NORTH CONTINUE TO PLAN FOR FINALS WEEKEND – posted 20 February 2014

With the season about to start in three weeks' time in the North and Finals Weekend now becoming that much nearer,  it was time to really start the processes necessary to enable a fantastic August weekend.

Members of the Astley, Sheffield and Bury Clubs met in the aptly names Gun Inn to formulate plans and discuss every aspect of delivering the finals successfully on behalf of the Northern League.

A very positive meeting finished two hours later with some set objectives as the foundations for all the weekend were established.

Updates all on these initiatives will be communicated as they are confirmed.

FINALS DAY ADDITION – posted 23 December 2013

There will be no changes in the format for the British open individual championships next season. 

Cycle speedway’s blue riband competition will continue to see the first three from each qualifying round on day one (Saturday) progress direct to Monday’s grand final at Bury while the remaining non qualifiers will contest a series of repechages on day two (Sunday).

There will be a major change on finals day itself which will now see three events being staged, the men’s, women’s and under-16 finals.  If pre-qualifying rounds are required for the women’s championship, these will be held on day two (Sunday).

BURY TO HOST NATIONALS – posted 13 September 2013

Bury have been selected to host the 2014 national championships.

The Lancashire club got the nod of approval from the Northern regional committee ahead of Hull who also applied to stage cycle speedway‘s blue riband event. Bury’s selection is expected to be ratified by the Cycle Speedway Commission in the near future.  In the meantime British Cycling has confirmed that Finals Day will be extended to include the under-16s as well as the traditional men's and women's finals.

However it appears unlikely that there will be any changes to the much criticised qualifying method where only the top three riders from each round progress to the final although some form of seeding, benefitting the better non qualifiers, could be introduced in the repecharges.

British Cycling is expected to issue a formal statement soon.

ARIS HAS THE X-FACTOR – posted 26 August 2013

Cycle speedway’s gala social at the Village Hotel in Coventry proved to be a resounding success.  Highlight of the evening was a X-Factor style karaoke featuring some well known cycle speedway personalities including Mick Aris, Roger Ellis, Dave Foster, Dave Jewkes, Norman Venson and the irrepressible John Murphy girating as Elvis  Presley but sadly not singing like him!

After the panel’s votes were totted up it was Mick Aris (pictured above) who came out on top as crooner Neil Diamond.  In fact in the famous words of Ant and Dec when introducing Susan Boyle – “you didn’t expect that did you!”

However the act that took panelist Dave Hunting’s eye was Lady Gaga. Explaining that he was alone in the hotel, fantasist Hunting suggested that she could stay the night with him.  In your dreams Hunting!  All poise and attitude Jenny Jarvis (pictured above), wife of Leicester secretary Tim Jarvis, was certainly the show stopper.