LATEST NEWS ~ DECEMBER 2006

GIFFARD HOTTING UP
By Martin Neal Evening Gazette ~ Friday 29th December 2006
RIDER of the Year Dan Giffard has set his sights on becoming a Redcar Bears heat leader by the end of next season. The 22-year-old Eastbourne loanee was a big hit at South Tees Motorsports Park last season, regularly rattling up scores that belied his status as a reserve. Now, having achieved his aim of earning a berth in the main body of the team, he's aiming to improve his status even further.

Skipper Gary Havelock - a big influence on Giffard - is expected to end 2007 as the Bears No 1 again, but the rising young former Weymouth star hopes he won't be too far behind. "I want to end the season as a heat leader," said Giffard, "and I don't see any reason why that can't happen. You have to have an aim - last season my aim was to be a second string and I achieved that, so there's nothing stopping me from being a heat leader. Looking at it realistically, I don't think I will be troubling Havvy, but hopefully I will keep Mat Tresarrieu on his toes."
 
Giffard will go into next season boosted by a new sponsorship deal with Cleveland Plastering. The arrangement came after an appeal in the Teesside-based Evening Gazette newspaper, and will go a long way towards helping him achieve his aims for 2007. But he's also hoping to attract more backers too. "I'm delighted the article in the paper brought a response," he said. "Not only that, but the guy who is helping me said he mate might be able to help me too. I'm very grateful. It doesn't cost as much as people might think to sponsor a speedway rider so I'm hoping that a few good performances early next season might tempt some other people too. By sponsoring a rider you are buying something that other people don't have - you're getting to know a rider and seeing speedway from the inside."
 
Meanwhile the Bears promotion are closing in on a No 6 for the new season as well as a rider to share No 7 duties with Rusty Hodgson. Offers have been made to riders and it is hoped the team will be completed early in the New Year.

Work is gathering pace off the track too. Co-promoter Glyn Taylor has revealed that the South Tees Motorsports Park's new stand is now in the process of being built and will be put up in February. "It will be 60m long, 10m deep and 6m high," explained Taylor. "Work has started on it and it's being built by Oz UK who built our pits so it will look similar, although obviously a lot bigger. It's all being built off-site and it only takes four days to erect. We're looking at having about 300 seats at one end and concrete terracing for around 600 at the other, although that could change."
 
The Redcar Review - a 20-page magazine looking back at the Bears' first year - will be on sale at the meeting (price £3). You can also order your copy by post for an extra £1 to cover p and p. Send a cheque or postal order for £4 to: SponSport Ltd, PO Box 4167, Walsall, West Midlands WS3 1WZ.

 

SATURDAY'S GRASSTRACK MEETING CANCELLED
By Martin Neal, Thursday 28th December 2006
SATURDAY’S scheduled grass track meeting at the South Tees Motorsports Park speedway circuit has been reluctantly cancelled. Organiser Glyn Taylor, the Redcar Bears co-promoter, scrapped the New Year Classic event last night (Wednesday) after failing to attract sufficient entries and therefore fans are advised not to travel to the venue.

We issued supplementary regulations for this meeting and have had a very poor response from the riders. In a last ditch attempt to save the meeting he applied to run a class for speedway bikes alongside the already programmed 500cc, 350cc and pre-1975 grass track categories, but was turned down.

Taylor admitted he was “gutted” to have to have to call it quits but said he was left with no option after receiving just 16 entries. “I am gutted,” he said. “But the bottom line was that I didn’t receive enough support from the riders. I was giving the riders an opportunity to earn some prize money but I didn’t get enough entries. If I was nailed to the floor I could have put a show on but it would have been really amateurish and there would have been no programme because we wouldn’t have known the entries. I didn’t want to do that. I would like to thank the Pickering Club for their efforts on our behalf.”

Taylor had wanted to stage a speedway meeting rather than an event for grass track bikes but the sport’s governing body – the BSPA – only issues one permit per month outside the regular season. Now he’s ready to try and persuade the BSPA to change the rulebook.

“The winter meetings take place at Brighton in December, Newport in early January and Telford ice rink in February,” explained Taylor. “That’s not much good to anyone who lives in the North. We live in a modern era where events can take place indoors – it’s a restriction of trade. If there has to be a restriction on the number of permits issues then perhaps it should be in a radius of, say, 200 miles. That way it’s fairer on the fans up in the North.

“There were a number of riders who said they wanted to ride this weekend but they didn’t have a grass track bike.”
 

HAVVY DEAL
By Martin Neal, Evening Gazette ~ Friday 22nd December 2006
CAPTAIN marvel Gary Havelock will be back with Redcar Bears next year. The inspirational former world champion and England skipper was the driving force behind the Bears' highly successful debut season in 2006. He finished the campaign with an average of 10.19 (including bonus points) with only Somerset's Magnus Zetterstrom ahead of him as the Bears roared into the Premier League play-offs and won the Tyne Tees Trophy.

Now the 38-year-old Eaglescliffe-born points machine has agreed terms to return and lead his local side for a second season. The first round of talks between Havvy and Bears owner Chris van Straaten broke up without a firm agreement being made - but both sides were confident that a deal would be done.

"I'm delighted," said Havvy, "and I'm glad it's all been agreed before Christmas. "I don't think there was ever any doubt that it would happen - not unless either of us started being silly and we're both old enough and wise enough
not to let that happen."

When Havelock joined the Bears it marked his first season outside the top flight since he left Middlesbrough Tigers for Bradford back in 1986. "It was a real blast for me last season," said Havelock, who has also agreed a deal to ride for Gdansk in the Polish League. "There were a few tracks I'd been to before and a few I hadn't. What I did find was that I thought I could get away with using my old Elite League equipment. But halfway through the season I realised that a lot of young lads were turning up with brand new bikes and were putting new parts on all the time. I realised I had to get my game together equipment-wise because I under-estimated how much it would cost to be competitive. But I know what to expect now and I can hit the ground running next season. I didn't manage to attract any local sponsors because we didn't start the season until October, so I'm hoping that will change next year - it would be a big help. I'm looking to make an improvement myself next year and I think we can finish in the top four."

# Former Boro Bears star Paul Bentley is considering an entry in the New Year Classic grass track on the South Tees Motorsports Park shale. Darlington-based Bentley is keen to borrow a bike for the event on Saturday December 20 (practice noon, first race 2pm).

Rob Grant snr, Rob Grant jnr, David Howe, Paul Cooper and Tony Atkins are among the confirmed entries in the 500cc class, while organiser Glyn Taylor is hoping to add South Tees Silver Helmet winner Richard Hall too.
 

BEAR'S BOOST
By Martin Neal, Evening Gazette Tuesday 19th December 2006
Former Newcastle skipper James Grieves has joined Redcar Bears. The experienced Scot, who has spent the past two years up the A19 with the Diamonds, completes the Bears' top five for 2007. He joins on loan from Elite League club Wolves - who are also owned by Redcar supremo Chris van Straaten - and should provide solid back-up for captain Gary Havelock, who is also expected to agree terms soon.

The 31-year-old Paisley-born racer had, by his standards, an unspectacular season in 2006 and finished with an average of 7.44. His 2.5% reduction for being a Brit means he arrives with a figure of 7.26 - and he's convinced he can improve on that. "I had a good year at Newcastle in 2005," he said, "but I dipped a wee bit this year due to a lot of personal reasons. But now I'm looking forward to next year and I believe I'm capable of an eight or nine-point average."

Grieves scored nine and ten on his two visits to South Tees Motorsports Park last season but was forced to miss the Tyne Tees Trophy after breaking two fingers in an accident at work. And he revealed: "I said to my mechanic after my first visit 'Give me a month on this track and I'll be on a par with Havvy'."

Grieves first linked up with van Straaten at Wolves in 1996 when he helped the Midlands side to a memorable Premier League and KO Cup double. There is a mutual respect between the two and the Bears boss believes his latest signing can make a big impact. "He is an important signing," he said. "He will be a powerful back-up for Gary Havelock. He didn't have the best of seasons last year but I am convinced I can get the best out of him. He has always performed well when he has been under my wing. If you look at it like for like, he is a replacement for Tomas Suchanek, which represents quite a bit of strengthening up."

Grieves joins confirmed starters Mat Tresarrieu, Chris Kerr and Dan Giffard in the 2007 Bears team with Havelock expected to join them. Rusty Hodgson will share the No 7 jacket while doubling up with the Cleveland Bays, leaving his "other half" and a No 6 to complete the team.
 

NOT BAD FOR A TEAM OF NOHOPERS!
Speedway Star Track Review by Keith McGhie Thursday 14th December 2006
Born through a vision, fuelled by enthusiasm and delivered in swash-buckling style, it can be argued that only all-conquering King’s Lynn will reflect on 2006 with more relish than Redcar.

It had been a decade since the much mourned Cleveland Park closed its doors to speedway and sadly succumbed to the bulldozers, so when Chris Van Straaten and Gareth Rogers declared their intentions to build a track on the other side of Middlesbrough, at the South Tees Motorsports Park, it was bound to be received with massive acclaim.

But with the winter already well set when former rider and nowadays engine tuner and occasional track builder Glyn Taylor was handed the budget, a blank sheet of paper and a bleak looking piece of boggy wasteland, even he must have had his doubts? “Not really,” he recalls. “I first saw the site in November and knew within ten minutes where the track was going to go - the state of it didn’t worry me at all. “It did once we got working and found the type of rubbish that was in the ground - that was a nightmare but not insurmountable. “It just meant we had to use a lot more heavy earth-moving equipment than was originally anticipated. “There were blocks of concrete the size of Transit vans in there and the basement of buildings that we actually broke through and had to pull machinery out of! ‘We didn’t actually get on site until February 5 and everything we found had to be dug out first.”

Understandable early caution meant it was mid-January before the new promotional team made a popular, if surprise declaration of their intent to operate in the Premier League, at which point the initial doubters, who had probably seen the dreadful state of the former quad practice track, began to air their views. While Taylor donned his wellies and ploughed on regardless of less than encouraging weather forecasts, Van Straaten was preparing to face 13 other teams who had all benefited from a considerable head start, been given the pick of the riders available and, by general consensus, already snapped up the best of them.

Some kind of magic was needed and, for his first trick, the vastly experienced West Midlands promoter pulled off probably the biggest coup in the history of the Premier League — by enticing a former World Champion into the second tier of British racing. Not only that but the man concerned was none other than local hero and former Middlesbrough product Gary Havelock. Havvy certainly brought with him hope and plenty of headlines but also a hefty 11.20 average which even the 1992 World No. I surely couldn’t sustain!

Slow away from the traps, the Bears were swiftly into the race as highly rated but largely unproved Frenchman Mathieu Tresarrieu plus Tomas Suchanek - a twice Czech Under-21 Champion who had yet to make an impact during brief spells in Britain - were added to the Teessiders’ ranks. The reserve berths were filled by Dan Giffard - Weymouth’s Rider of the Year and one of the stars of the 2005 Conference League - and 17-year old Jack Hargreaves, originally a protégé of Van Strasten’s at Monmore Green who had slipped the leash and wound up with Stoke Spitfires. If Havelock had been a gamble in terms of points-potential measured against average, the next move was equally audacious and potentially suicidal. Chris Kerr - the undoubted star of the 2005 American Dream Team tourists - was signed on a three-year deal. No-one doubted the Californian’s talent but his UK points had been scored at mostly Conference level and he arrived with a crippling 8.00 assessed average, which was a big gamble for a side with already more question than exclamation marks beside it.

Former rider and manager Brian Havelock, Gary’s father and another highly respected local figure - was put in charge of team matters but even he was admittedly rusty having been out of contact with the sport for several years. Havelock senior recalls: “I felt very privileged I sensed these were exciting times with a new venue but, apart from Gary and Kevin Little, I’d hardly heard of any of the rest of the team.”

The sceptics and many pundits dubbed it a team of has-beens and rejects and surely shoe-ins f or the wooden spoon - misguided views that would serve only to galvanise the newly formed Bears into a unit quietly determined to prove the knockers wrong.

A blow to their ambitions came before a wheel was turned in anger as Tresarrieu reported sick without even crossing the channel - out for a month with a shoulder injury sustained in his native France. The out of work and almost retired Richard Juul was called and came in as a useful, if unspectacular short-term replacement.

Opening night - Maunday Thursday - was eagerly awaited but was so nearly an unqualified disaster. Taylor explains: “Not only was it a race against time, it was a race against the weather - first, it wouldn’t stop raining and then, the Sunday before we opened, there was a foot of snow on the centre. I guess April 13th was just too early but maybe only by a day - we added a lot of lime to stabilise the track and once it went off, it was like concrete! Even though it was a cold night, it started to set and racing improved as the meeting went on.”

In hindsight, perhaps Van Straaten should have avoided the number 13 because, if it could happen, it almost certainly did on that blustery and anything but spring-like night. The fans predicted, came in their thousands, queues at the turnstiles tailing back seemingly halfway to Redcar, some five or six miles away, and causing the start to be delayed by 15 minutes.

With the track surface far from perfect, a second race crash brought another lengthy holdup as Sheffield’s Benji Compton had to be whisked away to hospital. As the crowd - originally ten or more deep around the perimeter fence - waited patiently, they were plunged into almost total darkness by a generator failure! Patrons were eventually allowed onto the ‘strictly out of bounds’ back straight access road and unconsolidated banking and, when Heat 3 of the derby against Sheffield finally got underway, the visiting Tigers showed little compassion by coming from behind to snatch the match points by 46-44 as well.

“We were fortunate that the generator failed at the same time we were waiting for the ambulance to return,” mused an exhausted, exhilarated and somewhat relieved Van Straaten after the eventful opening. Things could only get better and they rapidly did, with the most encouraging aspect being the number of people who returned to witness Redcar’s first win a week later - by a single point over Edinburgh after a Havelock and Little last heat 5-1.

The Bears didn’t lose again at home in the Premier Trophy but, while never outclassed, didn’t really threaten to pickup anything away and they finished second from bottom of the northern group. The league season began in ominous fashion, at the home of pre-season favourites and ultimately all-conquering King’s Lynn. And while a rusty Tresarrieu was finally fit enough to make his debut, the Bears immediately lost the services of Little whose form had been among the early season highlights. The Scot crashed and would miss the next four matches with a shoulder injury. Only Havelock managed to win a race at the Norfolk Arena and even he only totalled six as the Teessiders crashed 70-22 — an early record defeat that may stay in the history books for a while yet!

It was a blow, softened as the season progressed by virtually every side also getting steamrollered at the East Anglian venue. Brian Havelock may not have been happy with the performance but refused to be too rattled, explaining: “I wasn’t too distressed by it because we lost Kevin so early and even at that stage we knew that King’s Lynn were a very good side, especially on their own track.” The Redcar team boss had every right not to press the panic button as no-one else would even top the 60-mark against a Bears outfit that would eventually became a respected force on a wide, banked and sweeping home circuit which was developing a reputation for close racing and plenty of passing.

With a quiet air of satisfaction, Taylor was able to admire his work as the scorching summer set in. He said: ‘We were restricted with our area - I had an open plan width-wise but length-wise it would have been great to have had the straights another five or 10 metres longer. “But I’m very proud of the way it turned out and, although we are a bit short on facilities, they are improving all the time.”

Tresarrieu and Kerr offered plenty of thrills even though the untamed enthusiasm of youth often resulted in points scoring positions ending prematurely under the safety fence. Giffard and, at home, Hargreaves were more than earning their keep at reserve but it was Suchanek who was first to rival Havelock in the popularity stakes. A series of double figure home scores during June and July culminated in 14 against Stoke and finally a thrilling paid maximum in the 57-38 thumping of Mildenhall. Strangely, the likeable Czech lost his way thereafter, seemingly struggling to cope with the extra pressure incurred after moving into the top two in August, and sadly his season was cut short by a leg injury picked up in September while racing in his homeland.

Nevertheless the Bears began to snarl and growl, then were positively roaring as the midsummer heatwave set in, surprising more than a few folk but not many on Teesside. Giffard struggled with the heat and demands of commuting from his home in Eastbourne but rarely let it affect his performances and a superb paid 10 at Mildenhall, allied to similar double figure returns from Suchanek and Tresarrieu, led to the Bears gaining their first ever away point through a draw at West Row. ‘We were beginning to buzz then and really should have won at Mildenhall because Gary had an off-day and, at that stage, he was still regarded as the only real heat leader we had,” pointed out Brian Havelock.

Even better was to follow with a 64-26 home record hammering of Berwick and then, just 48 hours later the rampant Teessiders simply took Stoke apart on their own patch for a famous first away win. Surely, after three such momentous results in six days, struggling Newport would also be swept away amidst the mid-season euphoria when they arrived in the North East the following Thursday? But perhaps the unpredictability of speedway is what makes it such a compelling sport and, against all odds, the Welsh outfit unceremoniously burst the burgeoning bubble on Teesside by storming to a deserved 51-39 success. The result was the low spot of the season - not just by its unexpectedness but by the way it acted as a reality check. Away defeats at Edinburgh and Newcastle followed swiftly afterwards and the top four dream suddenly reverted to the original top eight play-off place goal for Brian Havelock’s men.

Amends were made at Newport in early August where an extraordinary turnaround, aided by opportune use of the controversial tactical ride rule, led to a 49-47 success and kept the Bears well in the play-off mix. Having trailed by 12 points after six races and still down 36-27 after ten, the visitors stormed back to gain some revenge for that earlier humbling on home soil. Although too many bonus points began to slip away, even a last home match of the season reverse against champions-elect King’s Lynn couldn’t prevent a commendable final position of sixth at the culmination of the Bears’ maiden campaign.

Havelock senior reflected: “At the inaugural public meeting, held at Middlesbrough Football Club during the winter, I remember saying we would be aiming to be in the top six and I’ll admit there were times when I thought maybe we’d bitten off more than we could chew. Tomas started missing meetings for continental commitments, then Mat was away a lot grasstracking and we didn’t always get a facility for him, and that unsettled the team.

The Newport match was simply a case of the track catching us out. It wasn’t like anything we’d experienced previously as it had been over-watered - I’m sure Glyn would be the first to admit that. I was totally gutted that night because it shouldn’t have happened but I suppose it was a reality check. Even when we were up to third in the league, I said I felt it was a false position because of the fixtures both us and other teams had left at that time. But there were numerous occasions where we lost the bonus point by just the odd point, or two points, and it only needed a couple of those to have gone the other way and we would have finished in the top four. Then we wouldn’t have been chosen by King’s Lynn in the play-offs and could perhaps have reached the semi-finals.”

Tresarrieu got better and better and more and more exciting, executing some breathtaking manoeuvres from seemingly hopeless situations as the summer wore on. The 20-year old battler from Bordeaux’s finest hour came on the last day of August when nothing in Workington’s arrnoury could derail the flying Frenchman en route to a blistering first 15-point full house. His enthralling exploits were enough to earn him the Peter Harrison Memorial Trophy for the most improved young rider and, while Giffard’s superb transition from Conference League leading light to Premier League points-piler saw him voted Bear of the Year, he would be the first to admit the whole glorious 2006 show was really built on a platform provided by the presence of Gary Havelock.

“Havvy has given me so much help this year,” was a statement made by Giffard that could equally have been echoed by almost all of his teammates. The former England captain was immense in every sense, from the regular stream of double figure scores on the track to his infectious enthusiasm and enormous influence off it.

Kerr’s season ended at a time when he was beginning to show his back wheel to an increasing number of well respected opponents with his ‘piece de resistance’ left until his very final competitive home race of the season at Redear - Heat 17 of the South Tees Silver Helmet. With skipper and part-time mentor Havelock still harbouring faint hopes of victory and certainly looking likely to claim a rostrum place, the Californian chased and harassed for over two laps before surging sensationally though on the inside to take the chequered flag. The future looks very exciting for both Kerr and his ever growing army of admirers at the South Tees Motor Park.

Little weathered a couple of knocks during his farewell season but began with gusto, when the fledgling outfit really needed some solid support for Havelock, then finished with a flurry by powering through from behind to win Heat 15 and seal a superb double over arch-rivals Newcastle in the Tyne-Tees Trophy.

Both Suchanek and Hargreaves endured a combination of highs and lows, with injuries affecting both at some stage, but each made undoubted progress and many friends on Teesside and whether or not either or both are back in 2007, it promises to be another exciting year.
 

SEASON LOW
Just five days after a rampaging win at Stoke, the Bears sank to the first of only two home league defeats against eventual wooden spoonists Newport, who themselves had capitulated embarrassingly on their own home circuit in the KO Cup against Sheffield only four days beforehand.

What should have been a home banker turned into a hugely disappointing capitulation and, whatever excuses were made about the track, it was the same for both sides and there was only ever one in it - the one from South Wales.
 

SEASON HIGH
There were so many … from the moment local hero Gary Havelock agreed to lead the re-born Bears into action, the blue touch paper was lit. Maybe it was Tomas Suchanek’s last race last gap surge to secure a superb first every paid 15-point maximum against Mildenhall in July or the steady but undoubted emergence of Dan Giffard as a forceful Premier League rider, in the face of unenviable travelling headaches from his Sussex home.

Prehaps it was Mat Tresarrieu’s thrilling full house against Workington ot the ever improving Chris Kerr confirming he was a class act in the making with an admirable yet audacious pass of his skipper Havelock in the South Tees Silver Helmet.

Redcar’s first away point at Mildenhall and a staggering first of two victories on the road at Stoke, where the hosts were completely brushed aside, were historic moments to savour.

All the aforementioned qualify as leading contenders for the season’s high spot but the best aspect of the whole season was the marvellous Teesside public who just kept coming and coming, win, lose or draw, to stand amid very basic facilities and cheer their favourites on each week.
 

BEARS SIGNING CLOSE
Monday 18th December 2006
REDCAR co-promoter Gareth Rogers has confirmed that the club are close to completing a major new signing for the 2007 season. Rogers has refused to comment on speculation surrounding the riders' identity at this stage, but did describe the deal as being one for "a new top-end rider."

The Bears expect to finalise matters on Monday and will announce the details on their official hotline, 09068 555 801 (calls 60p/min), at midday on Tuesday December 19.
 

TRIUMPH FOR THE BEARS ON BIKES
Wednesday 13th December 2006
Evening Gazette Motorsport award ~ Winner: Redcar Bears
After ten long years, speedway made a triumphant return to Teesside in 2006. And there was success on both sides of the safety fence for the Redcar Bears. As well as providing consistently thrilling action for some of the biggest crowds in the British Premier League, the Bears were a force to be reckoned with on the track too. In former world champion Gary Havelock they had an inspirational captain who regularly racked up double figure scores.

They confounded the early season critics by reaching the championship play-offs and finished the season on a high by beating Newcastle for the Tyne-Tees Trophy. Bears team manager Brian Havelock, who was accompanied by director of operations Gareth Rogers and riders Gary Havelock and Chris Kerr to collect the award, said: "We are delighted to pick up this honour.

"It's the icing on the cake. So many people have worked so hard to make the Redcar Bears a success this year and this award recognises their efforts. We contacted Chris van Straaten, the promoter, straight away because he wasn't able to be with us, and he was delighted too. The new season doesn't start until March, so it's fantastic to have a trophy in the cabinet before we've even started."

Gareth Rogers added: "The award reflects the fact that on track we have had a successful re-launch of the sport on Teesside with the Bears reaching the Premier League play-offs plus our leader and inspiration Gary Havelock achieving a rostrum place in the League Riders' Championship. We have established a foundation for the sport for years ahead."
 

SPEEDWAY START PUBLISHERS ANNOUNCE SKID!
Tuesday 12th December 2006
You may be aware that Pinegen, the publishers of Speedway Star are launching a new magazine for the start of next season. SKID!, aimed at young Speedway fans, will be published fortnightly and will contain posters, quizzes, short features as well as a round-up of the latest speedway news plus a different slant on Speedway's young stars for the incredible price of just £1.50.

Young fans are the next generation of Speedway supporters and SKID! will hopefully bring them closer to their heroes and there will be some superb prizes to be won. To coincide with this new magazine, there is also a SKID! sticker album planned, containing some super colour stickers of each GP rider competing in this season's GP series with around 45 great stickers to collect – and these FREE stickers will only be available with SKID!

Hopefully every track round the country will give their young fans the opportunity to purchase this new fun magazine at their track. The SKID! web-site is www.skidmag.net

BEARS WIN EVENING GAZETTE MOTORSPORT AWARD
Tuesday 12th December 2006
The Redcar Bears have won the 2006 Evening Gazette Motorsport award at a glittering ceremony and dinner held at the Tall Trees Hotel, Yarm on Monday December 11th. Presenting the certificate and trophy were Dame Tanni Grey-Thomson the Paralympic multi-Gold medallist and Gareth Southgate the manager of Middlesbrough Football Club. On stage representing the club as recipients were club captain Gary Havelock, team member Chris Kerr, team manager Brian Havelock and Director of Operations Gareth Rogers.

The criteria for victory was the fact that the speedway club had emerged from nothing a year previously to achieve what the club managed on and off track this past season. When the two Gareths met more informally later for a photo shoot together - the Premiership manager accepted an invitation to bring his family to the South Tees Motorsport Park in summer 2007.

Gareth Rogers with Gareth Southgate Photo by Chris Baldwin - Snapper Racing
 

BEARS ANNOUNCE ENHANCED RADIO COVERAGE
Sunday 10th December 2006
Following the recent Team Talk phone-in on BBC Radio Cleveland and a direct meeting that night between the station's Sports Producer Paul Addison and the Redcar Bears' Director of Operations Gareth Rogers - it has been confirmed that Gareth will voice a post-meeting report of each home fixture at the South Tees Motorsport Park next season for inclusion in the next morning's Breakfast show. The station will continue it's present service of in-house fixture previews plus postponement news where necessary.

Further dialogue is now taking place about the general availability of Rogers to cover a proportion of away matches plus commentate on key fixtures. At present he does attend many away matches for the club's hotline service. Gareth Rogers is a former sports reporter and producer with BBC Wales, BBC Radio Sussex, C4TV and Sky News. BBC Radio Cleveland broadcasts on 95 FM , DAB and on the inter-net.

Further media initiatives with other outlets are being discussed at the moment in preparation for Season 2007 which commences at the Motorpark on Thursday March 22nd when the Redcar Bears take on the Newcastle Diamonds.
 

HAVVY KEEN ON REDCAR RETURN
By Evening Gazette Tuesday 5th December 2006
Skipper Gary Havelock expects to be back in Redcar Bears colours next season. The former world champion and England captain has met promoter Chris van Straaten to talk about returning to South Tees Motorsports Park in 2007. And, although no firm agreement was reached, both parties are convinced it won't be long before Havvy signs on the dotted line. There have been reports that parent club Poole are keen to try to lure him back to the South Coast next year, but Havvy revealed: "I'd like to come back to Redcar. Neither myself nor Chris van Straaten expect any problems with that. "I enjoyed myself last season and I think I was riding better than I have done for three or four years. I rode five times as a guest in the Elite League and once in the Craven Shield - I didn't score less than eight in those six matches, so it shows how well I was going."

Van Straaten met Havvy for talks while he was on Teesside for the quiz and disco arranged as part of Kevin Little's retirement celebrations. "I had a very amiable couple of hours with Gary," he revealed, "and we shook hands at the end. "I want Gary back and Gary wants to come back. That being the situation, the marriage will take place. I can't lie and say that he's signed because he hasn't, but there are only one or two minor points to be sorted out but I don't envisage any problems. He does a magnificent job as rider and captain and I'd like to get him more involved in the club."

Van Straaten also used the opportunity to nail down Cleveland Bays rider of the year Rusty Hodgson on a contract. The former road racer will continue to ride for the Bays in the Conference League, but will also be in the Bears squad. "He will share the No 7 berth with another rider," revealed van Straaten. "We are entitled to do that to cover for riders who may have work or education commitments. It's a big step going from second halves to a full programme of 50 Premier League matches, so it is a good idea."

Meanwhile, the Bears will open the season with a challenge match against Newcastle on Thursday, March 22 and will visit Brough Park for the return three days later.
 

FAMILY FAVOURITES AS HODGSON SIGNS
Tuesday 5th December 2006
Rusty Hodgson - the Cleveland Bays 'Rider of the Year' has been given the opportunity to take the second reserve spot in the Redcar senior team and in so doing creates history as a third generation 'Bear'.

His grandfather Frank was the club's post-war captain and one of its most distinguished riders along with Great Uncle Jack. Rusty's father Russ was a Middlesbrough Bear in the 1970's and now the 24-year-old ex-road racer is being given his chance in what should prove a popular move on Teesside as he becomes the second local boy in the septet with former World Champion Gary Havelock expected to agree terms with club owner Chris Van Straaten soon.

Rusty himself signed a full contract with the Redcar Bears at the quiz evening at the Thistle Hotel, Middlesbrough last Thursday evening following his announcement as the top Bay of the 2006 Conference Shield season at a recent social event in the town centre. With the Bays having applied for full membership of the 2007 Conference League then Rusty will double-up for these and the Premier League Bears - which should keep him fit!

Said Rusty: 'The chance has come a lot quicker than I expected but I am really up for it and want to carry on the family tradition.'

The hospitality unit at the South Tees Motorpark is named the Hodgson Lounge in honour of the contribution of the previous generations to speedway on Teesside.
 

EVENING GAZETTE SPORTS AWARDS 2005/2006
Monday 4th December 2006
The Redcar Bears's speedway team have been nominated for the 'Motorsport Award' category to be presented at a glittering dinner on the evening of Monday December 11th at the Tall Trees Hotel, Yarm.

The other two nominations are National Autograss Champion Martyn James and teenage road racer Jamie Ferguson. The Bears being the only team to make it to the final three.

The club will be represented at the dinner by club captain Gary Havelock, team manager Brian Havelock, Commercial Manager Kirsty Sinclair and the club's Director of Operations Gareth Rogers. With Middlesbrough FC manager Gareth Southgate scheduled to be presenting the awards all Bears fans will be hoping that it will be a case of Gareth meets Gareth on stage that night!