lukas Nowacki and Andy Angell from Sheffield on the rostrum, finishing a highly creditable 3rd. Pick on his races in the final had to be his gate 4 in which he cleared British Champions Lee Aris and Steve Harris to tuck in behind Andy Angell for 3 points. Top stuff Thomas!

                   









 2009 Fixture List   (For match reports please scroll down)

  • March 15th          Poole  v  Horspath           PL
  • March 22nd         Exeter  v  Poole               SWL
  • March 29th          Norwich v Poole              PL
  • April 5th              Poole  v  Southampton   SWL
  • April 12th            Poole v Gt Blakenham     PL
  • April 18th            Poole  v  Exeter               SWL
  • April 19th            Newport  v  Poole            SWL
  • April 26th            Birmingham v Poole        PL
  • May 3rd               Poole v Filton/Newport    SWL
  • May 10th             Leicester  v  Poole            PL
  • May 17th             Poole  v  East Newport     SWL
  • May 23rd             BRITISH U.13 Club Championships (1230,2pm,4pm)
  • May 24th             ADE GALE LAURELS
  • May 25th             Horspath  v  Poole            SWL
  • May 31st             Poole  v  Sheffield             PL
  • Jun 7th               Poole v  Horspath              SWL
  • Jun 14th             Hellingly  v  Poole             SWL
  • Jun 21st              Poole v Wednesfield          PL
  • Jun 28th             Southampton v Poole        SWL
  • July 5th              Poole v Leicester                BTC  (Note: 3pm start)
  • July 12th            Horspath v Poole                PL
  • July 26th            Poole  v  Norwich               PL
  • Aug 2nd             Poole  v  Hellingly              SWL
  • Aug 9th              Gt.Blakenham v Poole        PL
  • Aug 16th            Filton  v  Poole                   SWL
  • Aug 23rd            Poole  v  Birmingham         PL
  • Sept 5th             British Youth/Junior League (1200)
  • Sept 6th             East Newport  v  Poole         SWL
  • Sept 13th            BTC
  • Sept 20th            Poole v Leicester               PL
  • Sept 27th            Swindon v Poole               SWL
  • Oct 4th               Sheffield  v  Poole                PL
  • Oct 11th             Poole  v Swindon               SWL
  • Oct 18th             Wednesfield  v  Poole          PL


Premier League Match Averages 2009  

                                        M.          Pts         M.Av
Thomas Reed                    10          168         16.8
Gavin Wheeler                  10          160         16.0
Marcin Paradindski             3            46         15.3
Artur Poprawski                 5            73          14.6
Pavel Cegielski                   3            41         13.7
Pete Young                        5            63          12.6
Tom Colling                      12          149         12.4
Ben Mould                        13          157         12.0
Aaron Lowey                      5           57          11.4
Chris Roberts                     4            45         11.3
Sam Hearn                       10           98           9.8
Dave Murphy                     9            65          7.3
Ben Donohue                     8            57          7.1
Jake Williams                    6            36          6.0

(Also rode - C.Wheeler 13:1 = 13, L.Glover 22:2 = 11, A.Morgan 11:1 = 11, R.Clanfield 11:1 = 11, R.Haywood 15:2 = 7.5, C.Cox 6:1 = 6, D.McCrae 4:1 = 4).

South West League Match Averages 2009

                                           Pts        M       M.Av
Chris Roberts                       51         3        17.0
Dave Murphy                       84         5        16.8
Aaron Lowey                       99         6        16.5
Sam Hearn                         190       12        15.8
Ben Mould                          61         4        15.3
Ben Donohue                     157       11       14.3
Chris Shylock                    156       11       14.2
Jake Williams                    165       12       13.8
Arron Morgan                    116        9        12.9
Leyton Glover                      83        7        11.9
Luke Armes                       109       13         8.4
Kev Lowman                        71       10        7.1

(Also rode -  Karol Wlodarczyk 29:2=14.5, Matt Elston 27:2=13.5, Bobby McMillan 12:1=12,
Matthew Mildon 11:1=11, Kayleigh Stiggants 6:1=6, Jess Lamb 5:1=5)

South West Conference Match Averages 2009

                                         Pts      M      M.Av
Arron Morgan                   175     10       17.5
Leyton Glover                   170     10       17.0
Jake Williams                   103      7        14.7
Matt Mildon                      102      7        14.6
Sam Hearn                         54       4        13.5
Jess Lamb                          46       4        11.5
Matt Elston                         75       7        10.7
Mike Buczak                      50       7         7.1
Dave Buczak                       42      8         5.3                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

2009 MATCH REPORTS
 
 
 

18th October  2009:   Wednesfield  103  Poole 69

With only Dave Murphy available to ride from the senior squad - it was left to the young brigade to shoulder the racing burden in the final PL match of the season against Wednesfield. Matters became even worse when Dave crashed heavily in his opening race and was unable to take any further part in the meeting. This left Poole with a 7 rider team with an average age of about 14.5 at a venue which is formidable enough at the best of times. A notable PL debut was that of Arron Morgan....expect much more in 2010!

It was no surprise therefore that the interval deficit was a hefty 26 points but all credit to the dogged 2nd half performance from the team as they began to work out the quirks of the track. Special word of praise for young Charlotte Cox for stepping in and taking a full quota of riders after the Murphy injury on a day when some of the senior absentees need to ask themselves about their commitment levels. Limited though the attraction of the fixture might have been to them compared to racing at Harbourside, it was a PL match after all! It was also disappointing that no neutral referee was available for the match in view of the current level of league fees and that is no reflection on Al Bentley who did well.

Scorers:- Ben Mould 16, Thomas Reed 14+1, Sam Hearn 11, Arron Morgan 10+1, Jake Williams 7+1, Charlotte Cox 6, Leyton Glover 5, Dave Murphy 0.        4 exclusions.

Div 2. Wednesfield 63  Poole 66 (Pen pts not added)
Poole conceded the points in this one as five members of the team were drafted into the first team!! Welcome to Alex Lane who had a baptism of fire in his first team match having graduated from Tuesday Clubnight.
Scorers: Sam Hearn 18, Arron Morgan 15+1, Jake Williams 14, Leyton Glover 10+1, Alex Lane 5, Charlotte Cox 4.

11th October 2009: Poole 94 Swindon 78

Poole rounded off their home league season with a win against a lively Wiltshire side who provided tough opposition but it was the better balance and youthful zest which secured the two points which will ensure runners-up spot in the final table.

Swindon were boosted by the inclusion of Shaun Rudman who has ridden only a handfull of matches this season due to a serious leg injury. He recorded three race wins and together with Rob Hunt formed a powerful twin spearhead for the Wiltshire side who put up a spirited performance against a youthful Poole line-up.

Sam Hearn stepped up to the mark as captain and was unbeaten from four starts while Ben Donohue and Jake Williams also excelled. Surpise packet Matt Elston recorded his best score in first team racing with 14 from four races including two wins. Gilt edged prospect Arron Morgan - just 13 years old - also recorded two wins including the scalp of Premier League star Rob Hunt in heat 7.

Special word of praise for referee Robin Spicer who handled this lively match very well and handed three exclusions to Danny Harper for progressively more serious infringements and was totally unfazed by the inevitable diatribe he received in return!

Poole scorers; Sam Hearn 17+1, Ben Donohue 16+1, Jake Williams 15+3, Matt Elston 14, Arron Morgan, Leyton Glover 8+1, Luke Armes 6+1, Chris Shylock 6.
Swindon scorers; Rob Hunt 20, Shaun Rudman 18, Mark Janes 11, James Bailey 9, Danny Harper 8, Martin Glover 6, Paul Matthews 3, Franek Joachin 3.
Referee - Robin Spicer.

October 4th 2009:  Sheffield  94  Poole  85

At first glance this is not the scoreline that suggests the performance of the season for Poole in the Premier League. But wait....against the team that was one match point away from the League championship at Horspath a few weeks ago and without the services of Gav Wheeler, Pete Young, Chris Roberts or any overseas stars....this was a heartwarming day for team managers Colin Sutton and Pete Barnes. They watched as their youngest ever PL team gave the Yorkshire side a real run for their money, recovering from an early 6 point deficit to trail 46 - 43 at the break with debut boy Leyton Glover unbeaten from two starts.

With a triple Polish spearhead, the hosts turned up the heat after the break but what the Poole team lacked in experience, they more than made up for in enthusiasm as the scoreboard showed 87 - 82 with one race to go. Just a shame there were no more than a handful of people to watch - but Sheffield are by no means the only PL club to be short of the mark on this essential promotional requirement!

Scorers: Leyton Glover 16+1, Thomas Reed 16+1, Tom Colling 15+1, Sam Hearn 12+1, Ben Mould 10+3, Ben Donohue 8, Jake Williams 6+1, Dave Murphy 2.

Division 2:
This was one of those mis-matches where the home side tracked a much younger line-up. Although Poole has a whole host of kids in the same age and ability bracket, the long trip North is not an attractive proposition for their families in term time! Hats off to Arron Morgan and Matt Elston for making the long trip for what turned out to be a less than competitive encounter...but why oh why do the PL rules not allow these riders to be named as substitutes in the Div 1 match - no scheduled rides but able to come in for a few races to gain experience at the top level. It works in Poland and there is no reason why it shouldn't here too.
Sheffield 79 Poole 90 ( Arron Morgan 19+1, Matt Elston 17+3, Leyton Glover 15+1, Sam Hearn 14, Jake Williams 13+3, Dave Murphy 12+4)

September 27th 2009:  Swindon 92 Poole 84

On paper this looked to be another 2 SWL points for the taking.....24 hours previously......... but the late withdrawal of skipper Chris Shylock weakened the side and caused Poole to field an incomplete team for the first time this season. Hats off to the efforts of the riders who made the trip....especially to Kayleigh Stiggants who made her first team debut and had her full quota of races.
Poole scorers: A.Morgan 16 + 1 M.Mildon 9 + 2  S.Hearn 15 M.Elston 12 + 1, B.Donohue 12 + 1,
J.Williams 14 + 2 K.Stiggants 6

September 20th 2009:   Poole 93 Leicester 84

Premier League encounters between Poole and Leicester are seldom dull affairs and this was no exception to the rule as the destiny of the two points was in the balance until the closing heats. The visitors missed the services of Craig Marchant and Mark Newey while the home side, already without any of their Polish stars,  suffered the last minute loss of skipper Chris Roberts who was delayed en route from a football match.
Early exchanges saw Poole take 6 - 4 wins in heats 2, 4 and 6 with Thomas Reed's victory over newly crowned GP champion Lukas Nowacki being the highlight. However, Reed was left on the deck in heat 7 after coming off second best in an encounter with Dan Pike and Kev Burns who notched a 6 - 4 of their own to narrow the margin to 4 points. The hosts looked set to restore their 6 point advantage before the break as Ben Donohue superbly passed Adam Stephenson, only to needlessly send the Hull based star flying, giving Leicester a  5 - 4 win and the match was anybody's at 46 -43.
A very ragged start to heat 11 did not attract the expected re-run allowing the visitors to pick up the easiest 7 - 3 they will ever get and the match tipped in their favour at 54 - 55. Nowacki kept them ahead in the next with a comfortable win over Gav Wheeler and the in-form Pete Young. Up to this point in spite of the close and robust racing,  there had been one solitary exclusion in marked contrast to the BTC encounter in July which racked up no less than eleven.
However, tapes infringements in the next two heats proved pivotal and Leicester were guilty on both occasions as nerves got the better of first Nicky Whitehead and then Adam Stephenson. Sole representatives Kev Burns and Dan Pike fought gamely but could not prevent the home side taking a 6 - 3  followed by a 7 - 2 to lead 77 - 70.
Gav Wheeler evened the score with Lukas Nowacki for a share of the spoils in heat 16 to maintain the 7 point margin then a very tactical penultimate race almost produced a Leicester 7 - 3 on the final lap until young guns Reed and Mould outpaced Leon Yelland on the final bend for a 5 - 5. Heat 18 was now academic in match terms, but not for stand-in skipper Pete Young who sped home for his 3rd race win and a total score more reflective of his ability than the BTC disappointment seven days previously.
While more crucial PL matches were being ridden elsewhere, these two sides were battling for mid-table supremacy in near perfect weather conditions and racing was enjoyed by another healthy attendance. The match was preceded by an impeccably observed one minute silence for Poole founder members Roger Nicholson and Colin Sanders.
Poole scorers - Pete Young 17  Ben Mould 15  Gavin Wheeler 15  Thomas Reed 14  Sam Hearn 12  Tom Colling 10  Jake Williams 7  Ben Donohue 3 

Leicester scorers   -  Lukas Nowacki  18  Daniel Pike 17  Kev Burns 13  Leon Yelland 13  Mark Whitehead 8,  Adam Stephenson 6  Nicky Whitehead  6  Matt Hartshorn 3
Referee Richard Hughes

Division 2:

Poole 93  Leicester 61

Seeing newly crowned British GP champion Nowacki in their line-up, Chris Roberts asked to have a rare Div 2 outing to bolster the Poole ranks and even without the addition of 28 penalty points, a home win was chalked up. Good to see Charlotte and Kayleigh in action against British Ladies champion Lucy Whitehead - maybe one day they will reach the same heights!
Poole scorers  -  Leyton Glover 16  Arron Morgan 13  Chris Roberts 11  Luke Armes 11  Matt Elston 8  Charlotte Cox 5  Kayleigh Stiggants 2
Leicester scorers - Lukas Nowacki 16  Nicky Whitehead 15  Steph Whitehead  10  Matt Hartshorn 7  Sam Hartshorn  7  Lucy Whitehead 6
Referee  Mike Legge

September 6th 2009:   East Newport  84  Poole   92

Scorers: Dave Murphy 18, Ben Donohue 13+1, Ben Mould 12+2, Arron Morgan 12+2, Bobby McMillan 12, Sam Hearn 10+1, Jake Williams 10+1, Luke Armes 5.

Combination - E.Newport 28 Poole 52
Matt Mildon 12, Jess Lamb 11+1, Shane Bentley 10+2, Matt Elston 10+2, Leyton Glover 7+1, Kaleigh Stiggants 2.

Conference - E.Newport 76   Poole 71
Arron Morgan 17+1, Leyton Glover 14, Jake Williams 10+1, Matt Mildon 10, Jess Lamb 5, Matt Elston 3, Kalieigh Stiggants 1.

August 23rd 2009: Poole 90  Birmingham 87

Premier League racing at Harbourside just seems to get better and better this season in what is without doubt the most competitive and enjoyable season for many years. This match summed it all up perfectly with close racing, controversy and a last heat decider with the teams deadlocked after 17 pulsating races. Thomas Reed, so often a pocket rocket on his home PL track could get nowhere near Chris Timms in heat 1 and Rich Harrison outfoxed Ben Mould for a 6 - 4 opener with heat 2 squared when Artur Poprawski outpaced Lewis Bates and Russ Evans. Poole made a breakthrough in the next as Marcus Wadhams slipped off on lap 2 undeintenser pressure from Gavin Wheeler allowing skipper Chris Roberts the chance to join his team mate for a 7 - 3.

Tom Colling led from the tapes in heat 4 but all the action was behind him as young Welsh international Mould succesfully challenged the Harrison/Heard pairing for another 7-3 maximum moving the score to 23 - 17. Timms once again once again opted for the gate to get the better of Reed in heat 5 with Dave Murphy outpacing Leighton Bates for a 5 - 5. Chris Roberts was ruled out at the tapes by referee Colin Simmons in the next heat but Wheeler kept his nerve to hold off a lively Lewis Batesin the re-start. The next 3 races were shared with visitors Wadhams, Timms and Heard taking the chequered flag while the hosts packed  the minor places including a last ditch pass in heat 8 by Poprawski on Harrison which saw the disgruntled visitor wreck the Pole's back wheel as the riders returned to the pits.The interval scoreline of 47 - 42 meant that either side was well capable of taking the two points.

Heat 10 saw the home lead extended with a Wheeler/Colling 6 - 4 over the Bates brothers before a contentious heat 11 saw hard charging Pole Poprawski ruled out by the referee to protests from the terraces as well as the home pits who claimed that the challenge on Paul Heard was firm but fair. With Pete Young marooned on gate 4, the re-run gave the visitors a lifeline which they took with a comfortable 7 - 2 from Heard and Wadhams to tranform the scoreboard to 55 - 53. Heat 12 saw the first race win of the day for Reed ahead of Bates for another 5 - 5 but an incident packed heat 13 saw Birmingham take a 6 - 4 with Harrison the suprising winner and Wheeler even more surprisingly last with Roberts just getting the better of Timmsin all the confusion!  Now it was level pegging and the Brummies had their tails up as Wadhams surprisingly gated over the usually fast starting Pole Poprawski in heat 14 for another share of the spoils.
Newly crowned British U.19 champion Paul Heard notched his third straight win in heat 15 while unsung hero Errol Thaw did well to shut out Young for a vital 3rd as his team went back into the lead for the first time since heat 2. The home side were desperate to stop the visitors momentum and up stepped the Reed/Roberts pairing for a vital 6 - 4 win to bring it back to all square with two heats remaining.

Birmingham unsurprisingly brought in their number 7 trump card Heard for Thaw in the penultimate heat and he made no mistakes from gate 1 but importantly Poprawski and Mould packed in the minor places leaving it at 84 points apiece with a race to go. Home fans amongst another healthy crowd were biting their nails in anticipation as British Champion Gavin Wheeler headed towards gate 1 but with Colling replacing Young on 3 and with Wadhams and Timms on 2 & 4 respectively, the odds were probably still on a drawn outcome. At this point lady luck evened itself up on the day with the unfortunate exclusion of Wadhams at the tapes and a home victory was assured with Wheeler taking the re-start from Timms who passed Colling late in the race. Poole just about deserved to take another two league points in their quest to secure fourth place in the table behind their opponants. But the final comment is in danger of becoming something of an over-worked cliche in 2009.....cycle speedway was undoubtedly the real winner.

Poole scorers  -
Thomas Reed 17  Gavin Wheeler 17  Tom Colling 13  Chris Roberts 11  Artur Poprawski 11  Ben Mould 9  Pete Young 7  Dave Murphy 5  (2r)

Birmingham scorers - Paul Heard 18  Chris Timms 17  Lewis Bates 15  Marcus Wadhams 12 Richard Harrison 9  Russ Evans 8  Errol Thaw 5  Leighton Bates 3
Referee:  Colin Simmons

Division 2 - POOLE 59 BIRMINGHAM 70

Title favourites Birmingham hit the ground running by taking a ten point lead in the first four races after which the home side got their act together. With Nathan Groves in a class of his own and several of his team colleagues worthy of first team racing, the visitors held on to their advantage and already have one hand on the league trophy! Both clubs tracked separate eight rider teams and the quality of racing in the match was on a par with the best regional league racing which surely serves to fuel the debate about the merits of this competition even more! Special word of praise for reserve Matt Elston....only one race today....but he won it!!

Poole
- Sam Hearn 15, Aaron Morgan 9, Leighton Glover 8, Rob Haywood 8, Chris Shylock 7, Luke Armes 7, Matt Elston 4, Jess Lamb 1.
Birmingham - Nathan Groves 19, Andy James 11, Paul Timms 10, Tom Sensical 9, Carl Winwood 8, Mark Winwood 6, Mark Fletcher 5, Phil Widdas 2.
Referee - Mike Legge

August 16th 2009:  Filton 87 Poole 91
 
Scorers:  Ben Mould 19, Leyton Glover 7 + 1, Chris Shylock 15 + 1, Luke Armes 9 + 1, Jake Williams 12 + 2, Sam Hearn 14 + 1, Jessica Lamb 4 + 1, Aaron Morgan 11 + 2

August 9th 2009: Gt.Blakenham 83 Poole 96
 
Revenge for the ten point home defeat back in April was sweet indeed as Poole built up a first half lead of 10 points and consolidated after the break as every team member played his part. The two valuable league points elevate the team into the top half of the PL table, overtaking Wednesfield, Leicester and Blakenham who all lost. Now the task is to stay there!
 
There were absentees from both sides but greater squad strength in depth for the SeaView boys won the day with skipper Dave Murphy putting on a vintage display while down the age range, Sam Hearn and Jake Williams again showed that they are ready for regular PL first team action. Ben Mould threatens to steal the show in every match these days and once again his pass on home rider and former Poole star Adam Peck in heat 18 was top drawer stuff.
 
Next up in the fixture list will see high flying Birmingham visit Harbourside in a fortnight...now what a match that promises to be!
 
Scorers: Gavin Wheeler 15+1, Ben Mould 14+1, Tom Colling 14 (1 exc), Thomas Reed 13+2, Dave Murphy 13+1, Artur Poprawski 13+1, Jake Williams 8+2 (3r), Sam Hearn 6+1 (3r).
 
Division 2:
 
Gt Blakenham 59 Poole 70
 
Jake Williams 13+2, Sam Hearn 13+1, Arron Morgan 13+1, Matt Elston 12, Leyton Glover 10+1, Luke Armes 9+1.

August 2nd 2009:  Poole 104 Hellingly 75
 
The return SWL fixture with South Coast rivals went off very smoothly as Poole carried strength in depth in contrast to the Lions largely 2 man attack.
Chris Roberts sheared a crank in his opener and Ben Donohue hit the deck a race later to give  an early 2 point lead to the visitors. Poole responded with four 7 - 3's before the interval with Sam Hearn's dual with top Lion Neil Hollebon in heat 8 the race of the day.
 
Tactical moves after the break kept the racing lively but Chris Roberts was in no mood to drop any more points after his heat 2 disappointment as his replacement crank withstood the force of four powerhouse starts! Luke Armes put in four excellent races from reserve and Sam Hearn went through the match unbeaten by an opponant. Every member of the team played their part in a comprehensive victory and a word of praise for referee Robin Spicer who came through his first Division 1 appointment with flying colours.
 
Poole: Sam Hearn 18, Chris Roberts 16, Chris Shylock 15, Jake Williams 14, Ben Donohue 13, Arron Morgan 12, Luke Armes 12, Kev Lowman 4.
 
Hellingly: Neil Hollebon 21, Martin Hollebon 18, Zac Parsons 11, Eddie Ridley 10, John Durham 7, Jamie Morley 4, Sam Craddock 3, Shaun Archer 1.
 
Referee - Robin Spicer
 
Division 2:
 
Poole 56 Hellingly 24
 
Three wins from debut rider Dean Hook reveal another potential young track star in the making as Poole notched up 7 - 3's in every heat!
 
Poole: Dean Hook 12, Harry Boucher 12, Matt Mildon 9, Leyton Glover 9, Matt Elston 8, Jess Lamb 6
 
Hellingly : Andrew Geer 7, Jamie Craddock 6Richard Ball 5, Steven Archer 5, Shaun Archer 2.

July 25th 2009:  Poole 94 Norwich 81
 
An even and sportingly contested encounter before an appreciative crowd saw the result in doubt right down to the closing heats when the hosts finally seized the initiative with two late wins. Full credit to the Norfolk side with their strongest away line-up of the season which included Phil Howells and sprightly Dave Solomon who ended the day as top scorer.
 
With Tom Reed injured, several squad members sidelined and flu victim Pete Young managing only two races before  being forced to withdraw from the meeting, Poole drew heavily on the power of Artur Poprawski who inspired three vital heat wins on his way to a full maximum return..
 
Ian Grange led home hard charging Gavin Wheeler in the opener which was shared while Pete Young did well to hold off the challenging Stars in the next after Chris Roberts was ruled out at the tapes. A foretaste of what was to come from Artur Poprawski in a re-run heat 3 saw him race from last to first picking off Lee Cossey and Phil Howells and creating gaps for his partner Colin Wheeler in the process to calm home nerves with a maximum 7 - 3 return.
 
Gav Wheeler and Ben Donohue followed suit in heat 4 but Ian Grange and Dave Solomon worked a good 6 - 4 in the fifth heat to reduce the arrears to 5. Two shared heats followed with Phil Howells getting the better of Gav Wheeler in heat 7 before another Grange/Solomon 6 - 4 tightened the soreline to 41 - 38.
 
An over exuberant challenge by Nick Myhill on Artur Poprawski which sent both riders tumbling heavily ruled the Norwich rider out of a re-run heat 9 which produced a third staight win for the pacey Pole in a 6 - 3  Poole advantage to give an interval scoreline of 47 - 41. Race wins from  Solomon and Howells after the break kept the visitors in touch until Nick Myhill tangled with Gav Wheeler in heat 12 and failed to complete the four laps as the hosts clinched another 6 - 3 win.
 
Convincing wins from Poprawski and home skipper Chris Roberts  saw the scoreline advance to 73 - 64 with 4 heats remaining.  Any thoughts of relaxing were short lived in the home side of the pits as a Ben Donohue tapes exclusion opened the door for a  Norwich 6 - 3 as Nick Myhill recovered from a nightmare 3 rides, which produced only 2 points, to outpace Tom Colling.
 
The deficit was back to 6 and the visitors prepared for a late surge only to be thwarted when Richard Wliiamson shed a chain at the start line of heat 16. Artur Poprawski duly completed his maximum to generous applause and the home advantage was back to 9. Nick Myhill squeezed in another race win at the expense of the Wheeler/Roberts combination in the penultimate heat and with the score at 87-78 the excitement was over for the day...or so we thought.
 
Heat 18 provided one of those very special moments for Colin Wheeler, drafted in at short notice to replace teenage sensation Tom Reed. Just a day after his 65th birthday he featured in a classic 7 - 3 with fellow Saint Tom Colling as they oufoxed the powerful Grange/Howells duo in the race of the day which drew the crowd to its feet in appreciation......magical stuff!
 
Poole scorers:  Artur Poprawski 20, Gav Wheeler 15, Tom Colling 13, Colin Wheeler 12, Chris Roberts 11,Ben Donohue 9, Rob Haywood 7, Pete Young 7 (2 rides).
 
Norwich scorers:  Dave Solomon 15, Phil Howells 14, Ian Grange 14, Lee Grange 11, Nick Myhill 10, Richard Williamson 7, Craig Norton 5, Leigh Cossey 5.
 
Referee           Richard Hughes.
 
See BCF photo report following this link;-
 
 
Division 2:  Poole 65  Norwich 62
 
If every Division 2 match was even half as good as this one, any doubts about the need for the competition would be dispelled forever!  It was a classic encounter between two evenly balanced sides brimming with young talent as every heat was contested as if lives depended upon it. An early tapes offence by Sam Hearn enabled top of the table Norwich to claw a single point advantage up to heat 7 when Luke Armes made a similar error. James Wakefield and George Solomon capitalised fully with a 7 - 2 in the re-start despite pressure from Sam Hearn and with the score at 31 - 37  things looked bright for the visitors. Jake Williams and the highly impressive Arron Morgan hit straight back with a 7 -3 and the margin was back to 2 points which is where it stayed for the next 4 heats which were all shared.
 
Norwich had the advantage of inside grids in the nominated finale and opted for Kieron Parr and George Solomon while Poole unsurprisingly selected Jake Williams and Sam Hearn. A momentary lapse of concentration on the first bend by the Norwich pairing saw the Poole duo heading for a win until George Solomon was judged to have clipped over the inside line to launch an attack on Jake Williams leaving Kieron Parr to tackle the two home riders alone in the re-start. It proved just too much for him and Poole moved into the lead for the first and only time of the match to record an unlikely win with a Hearn/Williams 7 - 2. Hard to pick a man of the match for Poole as all 6 rode so well - probably the youngest on parade, Matt Mildon....never has a rider ridden so hard for such a modest return!
 
Full credit to both teams for their efforts as many "wise" heads around the track with more years in the sport than they would care to mention agreed that they had just seen the best combination match ever! Who could disagree?
 
Poole - Jake Williams 17, Arron Morgan 13, Sam Hearn 13, Leyton Glover 9, Luke Armes 9, Matthew Mildon 4, Jess Lamb dnr Matt Elston dnr
 
Norwich - Kieron Parr 16, James Wakefield 12, George Solomon 11, Barry Copping 10, Josh Colby 8, Liam Parker 5.
 
Referee             Mike Legge

July 11th 2009;  Horspath 94  Poole 81
 
This was a great performance by the Seaview team against the league leaders especially given the non-availability of the "champion" trio of Gavin Wheeler, Pete Young and Thomas Reed and the absence of suspended Aaron Lowey. With a full strength line-up, victory would have been there for the taking. Fortunately, the depth of the senior squad saw Torun stars Pawel Cegielski and Marcin Paradindski pressed into action and the centenarian reserve pairing of Dave Murphy and Rob Haywood adding experience to the lower order.
 
Trailing by 9 at the half-way stage having suffered a couple of exclusions, Poole started pegging back after the break but there was a harsh exclusion for Marcin Paradindski in the penultimate race when Poole were on for a
6-4 which would have narrowed the gap to 7. Ironically the Torun stars faced their clubmate Rafal Dulinski who flew in for his first match for the Hammers in 2009 - a clear sign of how worried the home side were. Had Poole tracked their full line-up, those worries would have been well justified!
 
Scorers: Artur Poprawski 15+1, Pawel Cegielski 13+2, Tom Colling 13, Chris Roberts 11+1, Marcin Paradindski 9, Ben Mould 7+1, Rob Haywood 7, Dave Murphy 6.
 
Division 2: Horspath 58  Poole 72
With two of the Under 16 championship winning team Arron Morgan and Leyton Glover leading the way, Poole gained revenge in the Division 2 encounter by a 14 point margin. Recent junior recruit Harry Boucher made a promising away debut and looks set to follow in the wheeltracks of his accomplished young team mate Matt Mildon who was again in fine form.
Scorers: Leyton Glover 16, Arron Morgan 15, Luke Armes 12, Matt Elston 9, Matt Mildon 9, Jessie Lamb 6, Harry Boucher 5.

July 4th 2009; Poole 84 Leicester 82
 
With 16 title successes between them and a host of epic clashes down the years, there was every expectation that this might be another classic and so it proved to be. The home side had more or less written off their chances at the break, trailing by eight points and conceding no less than 5 exclusions. Without the services of Chris Roberts and Aaron Lowey through suspensions, the visitors safe passage to the semi's seemed assured.
 
After a quiet opening exchange, Poole suffered the first of their exclusions in heat 4 with Ben Donohue out for moving at the tapes, swiftly followed by Sam Hearn for the same offence a heat later when he was joined by Ben Mould after a hotly contested exclusion when disputing second place with Dan Pike. The resulting 7-0 gave Leicester a 28-18 advantage.
 
Races were becoming more fiercely contested and when Dan Pike was the first visitor to get his marching orders at the tapes in heat 8, Poole looked to be cruising to a 7 - 2 with Dave Murphy out in front and Gav Wheeler covering in second. Then Kev Burns tried an inside pass on the home straight and came to grief with referee Richard Hughes pointing to the home rider. Pandemonium reigned for several minutes as tempers flared but order was soon restored and Dave Murphy won the two rider re-run against Burns.
 
Nerves were playing an increasing part in procedings as first the usually cool Pete Young and then Nicky Whitehead both ruled out of heat 9 for tapes movement, leaving Leon Yelland to head home Ben Donohue for a 4 - 3 and an interval score of 36 - 44. Ben Donohue picked up the sixth home exclusion after the break for a do or die last bend lunge for third place on Robbie Venson but with Craig Marchant taking the win, Leicester looked out of sight on 39 - 50.
 
Poole hit back with a Wheeler/Hearn  6 - 4 before a pivotal heat 12 when Craig Marchant was ruled out for an obstruction on fast charging Ben Mould. The re-start allowed Mould and in-form Tom Colling to fully capitalise with a 7-2 and all of a sudden at 52 - 56 there was a glimmer of hope for home fans amongst a healthy Harbourside Park crowd.
 
With the next 3 heats shared, the margin remained as the scores progressed to 67 - 71 and surely victory would depend on holding nerves in check. Then in heat 16 Craig Marchant caught the eagle eye of referee Hughes for a flinch at the tapes and all of a sudden the impossible dream for the host began to look distinctly feasible as Pete Young sped away followed by Burns and Mould. Then a piece of sheer magic from the Welsh youngster in the ride of the day as he out foxed the Leicester skipper to join his parter for a 7 - 2 and an unlikely 74 - 73 scoreline.
 
Leon Yelland came out for his third race in heat 17 despite being less than 100% fit and steadied the Leicester nerves with a win under pressure and with Mark Newey holding on to third place, the visitors were back in front 78 - 79. The all important last heat lined up with Clanfield and Wheeler on 1 and 3 and Pike and Craig Whitehead on 2 and 4. Pike sped away from gate 2 but cut sharply across on  home star Wheeler on the back straight sending him crashing to the deck and leaving the referee little option but to rule him out.
 
Four tense laps later the British Champion sped home for a win and with Richard Clanfield tucked in for third place, Poole clinched a 6 - 3 and a place in the semi-finals which few would have believed possible at the interval stage.
There were 11 exclusions and countless re-runs in a match which was hard but never dirty as each team had a healthy respect for the other. Indeed there were many who reckoned that it would hard to beat this for sheer excitement in the final itself.
Well done to all 16 riders for playing their part in another epic!
 
Poole 84 ( Tom Colling 16, Gavin Wheeler 16, Pete Young 14, Ben Mould 11, Rich Clanfield 10, Dave Murphy 9, Sam Hearn 4, Ben Donohue 4);
 
Leicester 82  (Mark Newey 14, Kev Burns 13, Nicky Whitehead 10, Leon Yelland 10, Robbie Venson 9, Dan Pike 9, Craig Marchant 9, Mark Whitehead 8).
 
Referee - Richard Hughes
 
For action shots...follow this link to the British Cycling website!
 
 

June 28th 2009:  Southampton 107  Poole 70
 
Scorers: Jake Williams 12, Arron Morgan 11+1, Chris Shylock 9+1, Luke Armes 9+1, Leyton Glover 8+1, Ben Donohue 8, Sam Hearn 7+2, Kev Lowman 4.
 
Conference League:  Southampton 56 Poole 94
 
Scorers: Arron Morgan 17+1, Matt Mildon 16+3, Leyton Glover 16+3, Less Lamb 15+4, Sam Hearn 12, David Bukzak 10+1, Jake Williams 8.

June 21st 2009:  Poole 101 Wednesfield 77
 
After 3 consecutive home defeats in the Premier League at the hands of Horspath, Gt Blakenham and Sheffield, Poole finally put together a convincing performance against old enemy Wednesfield, with every rider playing his full part in a convincing victory. Although the visitors had their experienced top four in action, it was disappointing to see their younger riders fail to put in an appearance.
 
Captain Chris Roberts and Thomas Reed got the home side off to the best possible start with a 7 - 3 and three more maximum heats before the break gave the Seaview boys the luxury of a 20 point interval advantage. Pete Young featured in two of them as first Terry Norman then Lee Aris were sidelined for tape infringements. Artur Poprawski made his first appearance of the season with three accomplished rides while Ben Mould put in some sterling team work picking up 4 bonus points en route.
 
After the break, the visitors claimed inside grids and Poole were content to  share the heats. Sam Hearn caught the eye in heat 15 with a fine pass to pick up 3rd place while Thomas Reed burst through to win an entertaining heat 16 taking his tally to 18+1 - dropping his only point to Lee Aris. Another notable achievement for the revamped home line-up was the clean sheet in the exclusions chart....amazing!
 
Scorers: Thomas Reed 18+1, Pete Young 17, Gavin Wheeler 15+2, Ben Mould 12+4, Tom Colling 11+1, Artur Poprawski 10+1, Chris Roberts 10, Sam Hearn 8+1.
 
Division 2:  Poole 87 Wednesfield 66 (Jake Williams 13, Leyton Glover 13, Luke Armes 12, Arron Morgan 9, Jessie Lamb 6, Lewis Mitchell 5, Matt Elston 4, David Buczak 2).
 
(For photo report go to the new British Cycling website)
 

June 14th 2009:  Hellingly  87    Poole  87
 
A foolish over-reaction by Aaron Lowey to a heat 12 exclusion resulting in a red card cost Poole a comfortable win as the home side closed the deficit in the remaining heats.  A successful defence of the SWL title was always a long shot after the season opening reversal at Exeter in March but with this result the trophy now seems to be heading in the Oxford direction. Consolation here was the way the Seaview young guns rode out the match with pride.
Chris Shylock 17, Sam Hearn 15+1, Jake Williams 14+3, Aaron Lowey 12, Leyton Glover 9+3, Aaron Morgan 9, Kev LOwman 6, Luke Armes 5.

7th June 2009    Poole 96  Horspath 81
 
This was sweet revenge for Poole after their 92 - 84 defeat at the village a fortnight ago but the league title may beyond their grasp after that expensive and controvsersial one point defeat at Exeter in March. Aaron Lowey was different class with a faultless maximum and how good it was to see Chris Roberts returning to something like his old form. Still well short of match practise, he dropped his only point to Steve Harris but turned tables on the Horspath star in the final race.
 
Ridden in steady rain, this was another all round team performance with young guns Jake Williams and Sam Hearn always in the thick of the action.
The visitors made good use of the tactical rules to keep in touch but sorely missed their ace card Mark Boaler.
 
Scorers -  Aaron Lowey 20, Chris Roberts 19, Sam Hearn 13+1, Ben Donohue 12, Jake Williams 11+1, Chris Shylock 9+1, Kev Lowman 6+2, Luke Armes 6+1.
(Action shots will appear on British Cycling and Spokesman websites)
 
Referee  -  Mike Legge
 
Conference League - Poole  82  Horspath 67
 
Scores were nip and tuck in the early stages as the rain continued to fall but the home side got into their stride to consolidate their lead at the top of the league table. Leyton Glover and Arron Morgan confirmed their recent run of fine form, both raced unbeaten by an opponant but for sheer breathtaking entertainment, Matt Mildon once again stole the show with some well judged overtakes!
 
Scorers - Matt Mildon 16+3, Leyton Glover 15+1, Matt Elston 12+1, Arron Morgan 12, Lewis Mitchell 9+2, Jess Lamb 9, Harry Boucher 5, David Buczak 4.
 
 

31st May 2009  Poole 88 Sheffield 90
 
This was another real classic between these two teams as 18 heats of scintilating races were dished up in front of another healthy crowd who shunned the attractions of the beach amidst brilliant weather. Already depleted by Thomas Reed due to exam preparations, Poole had not expected to be without British Champion Gavin Wheeler who ended up racing at a regional event at Hellingly - but these absentees proved costly as did a number of basic errors from Poole riders either side of the interval.
 
The Stars were 46-43 ahead at the half-way stage and had moved to 86-82 by the penultimate race. A home 6-4 in the last was too little too late to save any league points and a lowly league table position now looks likely. Bright spots were a scorching 18 points from world number 4 Marcin Paradinski and some vintage stuff from vets Pete Young and Rich Clanfield drafted in to cover absentees at short notice.
 
But for sheer determination, hats off to young Ben Mould in heat 16. With just 7 hard won points from his first four races, he muscled his way through from last to pass experienced Pole Darious Pilas for a third place which kept Poole in with a chance up to the final heat. 
 
Scorers - Marcin Paradinski 18, Aaron Lowey 17+1, Pete Young 13+1, Pavel Cegielski 11+1, Rich Clanfield 10+1 (4r), Ben Mould 9, Ben Donohue 6, Sam Hearn 4.
 
Div 2: Poole 88 Sheffield 65 (Leyton Glover 17, Jake Williams 12, Jessi Lamb 11, Matt Elston 11, Lewis Mitchell 6, Luke Armes 4, Mike Buczak 3.) 24 p/pts

25th May 2009: Horspath 92 Poole 84
 
Against a very strong Hammers team featuring 6 of their Premier League squad, Poole put on a creditable performance with a great all round effort from all 8 riders.
Scorers: Aaron Lowey 17+1, Ben Mould 15+1, Chris Shylock 14, Jake Williams 11+2, Dave Murphy 10+2, Ben Donohue 8, Luke Armes 5+1, Kev Lowman 4+1.
 
Horspath 71 Poole 79
Poole maintained their unbeaten record in the Conference League after a hard fought battle against the rapidly improving young Oxford side. Once again, this was a victory which was attributable to the efforts of every single team member - top to bottom.
Scorers: Leyton Glover 19+1, Arron Morgan 19, Matt Elston 16, Jessie Lamb 10, David Buczak 8+1, Mike Bukzak 7.
 
 
 

17th May 2009  Poole 119  East Newport 61
 
The wet and blustery weather took its toll on the crowd for this one and the sturdy souls who did brave the elements witnessed a rather one sided affair.
Minus five of their senior team regulars, the Welsh team were a pale shadow of the side which provided such stiff opposition towards the end of the 2008 season when the league championship was on the line. Poole did not concede one heat and won 12 of them by a maximum score.
 
The home top six all scored maximums and this included Chris Roberts who came through with flying colours for his first match of the season after his ankle operation earlier in the year.
 
Scorers: Sam Hearn 19+1, Ben Donohue 19+1, Dave Murphy 18+2, Chris Shylock 17+3, Aaron Lowey 16+4, Chris Roberts 16, Luke Armes 9+1, Kev Lowman 5.
 
Referee - Mike Legge
 
SW Conference League:  Poole 87 East Newport 63
 
This match provided some ecellent racing with Leyton Glover and Jake Williams leading the way with unbeaten scores and Arron Morgan headed only once to maintain the top of the table position. Jessie Lamb made a successful comeback after her return from Australia.
Scorers:  Leyton Glover 20, Jake Williams 19+1, Arron Morgan 18+1, Matt Elston 12+2, Jess Lamb 12, Mike Buczak 4, Dave Buczak 1, Charlotte Cox 1.
 
SWL Division 2:  Poole 43  East Newport 37
Ashley Stafford 15, Charlotte Cox 11, Harry Boucher 8, Richard Witherington 6, Mike Buczak 2, David Buczak 1.

10th May 2009: Leicester 81 Poole 93

With Dave Murphy and Ben Donohue unavailable and other home based riders still sidelined, the opportunity was taken for Polish stars Pawel Cegielski and Marcin Paradinski to line up for their first match of the season and the two Torun based riders certainly did not disappoint. From the moment they teamed up for a 7 - 3 in the first race, Poole spirits were lifted and the whole team responded to return their first Premier League victory of the season.

With Marcin and Thomas Reed only dropping a point apiece in 6 first half heats, Poole were able to build a lead of 7 by the interval and piled on the pressure after the break with the lead stretched to 13 after race 13. The home side conceded 4 exclusions in their efforts to close the gap while Poole suffered that fate only once with Tom Colling suffering a tapes offence in a re-start after a home rider had already had his marching orders!

Aaron Lowey made a successful return to the saddle after his recent hand injury scoring 11 from four races at reserve. All eight riders performed well and were jubilant after opening their PL account....and just a little relieved.

Scorers: Marcin Paradinski 19, Thomas Reed 16+1,Gavin Wheeler 16+1, Pawel Cegielski 13+1, Aaron Lowey 11 (4), Ben Mould 9+1, Tom Colling 5+1 (4), Sam Hearn 4+1 (3).

Division 2 : Leicester 63 Poole 66                                                                

A close match between two well balanced teams saw Poole edge home by a 3 point margin with all seven riders playing their vital part. Matt Elston caught the eye with some vital points while Charlotte Cox had the opportunity of seeing British Ladies champion, Amy Crouch in action.

Scorers: Leyton Glover 16, Luke Armes 13+1, Matt Elston 11, Arron Morgan 10, Matt Mildon 7+1, Charlotte Cox 6, Mike Buczak 3.

3rd May 2009:  Poole 109  Filton 71
 
A solid team performance paved the way for a convincing SWL victory against Filton with Ben Donohue leading the way with an unbeaten return. The visitors top three were restricted to 4 race wins while 7 home riders notched at least one heat success. The general standard of racing was excellent, none better than heat 11 when Sam Hearn stalked Mike Burgess for 3 laps before executing a superb outside overtake.
 
Scorers: Ben Donohue 19+1, Sam Hearn 17+2, Chris Shylock 17, Leyton Glover 15+2, Dave Murphy 15+1, Jake Williams 12+2, Kev Lowman 9+1, Luke Armes 7+1.
 
Poole 84 Newport 65   (SW Conference)
 
Arron Morgan and Matt Mildon provided a potent spearhead in the return match against the South Wales club, dropping just one point between them in five rides apiece. Leyton Glover, Sam Hearn and Jake Williams dropped races to let in reserves but were all unbeaten.
Scorers: Arron Morgan 19+1, Matt Mildon 17+2, Leyton Glover 15+1, Jake Williams 11+1, Sam Hearn 7+1, David Buczak 6+1, Mike Buczak 6, Harry Ryan 3).
 
 
 

April 26th  2009     Birmingham 89  Poole  84
 
An opening heat 6 - 4 win with Gavin Wheeler leading the way was immediately cancelled out by a Birmingham 7 - 3 then a shared heat 3 with Thomas Reed headed by Lewis Bates. Gavin once again sprung into action in the next as he came through to join partner Ben Mould for a 7 - 3 max.
 
Unfortunately the home side returned a 7 - 3 of their own and after 2 shared heats Ben Donohue picked up the first of two exclusions for some over zealous riding. A pre-interval home 7 - 3 put the half way scoers at 49 - 40 and the writing was on the wall. A second half recovery came to a faltering halt in heat 16 when Gavin was somewhat controversially given his marching orders at the tapes after a couple of home riders seemed to get away with previous movement.
 
Once again the league points evaded Poole albeit that reports of a top quality match ridden in excellent spirit provided a modicum of compensation!
Scorers: Thomas Reed 17, Gavin Wheeler 14, Sam Hearn 13, Tom Colling 12, Ben Mould 11, Dave Murphy 9, Ben Donohue 7, Jake Williams 1 (1r).
 
Division 2: Birmingham 64 Poole 61 (Jake Williams 15,Leyton Glover 14,Arron Morgan 12, Matt Mildon 8, Matt Elston 4,David Buczak 4, Mike Buczak 4).
 
See BCF website for action photos

April 19th 2009:   Newport   70  Poole 79
 
Poole maintained their unbeaten league record with a win against the South Wales club and now set the pace at the top of the table.
Scorers: Leyton Glover 17+1, Jake Williams 17+1, Arron Morgan 16, Matt Mildon 11+2, Matt Elston 10+1, David Buczak 4, Mike Buczak 2, Harry Ryan 2.

April 18th 2009:  Poole  90  Exeter 88
 
Everything that you could possibly want from an afternoon's racing was right here in the Div 1 and Conference League matches with two well matched teams giving 100%...fast and furious...never dull and always fair. If anyone wanted an advert for regional league racing then it was right here in abundance. Making their first team debuts, Arron Morgan and Leyton Glover impressed in heats 1 and 2 then a Chris Shylock/Jake Williams 7-2 nudged Poole ahead after Dom McCrae moved at the tapes. When Arron Morgan was guilty of a similar offence in heat 7, Exeter were sitting on a 7 - 2 until Ben Donohue sprung to life first passing Dom McCrae then Corey Heyde on the run in for an outstanding victory.
 
Poole stretched their lead to 64 - 54 by heat 12 but the visitors bounced straight back in heat 13 by using the tac sub rule for a  7 - 3. A match winning ride by Leyton Glover to hold off Dom McCrae and Aaron Herbert in heat 14 enabled Poole to hold their crucial 6 point lead up to heat 17 so that the expected Reed/McCrae 7 - 3 in the final race was too late to save the points for Exeter. All in all, a great result with worthwhile contributions from every team member.
 
Scorers: Ben Donohue 16, Leyton Glover 15+2, Jake Williams 14+1, Chris Shylock 13, Karol Wlodarczyk 12+1, Arron Morgan 10+1, Kev Lowman 5+2, Luke Armes 5+1.
 
What a showcase for under 18 talent the Conference League match turned out to be as the lead changed constantly throughout the 15 heats as Poole grabbed a 6 - 4 in the final race to clinch victory. Jake Williams and Leyton Glover with four race wins apiece and Arron Morgan with three provided a potent spearhead while a vital win under pressure from Matt Elston in heat
13 proved crucial in the closing stages. With Sam Hearn unavailable, Matt Mildon stepped up to the mark and rode tenaciously despite having just returned from a 2 week holiday.
Conference League: Poole 77 Exeter 72
Scorers - Leyton Glover 18, Arron Morgan 17, Jake Williams 16, Matt Elston 11, Matt Mildon 10+2, Mike Buczak 3, Charlotte Cox 1, David Buczak 1.
 
Combination League: Poole 25 Exeter 55
Charlotte Cox 7, Mike Buczak4, Adam Bendinelli 4, Harry Ryan 4, David Buczak 3, Daniel Cox 3.

April 12th 2009  Poole 82  Great Blakenham 92
 
A great 18 heats of racing in front of a healthy Bank Holiday crowd was marred by a nasty heat 7 tumble by skipper Aaron Lowey who was forced to withdraw from the meeting with a hand injury - later diagnosed as two broken fingers. The advantage swung back and forth for a dozen heats with the lead changing no less than 6 times such was the competitive nature of the racing.
 
Thomas Reed brought the crowd to its feet in heat 3 when he stormed past Chris Osborne and Adam Peck to win the race after being left alone when Tom Colling was excluded for an infringement. Poole were still 3 ahead after 10 races but with Lowey missing from heats 12 and 17 and Colling guilty of moving at the tapes in heat 13, the Suffolk side capitalised with wins in all 3 races.
 
There were race wins for young England stars Sam Hearn on his home PL debut and Ben Mould but with 3 consecutive league defeats, concern is growing about the prospects for the 2009 season. Once again, however, cycle speedway was a winner...racing out of the top drawer, great crowd and perfect track conditions.
 
Scorers - Thomas Reed 19, Gav Wheeler 14+1, Ben Mould 12, Dave Murphy 10+1, Sam Hearn 10, Tom Colling 9+2, Ben Donohue 6, Aaron Lowey 2.
(See British Cycling and Spokesman online websites for action photos)
 
Div2:  Poole 79  (inc 33 pen.pts)  Gt.Blakenham 81
Unfortunately, the visitors had just 2 riders for the D2 event which proved to be someway short of a competitive event....the term men against boys springs to mind. Strong advocates of the compulsary need for D2 would have been hard pressed to justify their views in this context. Leyton Glover and Arron Morgan once again battled away bravely and it was good to see one of the Poole club's founder members Rob Haywood back on a bike again.....training for the vets maybe?
 
Scorers: Rob Haywood 10, Leyton Glover 7, Arron Morgan 7, Kev Lowman 7, Luke Armes 6, Mike Buczak 6, David Buczak 3.

April 5th 2009:  Poole 108  Southampton 72
 
With Saints twin spearhead of Gav Wheeler and Pete Young unavailable due to work, Poole gave valuable first team opportunities to rapidly improving Leyton Glover and Arron Morgan who grabbed the chance with both hands. After the disappointing result at Exeter, the defending SWL champions got their season under way at Baiter Park with a good all round team effort. There were some excellent races involving Tom Colling and Colin Wheeler and the scoreline did not do justice to the entertainment delivered up.
 
Scorers: Aaron Lowey 18, Sam Hearn 17+2, Karol Wlodarczyk 14+2, Arron Morgan 14+1, Chris Shylock 13+2, Luke Armes 12+1, Kev Lowman 11+1, Leyton Glover 9+2.
 
As if to underline the quality of the club's junior talent, Dan Reeves reeled off 4 wins out of 5 races to top the scorechart on his debut match for the SeaView U.18 team when the Conference team maintained its 100% record as the final scoreline read Poole 92 Southampton 57
Scorers:  Dan Reeves 18, Arron Morgan 17+2, Sam Hearn 15+1, Leyton Glover 14+1, Mike Buczak 13+4, David Buczak 11+1, Harry Ryan 4.

March 29th 2009:  Norwich 94  Poole 82
 
This was a well contested match as the hosts picked up premier league points at the expense of a slightly depleted Poole team which missed the services of Thomas Reed and Dom McCrae. Injury to 2008 trump card Andre Cross during a mid-week practise further reduced the fire power and with Chris Roberts still some weeks away from a return to the saddle, it was not surprising that the Dorset side struggled after the break, having - somewhat surprisingly - lead by 2 points at the interval.
 
The cause was not helped by three race exclusions involving Ben Mould, Ben Donohue and Aaron Lowey, but there were no complaints about referee Pete Dalley who was fair and consistent. Considering the home side were boosted by two recent Polish signings and the return of former British Champion Phil Howells, Poole did well to keep in touch and bright spots were the form of Tom Colling who was happy to be back on his own bike and Sam Hearn who showed that he is ready for top flight racing with 12+2 points which included an overtake on Phil Howells.
 
Significantly, the Poole line-up featured 8 British riders with primary registrations at the club...no secondaries and no overseas stars. It will be interesting to see what clubs have put together elsewhere today!!
 
Scorers: Gavin Wheeler 15+1, Tom Colling 15, Aaron Lowey 13+1, Sam Hearn 12+2, Dave Murphy 11+1, Ben Mould 7+, Ben Donohue 7, Jake Williams 2+1 (1 ride).
 
Div 2  Norwich 68  Poole 59
 
Leyton Glover 17, Jake Williams 13+1, Kev Lowman 9, Matt Elston 8+1, Arron Morgan 8+1, Luke Armes 6+2.
 
 

March 22nd 2009:  Exeter 89 Poole 88
 
A heat 17 max from Thomas Reed and Dom McCrae put the home side 5 points ahead and although Poole returned a 7 - 3 in the final race, the heat 18 result was academic in terms of the SW league points. This was a close encounter between two evenly matched teams and it was a pity that a highly contentious exclusion to Aaron Lowey on the first bend of heat 11 ultimately proved to be the real match decider.
 
Although the decision incensed the Seaview riders and officials, they recovered their poise to battle it out to the finish. With Chris Shylock sidelined through injury and Karol Wlodarczyk unavailable due to work, Dave Murphy stepped in to reel off a vintage performance against his home town team in the process scotching internet stories about his health!
 
Scorers: Dave Murphy 16+2, Sam Hearn 14, Ben Donohue 13+1, Ben Mould 12, Aaron Lowey 10+1, Kev Lowman 9, Luke Armes 7+1, Jake Williams 7.
 
Once again Leyton Glover, Arron Morgan and Matt Mildon caught the eye in the D2 match and it cant be long now before they are given opportunities in SWL Division 1 racing.
 
Combination League: Exeter 33  Poole 47
Scorers - Arron Morgan 15+1, Matthew Mildon 13+1, Leyton Glover 10, Matt Elston 7, David Buczak 2.
 
New rules banning graded riders from Conference racing sidelined Thomas Reed and Ben Mould but probably made little difference to the final outcome as Poole U.18's started the season with a fine victory.
 
SW Conference League:  Exeter 65 Poole 82
Scorers - Jake Williams 17+1, Arron Morgan 17, Sam Hearn 15+3, Leyton Glover 13+1, Matthew Mildon 9+1, Matt Elston 7, David Buczak 4.

March 15th 2009: Poole  81  Horspath 97
 
The former PL champions looked the stronger outfit on paper and although the final margin probably flattered them, they were deserved winners in this season opener. The opening heats were equally contested after Dom McCrae picked up a tapes exclusion in heat 1 but it all started to go wrong for Poole in heat 7 when Aaron Lowey relinquished the lead to Steve Harris giving the Hammers the luxury of a 7 point interval lead.
 
Playing catch-up after the break, the Poole skipper yeilded another max, this time to the powerful Boaler/Morgans duo and when Ben Donohue and Dave Murphy were outfoxed by Harris in heat 15, it was game over with a 17 point margin hardly reflecting the closeness of the racing. A crumb of consolation via a 7 - 3 in heat 15 saw Gavin Wheeler shepherd home Ben Mould for the only Poole race win of the day, with the young Welshman giving a great account of himself on his home debut.
 
This was a less than auspicious start to the season for the SeaView boys and the emphasis on young British talent - while laudable, may not win too many PL league points judging by line-ups elsewhere on 2009 opening day!
 
Scorers: Thomas Reed 14+3,Gavin Wheeler 14+1,Ben Mould 13,Aaron Lowey 12,Ben Donohue 10,Tom Colling 8,Dave Murphy 6,Dominic McCrae 4+1.
 
Div 2: Poole 71 Horspath 59: Jake Williams 13,Arron Morgan 12,Leyton Glover 11,Sam Hearn 11,Kev Lowman 9,Luke Armes 6,David Buczak 5,Mike Buczak 4.

There were promising performances for the Sam Hearn, Jake Williams and especially Leyton Glover in the D2 encounter, no doubt boosted by their recent Aussie experiences while Arron Morgan continues to impress and could be knocking on the door of an SWL first team place before long!








2008 MATCH REPORTS

October 26th 2008:  Poole 97  Southampton 80
 
Despite very wet conditions, Poole consolidated their league championship success with a win against the defending champions in this early start at Harbourside Park. The home side took the early initiative and sped to a 14 point lead by heat 8 with Sam Hearn having his best match of the season going on the drop just one point to British Champion Gavin Wheeler who was unbeaten for the Saints.
 
The visitors took an equal share of the heat winners with 9 apiece but all 8 home riders notched bonus points underlining the strength in depth that has taken them to the league title. Ben Donohue took a heavy tumble in which both rider and machine suffered but despite the rain the team was happy to complete their successful season on a high note.
 
Scorers: Sam Hearn 18+1, Aaron Lowey 17+2, Chris Shylock 15+2, Kev Lowman 14+2, Luke Armes 9+1 (3r), Karol Wlodarczyk 8+1 (4r), Ben Donohue 8+1, Aidan Hedgecock 8+1 (3r).

October 19th 2008: Poole 99 Filton 79

After the drama of the last heat decider against title rivals East Newport 7 days ago, Poole clinched the South West league championship crown with a convincing victory against the Filton Fliers. As with all their league performances throughout the 2008 season, this was another solid affair with all eight riders playing their part.
 
Exclusions at the start and end of the first half combined with some excellent racing from vet Mike Burgess and the highly talented Ben Mould limited the interval margin to 48 - 40 but after the break, the home side really got into top gear. It was appropriate that top man Aaron Lowey secured the coveted trophy in heat 15.
 
It appears topical for clubs around the country to extol the virtues of competing with a fully home grown team so it will doubtless escape anyone's attention that this was very much the case with this team with 100% Poole credentials all round and not an air ticket in sight! Three of the younger members of the team - Jake Williams, Sam Hearn and Aidan Hedgecock have all been hugely impressive in their first full season of Div 1 league racing. Chris Shylock, Ben Donohue and Luke Armes have added experience and fire power and how about quiet and unassuming team captain Kev Lowman who rounded off probably his most successful season in the sport as he proudly circled the track with the cup held aloft after heat 18.
 
Scorers: Aaron Lowey 15+1 (4r), Chris Shylock 14+1, Jake Williams 14+1, Sam Hearn 14+1, Ben Donohue 13+2, Kev Lowman 11 (4r), Luke Armes 10+2, Aidan Hedgecock 8. 
 
Div 2: Poole 36 Filton 44  Scorers - Aaron Morgan 11, Matt Elston 8, Alex McLeod 8, Michael Buczak 3, Adam Bendinelli 3, David Buczak 2, Harry Ryan 1.

12th October 2008:  Poole 90  East Newport 85
 
What a perfect advert for cycle speedway, with two well matched teams, a constantly fluctuating scoreline with a last heat decider before an appreciative crowd.....not forgetting a circuit bathed in warm sunshine. With a couple of matches to race, Poole are now firmly in the driving seat to secure the SWL title but the team certainly made life difficult for themselves!
 
Poole won 3 of the first 4 races and despite the setback of a Ben Donohue exclusion in heat 2, they lead 23 - 16 and appeared to be in the driving seat but further exclusions for Jake Williams and Chris Shylock and several schoolboy errors combined with a spirited fightback by the visitors meant that the interval score stood at 44 - 43 and the league title honours very much in the balance.
 
After a couple of drawn races, Poole notched up a couple of 7 - 3's firstly by Jake Williams and Chris Shylock then top pairing Aaron lowey and Sam Hearn then with 3 races remaining and the scoreline at 77 - 70, the match looked in the bag. Wrong! Jake Williams incurred another exclusion in heat 16 and the margin was down to 4.
 
Heat 17 looked promising with Poole off gates 1 and 3 and with Ben Donohue and Chris Shylock but turned into a nightmare as the two E.Newport boys rammed home a vital 7 - 3 to make it 83 - 83. A tense last heat decider saw Nicky Evans excluded for cutting over on skipper Kev Lowman which allowed the home side to take a 7 - 2 and put one hand on the league trophy.
 
Poole certainly made too many errors and suffered too many exclusions to feel happy but relief was the over-riding feeling as both teams completed a deserved lap of honour in what was probably the match of the season at Harbourside Park... and that includes Premier racing too!
 
Scorers: Aaron Lowey 19, Sam Hearn 15+1, Chris Shylock 13+1, Kev Lowman 12+1, Ben Donohue 12, Jake Williams 11+1, Luke Armes 5, Aidan Hedgecock 3.    (Referee  Mike Legge)
 
Poole were 7 point victors in Division 2 encounter with Adam Bendinelli making a fine league debut in the 43 - 36 win. Scorers - Aaron Morgan 16, David Buczak 8,Matt Elston 8, Michael Buczak 6, Adam Bendinelli 5,
A 92 - 57 win in the Conference league match rounded off a clean sweep of victories as Poole riders outclassed their younger opponants with the exception of Louis Harvey who was oustanding for the visitors.
Scorers - Aidan Hedgecock 18,Matt Elston 17,Mike Buczak 15+3,David Buczak 13+4,Aaron Morgan 11+1,Adam Bendinelli 10+1,Sam Hearn 8.

5th October 2008  Sheffield 85  Poole 93
 
The Premier League 2008 finale ended on a high note for Poole when they became the only team to take a victory at the Yorkshire circuit this season, exacting sweet revenge for the home defeat suffered in June at Harbourside Park. Despite the presence of World Champion Marcin Szymanski who scorched to a faultless maximum for the Stars, Poole packed in the solid team work with British Champion Gavin Wheeler leading the way. The 2 league points mean that Poole have secured third place in the final table ahead of 2008 surprise packets Gt.Blakenham who were 4th.
 
In a workmanlike performance before the break, Poole built up a 7 point lead but the hosts pulled it back to 3 and threatened to take the initiative. Up steps Thomas Reed and Jake Wiiliams for a vital 7 - 2 with TR showing how much he has picked up his team game in 2008 as he expertly ushered his partner through. A 7 - 3 from Gav Wheeler and Dave Murphy in heat 16 ensured the 2 points as Poole opened a 12 point margin  so that the Stars' 7 - 3 in the final race was somewhat academic.
 
Scorers: Gavin Wheeler 15+2, Tom Colling 14, Dave Murphy 13+1 (4 rides), Thomas Reed 12+3, Aaron Lowey 12+2, Dom McCrae 12+1, Ben Donohue 9+1, Jake Williams 6 (2 rides).
 
Div 2 : Sheffield 51 Poole 76: Luke Armes 16, Sam Hearn 14+1, Jake Williams 14+1, Kev Lowman 12+4, Mike Buczak 11+1, Dave Buczak 9+1.

28th September 2008:  Poole 87 Newport 63
 
Poole turned the tables on the Welsh side 7 days after an away defeat in this Conference league encounter. The two races of the day featured debut boy Harry Ryan and Newport's Kalid Mitha with the Welsh rider getting the verdict twice after epic head to head battles.
Scorers: Matt Elston 20, Arron Morgan 15+1Mike Buczak 15+1, Leyton Glover 15+1, David Buczak 9, Harry Ryan 8, Holly Morgan 5+2.

September 21st  2008:  Newport 77 Poole 73
 
Thanks go to the Newport club for kindly loaning 2 riders Kirsty Marshall and Sadil Mitha for this Conference League match at the last minute after late withdrawals. It was a close scoreline after 15 heats with the "Poole quartet" pushing all the way.
Scorers - Leyton Glover 20, Matt Elston 15+1, Mike Buczak 14+2, Dave Buczak 11+1, Kirsty Marshall 7, Sadil Mitha 6.
 
 

September 14th: Exeter 76 Poole 100
 
While the home side had a powerful trio in Thomas and Mark Reed and Dom McCrae, Poole tracked the same team that picked up th points at Hellingly in their previous league match carried the greater strength in depth as they maintained their position at the top of the SW League table with a fine win. With tough home matches against Filton, Southampton and joint league leaders East Newport still to race, it looks like the league championship will go right down to the wire.
Scorers: Aaron Lowey 18, Chris Shylock 15+1, Ben Donohue 14+2, Luke Armes 14+1, Sam Hearn 12+1, Kev Lowman 11+2, Jake Williams 9+2, Aidan Hedgecock 7+1.
With Thomas Reed as their trump card in the Conference League match, the home side held on the a narrow advantage in the closing stages to win by 4 points. Scorers - Aidan Hedgecock 17+1, Sam Hearn 16+1, Jake Williams 15+2, Tom Ebel 9, Mike Buczak 8, Matt Elston 4, Dave Buczak 3.
Div 2 result - Exeter 48 Poole 31

September 7th: Poole 90 Wednesfield 86

Poole snatched victory from the jaws of defeat in the two closing heats after making surprisingly hard work of this one against their old enemy. Three exclusions and several unforced errors boosted the Wednesfield totals as they held on to an early lead and despite three faultless rides from Artur Poprawski in his final match of the season, Aces went into the interval 45 - 42 ahead.
 
Poole lost further ground after the break and things looked ominous with the scoreline at 60 - 66 and 5 races remaining. 6 -4's in the next two races - first from Dave Murphy and Dom McCrae, then Gav Wheeler and Sam Hearn closed the gap to 72 - 74 but the Poole recovery was halted in at that point.
 
The Aces pairing relegated captain for the day Artur Poprawski to last place in heat 16 to retain their slender advantage after newly crowned British U.16 champion Thomas Reed showed the two former Senior champions Terry Norman and Lee Aris the way home with a fine win under pressure. The penultimate race looked to be going the same way with Tom Haddock leading for the Aces until he slipped whilst leading comfortably from Dom McCrae and Aaron Lowey who took a vital 7 - 3 off outside grids to lead 84 - 82.
 
Who better to have on gate one in the match deciding final race than newly crowned British champion Gavin Wheeler and he duly obliged the home crowd with a faultless four laps and with Ben Donohue gaining third place on the final bend with a fine pass on Garry Pearce, the two league points were secure.
 
Scorers: Gavin Wheeler 17+1, Thomas Reed 16, Artur Poprawski 16, Ben Donohue 11+1, Dave Murphy 10+1, Dom McCrae 10, Aaron Lowey 6+1, Sam Hearn 4.
 
In the Division 2 encounter, Poole tracked a younger line-up but gave the visitors a fright in the early heats with three 7 - 3's in the opening 4 races.
Poole 61.5 Wednesfield 65.5 - Sam Hearn 15, Jake Williams 11.5, Kev Lowman 10, Chris Shylock 8, Aidan Hedgecock 6, Matt Mildon 6, Leyton Glover 4, Mike Buczak 1.
 

August 31st: Hellingly 84 Poole 95
 
Poole kept up their challenge at the top of the SW League with an 11 point win at Eastbourne against the Hellingly Lions. Heavy rain for an hour before the start put the first race back 15 minutes as the home club made the circuit raceable with sawdust applied to the wettest patches. This certainly did the trick as the match provided some good racing from both teams.
 
Things looked ominous after three heats as the Lions forged 8 points ahead  and continued to hold the advantage at the interval by 47 - 43. The second half recovery was sparked by a 7 - 3 in heat 11 then Ben Donohue executed a superb pass on Martin Hollebon to win heat 13. A 7 - 3 in the next put Poole in the driving seat as they went on to round off the match with two maximum returns in heats 17 and 18.
 
Scorers: Aaron Lowey 16+1, Ben Donohue 15+3, Jake Williams 14+1, Sam Hearn 14, Chris Shylock 11+3, Kev Lowman 11, Aidan Hedgecock 9+1, Luke Armes 5+1.
 
In the Div 2 match the scores finished level at 40 - 40 but the home side conceded 10 penalty points to give Poole a clean sweep on the day, winning 40 - 50. Scorers - Aaron Morgan 13, Tom Ebel 10+1, Mike Buczak 9+1, Dave Buczak 8+1.

August 17th:  Norwich 87 Poole 89
 
Despite the absence of at least eight of the first team squad, a somewhat makeshift line-up picked up both points in an entertaining encounter at the Norfolk circuit. Trailing by 8 points in the first half, Aaron Lowey teamed up with Sam Hearn for a valuable 7 - 3 to put the pressure on the home side.
 
Heat 15 saw Andre Cross feature in a 7 - 3 as Poole edged ahead by 3. Then Artur Poprawski made a late challenge on Dave Myhill in heat 16 and despite a heavy tumble, the Norwich man earned an exclusion from referee Dave Hunting which allowed Poole to double their lead to 6. Aaron Lowey took the 4 points from gate 1 in the penultimate heat which allowed Dave Murphy and Sam Hearn a steady 4 laps in the final race as the home side reduced the arrears back to two points.
 
This was an all round team effort but special praise must go to Andre Cross who answered a late call up despite being far from fully fit. His contribution of 14+1 from reserve in his first PL match of the season swung the match and his track craft was evident as ever. Praise too for super vet Dave Murphy for his tally of 16 on the back of very little match practise of late.
 
Scorers: Dave Murphy 16, Artur Poprawski 16, Andre Cross 14, Aaron Lowey 12, Sam Hearn 11, Rich Clanfield 10, Kev Lowman 9, Luke Armes 1.
 
With so many first team squad members missing, the division 2 team was completed by up and coming youngsters who have made their way through the highly successful Tuesday clubnights. Although they did not win the league points, they all gave 100% effort.
 
Norwich 72 Poole 59 - Matt Elstom 12, Arron Morgan 11,Jess Lamb 9+3,
Leyton Glover 9+1, Mike Buzak 9, Dave Buzak 6, Luke Armes 3+1.
 
BIG THANKS to Norwich CSC for taking time out yesterday to make sure their track was raceable today despite very wet weather. They made the decision to withdraw from their British Club championship event (AKA "Ford Galaxy team championship!") to get the circuit shipshape for today's Premier League 8-a-side event and save a possible wasted journey.

August 3rd: Poole 74 Leicester 98

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Artur Poprawski and Lukas Nowacki race neck and neck in heat 13

As if the last minute withdrawal of Southampton duo Gavin Wheeler and Tom Colling for a re-arranged SWL match were not bad enough, Poole gifted the visitors four race wins through being unable to keep still at the tapes. It became obvious from the opening exchanges that Leiceter were in no mood to relinquish their lead at the top of the table and with the better balanced side they thoroughly deserved their victory. All top six of the visiting team won at least two races apiece while the home side took only three between them.
 
European silver medalist Lukas Nowacki was outstanding and pulled off the two rides of the day with gravity defying passes on Aaron Lowey in heat one and Artur Poprawski in heat 13. Artur - who was man of the match for Poole - got his revenge in the final race to spoil the maximum chances of his fellow countryman. The quality of the racing throughout the match was right out of the top drawer as another healthy crowd enjoyed the spectacle. The home team felt that the absence of the two Saints unsettled the balance of the side and doubtless the presence of Gavin Wheeler would have made a significant difference to the scoreline but probably not the destiny of the two league points.
 
Scoeres: Artur Poprawski 16, Aaron Lowey 10+2, Rich Clanfield 10, Thomas Reed 10, Chris Roberts 8, Karol Wlodarczyk 7+1, Ben Donohue 7+1, Chris Shylock 6.
 
Both clubs tracked full teams for the division 2 match with Leicester lining up with three or four riders who could have easily held their own in the first team. Poole missed Jake Williams and a couple of top end riders who were drafted into first team places to cover gaps. Some of the best action towards the end featured Jessie Lamb and Leicester's top two lady riders Lucy Whitehead and Amy Crouch. If this was anything to go by, then the British Ladies final in 3 weeks time will be a cracker.
 
Division 2: Poole 53 Leicester 75 (Arron Morgan 10, Sam Hearn 10, Matt Elston 9, Aidan Hedgecock 7, Jess Lamb 6, Kev Lowman 5, Luke Armes 4, Andre Cross 1.

July 20th  Poole 89 Horspath 88
 
This was a nailbiting SWL fixture between two well balanced teams and where the lead changed constantly as fortunes fluctuated. Poole lead for most of the first half but immediately after the break the visitors notched a 7 - 3 and threatened to pull away as they sought to avenge a home loss against Poole earlier in the year. A tapes exclusion in heat 12 handed the initiative back to Poole who banged in a 7 - 2 to lead 61 - 58. Another Horspath maximum in race 14 enabled them to move back in front but Poole got out of jail in the next after a vintage pass by Rich Clanfield on Matt Szymczak who was then excluded for impeding Luke Armes. Heat 16 finished all square leaving the scoeline 80 - 78 with two heats remaining. With the visitors looking strong in the final race, there was relief in heat 17  when another Horspath tapes exclusion gifted Poole a 6 - 3 and an unassailable 86 - 81 lead with the visitors last heat 7 - 3 proving somewhat academic. With Karol Wlodarczyk sidelined by injury and other seniors unavailable, this was a closer than anticipated result but a great advert for regional league racing.
Scorers - Aaron Lowey 18+1,Ben Donohue 15+2,Rich Clanfield 14,Sam Hearn 12+1,Jake Williams 11+1,Kev Lowman 9+2,Aaron Morgan 5+1,Luke Armes 5.
 
In the SW Conference match credit to both clubs as they tracked a full 8 rider team with Poole having the edge in terms of age and experience and winning by 93 - 57.
Scorers - Matt Elston 16, Leyton Glover 15+1, Aidan Hedgecock 14, Jessie Lamb 11+1, Arron Morgan 10+2, Mike Buczak 10, Tom Ebel 9, David Buczak 8.

July 13th  Gt.Blakenham 97 Poole 81
 
With only two of the top 8 PL squad available for this match, this was a highly respectable scoreline against the Suffolk side who are notoriously hard to beat on their own circuit. The dry conditions were not conducive to good racing but the early heats were even and the scores would have been level at the interval but  for an unlucky puncture suffered by Aaron Lowey whilst leading.  Thomas Reed was once again a class act and hats off to Exeter clubmate Dom McCrae for five action packed races. There was some vintage stuff too from Dave Murphy with his best return of the season. After the break the home side pulled away to record the expected win and even a full strength Poole side would have had their work cut out to bring home the PL points.
 
Scorers; Thomas Reed 19, Dave Murphy 14+1, Dominic McCrae 12+2, Ben Donohue 11+2, Sam Hearn 9+1, Aaron Lowey 8, Kev Lowman 5+1, Luke Armes 3.
 
In the Division 2 match the home side tracked an older and more experienced team although Britain's top two Under 13 riders Matt Mildon and Arron Morgan made a good impression but the final scoreline of 90 - 57 tells all.
Scorers: Matt Mildon 10+1, Arron Morgan 10, Luke Armes 8, Jess Lamb 5, Mike Buzak 5, Leyton Glover 5.

June 29th  Poole 97  Horspath 79

Despite a depleted line-up compared with the season opener away to the Hammers, the visitors provided stubborn resistance with only 8 points separating the sides at the half-way stage. Highlights for Poole included a race win for Dom McRae on his home PL debut for Poole and a greatly improved performance for Aaron Lowey after his disappointing match against Sheffield. Lowey was the only home rider to lower the colours of Lewis Osborne  in heat 7 while Dave Murphy was on the pace with two wins and Thomas Reed also had some lively tussles with the visitors big four. Chris Roberts and Gavin Wheeler were in the thick of the action as always, providing another healthy crowd with plenty of entertainment during their four rides apiece.
 
Scorers - Aaron Lowey 17, Thomas Reed 16+1, Chris Roberts 13+1, Dave Murphy 12, Gavin Wheeler 11+2, Tom Colling 11+2, Ben Donohue 9+2, Dominic McRae 8.
 
At half-time during the PL match, Matthew Mildon and Arron Morgan rode a lap of honour with their gold and silver medals from the previous day's British U.13 Championship and it was a great touch to see all the senior riders from both teams out on the track to lead the generous applause for these two highly promising young riders.
 
Division 2 result - Poole 79 Horspath 50
 
Scorers: Matt Mildon 12+4, Jake Williams 12, Matt Elston 11+1, Kev Lowman 10+2, Aidan Hedgecock 10, Arron Morgan 10, Same Hearn 7, Tom Ebel 7.

June 22nd   Poole 101  Hellingly 77

This match provided conclusive evidence of the value of the regular Tuesday evening Clubnight sessions as the talented trio of Sam Hearn, Jake Williams and Aidan Hedgecock played a prominent part in heat victories on the way to this convincing victory against South coast rivals Hellingly. 
 
Experienced heat leaders Karol Wlodarczyk, Ben Donohue and Aaron Lowey dropped their only points to the two Hollebon brothers who once again lead the way for the Lions. Aaron's total was restricted by a blank in his fifth ride after a first bend tumble suffered whilst trying to become the first Poole rider to lower the colours of Neil Hollebon who went on to record a six ride maximum tally. Luke Armes and Kevin Lowman weighed in with solid scores in this all round team performance.
 
Scorers - Ben Donohue 17+2, Karol Wlodarczyk 17+1, Aaron Lowey 13+2, Kev Lowman 13+1, Sam Hearn 13, Jake Williams 12+1, Luke Armes 9+3, Aidan Hedgecock 7.
 
 Division 2 - Poole 51 Hellingly 27
 
Arron Morgan scorched to 3 race wins on his team debut for Poole and there was a promising start too for Michael Buczak who has only been racing for a couple of weeks.
 
Scorers - Alex McLeod 14+2, Arron Morgan 12, Tom Ebel 11, Matt Elston 8+3, Michael Buczak 6.

June 15th  Poole 80  Sheffield 93

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Heat 11 - controversially re-started when Poole on a 7-3 win

As soon as the visitors turn a 6 - 4 opening heat reversal into a 7 - 3 maximum win, things looked ominous for Poole but after the first 7 races only one point separated the sides. Then disaster struck with Gavin Wheeler receiving his marching orders as he tried valiantly to fend off a passing move by Marcin Szymanski. A Stars 7 - 2 in the re-start put them in the driving seat with a 40 - 47 interval lead after Rich Clanfield was excluded at the tapes in the 9th.
 
Heat 10 was shared but Poole sensed a chance in heat 11 (pictured) as Gavin Wheeler and Chris Roberts clearly outgated the visiting pair who literally threw their bikes on the deck, but referee Colin Simmons disappointingly called all 4 back. Roberts was excluded in the re-start leaving Wheeler to face the two Stars alone. Further disaster struck when Gavin sheared a pedal arm at the gate turning what started as a 7 - 3 win into a 7 - 0 reversal. Game over at 45 - 59 which would have been 52 - 55 if the original race start had been allowed to continue as everyone on the blue side of the pits strongly felt.  A glimpse of what might have been in heats 14 and 15 saw a Roberts/Clanfield 7- 3 followed up with a similar score from the two Saints Wheeler and Colling but Sheffield stopped the rot with a fine win from Andy Angell - the best of the Brit riders on show - and another share of the spoils in the penultimate race.
 
For the second season running, luck seemed to desert Poole in their encounter with the Stars although with World Champion Szymanski once again showing his liking for the Harbourside circuit with an unbeaten 19+1, it would have taken a top class performance by all 8 home riders to clinch the league points in this one. Despite the obvious disappointment, this was a top class showpiece event which once again underlined the status of the Premier League as the pinacle of team competitions. Congratulations to Sheffield for their victory.
 
Scorers: Artur Poprawski 14+1, Thomas Reed 13+1, Pavel Cegielski 12, Chris Roberts 11+1, Tom Colling 9+1, Aaron Lowey 8, Gavin Wheeler 7+1, Richard Clanfield 6+1.
 
Division 2 - Poole 72  Sheffield 62 ( Sam Hearn 14, Karol Wlodarczyk 12, Kev Lowman 11, Jake Williams 9, Aidan Hedgecock 8, Luke Armes 6, Jessie Lamb 4, Matt Elston 4.)

June 8th    Gt Blakenham 115  Poole 56
 
When it comes to a bad day at the cycle speedway office, they dont come any worse than this. With Aaron Lowey sidelined through suspension for an offence 9 months ago (!) and track expert Andre cross injured, the last thing the team wanted was a bad start but with captain Chris Roberts excluded in his first outing and given a highly dubious match ban in his second, it was game over. In truth the hosts were always favourites to win on their own circuit and monopolised the race wins while Poole did likewise in the exclusion stakes by 5 - 0, something which will require  detailed feedback to the CS Commission in view of the serious nature of the perceived refereeing inadequacies. Although this BTC competition is not what it once was, it is steeped in history and Poole remains the most successful club....maybe 2009 will be the time to remind ourselves and everyone else of that fact. Meantime, good luck to Blakenham, they would be worthy winners this season.
 
Scorers -  Chris Shylock 11, Dave Murphy 11, Sam Hearn 9+1, Rich Clanfield 9+1, Ben Donohue 6+2, Kev Lowman 6, Luke Armes 4, Chris Roberts 0.

June 1st   Southampton 86  Poole 92

Poole chalked up another valuable away win at Winchester Road against the Saints who missed their ex-British Champion Colin Wheeler who was ill. Although always in the lead, Poole were made to fight all the way with the big circuit suiting the powerhouse racing style of Sam Hearn who lead the scorechart alongside Aaron Lowey. Karol Wlodarczyk took a nasty tumble but recovered to complete the remainder of his races.
 
Scorers - Aaron Lowey16+2, Sam Hearn 16+1, Chris Shylock 15+1, Karol Wlodarczyk 13+1, Jake Williams 10+3, Kev Lowman 8+2, Luke Armes 8+2, Jess Lamb 6.
 
Division 2 - Southampton 64 Poole 72 (Inc penalty points).
Aidan Hedgecock 12, Matt Elston 9+1, Tom Ebel 7+2, Kev Lowman 7+2, Jake Williams 4.

May 25th  Ade Gale "LAURELS"

World champion Marcin Szymanski retained the Ade Gale Laurels trophy with an immaculate twenty point maximum at Harbourside Park in front of a healthy bank holiday crowd. The Sheffield and Leszno star led from start to finish in all his races and was boosted by drawing inside grids against all his principle rivals. Runner up was Gavin Wheeler with a powerhouse display of riding  which saw him drop his only point to Szymanski while 3rd place went to Aaron Lowey who was a point ahead of British Champion Lee Aris on 17 points.
Heat 8 saw the big guns clashing with Szymanski on gate 2 heading home Wheeler and Aris who were both on his outside. In heat 11 Lowey made a valiant effort to round the Polish star from gate 4 but tracked him for 4 laps without quite getting close enough to find a gap. Adam Peck and Thomas Reed tried to make life difficult for Szymanski in heat 17 but were unable to stop the defending champion from gating round the pair for a title clinching victory.
Scorers -  Marcin Szymanski 20, Gavin Wheeler 19, Aaron Lowey 17, Lee Aris 16, Adam Peck 15, Mitchell Spear 14, Chris Osborne 13, Darius Pilas 12, Lewis Osborne 12, Craig Marchant 12, Chris Jewkes 10, Thomas Reed 9, Karol Wlodarczyk 9, Chris Roberts 7, Tom Colling 7, Kev Lowman 6. (Referee  Mike Legge)
A great curtain raiser in the Junior Laurels culminated in a race-off between Mitchell Spear and Thomas Reed who tied on 19 points apiece. The Sheffield based Aussi came under intense pressure from the young Exeter star after leading from gate 2 and held his nerve to clinch the major silverware.
Scorers - Mitchell Spear 19, Thomas Reed 19. Ashley Birks 18, Ben Mould 17, Jamie Brown 15, Ryan Hoyland 15, Tom Colling 14, Craig Nethercott 14, Jake Williams 12, Sam Hearn 12, Luke Armes 9, Aidan Hedgecock 8, Matt Mildon 8, Tom Ebel 5, Aaron Morgan 5.   (Referee  Dave Dart)

May 18th  Wednesfield 93  Poole 83
 
Ashmore Park continues to be a less than happy hunting ground for Poole who were unable to match Premier League frontrunners Sheffield and Leicester either by fielding their strongest team or picking up two valuable league points. Nevertheless, the team battled hard and were unlucky not to stage a late rally after the misfortune of a 7 - 2 reversal in heat 13. Gavin Wheeler was having one of his best matches to date for Poole but fell victim to a tapes exclusion when on gates 1 & 3 leaving team partner Tom Colling to face the home pair alone with disastrous consequences when rather than a potential 7 - 3 in their favour a maximum reversal was the outcome. But for that, a last heat decider could have been the outcome.
 
Dominic McCrae made his Premier debut and after a nervous start which included a tapes exclusion, he bounced back to win a heat and showed great potential. With captain Chris Roberts unavailable, Ben Donohue and Karol Wlodarczyk both unfit and Artur Poprawski racing in Poland, the team was always likely to be up against it but some consolation came after the match when top British Cycling referee Mike Hack praised the club for the way in which they conducted themselves throughout the procedings, in marked contrast to some of the things happening elsewhere of late!
 
Scorers:  Aaron Lowey 15+1, Gavin Wheeler 15, Thomas Reed 13, Rich Clanfield 12+1, Tom Colling 12, Dominic McCrae 7, Dave Murphy 5, Chris Shylock 4+1.
 
Division 2 - The young up and coming team Poole octet battled hard against the powerful and experienced (!) Midland six-man combo unit and will learn a lot from what was the first visit to this venue in most cases.
 
Wednesfield 80 Poole 49:  Scorers  Sam Hearn 11, Jake Williams 10, Luke Armes 7, Alex McLeod 6, Kev Lowman 5+1, Aiden Hedgecock 5, Matt Elston 3, Tom Ebel 2

May 11th:  Horspath 90  Poole 89
 
This was a close and sporting encounter ridden in good spirit with a last heat decider with a Poole team tracking a blend of youth and experience. A succession of drawn heats was broken by a Horspath 6 - 4 just before the break, giving them a 46 - 44 lead which was extended in heat 10 with a 7 - 3. Aaron Lowey and Jessie Lamb team up for a vital 7 - 2 in heat 14 over Polish star Denis Augustinski to put Poole right back in the hunt. A good 6 - 4 from Chris Shylock and Sam Hearn in the penultimate race put the scores at 85 - 84 with the spotlight falling on Aaron Lowey and Kev Lowman in a last heat decider.
 
The hosts tracked Steve Harris and Dave Carmichael off gates 1 and 3 and while Aaron shot straight from the tapes to lead, the home duo shut up shop to draw the race and win the match by the narrowist of margins.
Scorers - Chris Shylock 17, Aaron Lowey 16+2, Rich Clanfield 15+1, Sam Hearn 11+1, Jake Williams 9+3, Kev Lowman 8+1, Jessie Lamb 8, Luke Armes 5+2.
 
Conference League:  Horspath 63  Poole 87 ( Aiden Hedgecock 20, Matt Elston 16, Tom Ebel 14+2, Sam Hearn 13+3, Leyton Glover 13+1, Phil Norwood 8+3, Jake Williams 3 (1 ride). 

April 27th  Poole 100  Norwich 75

With Thomas Reed in action for Exeter and a full programme of Polish league matches sidelining the club's overseas stars, Poole called on Richard Clanfield for his first match of the season and despite minimal training, he did not let the side down with a "paid" 13 tally from 4 rides. He would have earned unofficial the man of the match award had it not been for an outstanding performance from Karol Wlodarczyk who returned his best Premier performance for Poole with four brilliant rides  yielding 13+2 mostly earned the hard way.
 
Aaron Lowey gave cause for concern with a heavy tumble which gave him a nasty knock to the head in heat 2 but he bounced back with four fine race wins matching the performance of team captain Chris Roberts who also took 16 from 4 outings thanks to some powerhouse gating. Tom Colling dropped only one point from 3 first half races but his fortunes dropped off after the break.
 
Dave Murphy stepped up a gear or two from the Blakenham match taking a paid 11 tally from his four races. Ben Donohue was good value for his 11+1 especially as he has been carrying an injury which will shortly require a period of hospitalisation. Gavin Wheeler dropped points at the tapes in heat 6 but looked classy in his other races as this all round team performance took the points from a lively Norwich team whose efforts were not reflected in the final scoreline.
 
Scorers: Chris Roberts 16, Aaron Lowey 16, Gavin Wheeler 14, Karol Wlodarczyk 13+2, Tom Colling 11+2, Ben Donohue 11+1, Rich Clanfield 10+3, Dave Murphy 9+2.
 
Division 2 - Poole 63 Norwich 64:  Scorers  Sam Hearn 15, Jake Williams 12, Luke Armes 10, Aiden Hedgecock 9, Jessie Lamb 8, Kev Lowman 8, Matt Elston 1.

April 20th: East Newport 85  Poole 91
 
A close encounter with the match outcome in doubt up to the closing heats saw Poole take their first win on the road in the SWL at the expense of the lively Welsh opposition. Aaron Lowey cruised to a bonus maximum while Jake Williams earned the unofficial man of the match award with a highly polished performance on the tricky circuit. The track also suited Karol Wlodarczyk who was mounted on brand new equipment and what a difference it made.
 
Scorers: Aaron Lowey 19+1, Karol Wlodarczyk 17, Jake Williams 16+1, Ben Donohue 14+2, Luke Armes 10, Sam Hearn 9, Jessie Lamb 3, Kev Lowman 3.
 
Division 2 - E.Newport 43  Poole 41  Scorers - Matt Elston 11 Tom Ebel 9, Aiden Hedgecock 8+1, Phil Norwood 7+2.
 
Conference - E.Newport 52   Poole 98. Scorers - Jake Williams 19+1, Sam Hearn 18+2, Jessie Lamb 17+2, Matt Elston 16+3, Aiden Hedgecock 16+2, Tom Ebel 12.
 
 

April 13th:  Leicester 99  Poole 78
 
Despite having to track a depleted line-up, Poole turned in a respectable performance against a full strength Leicester side. Full marks to rookie reserves Sam Hearn and Alex McLeod for their wholehearted efforts as they were both thrown in at the deep end for their first ever Premier League match. Aaron Lowey was hampered by an exclusion for race slowing but as usual between these two teams, racing was sporting and enjoyable. Artur Poprawski notched four wins and took the scalps of all the home stars while Gavin Wheeler is well on the way back to top form.
 
On a day of unpredicatble results with Sheffield winning by 2 at Horspath and defending champions Wednesfield surprisingly losing by the same margin at Great Blakenham, it looks look the title favourites are now Sheffield with Leicester and Poole the likely challengers. Roll on June 15th when the Yorkshire club visits Harbourside Park! 
 
Scorers; - Artur Poprawski 18, Gavin Wheeler 14+1, Aaron Lowey 10+1, Ben Donohue 9+1, Karol Wlodarcyzk 9, Dave Murphy 7, Alex McCleod 7, Sam Hearn 4.
 
Division2: Leicester 81 Poole 49 - Sam Hearn 14, Aiden Hedgecock 10, Kev Lowman 7+2, Jessie Lamb 7, Alex McLeod 6, Luke Armes 5.

April 6th  2008:  Poole 87  Swindon 90
 
This match between two evenly balanced teams swung in favour of the visitors in races either side of the interval when Jake Williams picked up an exclusion in heat 9 and Luke Armes failed to secure a re-run a race later when left sprawled on the first bend. Swindon had the greater experience in their middle order as several times the home youngsters lost positions due to tactical errors. Aaron Lowey was untroubled but the absence of Chris Shylock who is still on the injured list probably made the difference between victory and defeat.
Scorers: Aaron Lowey 19+1, Jarol Wlodarczyk 17, Ben Donohue 16+2, Luke Armes 10+1, Jake Williams 8, Kevin Lowman 7+2, Sam Hearn 7+1, Jessie Lamb 3.
 
Div 2: Poole 62 Swindon 34 (Aidon Hedgecock 13, Alex McLeod 12, Matt Elston 7, Lewis Mitchell 6, Jess Lamb 5.)
 
 
 

March 30th:  Poole 103   Gt. Blakenham 73
 
Hats off to both teams for making a match of this on a very difficult racing surface as the newly re-laid Harbourside circuit was well below its normal standard with both bends cutting up badly. The visitors were lively in the opening heats but were hampered by two exclusions just as the re-shuffled Poole team got into its stride.
 
After a Josh Brooke victory over Gavin Wheeler in the second race, Adam Peck got the better of Thomas Reed in heat 5 which proved to be the Exeter based rider's only defeat of the day. Aaron Lowey looked to be back to something like his best form as he reeled off three staight wins, a feat matched by Poole captain Chris Roberts in his first match of the season.
Poole made the most of their greater experience to race to a comfortable 20 point lead by the interval but the visitors continued to put in 100% effort despite the scoreline.
 
Attempts to tyre pack the circuit at half time failed to significantly improve the heavy conditions in the second half as both teams battled on in front of an appreciative crowd. Adam Peck was impressive for the Suffolk side and had some good scraps with his erstwhile team mates who packed strength in depth
 
Scorers:- Thomas Reed 18+1, Aaron Lowey 16+2, Tom Colling 15+2, Chris Roberts 14, Gavin Wheeler 13+2, Karol Wlodarczyk 11+1, Ben Donohue 10, Dave Murphy 6.
 
Division 2: Poole 71 Gt.Blakenham 73 - Scorers: Kev Lowman 12, Sam Hearn 11, Aidan Hedgecock 9, Luke Armes 7+2, Matt Elstom 7, Jessie Lamb 4, Phil Norwood 4. (+17 penalty points)
 
 

March 23rd   Filton 91 Poole 83
 
With three of the victorious line-up from the Exeter match unavailable due to the holiday weekend, Poole did very well to run the experienced Bristol outfit so close with Sam Hearn once again underlining his great potential and Aidon Hedgecock earning the unofficial man of the match awards from his team-mates for his efforts on his first team debut.  Aaron Lowey and Ben Donohue were both left scratching their heads after questionable exclusions but generally the luck evened itself out and the Fliers deserved their victory.
 
Scorers: Aaron Lowey 18, Sam Hearn 16, Ben Donohue 13+2, Kev Lowman 10+1, Aidon Hedgecock 9, Jessie Lamb 7+1, Luke Armes 4+2, Leighton Glover 4.
 
 NOTE: Action shots from this match can be found on the Filton CSC website.
 
 

PREMIER ACTION

March 16th: Horspath 84 Poole 87
 
For the second season running, Poole turned over their Southern rivals in another epic battle in predictably poor winter conditions at the tight Oxford bowl. With a 7 point lead going into the penultimate race, a share of the spoils delivered the valuable 2 points and a Hammers maximum in the final heat was too little, too late to save their day.
 
The new line up included the three recently announced British stars, Gavin Wheeler, Tom Colling and Thomas Reed plus the match-winning Polish star Marcin Paradzinski whose signing was kept firmly under wraps until shortly before the start. Marcin will be coming back to race in the summer along with Artur Poprawski who also figured highly in the victory.
 
There were gasps of admiration in heat 2 as Paradzinski shot past Mike Morgans and when Thomas Reed repeated the winning streak with the first of three race wins in the next, the quality of the winter additions was clear for all to see. A slender lead throughout the first half gave Poole a 40 - 45 interval advantage as the home side suffered 3 exclusions at the tapes.
 
When Lewis Osborne picked up his marching orders in heat 16 while falling under pressure from Tom Colling, Poole virtually had the points in the bag with a 7 point advantage. Top scorers Reed and Paradzindski tucked in for a tactical 5 - 5 in heat 17 and the points were in the bag.
 
This was a real team effort for Poole with every rider giving 100% while the Hammers were tough opposition. The real losers were the fans who stayed away due the the wintry conditions in contrast to 2007 when a similar close and exciting encounter was witnessed by hundreds on a sunny afternoon. Shame that officialdom refused the mutually agreed May date for this match and insisted on the original winter date. Those responsible clearly have little idea of what promotion of top level events is all about. Time for a re-think!
 
Scorers: Thomas Reed 17+1, Marcin Paradzinski 17, Artur Poprawski 15, Gavin Wheeler 9+1, Tom Colling 9+1, Aaron Lowey 8+1, Ben Donohue 8, Chris Shylock 4.
 
In the Division 2 fixture, Poole had the better balanced team with several of the young guns in action along with the experienced Jess lamb and Luke Armes. The 13 point victory rounded off a fine days racing for the Dorset club. Horspath 57 Poole 70  (Jake Williams 13, Luke Armes 12+3, Aiden Hedgecock 11, Sam Hearn 10+1, Jess Lamb 7+3, Matt Elstom 7+1,Phil Norwood 6,Tom Ebel 4+1.
 
 
 

March 9th:    Poole  98    Exeter  79
 
After many seasons in the Junior League, Exeter made their long awaited return to SWL team racing and didnt disappoint with their twin spearhead of Thomas Reed and Dominic McCrae each winning 4 of their 5 races. Poole tracked greater experience in their top 6 with Karol Wlodarczyk turning in a convincing display and Aaron Lowey the only home rider to show Tom Reed a clean pair of wheels.
 
A big bonus for the home side was the form of their two reserves Jake Williams and Sam Hearn with Jake winning all 3 of his races and Sam headed only by the visitors two big names, some going in his first team debut match. Poole notched up 13 bonus points while the Devon side could console themselves with their 10 race winners. Both clubs enjoyed their day which was ridden in excellent spirit.
 
Karol Wlodarczyk 16+1, Chris Shylock 15+2, Kev Lowman 12+3, Ben Donohue 12+2, Aaron Lowey 12+2, Jake Williams 12, Luke Armes 10+2, Sam Hearne 9+1.
 
Poole 42  Exeter 38  (Div 2)
 
Aidan Hedgecock 16, Jessie Lamb 14+2, Matt Elston 5, Phil Norwood 5, Tom Ebel 2, Anders Rowe dnr
 
Poole 67  Exeter 83  (SWConference)
 
Jake Williams 17, Sam Hearn 12+1, Aiden Hedgecock 12, Jessie Lamb 11+1, Matt Elston 6, Lewis Mitchell 5, Tom Ebel 4.
 
 
 

 
 
 
2007 Match Reports
 
October 7th 2007

Poole 84 Wednesfield 92
 
Injury gremlins robbed Poole of any chance of a victory against the league leaders who simply had too much top end power with World Champion Marcin Syzmanski and 'rocket-gating' reserve Marcus Waddams their twin spearhead, each dropping just one point from 5 rides. Chris Roberts and Dave Murphy both had to withdraw from the match due to heavy tumbles although Murphy had to be pressed back into action late in the procedings as Poole began to run out of reserve replacements.
 
A tight first half saw Poole just ahead by a single point as they packed in the minor places behind visiting heat winners. A Wednesfield 7 - 3 in heat 14 followed by a 6 - 4 gave them an eight point lead and a further maximum in the penultimate race sealed the result and along with it the outcome of the league championship with next week's clash between the Aces and Horspath now a formality.
 
Plus points for Poole were the form of Adam Peck and two great rides from Artur Proprawski who was the only home rider to lower the colours of Waddams and Szymanski (pictured). Aussie duo Dan Pudney and team captain Brad Hoppo rounded off their two seasons at Poole with a last heat 7 - 3 which brought the curtain down on their time here in the best possible way.
 
Although there were no league honours at stake, Poole nevertheless missed their Polish duo of Lukasz Jozwiak and Pavel Cegielski whose presence would have doubtless swung the match in the other direction. That rather sums up the latter part of the season with key riders missing for the last three PL home fixtures which were all narrowly lost.
 
Once again this was a well attended match and a great advert for Premier League racing between two of the sports' top clubs.Special praise for referee Colin Simmons who stood in for the unavailable Ian Sizer at the last minute and did a first class job.
 
Scorers: Adam Peck 16+1, Daniel Pudney 16+1, Artur Proprawski 15+2, Brad Hoppo 13+1, Karol Wlodarczyk 8, Ben Donohue 7, Chris Roberts 5+2, Dave Murphy 4.
 
 
Division 2 - Poole 59 Wednesfield 69
 
Scorers: Ben Donohue 16+2, Andre Cross 15, Kev Lowman 9, Jessie Lamb 9, Jake Williams 8, Rich Chappell 2.
 
September 23rd 2007: Leicester 84 Poole 91
 
Victory in their final PL away fixture of the season saw Poole chalk up the double over the East Midlanders with a workmanlike performance headlined by in-form Adam Peck who dropped just one point in five rides - showing just how costly his absence was from the line up against Horspath a fortnight ago. With a single point lead at the half way stage Poole moved to an 8 point advantage after 16 races and the margin could have been greater but for 2 exclusions for Lukasz Jozwiak.
 
Scorers - Adam Peck 18+1, Daniel Pudney 16, Artur Proprawski 15, Brad Hoppo 11+2, Pavel Cegielski 9+1, Dave Murphy 9, Lukasz Jozwiak 9, Ben Donohue 4.
 
September 16th 2007: Poole 100.5 Filton 77.5
 
With their normal secondary registration support riders unavailable, the league newcomers arranged day contracts with Poole for Matt Chappell, Luke Armes, Jake Burns and Jake Williams who amassed a 31 point contribution between them in an entertaining SWL encounter. Unbeaten returns from Karol Wlodarczyk and Artur Proprawski formed the basis of the home win and Chris Shylock notched up three wins in his best match since returning to Poole colours. Lewis Mitchell made his first team debut at just 12 years of age and took a respectable 5 points.
 
Scorers: Artur Proprawski 18+2, Karol Wlodarczyk 18+2, Chris Shylock 15+1, Kev Lowman 14+1, Ben Donohue 13+1, Rich Chappell 12+2, Jess Lamb 5.5, Lewis Mitchell 5.
 
S.W.Conference 80 - 69
 
September 9th 2007: Poole 88 Horspath 89
 
Hats off to the Oxford club who were determined to avenge the home defeat at the hands of Poole in June which cost them any realistic chance of holding on to the league championship. As with the previous home slip-up against Sheffield, the referee seemed to come down harder on Poole than the visitors with 3 exclusions to zero in a fiery match which simmered along as these two giants battled head to head.
 
The home lineup missed Adam Peck who is usually worth double figures at Baiter but top end power from the Hammers trio of Boaler, Szynczak and Swowronek was probably the telling factor. There was a pleasing return to the saddle from Aaron Lowey but what a match to choose for your first of the season!
 
With 8 international riders on view, this match was the perfect answer to those who might favour restrictions - 18 heats of scintilating league racing at the very highest level - just what the Premier League was set up for and another healthy attendance showed their full appreciation as both teams completed a joint lap of honour after heat 18.
 
Scorers - Daniel Pudney 16+2, Pavel Cegielski 15, Artur Proprawski 13+1, Lukasz Jozwiak 12+1, Brad Hoppo 11, Aaron Lowey 10+2, Dave Murphy 6, Chris Roberts 5,
 
Div 2 - Poole 69 Horspath 60 (Ben Donohue 13, Karol Wlodarczyk 10, Jake Burns 10, Kev Lowman 9, Jake Williams 8+4, Luke Armes 7+2, Richard Chappell 6+3, Lewis Mitchell 6+2.)
 
 
 
August 19th 2007: Poole 85 Sheffield 88
 
Everything that could possibly go wrong went wrong for Poole in this shock home reversal against an ultra competitive and jubilant Sheffield team who could hardly believe their luck. A catalogue of untimely bike problems and four race exclusions meant that the visitors were almost out of sight on 50 - 37 at the interval. Poole pulled back 10 points after the break but left themselves too much to do without their scheduled number 4 Mark Everingham who failed to arrive for the match and let his team mates and club supporters down badly.
 
Scorers - Brad Hoppo 16+3, Artur Poprawski 14, Adam Peck 13, Ben Donohue 11+1, Daniel Pudney 11+1, Dave Murphy 9, Chris Roberts 7+1, Kev Lowman 4.
 
August 12th 2007: Poole 91 Horspath 84
 
This was a close and lively encounter with Poole having the better balanced side but every time they drew 10 points clear, the visitors hit back with tactical rides from their big 3 and use of the inside gates rule.
 
Artur Poprawski was again in scintilating form reeling off four wins but came to grief in heat 17 on a dusty first bend while attempting to pass fellow countryman Dennis Augustinski. Ben Donohue was unbeaten in his first four races with wins over the top visiting riders but he too surrendered his maximum in his final race when the match was already won.
 
Karol Wlodarczyk was as steady as ever and Kev Lowman rode a true captain's role. Chris Shylock came through some really tough races when the visitors used the tactical rules but he raced well for his points in only his second match for Poole this season and his first since moving back to his home town. Mention too for spririted reserve outings from Jessie Lamb and Luke Armes who played their part in an all round team performance.
 
Scorers - Artur Poprawski 17, Ben Donohue 16+1, Mark Everingham 13+1, Karol Wlodarczyk 12+1, Kev Lowman 12, Chris Shylock 11+1, Luke Armes 7+1, Jessie lamb 3+1.
 
Division 2 - Poole 66 Horspath 50 (Scorers: Rich Chappell 9+2, Jake Williams 8, Michael Day 7, Jessie Lamb 6, Leyton Glover 2, Phil Norwood 2).
 
August 5th 2007: Norwich 86 Poole 94
 
On the hottest day of the year, the long haul to Norfolk was productive with two more valuable league points collected by a changed line-up which included Jason Ashford for his first league outing of the season in Poole colours. With captain Brad Hoppo still nursing World Championship injuries and the Polish duo of Pavel Ciegelski and Lukasz Jozwiak back home on holiday, this was always going to be a tough match with the additional non-availability of Mark Everingham and Rich Clanfield.
Thankfully, the advantages of the squad system paid dividends as the team built on their 46 - 44 half time advantage to win by 8 points to maintain their title aspirations. 
 
Scorers; Adam Peck 16+1, Artur Poprawski 16, Daniel Pudney 15, Chris Roberts 12+3, Jason Ashford 12, Dave Murphy 12, Ben Donohue 8, Karol Wlodarczyk 3+1.
 
Division 2: Norwich 62 Poole 66.
Currently sidelined from speedway with Sittingbourne, Andre Cross rode his first match of the season in this close away fixture...albeit just 10 minutes down the road for him.
Scorers - Kev Lowman 15, Luke Armes 13+2, Jake Williams 13+1, Jessie Lamb 11+1, Andre Cross 9+3, Phil Norwood 5.
 
July 15th 2007: Poole 98 Hellingly 80
 
This match was overshadowed by an awkward tumble to to veteren Lions rider Gary Walder who needed lengthy medical attention on track and eventually taken off to hospital with a suspected broken hip. Gary clashed with Ben Donohue on the last bend of heat 3 and both riders fell. Ben himself was injured in a later collision with a fallen opponant. Feature races were those which matched Artur Poprawski with the Hollebon brothers and although the Polish star won through on all occasions he was made to fight all the way to preserve his 20 point maximum. This was a good all-round team performance and it was great to see Chris Shylock back in action with a fine race win.
 
Scorers: Artur Poprawski 20, Karol Wlodarczyk 17+1, Kev Lowman 14+1, Ben Donohue 13+3, Luke Armes 11+2, Chris Shylock 10, Jake Burns 7+1, Jake Williams 6.
 
July 8th 2007: Southampton 75 Poole 89
 
Poole are through to the BTC semi-final after a hard fought and incident packed match at Winchester Road which was in doubt up to the penultimate heat. Trailing by 8 points after 4 races, the signs looked ominous until Jason Ashford sparked the Poole recovery with a storming ride in heat 6. The home side were on to yet another 7 - 3 until Jason blasted round Lee Galley only to be shoved over the outside line earning the Saints man his marching orders. Better was to follow in the 3 man re-start when Shaun Woodhouse joined Galley after another racing infringement to give Poole a maximum
7 - 0 and a 27-26 lead in the match.
 
Former Saint Dave Murphy used all his guile to capitalise on his gate 1 in the next but when skipper Chris Roberts, with two impressive wins already to his credit,  fell while challenging the Merrick/Wheeler pairing in heat 8 the home side went back into the lead. Enter Rich Clanfield, back in the team after a recent lay-off and a classic drive under Lee Galley bringing through partner Jason Ashford for a morale boosting maximum just before the break and a match lead 40-43.
 
After the interval, Poole had a run of three 5-4 heat wins as the home side only tracked one finisher with two exclusions and a machine failure the cause. The Saints were beginning to lose their composure and in heat 14, when Gavin Wheeler was ruled out for a do or die last bend challenge on a resolute Dave Murphy another 5-4 moved the scoreline to 61-68.
 
Heat 15 saw a set back as Rich Clanfield moved at the tapes but Adam Peck showed perfect composure to win the re-start for a damage limiting 4-5 heat.
The 6 point advantage, looked distinctly under threat in heat 16 as the Colling/Galley pairing were on to a 7-3. Mark Everingham had a couple of laps to try and pass Galley but then Ben Donohue went for a gap and brought Mark through for a crucial 5  - 4 win as the hapless Saint drifted prematurely back to the pits.
 
The Saints could still win the match but needed two 7-3's from their big guns. The Suffolk boys Jason and Adam had other ideas and stormed to a match winning maximum heat win as Gavin Wheeler picked up his second exclusion of the day and partner Nathan Harris rode into the pits without completing 4 laps. With the match won Chris Roberts had the satisfaction of turning the tables on Shaun Woodhouse to underline an emphatic 14 point victory.
 
Poole were motivated by memories of that controversial defeat 12 months ago in the identical fixture and it was this together with a greater degree of racing fitness which carried them through despite the very poor track conditions. The Saints lost their heads as the match progressed and both their top stars were carded by referee Terry Ashford. With Colin Sutton and Pete Barnes running the Poole side of the contest, there was never the slightest chance of that happening to their riders although Pete did have to use some nimble footwork during one heated exchange! Every Poole rider played his part in the victory but special praise must go to Jason Ashford for his gutsy performance .
 
Scorers: Chris Roberts 16, Adam Peck 13+2, Ben Donohue 13+2, Jason Ashford 12+3, Dave Murphy 11, Richard Clanfield 10, Mark Everingham 9+1, Kev Lowman 5+1.
 
Exeter 85 Poole 59 (SW Conference)
 
Jake Burns 16, Luke Armes 15+1, Jake Williams 14, Michael Day 8, Leyton Glover 6.
 
Weymouth 66 Poole 76 (SW Conference)
 
Luke Armes 19, Jake Burns 17+1, Leyton Glover 15+1, Jake Williams 13+1, Michael Day 11.
 
June 24th 2007: Poole 94 Newport 63
 
The unseasonally wet weather almost put paid to this Western League match but the mounting fixture backlog in the region was the deciding factor as the 2 sides braved the elements. Hats off to all the riders for making a match of it as they fought for every point. Mark and Ben had some lively encounters with Colin Simmons while Luke Armes and Jake Burns were unbeaten in their 3 outings in the U.19 heats. Leighton Glover was the latest rider from the Tuesday evening academy to make the progression to league racing and he performed with great credit.
Poole took the points to avenge their away defeat earlier in the season but this was a victory for the Western League format which was enjoyed by all those involved - proving the doubters wrong again!
Scorers: Jnrs. Jake Williams 13, Luke Armes 12, Jake Burns 11+1, Leighton Glover 11+1, Ashley Stafford 4+1: Snrs. Mark Everingham 14+1, Ben Donohue 12+2, Kev Lowey 9, Kev Lowman 7, Phil Norwood 3.
 
POOLE 82 NEWPORT 68 (Conference League)
 
Scorers - Luke Armes 17+1, Jake Burns 17, Jake Williams 16+2, Shane Stafford 13+1, Lewis Mitchell 10+1, Leighton Glover 8+1, Ashley Stafford 1. 
 
 
June 17th 2007: Hellingly 109 Poole 70
 
With no A or B graded riders available for racing, it was an interesting and diverse line-up which took to the track at Eastbourne including George Newman and Mike Legge who completed his single race with aplomb. In the circumstances the whole team put up a very creditable performance on a track which always poses a challenge to visiting riders.
Scorers: Kev Lowman 12+1, Luke Armes 12, Kev Lowey 11+1, Jake Burns 11, Dave Newman 11, Phil Norwood 6, George Newman 5, Mike Legge 2+1.
With the addition of penalty points, Poole won the combination match
78-88.
 
June 10th 2007: Sheffield 83 Poole 90
 
A workmanlike performance after the long trek to Yorkshire brought home another 2 away points on a track which most of the side had never seen before. Leading 41 - 46 at the half way stage, the margin may have been greater but for exclusions picked up by Lukasz Jozwiak, Brad Hoppo and Artur Proprwski. This was a victory in which every rider played a part and frustratingly with them having hit such a rich vein of form, they have to wait until August 5th for their next PL match due to the loss of Coventry and Bury although the visit of Coventry on July 15th will still go ahead as a challenge match. In the meantime with other clubs in BTC action today, Poole are now clear at the top of the PL table by 2 points ahead of rivals Wednesfield and Horspath.
Scorers: Adam Peck 15, Chris Roberts 14+1, Lukasz Jozwiak 14, Artur Proprwski 13, Daniel Pudney 11+1, Pavel Cegielski 9+2, Brad Hoppo 9+1, Mark Everingham 5.
 
Division 2: Sheffield 51 Poole 79
 
A clean sweep of all the league points on offer was achieved in the Div 2 match with too much fire power from 1 to 6 in the Poole team.
Scorers - Jessie Lamb 17+2, Dave Murphy 15+1, Kev Lowman 13+1, Jake Williams 13, Karol Wlodarczyk 12+3, Luke Armes 9+1.
 
June 3rd 2007: Horspath 85 Poole 89
 
Poole snatched victory from the jaws of defeat at the tight Oxford circuit to put themselves in with a great chance of Premier League honours against a Hammers team who were defending a five year unbeaten home record. The match swung back and forth throughout the 18 heats providing a roller coaster of emotions for riders and supporters alike.
 
The home side were 6 up after just 3 heats but two heats later Dan Pudney joined Pavel Cegielski for a 7-3 to make the scoreline 24 - 25. Artur Proprwski won heat 7 after a difficult opening race but Brad Hoppo was unable to hold on to 2nd when another maximum looked on the cards.
 
A second race win from Cegieski before the break and a battling 3rd from Adam Peck generated optimism at the interval which proved short lived as the home side re-started the match with two 7-3's to get back in the driving seat. Further Hammers' race wins in heat 13 after a costly Roberts exclusion and a 6-4 against in heat 15 when Sean Rudman caught Mark Everingham napping, meant that the points were practically in the bag for the homesters at 78-70.
 
Then the drama unfolded in heat 16 with a costly gate one tapes exclusion for Matt Szymczak leaving Lukasz Jozwiak with a comfortable gate 2 in the re-start. A battle for 2nd place developed between Roberts and Augustini which saw Chris dumped on the deck after almost rounding his opponant and referee Bob Prince pointing to the home rider as the cause of stoppage. The 7-0 meant there was one point in it with two races to go.
 
Cometh the hour for Poole and new boy Poprwski produced a brilliant first bend to join partner Cegielski for a blinding 7-3 against the previously unbeaten home star Skowronek taking the scoreline to 81-84. In the final race Poole tracked their Aussi duo  but the home side could still win the match with a 7-3 from the formidable pairing of Harris and Boaler off 1 & 3.
 
Harris held his gate 1 and Pudney was lining up an inside pass on the back straight when Boaler attempted a do or die pass on turn 3 which incurred the displeasure of referee Mr.Prince. Match won, Daniel eased off in the re-start as Poole contented themselves with a 5-4 to win by four when 3 heats earlier such a scoreline would have seemed almost impossible. A great result in a match where every rider played his part and never gave up trying.
 
Scorers - Dan Pudney 16+2, Lukasz Jozwiak 16, Pavel Cegielski 15, Artur Poprwski 13+1, Chris Roberts 10+2, Brad Hoppo 10+1, Adam Peck 6+1, Mark Everingham 4.
 
Division 2 - Horspath 72 Poole 55
 
This was a tough match for Poole who raced against a Horspath team which included two first team riders who rode without penalty points such are the odd rules adopted for 2007! Poole picked up a bonus point for tracking a separate side and battled hard especially young Jake Williams who experienced a baptism of fire!
 
Scorers - Dave Murphy 13, Karol Wlodarczyk 12+1, Luke Armes 10+1, Kev Lowman 9, Jess Lamb 6+1, Jake Williams 5.
 
 
May 27th: Ade Gale "LAURELS"
 
Polish riders dominated the rostrum positions in a strong International field of 24 riders with Marcin Szymanski sounding out a warning to all his rivals ahead of the 2007 World Championships. The Lezno and Wednesfield star rode unbeaten in his 4 qualifying heats then sat behind Lucasz Nowacki in the semi-final before turning up the heat in the final to pass the Leicester rider to pick up the coveted trophy. Nowacki finshed runner-up and Lucasz Jozwiak completed the whitewash with a fighting third ahead of England's best performer Mark Boaler.
 
Unluckiest rider was Dan Pudney who was unbeaten in his heats and looked to have clinched 2nd place behind Boaler after trailing from a difficult grid 4 only to pick up a harsh exclusion on the final bend while shutting the door on Lee Aris. The whole event was ridden in almost continuous rain and conditions were heavy but to their credit, all riders gave it 100%, the only disappointment being the absence of holder Shaun Woodhouse through injury.
 
Group A scorers:  M.Szymanski 16, D.Pudney 16, G.Pearce 11, M.Wadhams 11, M.Winwood 10, T.Colling 10, P.Ciegelski 8, N.Hollebon 8, K.Wlodarczyk 7, B.Hoppo 7, C.Roberts 7, R.Williamson 6.
Group B scorers:  L.Nowacki 16, M.Boaler 14, L.Jozwiak 13, L.Aris 12, P.Kozlowski 11, S.Rudman 10, C.Marchant 10, N.Venson 9, C.Jewkes 8, P.Mrugelski 8, K.Lowman 6, B.Donohue 2 (wdn), J.Burns (res) 2.
 
Semi-final 1 - L.Nowacki, M.Szymanski, G.Pearce , M.Wadhams.
Semi-final 2 - M.Boaler, L.Jozwiak, L.Aris, D.Pudney (exc).
Grand Final - M.Szymanski, L.Nowacki, L.Jozwiak, M.Boaler.
 
Junior Final - Ryan Taylor, Ben Mould, Thomas Reed, Lee Richardson.
Non-finalists - Mark Carmichael 8, Luke Armes 7, Jake Williams 6, Robbie Venson 5.
 
May 26th: England 90 Poland 85
 
England can consider themselves fortunate to have come away with a victory after trailing for most of the match until a controversial 7-2 from Lee Aris and Jon Birks in heat 17. With the Poles ahead by a single point, Lukasz Jozwiak was excluded for drifting wide into the first corner of the penultimate race when most present expected an all 4 back verdict. The decision from referee Ian Sizer caused mayhem and a near walk-out by the Poles as it was the first racing exclusion in an otherwise tactical but good spirited encounter.
 
Poland provided 13 race winners of which their star man Marcin Szymanski notched an impressive maximum, while England amassed 10 bonus points with no individual stars. It looked like Poland would snatch a draw in the final heat but Lucasz Nowacki shed a chain on the first bend allowing the host nation to pull off an unlikely victory.
 
England scorers: Mark Boaler 16+1, Jono Birks 14+2, Adam Peck 13+1, Phil Howells 13+1, Lee Aris 12+3, Chris Roberts 10, Chris Jewkes 7+1, Mark Everingham 5+1.
Poland scorers: Marcin Szymanski 20, Matt Szymczak 15, Lucasz Nowacki 13, Pavel Ciegelski 11+1, Pavel Kozlowski 11, Lucasz Jozwiak 9, Przemez
Mrugalski 3+1, K.Wlodarczyk 3.
 
 
May 19th: Astley & Tyldesley 71 Poole 105
 
The rain soaked Manchester track posed a severe test of fitness to both teams as Poole comfortably scooped the league points while the top three home riders suffered an exclusion apiece. On each of those occasions A&T suffered a maximum 7 - 2 reversal while Poole lost only one race when Pavel Ciegelski and Lukasz Jozwiak conceded a 7 - 3 in heat 8. Hopes of an Astley comeback were squashed before the interval as Mark Everingham and Dave Murphy clinched a 6 - 4 to lead 37 - 51 at the break. It was a case of cruise control in the second half as Poole kept up the pressure on a day when A&T could have done with one or two more of their established "names".
Poole scorers - Daniel Pudney 17+2, Brad Hoppo 15+3, Adam Peck 15+2, Mark Everingham 14+2, Pavel Ciegelski 14+2, Lukasz Jozwiak 12+2, Ben Donohue 10, Dave Murphy 8.
 
Division 2    A&T 55 Poole 73
 
Karol Wlodarczyk 20, Kev Lowman 14+1, Jessie Lamb 10+1, Rich Chappell 10+1, Dave Murphy 8, Ben Donohue 7+1, Phil Norwood 4.
 
 
 
May 6th: Poole 91 Leicester 86
This match had everything including a last heat decider and a better advert for the sport would be difficult to find with quality racing and a sporting rapport between the teams. Poole stretched out to an 8 point lead after 4 races as first Mark Newey then Mark Whitehead got their marching order at the tapes but the advantage was short lived as Lucasz Jozwiak picked up an exclusion in his second race for cutting across on Kev Burns who fell heavily leaving referee Ian Sizer little option but to award Leicester a 7-2.
 
A Newey/Marchant 6-4 in the next  made the score 34 - 33 before Lucasz Nowacki headed home Daniel Pudney in a brilliant race and the single point margin separated the sides at the break with in-form Chris Roberts picking up the second of three race wins. Lucasz Jozwiak left Phil Howells for dust in heat 10 then lowered the colours of fellow countryman Nowacki in heat 13 with Chris Roberts tucking in for a welcome 6 - 4 only to be cancelled out by a 6 - 4 Leicester in the next just when a drawn race looked to be in the bag. Racing throughout and the crowd were captivated as fortunes fluctuated.
 
The score stood at 69-68 with 4 races to go and the spoils were shared in the next with Daniel Pudney once again untouchable but Poole let slip a 6-4 in heat 16 when Adam Peck relinquished 3rd place to Phil Howells. After a quiet match skipper Brad Hoppo stormed past Craig Marchant to win heat 17 at a vital time just when a Leicester heat win threatened to give them the lead for the first time.
 
So the match was finely balanced at 84 - 83 and the crowd were on the edge of their seats as the two Poole big guns Pudney and Jozwiak took on Nowacki and Newey. Pudney rounded Newey from grid 2 and held the lead for a couple of laps under intense pressure from Nowacki while Jozwiak tried all he knew to pass Newey which he succeded in doing on lap 3 only for both riders to fall heavily with the Leicester man judged to be the primary cause. Poole only had to complete 4 laps in the 3 man re-run but finished in style with some top notch team riding to shut out Nowacki for a scoreline flattering 7 - 2.
 
The teams completed a joint lap of honour and received a loud ovation from another healthy and appreciative Baiter Park crowd.
Scorers: Daniel Pudney 18+1, Chris Roberts 16, Lucasz Jozwiak 15+1, Adam Peck 12+1, Brad Hoppo 11+2, Mark Everingham 8+1, Richard Clanfield 6, Dave Murphy 5.
 
Leicester had just too many top end riders in the Division 2 encounter but Poole remained in touch throughout with the final scoreline 61-68.
Scorers: Karol Wlodarczyk 14, Kev Lowman 11, Luke Armes 9, Jake Williams 9, Kev Lowey 7+1, Jess Lamb 4+2, Phil Norwood 4, Matt Mildon3.
 
April 29th: Horspath 96 Poole 81
 
The hosts packed a few more big guns into their line-up and capitalised on their home track advantage. Brad Hoppo was in fine form and Karol Wlodarczyk was unlucky not to score more but for a dubious exclusion.
The rest of the side battled gamely for their points.
Scorers:- Brad Hoppo 17+2, Karol Wlodarczyk 13, Kev Lowman 13, Kev Lowey 12+1, Luke Armes 10, Alex McLeod 7, Jessie Lamb 5+1, Phil Norwood 4.
 
April 22nd: Poole 94 Astley & Tyldesley 78
 
Another excellent crowd turned out for what proved to be a lively and entertaining encounter for which both sides can take full credit. Only 7 points separated the teams at the interval stage as the visitors top three Polish stars supplied the majority of race winners including skipper Thomas Wlodarcyzk who inflicted the only defeat of the day on World Champ Dan Pudney in heat 7.
 
Poole emerged from the interval fired up and put in some distance with a run of heat wins to lead 78 - 57 after 14 races. Then A&T took two 7 - 2's as first Adam Peck (tapes) and then Ben Donohue (legging) received their marching orders from referee Terry Ashford.
 
With several squad members missing, Karol Wlodarcyzk and Kev Lowman were called up for their first Premier League outings and neither let the side down. On this showing A & T proved worthy Premier League opponants and with further signings mooted, they will be a force to reckon with. Poole will need to be at full strength if they want to take the league points in a fortnight when Leicester are the visitors.
 
Poole Scorers: Daniel Pudney 17+2, Adam Peck 13+1, Mark Everingham 13, Ben Donohue 12+1, Chris Roberts 11+2, Dave Murphy 10+2, Karol Wlodarczyk 10, Kev Lowman 8.
 
Premier League Combination match - Poole 102 A&T 69.
Scorers - Luke Burns 15+1, Luke Armes 10, Rich Chappell 9+1, Ashley Stafford 7+1, Jake Williams 7+1, Jessie Lamb 6+3, Phil Norwood 5. 45 penalty points added.
 
April 15th: Poole 81 Southampton 95
 
They may have withdrawn from the Premier League in the close season, but the Saints turned up for this SWL match with virtually a Premier strength team thanks to some generous rider gradings along the way. To add to the home side's problems, three race wins were gifted to the visitors thanks to unecessary tapes exclusions which accounted for the interval margin of 11.
 
Heat 7 was a classic battle between Daniel Pudney and Shaun Woodhouse which proved to be the only defeat of the day for the Saint. There was an equally good race after the break featuring Woodhouse, Gav Wheeler and Karol Wlodarczyk who was leading under intense pressure for 3 laps but as Woodhouse burst through, Wheeler lost out and Poole were able to share the spoils.
 
Poole Scorers; Dan Pudney 16, Ben Donohue 12+1, Karol Wlodarczyk 11+2,
Kev Lowman 11+1, Rich Clanfield 9, Kev Lowey 8+2, Luke Armes 8+1, Jake Burns 6.
 
Combination match score 50 - 50: Poole scorers Luke Armes 15, Jake Burns 12, Rich Chappell 9+1, Phil Norwood 4, Shane Stafford 2, James Clanfield 1.
 
April 14th: Wednesfield 102 Poole 75
 
With several first team squad members unavailable, the odds were already stacked against Poole in this one, but an off day for some of the top end names meant that the eventual margin was much greater than expected.  The potency of Aces top two of Szymanski and Aris was expected but the two reserves did the real damage with 6 wins in 8 outings. Adam Peck and Dan Pudney managed only one win apiece and Chris Roberts who is still not 100% also finished with a win after another nightmare opening race tapes exclusion off grid 1.
 
Hats off to Wednesfield who should have little trouble with anyone on their own circuit but whether they can remain at the top of the table will depend on how they fare at places like Horspath and Leicester and of course here at Poole where they race on October 7th. What price that for a title decider?
Certainly Poole have the potential but will need to step up the pace in the meantime.
 
Poole scorers - Dan Pudney 14+1, Adam Peck 13, Mark Everingham 12+1, Brad Hoppo 10+1, Chris Roberts 9, Pavel Cegielski 7, Rich Clanfield 6+1.
(For photo action from this match, see the cycle speedway results page on the British Cycling website and click on Gallery 1).
 
The Aces won the Div 2 encounter  to maintain their place at the top of the table but the Poole top four gave the home side a run for their money.
Scorers - Karol Wlodarcyzk 13, Luke Armes 12, Kev Lowman 10+1, Jake Burns 8, James Clanfield 4, Phil Norwood 4.
 
 
 
 
 
 

April 8th: Poole 95 Norwich 78
 
Following their surpise victory at Coventry, Poole were made to fight every inch of the way against the Stars in the curtain raiser at Harbourside Park.
The new circuit passed with flying colours and drew widespread approval from riders and spectators alike.
 
A crowd of around 300 saw 18 fast and furious heats with Dan Pudney and Mark Everingham drop just one point each to the opposition but this was essentially a team performance with a hatful of bonus points shared around with skipper Brad Hoppo once again leading by example. Chris Roberts showed no ill effects of his recent operation while Adam Peck was unfortunate to pick up two race exclusions while in the thick of the action.
 
Take your hats off to the rapid improving Norwich outfit who are certainly on the up and a fine piece of refereeing from Rob Absolum. All in all, a great advert for the sport and a satisfying day for all the hard working club members after all their efforts during the winter months.
Poole scorers: Daniel Pudney 17+2, Mark Everingham 17+2, Brad Hoppo 12+3, Ben Donohue 12+1, Chris Roberts 11, Adam Peck 10+1, Dave Murphy 9,Richard Clanfield 7.
 
Poole comfortably outscored the younger visitors in the Division 2 encounter 85 - 45. Jake Burns again showed his potential with 3 unbeaten rides and looks set for a great future.
Scorers - Alex McLeod 15+1, Luke Armes 14+2, Jake Burns 11+1, Karol Wlodarczyk 11+1, Kev Lowman 10+2, Rich Chappell 10+2, Jess Lamb 10, Phil Norwood 4.
 
April 1st:  Newport 85 Poole 72
 
The opening Western League match at the South Wales circuit gave Karol Wlodarczyk the opportunity to stretch his legs for his first match in Poole colours for 7 seasons and he showed enough trackcraft in the senior races to suggest that he might be knocking on the Premier League door once fit.
Luke Armes top scored for the juniors but watch out for young Jake Burns who showed a great deal of promise in his first ever team match despite still being under 14. The junior races between the sides produced a 40 - 40 scoreline but Newport pressed home their advantage in the senior heats.
Scorers:- Luke Armes 14, Karol Wlodarczyk 13, Jake Burns 12, Ben Donohue 10+1, Jessie Lamb 7+3, Jake Williams 7+2, Kev Lowman 5,Richard Chappell 4.
 
Conference League - Newport 79.5 Poole 69.5
Scorers - Luke Armes 15+1, Jessie Lamb 12+2, Jake Williams 11+1, Jake Burns 11, Shane Stafford 10+2, Ashley Stafford 10+2.
 
March 25th: Coventry 87 Poole 92
 
The new look team made the best possible start to the season with a fine victory at Coventry thanks to all round effort fom every rider. Bonus points in 11 of the 18 heats told its own story with Pawel Cegielski (4) and Dan Pudney (3) highlighting the part that the Poole team riding played in the victory.
 
Having expected to be under pressure early on, the Sea View boys were a little surprised to find themselves 9 ahead at the interval with Dave Murphy using his experience to the full with 2 impressive wins. The home side rallied after the break as a couple of heat wins reduced the arrears but when the Jozwiak/Everingham pairing shared the penultimate heat 17, the league points were in the bag.
 
The home side were hampered by the late withdrawal of Dave Hemsley through illness although Poole too have their own problems with key man Chris Roberts still recovering from a recent ankle operation and Aaron Lowey sidelined through injury whilst on a recent Army training run. The benefits of a squad system were well demonstrated and auger well for the rest of the season.
 
Newly appointed captain, Brad Hoppo drew praise from his team mates for his perfomance on and off the track and Adam Peck had one of his best matches for Poole but this was a day all about the team rather than individuals and the perfect curtain raiser for 2007.
 
Scorers:- Adam Peck 15+1, Lukasz Jozwiak 15, Brad Hoppo 14+1, Dan Pudney 12+3, Pawel Cegieski 11+4, Dave Murphy 11, Mark Everingham 7+2, Ben Donohue 7.
 
Poole took the victory in the Divison 2 fixture by 71-49.
Scorers:- Luke Armes 16+2, Brad Hoppo 16, Dave Murphy 13, Ben Donohue 12+2, Phil Norwood 8, Kev Lowman 6+1.

 
 
 
2006 Results

Click on date  for match report and scorers.

Date
Fixture

Type

 
SW
Swindon v Poole
SW
Norwich v Poole
Premier
Southampton v Poole
SW
Poole v Southampton
Premier
Poole v Horspath
Premier

Sun April 30th

Poole v East Newport
SW
Leicester v Poole
Premier
Poole v Horspath
BTC
Poole v Bury
Premier
Poole v Wednesfield
Premier
HOME INTERNATIONAL
 
"ADE GALE" LAURELS
 
Southampton v Poole
BTC Rd2
Sandwell v Poole
Premier
East Newport v Poole
SW
Poole v Norwich
Premier

Sun July 9th

Horspath V Poole
SWL
Southampton v Poole
PL

Sun Jul 23rd

Exeter v Poole
SWL

Sun Jul 30th

Horspath v Poole
PL
Poole v Southampton 
SWL
Poole v Leicester
PL

Sun Aug 20th

Poole v Horspath
Poole v Swindon
SWL

Sat Sep 2nd

Bury v Poole 
PL

Sun Sep 3rd

Wednesfield v Poole
PL

Sat Sept 16th

Poole v Norwich
PL

Sun Sept 17th

Poole v Hellingly
SWL

Sun Sept 24th

Hellingly v Poole
SWL
Poole v Newport
SWL

Sun Oct 1st

Poole v Sandwell
PL