BRITISH CAREER
(2002-06) Edinburgh; (2007) Wolverhampton, Edinburgh, Berwick.
Theo Pijper was born in Dokkum, Holland on 11 February 1980.
The Dutchman, who is a gifted exponent on both the long-track and grass-track scene, first rode a bike in 1985, when he tentatively used a 50cc moto-cross machine.
Pijper made four successive appearances in the World Long-track Final (1998-2001), prior to making his speedway debut on these shores with Edinburgh in 2002. Impressively, he yielded a first year average of 6.25, having accrued 174 points from twenty-eight league matches.
It was a truly memorable year for the Scottish side in 2003, when the Monarchs swept all before them to win the Premier League Championship, finishing 9 points ahead of second placed Sheffield in the final standings. Theo remained ever-present throughout the 34-match schedule to notch 221 points and a solid 6.60 average, as he lent solid support to his team-mates Frede Schott, Peter Carr, Rory Schlein, Magnus Karlsson, Wayne Carter and Matthew Wethers.
A third term with Edinburgh followed in 2004, when Pijper remarkably posted an identical 6.60 league average as in the previous season, having recorded 165 points from twenty-seven meetings. Three paid maximums also came his way, the most impressive being a tally of 13+2 points versus Berwick at Armadale Stadium on 20 August.
Just two days after his hefty haul against the Bandits, he took victory in the European Grass-track Championship, staged at Eenrum in his homeland.
Theo was appointed skipper of the Monarchs in 2005 and he celebrated by putting together an excellent campaign, which netted 184 points from twenty-one league appearances and an increased 8.04 average. The highlight was a full 15-point maximum in a home encounter with the Isle of Wight on 27 May.
Pijper’s season was disrupted for a month, however, when he received a broken jaw, as well as calf and knee injuries in a horror smash at Cloppenburg, Germany in July.
The Dokkum-born rider spent a fifth successive season with Edinburgh in 2006, when 226 points produced a 7.87 average from twenty-five matches.
Showing his ambition, the Dutchman sought an Elite League berth in 2007 and he got his wish, courtesy of a move to Wolverhampton. He began well enough, a couple of early performances against Swindon suggesting that he had comfortably made the step-up. These saw him score 5+1 points at Blunsdon on 22 March in what was actually his Elite League debut. Then, after replicating his 5+1 tally at Reading the following evening, he netted 7+1 points against the Robins at Monmore Green on 26 March.
Theo continued in similar vein throughout much of April, but problems with machinery led to a reduction in his scoring and, following a home match against Oxford on 21 May, he was replaced in the side by Kenneth Hansen. In total, he had ridden in fifteen league matches for the Wolves, recording 62 points and a 4.30 average.
Pijper subsequently returned to Edinburgh in June as a replacement for William Lawson, who headed in the opposite direction to take up a full-time position at Wolverhampton, having previously held a ‘doubling up’ role with the West Midlands outfit. The Dutchman’s stay was to be short-lived with the Monarchs, though, and, following a defeat at Somerset in the Knock-Out Cup on 11 July, he was released, along with Ronnie Correy and Henrik Moller.
Theo’s brief stint back with the Scottish team had lasted just for six league matches, which had produced 49 points and a 6.90 average. Included in that, though, was a 15-point full-house versus Newport at Armadale on 15 June.
Pijper next saw action with Berwick in August, joining the Bandits as a replacement for the axed Sebastian Truminski. However, following a 63-27 thrashing at Rye House on 7 September, promoter Peter Waite showed the trapdoor to the Dutchman and also Swedish rider Andreas Bergstrom.
That was to be the end of Theo’s season as far as domestic British speedway was concerned, but he didn’t let that stop him from winning a second European Grass-track Championship at the Astra circuit in Swingfield, Kent on 16 September. A brilliant showing on the day saw him take victory in the final ahead of Stephan Katt, Andrew Appleton and Glen Phillips.
On 13 December 2007, it was revealed that Pijper would be lining up for Swindon in 2008. At the time, team boss Alun Rossiter commented: ‘Due to the way that we had constructed the team and the new points-limit in place, we were limited to a maximum of 3.72 points for our final rider. I therefore looked around for someone with a bit of recent Elite League experience and came up with Theo, whose green sheet average (excluding bonus points) is 3.70.
‘He started last season with Wolverhampton and felt harshly done by when he was released by the club in May. He felt he was doing a reasonable job for them and he certainly caught my eye on the occasions when I saw him in action for the Wolves.
‘Theo has a point to prove and is really keen. Being a long-track rider, he should enjoy himself around the Abbey raceway. And with him able to begin from a reserve berth, it is a big plus for us.’
Concluding on an individual theme, Pijper made his tenth successive appearance in the World Long-track Final in 2007. His best result in the series occurred in 2006, when he finished in fourth spot. A summary of his appearances in this prestigious event follows:
1998, 25th;
1999, 14th;
2000, 13th;
2001, 6th;
2002, 5th;
2003, 6th;
2004, 5th;
2005, 7th;
2006, 4th;
2007, 8th.
PROFILE BY ROBERT BAMFORD |
