WELCOME to the latest news from the BSPA, featuring items on all nine competing teams in the Elite League.
ELITE LEAGUE LATEST
BELLE VUE manager Chris Morton emphasised his relief after the Aces avoided the relegation race off with a win in their final Elite League match of the season against Coventry.
Morton said: "This was a must-win match and we really showed our guts and determination when we needed to. We rode like we meant it against an in-form Coventry team and the word relief sums up how we feel.
"There's no doubt this season has been frustrating but there have been many positives as well, and Jason Crump has provided us with the cutting edge we were lacking so much last year."
COVENTRY are into a ten-day break before the Craven Shield Final - which comes at a good time after their top two of Hans Andersen and Chris Harris were both hurt at Belle Vue on Monday.
Bees boss Peter Oakes said: "Fortunately the result wasn't overly-important to us in the sense that we couldn't get into play-offs at either end, so it wasn't quite the trauma that it might have been.
"I hate to imagine how we'd have felt if it had been a meeting that we needed to win to either get into the play-! offs at the top or avoid them at the bottom!"
EASTBOURNE co-promoter Martin Hagon is to leave the club after the Knockout Cup Final against Poole later this month.
The time consuming nature of the job, on top of running his own business, is his main reason for pulling out.
Hagon joined Bob Dugard as co-promoter last autumn after former owner Bob Brimson departed, and he has also offered individual backing to several riders.
IPSWICH'S benefit meeting for former favourite Kim Jansson raised £8,000 for the Swede who was seriously injured in his home country in August.
The Witches team defeated a Jansson Select side in a last-heat decider with a 5-1 from Robert Miskowiak and guest Scott Nicholls.
Jansson, who rode for the club for six years, said: "I want to thank everybody who turned out, and for their generosity."
LAKESIDE boss Jon Cook was philosophical after the Hammers were beaten at home by Poole in the first leg of the Grand Final.
Cook said: "The racing was really good and it shows that different tracks make for good racing, but we've known for six weeks that we could be struggling after our injuries.
"I'm still proud of the efforts of the boys, there are still fifteen races to go and the pressure is on Poole not to celebrate too early this week. I also think our two Polish lads will like their track."
PETERBOROUGH co-promoter Mick Bratley says the club will enter their relegation race-off against Wolverhampton with confidence.
Bratley said: "Going into the relegation play-offs holds no fears and, if anything, it's a bit of a bonus for our fans that they can see some more racing.
"Some of our lads have not raced for a bit but the rest of the team have had races abroad. But I'll be having a word with officials at the Showground to see if we can practice there next Monday."
POOLE boss Neil Middleditch was delighted to come away from Lakeside with a win in the first leg of the Grand Final but has warned that there is still another meeting to go before the champions are crowned.
Middleditch said: "It was another good all-round team performance, and I am very pleased in the way we stuck to our game plan and held on to take the win.
“However, we are only at the half way mark right now, there is still the little matter of next week’s second leg. I have told the boys that anything can happen and we can’t afford to take anything for granted. Lakeside will be determined to show their fans that this match is far from over and we must remain focussed."
SWINDON skipper Leigh Adams says the Robins can still reflect on a positive campaign despite seeing their season ended in the semi-finals of the play-offs at Lakeside.
Adams said: "It’s been a pretty constructive year really, considering everyone wrote us off at the start.
“To be in this position is fantastic, but obviously if we had a home draw it would have been a
totally different ball game."
WOLVERHAMPTON promoter Chris Van Straaten says his side have the ability to overcome Peterborough in the Elite League's first-ever relegation race-off.
Van Straaten said: "I really do believe we can get it together and get the right result over two legs. We’ll meet up on Monday night, talk about where we have gone wrong this season and try and get things right from the start next Tuesday.
"We don’t want any excuses, we have to hit them hard from the very first race and put them on the back foot."
