Hammers set to subdue those Rebels.
The Arena Essex Kent Sweepers Hammers will be looking to pick up five valuable Premier League points this week in their quest to qualify for the end of season play offs.
And they'll be looking to pick up those points at the expense of the Somerset Rebels who they meet way tomorrow (Wednesday) and at home on Friday.
The Rebels are the Premier League's newest side, being in their first season of racing at this level having previously raced in the Conference League.
The Arena Essex Kent Sweepers Hammers will be looking to pick up five valuable Premier League points this week in their quest to qualify for the end of season play offs.
And they'll be looking to pick up those points at the expense of the Somerset Rebels who they meet way tomorrow (Wednesday) and at home on Friday.
The Rebels are the Premier League's newest side, being in their first season of racing at this level having previously raced in the Conference League.
Consequently it will be their first ever visit to Purfleet on Friday and, no doubt, they'll be bringing a large, vociferous band of supporters to cheer them on.
Looking at their squad, during last winter they virtually had to put together a team from scratch. Of the team named for this week's matches, just one is retained from 2001 and that is 38 years old Steve Bishop. Another rider with vast experience who certainly knows what racing at Premier League level is all about having ridden for several clubs including Swindon, Exeter and ourselves!
The club's major winter capture was extrovert Czech Republic star Marian (Mario) Jirout. Aged 25, he hails from Pardubice and was snapped up on loan from Elite League Peterborough. Despite a shoulder injury earlier in the season, Mario has established himself as one of THE top riders in the Premier League this year.
His main back up in the side comes from Glenn Cunningham who has moved back to England from his 2001 base at Newport where he didn't have the best of seasons last year. Aged 26, and born in Bristol, Glenn would probably be the first to admit that we've not seen the best of him over the last couple of seasons but he's a very talented rider and capable of beating the very best at home or away.
Neil Collins is part of that oh-so famous Collins brothers racing dynasty having followed elder brothers Peter, Les and Phil into the sport (and fifth brother, Stephen, also rode!). Now aged 40, like Holloway, he shows no signs of intending to bring down the curtain on what has been an illustrious career.
Surrey-born Graeme Gordon is a more than handy second string to have in any side. He, somewhat surprisingly, found himself without a team berth at the start of the season after being with the Trelawny Tigers in 2001 but was snapped up by the Rebels midway through this year.
At reserve they track Adam Allott who had a brief spell at Swindon earlier in the year and Stuart Williams who is making a comeback to the sport this year after several years on the sidelines concentrating on work commitments.
The Rebels are languishing in 15th place in the league and the form book suggests that the Kent Sweepers Hammers should win both this week's matches. Certainly we will need to if we are to claim a place in those play offs.
Expected teams for BOTH matches:-
Arena-Essex Kent Sweepers Hammers: 1 Kelvin Tatum; 2 Shaun Tacey (C); 3 Colin White; 4 Lee Herne; 5 Leigh Lanham; 6 Andy Galvin; 7 Carl Baldwin.
Team Manager: Ronnie Russell.
Somerset "Profile" Rebels: 1. Mario Jirout; 2 Graeme Gordon; 3 Neil Collins; 4 Steve Bishop (C); 5 Glenn Cunningham; 6 Adam Allott; 7 Stuart Williams.
Team Manager: Ray Dickson.
Leigh Lanham looks for glory...
Leigh Lanham will be the Kent Sweepers Hammers representative at this year's Premier League Riders Championship, which is due to be held at Elite League Club Belle Vue's circuit at Kirkmanshulme Lane (Manchester) on Sunday 8th September starting at 3 p.m.
The proisional full line up for the meeting is as follows:
1. Garry Stead (Hull), 2. Paul Bentley (Berwick), 3. Phil Morris (Reading) *, 4. George Stancl (Glasgow), 5. Carl Stonehewer (Workington), 6. Charlie Gjedde (Swindon), 7. Leigh Lanham (Arena Essex), 8. Adam Shields (Isle of Wight), 9. Chris Harris (Trelawny), 10. Peter Carr (Edinburgh) *, 11. Mario Jirout (Somerset), 12. Frank Smart (Newport), 13. Andre Compton (Newcastle), 14. Sean Wilson (Sheffield), 15. Jan Staechmann (Stoke), 16. Michael Coles (Exeter).
* = subject to them having recovered from injury
Fixtures...
In changes to the fixtures the Kent Sweepers Hammers will be in Premier League action at home against the title-chasing (and defending league champions) Newcastle Diamonds on Friday 6th September and away at Stoke on Saturday 7th September. A date has still to be set for the re-staging of our home match against the Edinburgh Monarchs.
Remember... Kids go free... plus...
A reminder that kids (under 14 years of age) will be admitted ABSOLUTELY FREE to this coming Friday's home meeting against Somerset.
And again this week, ALL children coming through the turnstiles will be issued with a free draw ticket. During the interval, a draw will be made and the holder of the winning ticket will receive a replica race-shirt, which will be signed by the rider of the winner's choice.
Hammers win... Just!
Arena Essex 47 - 45 Isle of Wight
23rd August 2002: Premier League
The Islanders staged a remarkable recovery to pull back ten points in the last two heats and make themselves favourites for the aggregate bonus point when the two sides meet on the south coast holiday isle next month.
The Hammers side were left stunned when Adam Shields, riding as a Golden Double tactical substitute in heat 14, made up his fifteen metre handicap to pass both Lee Herne and Andy Galvin in spectacular fashion. His second place brought the Island side a 7-1 and the momentum to claim a 5-1 through Shields and Ray Morton over Leigh Lanham and Colin White in the final heat.
It was a disappointing end to the meeting for the Hammers, who had worked hard to build a fairly substantial lead throughout the early stages.
Islanders' team boss Jed Stone made full use of the tactical options available and made his first move in heat eight when Arena specialist Ray Morton was introduced as a tactical substitute. Morton duly claimed the scalp of Shaun Tacey to collect a 4-2 with Henning Bager.
But the Hammers were fired up to do well against one of the League's form teams - and when Danny Bird's tactical outing in heat nine failed to yield any points the home side found themselves eight points to the good.
Bird was on the receiving end again in heat ten - Tatum and Tacey's first 5-1 of the night extended the Hammers' advantage to twelve. And Leigh Lanham collected his third win of the night in heat eleven following an exclusion for Ray Morton.
Bird rediscovered his gating ability to hand Colin White his first defeat of the night in heat twelve - and this produced an Islanders' 4-2 which was the start of their revival. Amazingly, they would outscore the home team 19-7 over the closing heats.
A classic first turn from Tatum looked set to produce an Arena 5-1 in heat thirteen, driving the opposition of Shields and Morton wide to make room for team mate Lanham. But a desperation move from Shields saw him collect Lanham on the third turn and earn himself an exclusion for unfair riding. Rather predictably, Morton rocketed from the gate to win the re-run.
That final flourish from Shields in the last two heats ended the meeting on the flat note as far as the home fans were concerned - although the quality of the racing it produced made amends in what was a match to remember.
Hammers scorers (in programme order): Kelvin Tatum 8+2, Shaun Tacey 7+1, Colin White 11, Lee Herne 2, Leigh Lanham 12, Andy Galvin 5, Mark Thompson 2.