LATEST NEWS ~ APRIL 2007

NO WAY THROUGH
By Martin Neal Evening Gazette ~ Monday 30th April 2007
Redcar Bears' brave battle to reach the Premier Trophy semi-finals was finally ended with a 53-39 defeat at Newcastle last night. They had been given a pre-meeting boost when Edinburgh unexpectedly took the aggregate point from group leaders Glasgow at Ashfield which meant the Bears would finish top of the Northern Section if they beat the Diamonds by seven points or more. But their defeat means they finished their campaign in second spot with 12 points. Even qualification as the highest scoring group runners-up is beyond them as Sheffield and the Isle of Wight have also finished on 12 in their respective groups and have a better points difference. In any case Birmingham could yet move past the 12-point mark in the Midlands Group, though they have still to face King's Lynn home and away.

In truth, the Bears never really looked liked coming out on top at Newcastle Stadium last night. They kept it tight early on and, when first James Grieves, then Robbie Kessler fought their way through to turn a 3-3 into a 5-1 in heat three, the large travelling army of away fans had cause for optimism. But successive 5-1s against them in heats nine and ten put some daylight between the sides and you simply couldn't see how the Bears were going to turn it around, especially with the two reserves again looking off the pace.

The Diamonds were the better side and deserved their victory, although the Bears were fuming after stand-in skipper James Grieves was controversially excluded twice. The first occasion came in heat ten when he was chasing Carl Wilkinson. The home No 2 got out of shape and started to lock up coming out of the fourth bend and Grieves was unable to avoid hitting him and bringing him down. There looked little Grieves could have done to avoid his opponent, yet ref Tony Steele excluded him.

Then in the nominated riders' race Jonas Raun fell heavily as a determined looking Grieves dived inside him on the pit bend. Again it didn't look like the flying Scotsman could be blamed, yet referee Steele took a different view. Injured captain Gary Havelock had pulled on the team manager's jacket for the first time in the absence of dad Brian, the regular boss, and it turned out to be a baptism of fire. "We were right in it until heat nine," reflected the former England skipper, "but those two 5-1s back-to-back did for us. The boys tried hard." Havelock was also seething about Grieves's two exclusions. "The first one was an absolute disgrace," he fumed. "As for the second one, we saw it from in the pits and the referee saw it from his box - it could have gone either way. But I thought that Grievesy was in front of him and the guy just tried to keep it on. But that's the way it goes - you get some of them and you don't get others. Hopefully over the season it should even itself out."

DIAMONDS: Josef Franc 11+1, Jonas Raun 10+1, Christian Henry 9, Carl Wilkinson 8+2, Ross Brady 7+2, Sean Stoddart 5+1, Ashley Johnson 3+2.
BEARS: James Wright 12, James Grieves 8+1, Robbie Kessler 8+1, Chris Kerr 6+1, Dan Giffard 3+1, Rusty Hodgson 1+1, Jamie Courtney 1.
 

EAGER TO BLUNT DIAMONDS
By Martin Neal, Evening Gazette ~ Saturday 28th April 2007
Back-in-form Redcar Bears go to Newcastle tomorrow aiming for a revenge victory over their closest rivals. The Bears suffered a shock 48-42 home defeat by the Diamonds nine days ago after being caught out by South Tees Motorsports Park track conditions. But they chalked up an impressive 53-38 win over Northern Section leaders Glasgow last Thursday and are fired up for what would be their third Premier Trophy win on the road this term. "Let's hope we can pull off a surprise," said promoter Chris van Straaten. "Who would have expected them to win at our place last week? With local derbies anything can happen so the lads will be doing their best."

Skipper Gary Havelock - currently ruled out with two broken ribs and a torn lung - was a busy figure in the STMP pits on Thursday as he assisted van Straaten with his team manager's duties. And with dad Brian, the regular team chief, still away, Havvy jnr has taken out a day licence to manage the team at Newcastle Stadium. His guest replacement at No 1 for the Bears' final Premier Trophy Northern Section match is Workington's James Wright, who scored a paid maximum for the Comets in their early season challenge match victory on Tyneside. He comes hot foot from the British Under-21 Final at Eastbourne this evening - a meeting which also features Bears young guns Josh Auty and Jamie Courtney.

"James is one of the favourites at Eastbourne," said van Straaten, "so I'm hoping he comes up to Newcastle with something to celebrate." Newcastle can progress no further in the Premier Trophy but a Redcar win by more than six points would earnthem the aggregate point and could be enough to send the Bears into the semi-finals. That would give them a final total of 15 - though they would need Glasgow to slip up at home to Edinburgh in their final match tomorrow. The highest-scoring group runners-up also progress and, while the Bears' biggest danger could be Birmingham who have 12 points from six matches, they must face King's Lynn face at home and away.

DIAMONDS: 1 Josef Franc, 2 Carl Wilkinson, 3 Jonas Raun, 4 Ross Brady, 5 Christian Henry, 6 Ashley Johnson, 7 Sean Stoddart.
BEARS: 1 James Wright, 2 Dan Giffard, 3 James Grieves, 4 Robbie Kessler, 5 Chris Kerr, 6 Jamie Courtney, 7 Rusty Hodgson.
 

TIGERS TAMED
By Martin Neal Evening Gazette ~ Friday 27th April 2007
Back to their best! Redcar Bears put their recent troubles behind them last night to rack up an impressive 53-38 win over Premier Trophy Northern Section leaders Glasgow. It wasn't quite enough to earn them the aggregate point and, with just one match apiece remaining, the Tigers look set to pip them to the one automatic semi-final qualifying place. But, bearing in mind it was in the away match against Glasgow when key pair Gary Havelock and Mat Tresarrieu were injured, just to get a sniff of overall victory was some achievement. In fact a 5-1 in the final race would have made the aggregate scores dead level and forced a run-off for the additional point.

Jason Lyons duly won the race ahead of Shane Parker and George Stancl but James Grieves - who had been outstanding all night - was forced wide coming out of the second bend and left at the back. Try as he might, he couldn't get past the Tigers pair. Lyons proved an inspired guest - so much so that the meeting hadn't even finished when he was booked in to deputise for Havelock again in next Thursday's Premier League opener against champions King's Lynn! The veteran Aussie roared to four straight wins after a second in his first race, including a magnificent ride in heat 14 when he passed Stancl.

But the biggest roar of the night - in fact the biggest roar of the season at South Tees Motorsports Park - was reserved for Chris Kerr in heat 11. The visitors were on a 5-1 with Stancl and Trent Leverington in front, but the Californian went round first one and then the other to clinch victory with what is already a contender for ride of the season.

Reserve Jamie Courtney looked much sharper and scored two eye-catching wins while debutant Robbie Kessler made an instant impression, brilliantly holding off Parker for a paid win in his opening ride. In fact the only time the German new boy dropped points to an opponent was in heat five when his footrest broke, causing him to fall.

"It was a spirited performance," said promoter Chris van Straaten, who had an eager and enthusiastic Gary Havelock helping him with his team manager's duties in the pits. If it hadn't been for the problem with Robbie's footrest we could have gone into the last race to get the aggregate point."

BEARS: Jason Lyons 14, James Grieves 11, Chris Kerr 10, Robbie Kessler 6+3, Dan Giffard 6+2, Jamie Courtney 6, Rusty Hodgson 0.
DIAMONDS: Shane Parker 12, George Stancl 8+1, Trent Leverington 6+1, Lee Dicken 5, Tomas Suchanek 3+2, Robert Ksiezak 2, Lee Smethills 2.
 

ON THE ALERT
By Martin Neal, Evening Gazette ~ Thursday 26th April 2007
Former Bear Tomas Suchanek returns to South Tees Motorsports Park in the colours of Glasgow tonight - and could well be the biggest thorn in the side of his former club. The Czech international moved to Somerset in the winter after being part of Redcar's debut season. He has struggled to make an impression at the Oak Tree Arena but has been shrewdly snapped up by tonight's visitors as a guest replacement for injured reserve David McAllan. And his knowledge of the STMP track, coupled with his current average of 3.6 allowing him to be accommodated at No 7, means he could be a big danger. "It's a good move by Glasgow, and it's within the rules," said Bears promoter Chris van Straaten. "We'll have to be on our toes."

Van Straaten revealed that a number of fans have made contact, suggesting he should bring him back to STMP. After all Suchanek lives in Yarm and, although Josh Auty has performed well, Rusty Hodgson and Jamie Courtney have found points hard to come by. But van Straaten explained: "His current average was calculated after six matches. As far as team changes are concerned, you have to wait until 12 matches - and I think his average will be higher after a spell at reserve."

In any case, the Bears supremo isn't looking to reshuffle his side. "I am well known for my loyalty," he said, "and I don't see any sense in putting more pressure on Jamie Courtney. He is more disappointed than anybody in his form and I want to keep faith with him. "If he's not doing it in another month I'd expect it to be a case of him coming to see me rather than me going to see him."

With regular team boss Brian Havelock away, van Straaten takes up managerial duties for tonight's Premier Trophy clash (7.30pm start) - and he'll have injured skipper Gary Havelock as his right-hand man. Havelock jnr has taken out a day licence to manage the team at Newcastle in place of his dad on Sunday, and van Straaten said: "I think it will be a good combination."

Jason Lyons is the guest replacement for Havelock at No 1 this evening while new temporary signing Robbie Kessler makes his debut in place of Mat Tresarrieu, who has a broken collarbone. Both he and Havelock were injured in the away match with Glasgow and the Tigers arrive defending a 56-37 lead. Glasgow are two points ahead of the Bears at the top of the Northern Section group and van Straaten said: "If they get the aggregate point tonight, that will put them through I should think. "But if we miss out it won't be the end of the world - we've done better than we did last year and we'll focus our attention on next Thursday when we open our league programme against King's Lynn."

Glasgow also have an injury doubt over Lee Dicken who fell heavily during Sunday's 61-29 win over Berwick.

BEARS: 1 Jason Lyons, 2 Dan Giffard, 3 James Grieves, 4 Robbie Kessler, 5 Chris Kerr, 6 Jamie Courtney, 7 Rusty Hodgson.
TIGERS: 1 George Stancl, 2 Trent Leverington, 3 Shane Parker, 4 Robert Ksiezak, 5 Lee Smethills, 6 Lee Dicken, 7 Tomas Suchanek.
 

BOSS FOR THE DAY
By Martin Neal, Evening Gazette ~ Wednesday 25th April 2007
Injured skipper Gary Havelock will be Redcar Bears' team manager for the day when they take on derby rivals Newcastle in Sunday's Premier Trophy clash. The former world champion is currently out of action with two broken ribs, a torn lung and bruised kidneys after a horror crash in Glasgow. His dad Brian, the Bears' regular team boss, is away on holiday, so Havvy jnr will take out a day licence to replace him at Newcastle Stadium. "Chris van Straaten (the Bears promoter) asked me the other day," revealed Havvy, "and I thought 'I don't see why not'. It's not something I have ever done before and I'm always keen to do different things. It will be good to be involved with the team, even though I won't be riding."

Havelock spent four days in hospital after his crash at Ashfield Stadium. He went into the fence and was caught by his handlebars after team-mate Chris Kerr and Glasgow's Robert Ksiezak crashed ahead of him shortly after the start. He's now back home in Marton and, although he's still in pain and having difficulty sleeping, he's heading in the right direction. "I'm not too bad - I've been worse," he said in his first interview since the crash. I'm still in pain but not as much as I was on Friday. And on Friday I wasn't in as much pain as I was the previous Monday. I'm having trouble sleeping. I lay on my back and drift off, then wake up after about a hour because of the pain. I turn on to my side and then wake up because my shoulder has gone dead. I can't lie on my front, so it just goes on like that. I've seen the doctor, though, and he's given me some sleeping tablets to knock me out for four or five hours."

A crash involving Havvy has been something of a rarity during his 22-year career and - typically - the one at Glasgow wasn't even his fault. "That's me all over isn't it?" he said. "I hardly ever crash and, when I do, it's a bad one. It's never my fault either! The last time I was injured in a crash that was my fault was when I broke my wrist in the British Final in 1988! But we all know the risks we take when we climb on these stupid machines! We were going so well too. Then it all fell apart like a cheap watch."

Havelock admits he's no idea how long he'll be sidelined for - but he arranged an appointment with renowned laser specialist Brian Simpson this week and was hoping to get a clearer idea then. "Brian is a speedway guru extraordinaire," he said. "The man's a genius and he's got all the latest hi-tech gadgets and gizmos. I went to him when I broke my collarbone at 16. The hospital put me in a sling and told me to rest for six weeks - then I saw Brian and a week later I was on a bike practising! Broken bones can't knit together until the swelling has gone down, and the laser treatment gets rid of the swelling and speeds up your recovery time."

Despite the pain and the sleepless nights, Havvy admits that getting back in the saddle was the first thing on his mind. He launched a link-up between the Bears and Teesside Sports Injury Clinic just before the start of the season and now he looks set to take early advantage of their services as he continues his recovery.
 

KESSLER JOINS THE BEARS
By Redcar Speedway ~ Monday 23rd April 2007
The Bears' management have moved to cover the absence of injured French star Mathieu Tresarrieu by drafting in experienced German rider Robbie Kessler. Robbie has been with the Stoke Potters in recent seasons and was an effective points-scoring visitor to the South Tees Motorpark for the Staffordshire club in 2006. Mathieu is back home receiving treatment for a broken collarbone sustained in a crash at Glasgow on April 15th and hopes to be fit to ride in the World Under-21 Championship Qualifying Round at Rye House Speedway on Saturday May 12th.

With Robbie coming in at number four the Bears can dispense with the rider replacement facility and field seven riders. Jason Lyons of the Birmingham Brummies is drafted in as a guest replacement for the injured Gary Havelock.1. Their opponents at the Motorpark on Thursday evening at 7.30pm will be the Glasgow Tigers in a vital Premier Trophy North fixture. For the Bears were leading the group until the visit to Glasgow on April 15th when the loss of Mathieu Tresarrieu and talismatic skipper Gary Havelock to hospital meant a 56-37 defeat and 19 aggregate points to claw back. Then an accumulation of mishaps last Thursday saw a 42-48 home defeat to Newcastle. So Glasgow are now in the driving seat to top the group with the Bears determined to make up for lost ground.

The Scottish side have a formidable top two in the shape of Australian Shane Parker and Czech Republic International George Stancl. Both gave Glasgow the Premier League Pairs Championship in 2005. They are backed up in the top five by the lively young Aussies Robert Ksiezak and Trent Leverington alongside Lee Smethills who assisted the Bears at the closure of the 2006 season.

REDCAR BEARS:
1. Jason Lyons, 2. Daniel Giffard, 3. James Grieves (C), 4. Robbie Kessler, 5. Chris Kerr, 6. Jamie Courtney, 7. Rusty Hodgson, Team Manager: Chris Van Straaten

GLASGOW TIGERS:
1. George Stancl, 2. Trent Leverington, 3. Shane Parker (C), 4. Robert Ksiezak, 5. Lee Smethills, 6. Lee Dicken, 7. To be confirmed, Team Manager- Stewart Dickson

Redcar Bears skipper Gary Havelock was released from hospital in Glasgow last Thusday lunchtime. He was collected by James Grieves and reunited with his family in Middlesbrough that afternoon. The former World Champion broke two ribs and suffered lung and kidney damage in a heat fourteen crash at Glasgow when riding off a 15 metre handicap as a tactical substitute.
 

BLAIR STARS
By Martin Neal, Evening Gazette ~ Monday 23rd April 2007
Teenager Greg Blair scored a stunning paid maximum as the Cleveland Bays ended a bitter-sweet weekend on a high note. The Bays followed in the tyretreads of their big brothers, the Redcar Bears, by taking an early lead in Saturday's Conference League curtain raiser against Plymouth before slipping to defeat. Just as the Bears had done against Newcastle last Thursday, they fell away towards the end, with the Devils winning 47-43. Nicki Glanz - son of former Danish international Peter Glanz - was tormentor in chief.

To make matters worse, the impressive Martin Emerson fell in the final race and suffered a shoulder injury which ruled him out of yesterday's trip to Sittingbourne. It was initially feared that he had broken his shoulder but a trip to hospital allayed those worries and he expects to ride in the second half of this Thursday's Bears v Glasgow clash at South Tees Motorsports Park.

Also missing from yesterday's clash with the Crusaders was Jamie Courtney. The Bears reserve had been expected to score more than his six-point total on Saturday and took his engine to be tuned, leaving him without a bike as a result. Team boss Jason Pipe was forced to shuffle his pack, bringing in rider replacement to cover one of the absences and borrowing Lee Lingham from the hosts to ride at reserve.

And, despite crashing to a 5-0 defeat in the opening heat after both Buzz Burrows and Rusty Hodgson fell, the Bays went on to open their account for the season with a comfortable 54-38 victory. Youngster Blair led the way with a career best 13 (paid 15) total to serve notice that this could be his breakthrough season, while Gary Beaton continued his eye-catching form from the day before with 14 (paid 15) from six rides. Skipper Burrows was still troubled by an arm injury but recovered from his early fall to score 10, including two race wins.

Bays: Gary Beaton 9+2, Greg Blair 7+1, Rusty Hodgson 6+3, Martin Emerson 6+2, Jamie Courtney 6, Steven Jones 5+1, Buzz Burrows 4.
Devils: Nicki Glanz 14+1, Billy Legg 12+1, Seemond Stephens 10, Tom Brown 8+1, Dan Blake 2+1, Tim Webster 1, Jamie Pickard 0.

Crusaders: Dean Felton 16+1, Mark Baseby 8, Aaron Baseby 6, Luke Goody 3+1, Andre Cross 3, Joe Reynolds 2+1, Gordon Meakins 0.
Bays: Gary Beaton 14+1, Greg Blair 13+2, Buzz Burrows 10, Steven Jones 10+2, Rusty Hodgson 5+3, Lee Lingham 2+1, R/R for Paul Burnett
 

ONE TO FORGET
By Martin Neal Evening Gazette ~ Friday 20th April 2007
Patched-up Redcar Bears' hopes of Premier Trophy success suffered a severe jolt with a 48-42 home defeat by Newcastle last night. But they have signed German star Robbie Kessler as a stopgap replacement for broken collarbone victim Mat Tresarrieu, and manager Brian Havelock insists they can still qualify for the semi-finals of the competition. Last night's match is one the Bears would like to forget as quickly as possible. The Diamonds always seem to arrive at South Tees Motorsports Park fired up for a derby fight and, despite being 21-15 down after five heats, they went on to take control with teenager Jonas Raun looking particularly impressive. In fact the 17-year-old was only denied a full 15-point maximum in the last race when he was beaten by Bears guest Daniel Nermark.

Havelock's side were clearly caught out by the track conditions. A new delivery of shale had been put down earlier in the day, leaving it much deeper than usual - and an outbreak of rain before the meeting made matters worse. The Bears were left puzzled by some of referee Peter Clarke's decisions too - particularly the exclusions of Chris Kerr in heat 11 and Nermark in heat 10 when neither appeared to have caused the stoppage. It was a particularly torrid night for Kerr, who has made such a bright start to the season. He finished only one of his five races - which he won in fine style - while one of his retirements was caused by carburetor problems while leading heat seven. There was a further dose of misfortune at the start of heat 12 when stand-in skipper Grieves barely made it off the line before pulling over with ignition trouble.

The biggest obstacle in the Bears' way however was the absence of Tresarrieu and skipper Gary Havelock who is now out of hospital but is likely to spend around five weeks on the sidelines with two broken ribs and a tear to a lung. But team boss Havelock snr is refusing to be downcast - especially now he knows he'll have Kessler in his team to face Glasgow next Thursday. The 34-year-old former Stoke star was axed by the Potters after a disappointing start to the season but is a proven Premier League points scorer and is raring to go again. "I thought we may well struggle to knit together as a squad but we had a bit of bad luck, especially where the referee was concerned," he said. "The track was so much different to what it has been like all season. I suspect Glasgow will win the Northern Section now but the top group runners-up go through as well so we haven't given up on qualifying. We're not giving up - we could probably go to Newcastle and win. Robbie has signed on a short-term deal and hopefully he can do a good job for us."

BEARS: James Grieves 11, Daniel Nermark 10, Dan Giffard 6+2, Jamie Courtney 6+1, Josh Auty 5, Chris Kerr 3, Mat Tresarrieu R/R.
DIAMONDS: Jonas Raun 14, Carl Wilkinson 9+1, Josef Franc 7+2, Christian Henry 7+1, Sean Stoddart 6+1, Ross Brady 4+2, Ashley Johnson 1.

THE Cleveland Bays begin their Conference League campaign with two matches in two days this weekend, starting with the visit of Plymouth Devils to South Tees Motorsports Park tomorrow (3pm start). Martin Emerson came through a fitness test last night after damaging his back at work, while No 1 Buzz Burrows is still 50-50 with a pulled muscle in his arm. However manager Jason Pipe said: "On Sunday afternoon I expect us to be sitting proudly on top of the league table with four points."

BAYS: 1 Mark Burrows (R/R if not fit), 2 Martin Emerson, 3 Steven Jones, 4 Gary Beaton, 5 Jamie Courtney, 6 Rusty Hodgson, 7 Greg Blair.
DEVILS: 1 Seemond Stephens, 2 Tim Webster, 3 Tom Brown, 4 Jamie Pickard, 5 Billy Legg, 6 Dan Blake, 7 Nicki Glanz.
 

ROARING DEFIANCE
By Martin Neal Evening Gazette ~ Thursday 19th April 2007
A grisly Bear can be very dangerous when it's cornered. And Brian Havelock is hoping his patched-up Redcar Bears side can bare their teeth when they take on local rivals Newcastle Diamonds in the Premier Trophy at South Tees Motorsports Park tonight (7.30pm start). For Havelock will be without his son, the No 1 and skipper Gary, plus heat leader Mat Tresarrieu for the clash after both were injured in Sunday's defeat at Glasgow. Tresarrieu has flown home to France for treatment on his broken collarbone, but Havvy was still in hospital this morning. The former world champion broke two ribs and suffered a small tear on one of his lungs but was hoping to be back home later today. As a result the Bears will use rider replacement for Tresarrieu and have drafted in King's Lynn's Daniel Nermark as a guest to take the No 1 slot. In addition, Chris Kerr is switched to No 5 from No 4.

The loss of Havelock and Tresarrieu - who are both expected to spend around a month on the sidelines - is clearly a blow to the Bears. But team boss Havelock senior insists they can still reach the Premier Trophy semi-finals. "It's not ideal preparation for an important local derby," he said, "but we'll have to get on with it. We'll miss Mat and we don't know how well our No 1 will cover for us. But we'll do our best to get as many points on the board as we can. We know that 16 points is a lot to make up when Glasgow come to our place next week, so we need to score enough tonight to make sure we get the aggregate point when we go to Newcastle. In fact we should be winning there as well. Our prospects of finishing above Glasgow in the group are still alive."

Josh Auty comes in at reserve for only his third appearance and will be looking to build on his home debut when he scored an impressive paid eight against Berwick in his only Bears appearance at South Tees Motorsports Park to date. James Grieves captains the side in Havvy's absence. The Diamonds have juggled their riding order by moving Ross Brady from No 2 to No 4 with Carl Wilkinson going in the opposite direction. Sean Stoddart now takes the No 6 race- jacket, with Teessider Ashley Johnson riding at No 7. There were reports that Gary Beaton would be taking one of the reserve berths from tonight, but Diamonds manager George English has confirmed to the Gazette that Johnson will remain in the team.

The Diamonds - who beat Edinburgh 50-41 on Sunday to collect their first Premier Trophy points of the season - have already visited STMP once this season when they were beaten 53-39 in a challenge match.

BEARS: 1 Daniel Nermark, 2 Dan Giffard, 3 James Grieves, 4 R/R for Mat Tresarrieu, 5 Chris Kerr, 6 Jamie Courtney, 7 Josh Auty.
DIAMONDS: 1 Josef Franc, 2 Carl Wilkinson, 3 Jonas Raun, 4 Ross Brady, 5 Christian Henry, 6 Ashley Johnson, 7 Sean Stoddart.

REDCAR Bears have qualified for the Premier League Fours at Peterborough on Sunday, May 13 where they have been placed in Group A with King's Lynn, Glasgow and Somerset. They are now sweating on the fitness of Havelock and Tresarrieu who, if they have recovered from their injuries in time, will form a formidable quartet with Kerr and Grieves. Birmingham, Rye House, Isle of Wight and Workington make up Group A.
 

STAR INTERVIEW ~ Jamie Courtney
With Keith McGhie of ‘Speedway Star’ ~ Thursday 19th April 2007
There’s probably only one Bears rider who will relish many of the memories of last Sunday and that’s because he was the one who wasn’t at Glasgow. The traumatic events at Shawfield have, I’m sure, been chronicled in detail elsewhere in this programme and all our thoughts and best wishes are with Havvy and Mat as they set out on the road to recovery from their respective injuries. Jamie Courtney is no stranger to hospital beds and, having spent nine months battling back from a horrendous catalogue of injuries which would have made most of us pack it in and get another job, I’m pleased to say he was rewarded with a magnificent third place in the British Under-21 Championship qualifying round at Scunthorpe. 

In probably the toughest of the three qualifiers he fought off stiff competition to finish behind his team-mate this evening Josh Auty (many congratulations also Josh) and another ‘home’ rider Tai Woffinden and take the third automatic ticket to the Final at Eastbourne on April 28. “It was a great feeling to finally get things together this season,” said Jamie afterwards. The Bears’ young reserve will be 19 this coming Sunday and admits: “I’ve only got a couple of years left in the under-21s and I’m determined to be British Champion one day.

“I’ve been struggling with my gating recently and had a few tape exclusions because of that so have been putting more pressure on myself. But at Scunthorpe I got things right. I’d only been there twice before and nobody seemed to want gate four but I was making some great starts off of it. I had a terrible first race and finished last but my uncle Sean, who was helping me in the pits, made some changes and I managed to win my next race. I managed to get enough points together to qualify for the semi-final which I led until the last lap. I also led the final for a couple of laps and am thrilled to get through to the British Under-21 Final. I’m hoping this gives me the confidence to go on from here and get some points in the Premier and Conference Leagues."

Jamie will be a crucial member of the Burnt Tree Bays side that kicks-off its Conference League campaign here on Saturday against Plymouth. Then, on Sunday – his birthday – he and the rest of the team make the long journey to Sittingbourne in Kent for their second fixture. But far from being unhappy with the prospect of three meetings in four days, Jamie is just delighted to be back on a bike. Barely ten months ago he was stretchered off the track with three crushed vertebrae, a left leg fractured in two places and a few broken ribs! After months of physio to help recuperate our Northumbrian flyer insists: “I’m all fixed – there’s nothing wrong with me physically – but it’s been a bit strange getting back on a bike after so long not being able to. It’s more a case of getting ‘race fit’ now – getting used to being in the right places on the track when I’ve got other riders around me. Doubling up in the Conference League will do me good and hopefully I’ll get some race wins under my belt. It will also give me more time to learn the Redcar track as I’ve still only had a few meeting on it.”
 

BEARS MOVE TO COVER KEY INJURIES
By Redcar Speedway ~ Monday 16th April 2007
Sunday April 15th 2007 will be not be remembered as one of the happier dates in the emerging story of the Redcar Bears speedway club. For the match at Glasgow ended not only in a 56-37 Premier Trophy North defeat but more importantly the injuries to Mathieu Tresarrieu and Gary Havelock cast a shadow over the proceedings.

The Frenchman broke a collarbone after shedding a chain towards the end of his third ride and crashing. He is expected to be out for a month but will receive specialist treatment and advice later this week which will determine whether the club may make a short-term signing. Club captain Havelock was meanwhile detained in hospital in Glasgow after breaking two ribs in an horrific heat fourteen incident. Gary was coming off a 15-metre handicap as a tactical substitute when team partner Chris Kerr and Glasgow Tiger Robert Ksiezak tangled entering the back straight leaving the Bears' number one nowhere to go to avoid a collision. He was expected to be released on Monday afternoon to return to his Middlesbrough home for recuperation - subject to a further scan. He will be replaced for Thursday evening's Premier Trophy by a guest rider: Daniel Nermark of the Kings Lynn Stars whilst rider replacement will be operated for Mathieu Tresarrieu at number four with Chris Kerr switching to number five in the order.

The young American also took another heavy fall in the re-run of that fourteenth heat but will have recovered from being bruised and battered in the incident in time for the derby clash. The Bears had so far enjoyed a very successful start to the new campaign and gone top of the Premier Trophy North section. The Tyneside enemy will sense an opportunity here but no doubt stand-in captain James Grieves will have the troops up for it against a club whom he left in the close-season. It is imperative that the Bears keep up their momentum despite these setbacks and every Teesside fan will be in full voice in support of the beleagured Bears on Thursday evening at 7.30pm at the South Tees Motorsport Park.

REDCAR BEARS:
1. Daniel Nermark (G) 8.60
2. Daniel Giffard
3. James Grieves (C)
4. Mathieu Tresarrieu R/R
5. Chris Kerr
6. Jamie Courtney (R)
7. Josh Auty (R)
Team Manager- Brian Havelock
 
NEWCASTLE DIAMONDS:
1. Josef France
2. Carl Wilkinson
3. Jonas Raun
4. Ross Brady
5. Christian Henry (C)
6. TBA (R)
7. Sean Stoddart (R)
Team manager- George English
 

DOUBLE INJURY BLOW
By Martin Neal Evening Gazette ~ Monday 16th April 2007
Skipper Gary Havelock and heat leader Mat Tresarrieu were both taken to hospital yesterday as Redcar Bears' winning run came to a shuddering and painful end. The pair both crashed during the Bears' 56-37 Premier Trophy defeat at Glasgow and face a spell on the sidelines. Tresarrieu broke a collarbone in a heavy fall in heat six but was released from hospital last night.

Havelock meanwhile was kept in overnight after breaking two ribs. The former world champion had come in as a tactical substitute for Rusty Hodgson in heat 14 and started 15m back. He made a good start but, when Lee Dicken and Chris Kerr tangled, he hit the fence and was caught by the full force of his handlebars. The meeting was held up for some time while an ambulance made its way to Ashfield, and Havelock was clearly in some distress. His race suit had to be cut off and he was given oxygen straight away.

Both riders are expected to be out for around four weeks and early indications are that promoter Chris van Straaten will bring in a short-tern replacement to cover for Tresarrieu and use guests in place of Havelock. "Gary didn't have a great night, he kept waking up, but he's comfortable," said dad Brian, the Bears team boss today. "He'll be having a scan to make sure there's no damage to his intestines, but we hope to have him home today. The meeting was a bit of a disaster all round although, looking at the score, it wasn't as bad as it could have been."

The match itself was pretty much one-way traffic with the Tigers in control from the start. James Grieves had vowed to rise to the challenge against the Bears' only real Northern Section rivals, and he was true to his word. The winter signing continued his rich vein of form with a 16-point haul which included three victories. One of those came as a tactical double which could prove crucial when the teams meet again at South Tees Motorsports Park a week on Thursday with the aggregate point up for grabs.

Referee Craig Ackroyd made a couple of strange decisions - one of them being the exclusion of Kerr who had fallen, yet had remounted and rejoined the race before the red lights came on.

TIGERS: Shane Parker 14, George Stancl 9+2, Trent Leverington 9, Lee Dicken 7+3, Lee Smethills 7, Robert Ksiezak 6+1, David McAllan 4+2
BEARS: James Grieves 16, Gary Havelock 10, Lee Smart 4, Chris Kerr 2+1, Rusty Hodgson 2+1, Mat Tresarrieu 2, Dan Giffard 1.

BEARS young guns Josh Auty and Jamie Courtney both qualified for the British Under-21 final yesterday. Auty was second to Tai Woffinden in yesterday's qualifier at Scunthorpe with Courtney third to book their places in the final at Eastbourne on April 28.
 

TAME THE TIGERS
By Martin Neal, Evening Gazette ~ Saturday 14th April 2007
If anyone's going to prevent Redcar Bears reaching the semi-finals of the Premier Trophy, it's Glasgow. And that's why in-form James Grieves heads to the Ashfield Stadium tomorrow hell bent on playing his part in taming the Tigers. The Bears are unbeaten in four Trophy matches this term and sit proudly at the top of the Northern Section table. But only the group winners are assured of qualification - and Glasgow certainly have the tools to do a good job. With Redcar's reserves struggling to get among the points, the pressure is on the big guns to come up with the goods - and Grieves is determined to rise to the challenge.

"I rode at Glasgow from 2000 to 2005," he said, "so I know the track inside out. They have changed the track a lot this year, though, so I think we could be up against it. Glasgow have got two decent reserves at the moment in Lee Dicken and David McAllan. They've been scoring well, which is a big worry for us. It's going to be tough and that means the top five have got to score some points. We'll go there to try and win but, if not, we'll keep it close and try and get the bonus point when they come back down here, because we can't let them top the table."

The Bears are forced into making a change at reserve for the trip to Ashfield with Jamie Courtney and Josh Auty both riding in the British Under-21 Championship qualifier at Scunthorpe. As a result Birmingham's Lee Smart is brought in as a guest. Adam Rynon had been first choice to deputise after making a flying start to the season with Rye House, but his new green sheet average has now come into effect and is too high for him to be fitted in. Smart was second in last night's Under-21 qualifier at Weymouth and will be hoping to reproduce that form tomorrow.

If the Bears do manage to beat the Tigers tomorrow, it will be an incredible sixth straight win for Brian Havelock's men whose latest triumph came at the expense of visitors Edinburgh last Thursday. "We're on a high," said team manager Havelock, "so we'll take that with us to Glasgow and look to carry on from where we left off. Three or four of our riders ride the track quite well, so hopefully we can make that count."

BEARS: 1 Gary Havelock, 2 Dan Giffard, 3 James Grieves, 4 Chris Kerr, 5 Mat Tresarrieu, 6 Lee Smart, 7 Rusty Hodgson.
TIGERS: 1 George Stancl,2 Lee Smethills, 3 Shane Parker, 4 Robert Ksiezak, 5 Trent Leverington, 6 Lee Dicken, 7 David McAllan.
 

BATTLING BACK
By Martin Neal, Evening Gazette ~ Friday 13th April 2007
It wasn't perhaps as emphatic as they'd envisaged, but Redcar Bears saw off Edinburgh Monarchs 51-42 to maintain their push for a place in the Premier Trophy semi-finals last night. Having beaten their visitors 46-44 away last month, the aggregate point was routinely collected too, to keep the Bears top of the Northern Section table. The Bears had to pull back an early deficit on the night, but once they took the lead for the first time with a fifth heat 5-1, they were never under threat.

The Monarchs must be sick of the sight of James Grieves. Having scored a full maximum at their place, his only defeat last night came to Ronnie Correy in the final race. Mat Tresarrieu was at his spectacular best, too - squeezing between Daniele Tessari and the fence to win heat seven after a three-lap battle for the lead, and storming inside both Correy and Henrik Moller on the back straight to win again next time out. Like Grieves, the impressive Chris Kerr was sitting on a maximum going into the last race but lifted and fell on the third bend while chasing Correy. Anyone who doubted Chris van Straaten's wisdom in bringing him over on an eight-point average a year ago must surely now see the error of their ways!

Gary Havelock was denied a full house too - in controversial circumstances. His only defeat came in heat 10 when everyone in the stadium, apart from referee Jim McGregor, thought he passed William Lawson on the line. Havvy reckoned he was "at least three quarters of a bike length in front" at the end. But despite the protests of dad Brian, the team manager, the official stuck to his guns. It wasn't Mr McGregor's only debatable decision. Jamie Courtney was credited with third in heat seven when Lawson had more than a reasonable claim to have nicked it.

Dan Giffard again looked a dependable second string but - and this is starting to sound like a blunt needle stuck on an old vinyl LP - the reserves were again the weak link. Courtney and Rusty Hodgson managed only a point each and, in truth, never really looked like getting anything more. "We maybe didn't get as many as we expected to do," said boss Brian Havelock, "but it's satisfactory. We've got the three points, which is what we came to do. We're still struggling at reserve but there's not a lot we can do. We've got to give Jamie time and Rusty, well, he's there or thereabouts. The thing is, though, we're still winning with them in the team so I'm happy from that point of view. We're looking strong at the top end."

Bears: James Grieves 13+1, Gary Havelock 11, Chris Kerr 10+2, Mat Tresarrieu 10, Dan Giffard 5+2, Jamie Courtney 1, Rusty Hodgson 1.
Monarchs: Henrik Moller 9+2, Ronnie Correy 9, Andrew Tully 8, William Lawson 7, Derek Sneddon 4+2, Daniele Tessari 3+1, Matthew Wethers 2+1.
 

SKIPPER'S DELIGHT
By Martin Neal, Evening Gazette ~ Thursday 12th April 2007
Skipper Gary Havelock has paid tribute to Redcar Bears' depth of talent as they go in search of their fifth straight win tonight. The Bears sit proudly at the top of the Premier Trophy Northern Section table with an impressive 100% record in the competition. And they look set to extend that at South Tees Motorsports Park this evening when Edinburgh are the visitors. The Bears beat the Monarchs 46-33 north of the border just under two weeks ago and are firm favourites to do the double tonight, having passed the 50-point mark in both their home fixtures so far.

Havelock has received solid support from his team-mates throughout their winning run, making them a difficult side to break down. "James Grieves was phenomenal at Edinburgh where he got a 15-point maximum," said former world champion Havelock. "And when we won at Berwick on Saturday, Chris Kerr had an excellent night. With the team we've got, the possibilities are there for anyone to pop up and do it. We've made a great start to the season and that's what any team has to do if they've got aspirations of winning the league. It gives us a lot of confidence and it makes other teams dread you going to their place and they think 'oh no, not them' when they've got to come here."

Teenage whizz kid Josh Auty is unavailable for tonight's clash so Rusty Hodgson returns at No 7.

Edinburgh - who track the side which lost at home to Redcar last month - registered their first Premier Trophy points with a narrow win over basement boys Newcastle last week and their main threat is likely to come from former World Pairs champion Ronnie Correy who looked impressive in last week's Kevin Little benefit meeting. William Lawson can usually be relied upon for a big score too. He struggled round the STMP track a week ago although he looked impressive in scoring paid seven in a guest appearance for Wolves in the Elite League on Monday.

"Derek Sneddon is another rider I'd expect to do well," said team boss Brian Havelock. "Apart from those three, I can't see where their points will come from. But we mustn't be too complacent - and that's something I will instill into the guys."

Meanwhile Jamie Courtney has been added to the Cleveland Bays squad as he looks to discover his form after a difficult start to his time with the Bears. He is expected to make his debut for the Conference League outfit in their home clash with Plymouth Devils a week on Saturday.

Bears: 1 Gary Havelock, 2 Dan Giffard, 3 James Grieves, 4 Chris Kerr, 5 Mat Tresarrieu, 6 Jamie Courtney, 7 Rusty Hodgson.
Monarchs: 1 Ronnie Correy, 2 Henrik Moller, 3 William Lawson, 4 Daniele Tessari, 5 Matthew Wethers, 6 Derek Sneddon, 7 Andrew Tully.
 

UP FOR THE CUP
By Martin Neal Evening Gazette ~ Monday 9th April 2007
Rampant Redcar Bears are favourites to win the Premier Trophy Northern Section after roaring to their fourth win on the trot. They continued their excellent run of form on Saturday night with a 46-44 win at Berwick to extend their 100% record in the competition. Skipper Gary Havelock continued his brilliant early season form, only dropping one point, while Chris Kerr chalked up three wins and was voted man-of-the-match. And, with a place in the national semi-finals within grasp, manager Brian Havelock was delighted with the performance.

"We had a good chat before the meeting," he revealed, "and all the lads were up for it. We felt we could get the bonus point but Gary said 'we can win this'. "It's a daunting place to go. It's not the best of tracks and the lighting is set up for the football pitch. That means there's no light on the corners - there's quite a big dark area which makes it very difficult."

Once again - as they had done at Edinburgh just over a week earlier - the Bears snatched victory in the final heat. Both sides had their noses in front during the course of the night - the Bears opening a six-point lead early on before the pendulum swung the other way. However the Bandits were only briefly ahead - and then only by two points - and the scores were level at 42-42 going into the final race. Skipper Havelock quickly imposed himself on the deciding race to win ahead of home star Jacek Rempala, while Kerr held off Stanislaw Burza to clinch a a match-winning third place. It capped another fine night for Kerr, although his manager admitted he had a slice of luck in heat 14.

Josh Auty - who carded a commendable paid seven total in his first away meeting - was excluded after a fall which appeared to be the fault of home rider Michael Coles. Auty was clearly incensed - but Kerr gladly accepted a second bite of the cherry. For the American - who had earlier fallen while leading heat seven - was last when the red lights came on, but went out and won the re-run. "That was a bit fortunate," admitted Havelock. "If Chris hadn't won that race, we wouldn't have won the meeting."

Again it was a good all-round team performance by the Bears although Dan Giffard needed to make some alterations to his bike before he got going. Jamie Courtney had another difficult meeting too - he touched the tapes at the start of his first ride and never really got going after that. Now team boss Havelock believes a spell of Conference League racing could be the key to reviving his confidence.

BANDITS: Jacek Rempala 11, Andreas Bergstrom 8, Stanislaw Burza 8, Benji Compton 5+1, Michal Makovsky 6+3, Michael Coles 4, John Branney 2.
BEARS: Gary Havelock 14, Chris Kerr 10, James Grieves 7, Josh Auty 5+2, Mat Tresarrieu 5, Dan Giffard 3, Jamie Courtney 2+1.
 

BEARS AIM TO TOP TABLE
By Redcar Speedway ~ Monday 9th April 2007
After two away victories at Edinburgh and Berwick with a double for the bonus point against the latter Borders side - the Redcar Bears face the Monarchs from the Scottish capital on Thursday evening at 7.30pm looking for another double and a further bonus point that would secure their position at the top of the Premier Trophy North section.

However, Edinburgh's highly experienced new number one Ronnie 'The Rocket' Correy had an advance opportunity to test the South Tees Motorpark circuit last Thursday when a Monarchs Select were one of the teams competing in Kevin Little's farewell meeting. As did William Lawson and Derek Sneddon - two of the Scottish septet's rising young stars.

Ronnie enters Premier League racing with a marvellous pedigree.He was a World Finalist four years in succession 1989 to 1992 and it was in 1992 that he won the World Pairs Championship for the USA riding with Greg Hancock. He joins Edinburgh from Wolverhampton for whom he made his debut 20 years ago. His clashes with former World Champion Gary Havelock, the Redcar skipper, should be worth the price of admission alone and they produced some classic racing at the Armadale Stadium in the first leg.

The team that eventually finishes top of this regional section will go in the hat for semi-final places against the Midland and Southern section winners plus the best performing second place nationally but no chickens are being counted by Bears team manager Brian Havelock. 'We are not complacent about this impending fixture as no doubt having a series of races on our track only seven days prior will benefit the Monarchs involved. Also we yet to face Glasgow and Newcastle in the Northern group so there is still a lot of work to be done.'

REDCAR BEARS:
1. Gary Havelock (C), 2. Daniel Giffard, 3. James Grieves, 4. Chris Kerr, 5. Mathieu Tresarrieu, 6. Jamie Courtney (R), 7. Rusty Hodgson (R), Team Manager: Brian Havelock

EDINBURGH MONARCHS:
1. Ronnie Correy (C), 2. Henrik Moller, 3.William Lawson, 4. Daniele Tessari, 5. Matthew Wethers, 6. Derek Sneddon (R), 7. Andrew Tully (R), Team Manager: Alan Bridgett
 

BEARS PLOTTING BORDER RAID
By Martin Neal Evening Gazette ~ Saturday 7th April 2007
In-form Redcar Bears go in search of their fourth win on the trot tonight when they visit Berwick Bandits in the Premier Trophy (7pm start). But manager Brian Havelock has warned that his two reserves must play an increased role if that is to happen. With the exception of in the home meeting against the Bandits nine days ago, the Bears' bottom two have found points hard to come by. Teenager Josh Auty comes in to replace Rusty Hodgson for his away debut, and Havelock hopes that will boost his bottom end scoring power. The Bandits look like being quite a force on their home track this term and have already done what the Bears couldn't, by beating Newcastle on aggregate over home-and-away challenge fixtures.

"It's going to be a big ask to make it four on the trot," admitted the Bears chief. Berwick is one of those places our riders go to with a bit of trepidation - it's fairly bumpy along the straights so we'll have to take it as we find it. I could just do with the reserves pulling together a little bit more to ease the tension on the top end of the team. I think the top four can do a job, but it's the bottom end that's struggling. Tonight's match is one of the dates Josh is available for, so he is in the team. We need to be a bit stronger at reserve and I hope to be so with him in there. Jamie Courtney should ride it quite well too because he lives up there and goes there quite a bit."

The Bears' last visit to Shielfield Park - a 50-41 defeat in July - saw them repeatedly caught out on the final bend as the home riders used their track knowledge to sweep round the outside. But Havelock is determined to avoid a repeat of that and said: "We'll have a walk round the track before the meeting and put that to right before we start."

The Bears began their current run of wins with a comprehensive 58-35 victory over the Bandits in the home leg of their Premier Trophy clash - and that should be good enough to at least earn them the aggregate point. "They are a good side this year," said Havelock, "but we've got 23 points to spare from the first leg. We should get the aggregate point - if we don't, then we're doing something radically wrong!"

BANDITS: 1 Michal Makovsky, 2 Andreas Bergstrom, 3 Jacek Rempala, 4 Michael Coles, 5 Stanislaw Burza, 6 Benji Compton, 7 John Branney.
BEARS: 1 Gary Havelock, 2 Dan Giffard, 3 James Grieves, 4 Chris Kerr, 5 Mat Tresarrieu, 6 Jamie Courtney, 7 Josh Auty.
 

LITTLE BIT OF A DO
By Martin Neal Evening Gazette ~ Friday 6th April 2007
Grand Prix star Chris Harris made a sensational blast from last to first in the grand final. And former Boro Bears favourite Paul Bentley rolled back the years to take top honours in the Premier League Legends golden oldies' event. But the biggest winner of all at South Tees Motorsports Park last night was Kevin Little, who enjoyed a fitting farewell meeting. Little, who retired at the end of last season after helping Redcar Bears into the play-offs and to victory in the Tyne Tees Trophy, even had the opportunity for one last hurrah. He came out for an unprogrammed ride and guess what? He won it! After fighting his way past Kenny McKinna, he went inside Carl Stonehewer on the final corner to take the chequered flag at the end of his last ever race.

Little assembled a quality field for his 'A Little Bit of a Do' meeting and, as expected it was the Elite League stars who stole the show in front of a bumper crowd. Veteran Joe Screen still looked a class act in the colours of Workington while guest 'Bomber' Harris won three heats for Redcar Bears before his stunning final ride. Kenneth Bjerre was the other big hitter to make an impression and his efforts enabled Newcastle to take victory in the main four-team event with 31 points. The Bears were second on 28, having been in danger of the wooden spoon until the unexpected introduction of tactical double rides, while Workington were third on 23 with Edinburgh bringing up the rear on 21.

"It was a fantastic night," said Little as he prepared to put away his bike for the last time. "There was some terrific racing - especially considering it was a testimonial meeting. I even got to win a race as well - who'd have thought it? It was a great way to say farewell."

The golden oldies' pairs competition proved an intriguing contest too. Martin Dixon struggled to get going though, predictably, his Boro Bears team-mate Stonehewer had no such trouble. The former Grand Prix rider could easily still be one of the Premier League's top riders had he not decided to retire from the sport and take a job outside speedway. He was denied a second victory by mechanical gremlins while way out in front - leaving Darlington-based 'Banger' Bentley to take the event's top honours in the colours of Newcastle. Like Stonehewer, however, he has no plans for a comeback - though he clearly enjoyed his return to the track. "I was a bit apprehensive," he admitted, "but it felt pretty good. The bike suited me. It was a nice night and the track conditions were ideal for me. I don't think I'll be making a comeback - it's a big commitment and the only way I'd do it is if I was 100% committed and I've got that many other things going on at the minute. But you never know! I'm not too old yet!"

Main event.
Redcar: Chris Harris 13, Gary Havelock 7, Chris Kerr 6, Dan Giffard 2. Res: Jamie Courtney DNR.
Newcastle: Kenneth Bjerre 11, Stuart Robson 8, George Stancl 7, Richard Hall 5. Res: Richard Juul DNR.
Edinburgh: Rory Schlein 7, Ronnie Correy 7, Chris Neath 3, Derek Sneddon (res) 3, William Lawson 1.
Workington: Joe Screen 12, Billy Janniro 6, Paul Lee 3, Kauko Nieminen 1, Jamie Robertson (res) 1.
Grand final: 1 Harris, 2 Schlein, 3 Screen, 4 Bjerre.
Premier League Legends.
Middlesbrough: Carl Stonehewer 3, Martin Dixon 1.
Edinburgh: Kenny McKinna 3, Peter Carr 3.
Newcastle: Paul Bentley 6, David Blackburn 1.
Berwick: Scott Lamb 5, Sean Courtney 2.
Final: 1 Bentley, 2 Lamb, 3 Courtney, 4 Blackburn.
 

BIG BASH FOR LITTLE
By Martin Neal, Evening Gazette ~ Thursday 5th April 2007
Kevin Little formally brings an end to a career spanning almost two decades tonight - and he's determined we should enjoy it as much as him. Little retired last October after spending his final season with the Redcar Bears. And this evening he stages his farewell meeting - entitled A Little Bit of a Do - at South Tees Motorsports Park (7pm start). He's attracted a host of big names from both the past and present to race in a four-team tournament and a series of golden oldies races. The main event will feature teams representing Redcar, Newcastle, Workington and Edinburgh - his last four clubs in a career that also took in spells with Glasgow, Berwick, Bradford, Coventry and Belle Vue.

Gary Havelock spearheads a Bears side which also includes regular team-mate Chris Kerr, former Middlesbrough captain Shane Parker and Grand Prix star Chris Harris. Newcastle's quartet looks strong too with Kenneth Bjerre and South Tees Silver Helmet winner Richard Hall expected to score well, while former British champion Joe Screen is the star man in the Workington line-up. Martin Dixon and Carl Stonehewer represent Middlesbrough in the Premier League Legends pairs tournament which also sees a return to the track for Peter Carr and Kenny McKinna (Edinburgh), Scott Lamb and Sean Courtney (Berwick) and Paul Bentley and David Blackburn (Newcastle).

"These are all guys I have come across during my career," said Little. "I feel quite humbled when I look at the line-up and see the names who have agreed to come and ride. I've had a good career so now it's time to say thank you by putting on a good show for the supporters. I want everyone to be excited by the racing and to go home happy."

With 24 races to get through, the meeting starts half an hour earlier than usual and, after the event, the celebrations continue at the Thistle Hotel (tickets, priced £3, are available on the night). There, Martin Dixon's band the Mad Dogs will perform and there will also be an auction of race jackets and other memorabilia.

Little started his career with Glasgow in 1988 and went on to win the British League Gold Cup, Academy League (twice) and Academy League Individual crown with Berwick, he captained Edinburgh to the Premier League KO Cup and also lifted the Premier League trophy with Newcastle. And he's proud that he had a season to remember with the Bears to end his career. He won his last ever competitive race in spectacular style as Redcar beat Newcastle to win the Tyne Tees Trophy and he said: "It was as good a year as any. "I didn't want it to just peter out and I kept racing hard until the end."

MAIN EVENT REDCAR: Gary Havelock, Shane Parker, Chris Kerr, Chris Harris. Res: Jamie Courtney.
NEWCASTLE: Kenneth Bjerre, Stuart Robson, Richard Hall, George Stancl. Res: Richard Juul.
EDINBURGH: Rory Schlein, William Lawson, Ronnie Correy, Chris Neath. Res: Derek Sneddon.
WORKINGTON: Joe Screen, Kauko Nieminen, Billy Janniro, Paul Lee. Res: Jamie Robertson.

PREMIER LEAGUE LEGENDS. MIDDLESBROUGH: Martin Dixon, Carl Stonehewer.
EDINBURGH: Peter Carr, Kenny McKinna.
BERWICK: Scott Lamb, Sean Courtney.
NEWCASTLE: Paul Bentley, David Blackburn.

# Dan Giffard replaces Shane Parker in the Redcar side in the main event.
 

REDCAR REVIEW
By Redcar Speedway ~ Tuesday 3rd April 2007
The existing stock being carried by the track shop sold out on Saturday evening. However, for those who enquired and could not obtain a copy Dave Rattenbury can assure fans that there will be a fresh supply on sale from Thursday evening. So no-one need be disappointed!

The publication recaptures the magic of the re-launch of speedway on Teesside in 2006 with full match reports- analysis from each Bear- statistics- photos. It retails at £3.
 

A LITTLE BIT OF A DO ~ AMERICAN STAR COMES IN
Kevin Little’s Farewell ~ Monday 2nd April 2007
Coventry’s exciting American Billy Janniro has been drafted in to Kevin Little’s Benefit meeting on Thursday to replace the injured James Wright. He will slot into the Workington side. Kevin says “It’s great to find such a good replacement so quickly. Billy had said he wanted to ride and would act as backup, so now he is in! “Like all Americans he is an entertainer. I’ve just spoken to James today and I’m very pleased he isn’t too badly injured, because it was a frightening crash. He might miss one or two meetings but it could honestly have been a season-ending one.”

PLEASE NOTE THE EARLIER THAN USUAL START TIME OF 7pm

TEAM LINEUPS IN THE MAIN EVENT:
REDCAR: Gary Havelock, Shane Parker, Chris Kerr, Chris Harris.
NEWCASTLE: Kenneth Bjerre, Stuart Robson, Richard Hall, George Stancl.
EDINBURGH: Rory Schlein, William Lawson, Ronnie Correy, Chris Neath.
WORKINGTON: Joe Screen, Kauko Nieminen, Billy Janniro, Paul Lee.

The PREMIER LEAGUE LEGENDS are;
MIDDLESBROUGH: Martin “Mad Dog” Dixon and Carl Stonehewer.
EDINBURGH: Peter Carr and Kenny McKinna.
BERWICK: Scott Lamb and Sean Courtney.
NEWCASTLE: Paul “Banger” Bentley and David Blackburn.
 

THREE 'N' EASY
By Martin Neal, Evening Gazette ~ Monday 2nd April 2007
We've got the potential to get even better! That was the message from Redcar Bears boss Brian Havelock today as he looked back at his side's incredible run of three wins in as many days. The Bears completed their stunning hat-trick with a 53-39 win over Newcastle on Saturday in the re-arranged home leg of their challenge clash against the Diamonds. Once again it was their powerhouse top end which earned them victory. Going into the last heat Gary Havelock was unbeaten by an opponent and Mat Tresarrieu was sitting on a full maximum. They both battled their way past Ross Brady in that final race but couldn't catch Josef Franc - though that shouldn't detract from their outstanding efforts all night. James Grieves, who scored a full 15-point maximum at Edinburgh the night before, weighed in with three victories while Chris Kerr continued his rich vein of form with another mature performance. Dan Giffard is clearly recovering from his lower back injury two and his seven-point score was his best of the season so far.

The down side was that No 6 Jamie Courtney again struggled to make an impact while Rusty Hodgson failed to score despite some fast gates. The Hutton Rudby rookie took a heavy fall after Sean Stoddart went under him in his final ride, though he emerged unhurt. Boss Havelock refused to criticise his reserves, however - because he can't wait for them to click into gear and make the Bears an even more formidable outfit. "We're still weak at reserve but they are learning all the time," he said. "Another few home meetings under their belts and I think we'll see a big difference. Rusty is still struggling for points and Jamie's not quite there yet but they will get there. It's still difficult to assess what we can achieve this year. There is potential there but we're going to have to wait until we've had a few more matches under our belts."

The Bears' performance was not enough to overturn their 53-37 defeat on a night to forget on Tyneside six nights earlier, though it took a last heat decider to settle the aggregate outcome. But Havelock admitted: "I'm not too concerned - it was only a challenge after all. "It was a comfortable win and we were always ahead. As I said before, chasing 16 points from the first leg was always going to be a big ask but we went close."

Bears: Mat Tresarrieu 13+1, Gary Havelock 12+2, James Grieves 9, Chris Kerr 8+2, Dan Giffard 7, Jamie Courtney 4, Rusty Hodgson 0.

Diamonds: Josef Franc 11, Ross Brady 8+2, Sean Stoddart 6+2, Jonas Raun 5, Carl Wilkinson 4, Christian Henry 4, Ashley Johnson 1.

# Chris Kerr was fourth in yesterday's Wayne Carter Farewell Meeting at Scunthorpe.
# This Saturday's scheduled Cleveland Bays v American Dream Team match at South Tees Motorsports Park has been cancelled due to a combination of factors.
 

A TRIP TO PARADISE
By Gareth Rogers Sunday 1st April 2007
Redcar Bears speedway fans are being invited to join a three-day speedway mini-break which embraces the seaside, a major capital city and a trip to paradise! The dates are Friday June 29th for the Premier League Pairs at Somerset Speedway; Saturday June 30th for the British Grand Prix in Cardiff and Sunday July Ist for the Premier League fixture for the Bears at Rye House. With a planned early departure on the Friday there should be time for a trip to Burnham Beach about a mile from the Oak Tree Arena before the staging of the PL Pairs. The party is scheduled to be based in Highbridge that night and the following.

On the Saturday it is a comparatively short hop across the Severn Bridge into South Wales and a day out in one of Europe's most dynamic cities before settling down for the British GP at the Millennium Stadium. Tickets are on sale from the speedway office at the South Tees Motorsport Park.

On the Sunday we are off to Hertfordshire to visit the Paradise Wildlife Park at Broxbourne. The park is owned by ex-speedway rider Peter Sampson and houses the new Speedway Museum as well as an exciting range of attractions and facilities for all ages. Rye House Speedway is about 15 minutes away and the trip climaxes with the Bears in action at the tight Hoddesson circuit.

Initial estimate of cost is £150 and interested parties can register their contact details via enquiries@redcarspeedway.co.uk or by calling into the speedway office on race nights. The trip will be hosted by Martin Neal of the Evening Gazette and Gareth Rogers of the Redcar Bears Speedway Club with plenty of speedway themes such as quizzes being provided by the pair en route. Subject to space enquiries are also welcome from fans of other clubs.
 

A LITTLE BIT OF A DO Kevin Little’s Farewell
Sunday 1st April 2007
LINEUPS COMPLETED
The four teams in the main event of the Kevin Little Testimonial which takes place at Redcar Speedway on Thursday 5th April Start time 7pm SHARP! have been completed with the addition of Grand Prix star Chris Harris plus in-form Premier Leaguers Chris Neath and Paul Lee. Harris will line up for the Redcar Bears, which means that all four sides have one Elite Leaguer, the others being Rory Schlein (Edinburgh), Joe Screen (Workington) and Kenneth Bjerre (Newcastle). Kevin says “Chris Harris is Great Britain’s second representative in the GP and I think he’s there on merit, he can beat the best on his day. I’ve not ridden with him but I’m very pleased he has agreed to come.

“Neathy’s been badgering me for years about when I’m going to retire so he can ride in my meeting! The first time I really got on with him was the night at Hull when he guested for Newcastle. We were trying to win the league and he showed the same commitment as everyone else. That mightily impressed me. Paul has been a ski-ing buddy this winter and he’s been pressing me to be in the meeting. I’ve known him a long time, since he rode for Long Eaton in ’97. He was just a wee boy then. He’s not had the best of luck with injuries and I wish him an injury-free season, because he is a good wee rider, immensely quick.”

PLEASE NOTE THE EARLIER THAN USUAL START TIME OF 7PM.

TEAM LINEUPS IN THE MAIN EVENT:
REDCAR: Gary Havelock, Shane Parker, Chris Kerr, Chris Harris.
NEWCASTLE: Kenneth Bjerre, Stuart Robson, Richard Hall, George Stancl.
EDINBURGH: Rory Schlein, William Lawson, Ronnie Correy, Chris Neath.
WORKINGTON: Joe Screen, Kauko Nieminen, James Wright, Paul Lee.

The PREMIER LEAGUE LEGENDS are –
MIDDLESBROUGH: Martin “Mad Dog” Dixon and Carl Stonehewer,
EDINBURGH: Peter Carr and Kenny McKinna,
BERWICK: Scott Lamb and Sean Courtney,
NEWCASTLE: Paul “Banger” Bentley and David Blackburn.

Kevin Little Career details:
Born: 24/9/72, Edinburgh
Clubs: Glasgow Tigers (1988-9), Berwick Bandits (1989-91), Bradford Dukes (1992), Edinburgh Monarchs (1993-5), Berwick Bandits (1994-5), Belle Vue Aces (1995), Coventry Bees (1995-6), Berwick Bandits (1997), Edinburgh Monarchs (1998-2000), Newcastle Diamonds (2001-2004), Workington Comets (2005), Redcar Bears (2006).

Team and Individual Honours:
British League Gold Cup winner 1991 with Berwick
Academy League winner 1994-5 with Berwick.
Academy League Individual Champion 1994
Premier League KO Cup winner 1999 with Edinburgh (captain).
Premier League winner 2001 with Newcastle
The ONLY rider to have ridden for all Northern clubs in his career.

WEBSITE: www.alittlebitofado.co.uk