Swindon take a break from Elite League action and turn their attentions to the Knockout Cup as they embark on back to back fixtures against Poole in the quarter final of the competition.
The Robins travel to Dorset on Wednesday 18th June for the first leg of the contest and then entertain the Pirates at Blunsdon twenty four hours later.
With Poole having re-gained top spot in the league standings after their slender two point victory at Wolverhampton on Monday night, this week’s knockout cup encounter brings together the top two sides in British speedway.
Both teams are expected to be a full strength for the meetings with Poole skipper Bjarne Pedersen now fully back into the racing routine after recovering from the wrist injury that sidelined him for a four week period.
A quick look down the team line ups reveals an array of potentially intriguing encounters but it is the points scored at reserve that could prove pivotal in the eventual outcome.
With Poole’s Magnus Zetterstrom recently dropping to the number sixth berth and his partner Daniel Davidsson notching up impressive hauls in recent weeks the Swindon duo of James Wright and Manuel Hauzinger will be presented with a stern test.
The duels between Troy Batchelor and Chris Holder always catch the imagination and the two Australian youngsters will no doubt
re-ignite their fierce rivalry. Batchelor romped to a flawless fifteen point maximum in Sunday's World U21 semi final at Rye House and in doing so defeated Holder by three points.
Swindon Team manager Alun Rossiter is assuring fans his rider will be fully committed for both meetings:
‘Make no mistake, we’re taking the knockout cup seriously and after the defeat Poole inflicted on us a few weeks ago we’re seeking some good old fashioned revenge on Thursday. We’re hoping to contribute a solid performance in Dorset on Wednesday and lay some foundations on which we can build on the following night.
The victory against Eastbourne last week was an extremely pleasing result that sent everyone home with a beaming smile. The most obvious positive was the performance of our new recruit Manuel Hauzinger who contributed an unbelievably composed performance and was rewarded with a hat full of points.
His speed, style and track craft exceeded all of our expectations and whilst we don’t expect him to score that many points each meeting the potential he demonstrated was encouraging.
This week he’ll be up against the very solid reserve partnership of Zetterstrom and Davidsson which will be a real test for him"
Visitors’ fact file: Poole Pirates
The Pirates have certainly experienced an eventful 2008 campaign that has been packed full of brilliant victories, disappointing defeats and a string of unfortunate injuries. Despite the contrast in fortunes Poole are challenging for Swindon for top spot in the Sky Sports Elite League and boast an impressive away record this season. The Dorset side contributed a thoroughly impressive performance at Blunsdon on the 22nd May when the reigned victorious by a twelve point margin.
Daniel DAVIDSSON
DOB: 17TH March, 1983
The Swedish rider re-joins Poole as a replacement for broken leg victim Zibi Suchecki who faces a hefty spell on the sidelines. Davidsson is renowned for his lightening fast gating ability but has struggled to find any sort of consistency during his previous spells in Britain. However his existing knowledge of Elite league circuits should assist him this time round and enhance his scoring potential. Has shown real signs of improvement since joining Poole this season and the Swede has collected plenty of points from the reserve department.
Freddie ERIKSSON
DOB: 23 April 1981, Stockholm, Sweden.
The capture of Eriksson’s signature was a surprising aspect of Poole’s winter squad-building process. The experienced Swede began the 2007 season with Oxford, but found himself without a British team after the regrettable demise of the Cowley-based outfit. Thus far, Eriksson has enjoyed a fantastic 2008 season and has proved to be a match winner on numerous occasions.
Chris HOLDER
DOB: 24 September 1987, Appin, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
THE twenty-year-old Aussie has achieved a breathtaking amount during his short career and is rightly regarded by many as the hottest prospect in world speedway right now. Romped to victory in the five-found Australian Championship and has begun his inaugural Elite campaign very well. Shares a fierce rivalry with Troy Batchelor and the two compatriots will certainly be eager to inflict defeat on one another at the Abbey tonight.
Bjarne PEDERSEN
DOB: 12 July 1978, Ryde, Denmark.
DANISH international, who heads the Pirates again in 2008 and remains loyally committed to the club. The reduction in the points-limit meant Poole were unable to retain their forceful top two of Jason Crump and Pedersen, which subsequently saw the double World Champion go out on loan to Belle Vue. Was out of action for a month with a wrist injury but has recently re-joined the squad and is performing well.
Adam SKORNICKI
DOB: 22 October 1976, Wolsztyn, Poland.
ENTERTAINING Polish rider, who made a surprising move to the South Coast club after a steady 2007 campaign with Belle Vue. The experienced Skornicki has made a scintillating start to the 2008 campaign, contributing an array of double-point scores and, in so doing, has silenced those who questioned his position in the Pirates’ line-up. Well known for his flamboyant ‘doughnut’ celebration and is a proven performer at the Abbey.
Davey WATT
DOB: 6 January 1978, Townsville, Queensland, Australia.
THE Australian returns to Wimborne Road after spending 2007 on loan at Eastbourne, where he enjoyed a fantastic season. The Queenslander has begun to show the form in the past two years that many in the sport predicted long ago. Watt is popular with Robins’ fans after his heroic guest performance in the Play-Off semi-final last September, when he deputized for the injured Leigh Adams. Will undoubtedly be a major danger man on Thursday and certainly knows the fastest route around Blunsdon.
Magnus ZETTERSTROM
DOB: 9TH December 1971.
The affectionately nick named 'Zorro' was called up by the Pirates in May 2008 to replace the out of form and injury plagued Karol Zabik. It had appeared as if the curtain had fallen on Zetterstrom’s British league career after a ban towards the end of the 2007 season left the experienced Swede out in the cold. After a successful Elite league career Zetterstrom has spent his last three campaigns with Somerset in the Premier league where he was a heavy hitter.
SWINDON MAN OF THE MATCH AWARD
Thursday’s Man of the Match award is sponsored by SGS Industrial Supplies who are a long standing associate of Swindon Speedway.
Their proprietor, Alec Trollope, has been avidly following the Robins since 2003 and sponsors Swindon number one Leigh Adams along with former Blunsdon favourite and current Coventry rider Oliver Allen.
SGS Industrial Supplies are a family run business based in Melksham and have been trading for 11 years. Specialising in delivering to your door, work based tools and consumables, SGS pride themselves on providing high quality products at competitive prices.
Joining forces with SGS Industrial Supplies is hassle free and they can activate an account almost immediately with no fuss or disruption to your business.
Call 01225 783510 or visit www.sgsindustrial.co.uk for more details or see their advert on page 6. I hope Alec and his guests have a great evening.
VIP PACKAGES
Swindon Speedway pride themselves in offering one of the best VIP packages in sport, where both the ardent fan and the complete newcomer can enjoy a superb evening of fast and furious
entertainment, alongside exclusive pre-meeting pit-walks, and a table in the newly refurbished Legends’ Lounge.
Bookings for these packages have increased year-on-year and already a large number of companies have booked team nights out and meeting sponsorships for the 2008 season. Tickets are available by calling Commercial Manager Paul Oughton on 01305 755607 or via e-mail at: paul.oughton@swindon-speedway.co.uk
Book Signing!
Supporters are being reminded that the quirkiest author in World Speedway, Jeff Scott, is a welcome guest at Blunsdon on Thursday when he will be signing copies of his brand new book ‘Concrete for Breakfast’
With a colossal nine chapters on Swindon Speedway this book really is a must have.
Jeff continues his extensive examination not only of British Speedway in the 21st century, but also of British life, painting a beautifully descriptive picture of working and middle class Britain at rest and at play. He manages to capture the essence of speedway through observation and wit.
TEAMS FOR THURSDAY 19th June, Parade 7.20 p.m.; Tapes-up 7.30 p.m.
K.O cup quarter final 2nd leg.
Poole.
1. Chris Holder
2. Freddie Eriksson
3. Bjarne Pedersen (C)
4 Adam Skornicki
5. Davey Watt
6. Magnus Zetterstrom (r)
7. Daniel Davidsson (r)
Team manager: Neil Middleditch
Referee: M. Vardy
SWINDON ROBINS IN ASSOCIATION WITH TEAM PARTNERS PEBLEY BEACH HYUNDAI, REDCARE LOGISTICS AND A.C. NURDEN LTD.
Chris Seaward
Swindon Speedway Press Officer
Phone: 07788991473
e-mail: chris@swindon-speedway.co.uk
Club website: www.swindon-speedway.co.uk
Club hotline: 09068 664682 (Premium rate applies)
