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END OF SEASON REPORT 2004 > >
First Team |
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10th
October |
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Back row, left
to right: Mark Whitehead, Dave Hemsley, Norman Venson, Will
Burns,Kevin Burns, Jim Waring. Front row. Left to right:
Nigel Wragg, Craig Marchant. |
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A remarkable season comes to a
close today which has been the best year for the club in
recent memory. The achievements of the senior team have put them
back at the top of cycle speedway after a couple of
years in the wilderness. British Team Cup champions
for the third time and winners of both the Midland
and Midland-North Leagues is a proud record. Only
the British Premier League title slipped from their
grasp after a late run that made everyone sit up and
take notice. |
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Galvanised by the return of
David Hemsley and Nigel Wragg we never lost
a match when these two were in the side. With David's
presence in the team here is someone at the top of his
chosen sport who can be relied upon to beat the very best
riders home or away. Similarly, Nigel has the ability to
sway a match with those lightening gates that are his
trademark. All season Mark Newey has worn the
number one race shirt and whilst some riders are not
comfortable in being the first out on the track, Mark has
carried this position with pride. With over 300 points
scored this season, the former world champion was man of the
match at Ipswich last month when we won the cup. |
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Whilst the above trio have
been at the forefront of the score-sheet this season,
Mark Whitehead has gone quietly about his business of
racking up the points and he rarely fails to deliver. Mark
is one of our longest serving members and his performances
at Norfolk, Southampton, Edinburgh and more recently Bury,
saw him at his very best. Similarly, Kevin Burns has
graduated through the ranks to become one of the Monarchs
key riders. Kevin will stand his ground in tight situations
and his overtaking at Slater Street has become legendary. On
the occasions when we have been missing top riders, Jim
Waring has often stepped up a notch to fill the void and
this was evident recently when Jim's thirteen points against
the title chasing Southampton side were a significant
contribution to our win. |
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Norman Venson has had
another consistent year, averaging over three points a match
and his influence at the head of the side as captain is
immeasurable. Double figures for the team at Sandwell,
Coventry, Stoke and Bury were the season's highlights for
Nicky Whitehead who has seen an improvement in his race
average when compared to last year. Craig Marchant
has been one of the top riders in the sport for many years
now and a vital member of the team. Craig led the line
against Scotia in Edinburgh last month with five unbeaten
rides. |
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