RYE HOUSE RAIDERS

[speedyguy]

Rye House Raiders

[speedyguy]

This is the Rye House Link. Click on the special section for news of the Raiders:
www.ryehouserockets.co/

[speedyguy]

BMR Raiders’ Fixtures Announced

The BMR Raiders are gearing up for action with the publication of the 2016 National League fixture list.

Led into battle by twin powers Rob Branford and National League Riders’ Champion Ben Morley, the Raiders’ mixture of experience and potential will face its first test on Easter Monday in the shape of traditional arch-rivals Mildenhall. That Hoddesdon fixture will form the second half of an explosive double header that kicks off at 2pm with the BMR Rockets’ League Cup clash with 2015 Knock-Out Cup winners Somerset.

The Raiders are back on show on Sunday, April 3rd, when they host more recent local adversaries in the Kent Kings, who have signed long-standing Rye House star Luke Bowen during the close-season, while the month also features home and away Knock-Out Cup clashes against defending League Champions Birmingham and a trip to Monmore Green to face Cradley.

Other key dates in the 2016 calendar include the visit of Eastbourne on Bank Holiday Monday, May 30th, as part of a double header that also sees the Rockets face Redcar in the Premier League, the arrival of Cradley in town on Sunday, July 3rd and the return of Birmingham – this time on League duty – a fortnight later.

All Sunday home meetings will start at 6pm, with Bank Holiday Monday fixtures comprising the second half of double headers that commence at 2pm.

:::: Link to National League fixrures"
www.speedwaygb.co/news.php?extend.30042

[speedyguy]

RYE NAME SQUAD MEN

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 12, 2016

RYE House have named No.8 riders for both their Premier League and National League teams.

The Rockets’ slot will be filled by George Hunter (pictured), who became a regular in the Raiders team in the second half of the 2015 season and will be back in the third tier with the club this year.

No.8 for the Raiders will be Harvie Banks, son of former Hackney star Trevor, who was part of Birmingham’s NL title-winning squad last season.

[speedyguy]

RAIDERS KNOCKED OUT OF CUP

The BMR Raiders’ interest in this season’s Travel Plus Knock-Out Cup was ended at the first hurdle as they were bested 52-37 by Birmingham at Rye House on Sunday night, to exit the competition 108-71 on aggregate.

Ben Morley, the returning Rob Branford and Luke Priest carried almost all of the Raiders’ workload pointwise for a combined total of 35 of their side’s 37 points, with the first two also featuring in an absolutely riveting Heat 15 5-1 over former Rocket Luke Bowen that Rye House Team Manager Peter Schroeck as “absolutely awesome; that race was really worth the price of admission alone.”

Schroeck went on to say, “Overall, it was not a bad night for us despite the result. We’ve got a good team spirit, especially with Rob (Branford) now back, and we’ve shown that we have a top three that can go anywhere and give anyone a real battle.

“Once we get George Hunter back from his broken wrist, we should also get more than the two to three points we’ve been getting from Rider-Replacement in his absence. He is going to have his cast removed next Tuesday and hopefully be given the all clear, which means that he will miss our Bank Holiday meeting, but with a little luck no more.

“There were plenty of encouraging signs from our younger boys once again. Young Macauley (Leek) held his own, while Connor (Locke) had a better meeting even though he didn’t score.

“I spoke to (Birmingham Team Manager) Graham Drury after the match, and he said he can see what we are doing. With a stand-alone club, he has to build for every day in order to get people through the turnstiles, but we are building for the future.

“If you don’t give the boys a chance now, when DO you?”

Rye House scorers:

Ben Morley 13, Rob Branford 12+1, Luke Priest 10, Macauley Leek 2, Harvie Banks 0, Connor Locke 0, George Hunter R/R

Birmingham scorers:

Luke Bowen (guest) 10+1, Jack Smith 10+1, Danyon Hume 9+1, Darryl Ritchings 8, Jack Parkinson-Blackburn 7+2, Tom Bacon 4+3, Ben Hopwood (guest) 4+1

[speedyguy]

AS FROM THIS DATE, MONDAY, APRIL 25, 2016, DETAILS FOR RYE HOUSE RAIDERS WILL BE POSTED SEPARATELY TO THOSE FOR RYE HOUSE ROCKETS.

[speedyguy]

The BMR Raiders, meanwhile, will be targeting their first victory of the season as they tackle a Stoke team that is also yet to taste success - meaning that something HAS to give on Monday.

The Raiders will be buoyed by their powerful top-end of Rob Branford, Ben Morley and Luke Priest, while at the other end of the spectrum Macauley Leek once again deputises at reserve after an encouraging display on Sunday against Birmingham.

The Potters, meanwhile, include the likes of 2006 British U-21 Champion Ben Wilson and former World Longtrack Finalist Tony Atkin, While Danny Phillips will miss the fixture due to a parallel Premier League commitment, Stoke have moved quickly to bring in 2015 Raiders captain Luke Chessell as guest cover, an appointment which will provide added spice to the occasion.

Schroeck believes that “We can definitely get the win on Monday. We’ve got three super guys in Rob (Branford), Ben (Morley) and Luke (Priest) to give us the right foundations for the match. We just need the young boys to chip in with the extra points we need.

“We’ll be using young Macauley (Leek) again at reserve. He had a real go against Birmingham, and he’s totally chuffed to have another shot.

“Kenny (Bowdery) is unfortunately still out injured. He’s got depressed vertebrae from his crash at Wolverhampton, and although he’s been seeing his physio he is still in a lot of pain.

“He is absolutely gutted to have to sit out matches – he feels he’s letting the rest of the Team down, which highlights his attitude – but he’s going to have to be patient and ease himself back when the time is right.

“The atmosphere in the Team was really good against Birmingham, when we got Rob back, and once we get George Hunter back from his broken wrist we should really start to turn the corner.”

BMR Rockets:

Cameron Heeps, Peter Karger, Edward Kennett (captain), Leigh Lanham, Kasper Lykke, Ben Morley, Stuart Robson

Workington Comets:

Mason Campton, Rasmus Jensen, Kenneth Hansen, Adam Roynon, Claus Vissing, Ricky Wells (captain), Matt Williamson

BMR Raiders:

Harvie Banks, Rob Branford, George Hunter R/R, Macauley Leek (guest), Connor Locke, Ben Morley, Luke Priest (captain)

Stoke Potters:

Tony Atkin, Luke Chessell (guest), Ryan MacDonald, Shaun Tedham, Chris Widman, Ben Wilson, TBC at No.6

Monday’s double header admission:

Adults £20, Seniors (over 60s) £17, Full-Time Students (17-22) £15, Children (aged 12-16) £8.00, Children (under 12): FREE. Double header match programme (including 4 page Kent insert): £3.00

Please note that those seeking Student admission must provide a copy of their current student photo ID (issued by the NUS or their university/college) at the turnstiles.

Stoke supporters wishing to watch only the second half of the double header may do so by entering the turnstiles after Heat 14 of the earlier Rockets-Workington Premier League match. Normal National League prices will apply in this instance.

[speedyguy]

MORLEY AND BRANFORD SPARK RAIDERS WIN

Match victories are not the be-all-and-end-all of the standard by which the BMR Rockets’ 2016 season should be measured. Nevertheless, the Raiders’ first Travel Plus National League win of the season – a 48-41 success over Stoke – was a very sweet one indeed.

Ben Morley and Rob Branford were the bedrock on which the result was based, with both of the dynamic duo going through the card, while Luke Chessell added extra stability with 11 points of his own. The rest of the Raiders did their bit, too, with Macauley Leek particularly impressive with 5+2. Connor Locke repeated his race victory at Cradley with another Heat 2 success here, while Harvie Banks added the final point to the side’s 47 total.

The Raiders opened with consecutive 4-2s, and then followed up Luke Priest’s superlative third-to-first performance in Heat 3 by blasting a 5-1 via Morley and Leek to take the early score to 16-8.

Mechanical problems befell Priest in Heat 5, the Rye House captain grinding to a halt on the third lap when holding off Ben Wilson at the front of the pack. With Locke also falling, the Potters were gifted a 5-0 – and another maximum result in Heat 8 nudged them into a 24-23 advantage.

The next four races were shared, before Morley and Branford finally put the Raiders back in front with a 5-1 over Wilson and Luke Chessell in Heat 13.

A starting gate breakage – and the resultant need for green light starts – added an extra tension to the final two races. Priest kept the Raiders ahead by capturing Heat 14, but Locke’s last lap fall when holding third spot delayed the overall victory for another race - when Morley and Branford finally put the matter to rest with another 5-1 over Wilson and Chessell, and also denied the visitors a consolation match point in the process.

For Morley, it was the culmination of a ten ride afternoon that was both a personal marathon and ultimately rewarding for both his Teams. “To get our first win on the board is awesome. Everybody in the team put points on the board today, and that’s what we needed. If everyone can contribute then we know we can win meetings.

“Working off the green light in Heat 15 was certainly odd. Normally it comes on and you’re looking at the tapes, but luckily we only had to deal with that for two races and it worked all right and we managed to get through.

“We’re looking forward to getting George (Hunter) back from injury. We’ve been struggling with the Rider-Replacement rides, and George has come on so much in the last year. To get him back will just boost the whole thing up and help us get even more points on the board.”

Rye House scorers:

Ben Morley 15 (5 rides, max), Rob Branford 13+2 (5 rides, max), Luke Priest 11 (5), Macauley Leek (guest) 5+2 (5), Connor Locke 3 (5), Harvie Banks 1 (5), George Hunter R/R

Stoke scorers:

Ben Wilson 9 (5 rides), Chris Widman 8 (4), Shaun Tedham 6+2 (4), Luke Chessell (guest) 6 (5), Tony Atkin 5+3 (4), Ryan MacDonald 4+2 (4), Joe Lawlor (guest) 3+3 (5)

Match Points: Rye House 3 Stoke 0

[speedyguy]

HUNTER BACK TO FACE COLTS!

The BMR Raiders have been boosted by the positive news that George Hunter will return to their line-up as they aim to lasso three more Travel Plus National League points from Sunday’s home clash against the Belle Vue Colts (6pm start).

The 21 year old made significant forward strides when handed a Raiders spot in the second half of last season, but his 2016 campaign is currently just two races old due to a broken wrist suffered while guesting for Plymouth in the BMR Rockets’ opening match back on March 19th.

The cast finally came off on Tuesday, and Team Manager Peter Schroeck is delighted to report on a successful practice session at Rye House this afternoon. “Everything went well for George, and although he hasn’t had proper use of the wrist before now, he has kept himself active in the gym so he is feeling fit and fresh generally. He will be back in the line-up on Sunday, and I can tell you he’s really upbeat and can’t wait to get back out on track.”

The Raiders as a unit are also very much on a high after they collected their first victory of the season on Bank Holiday Monday. Schroeck continues, “The win over Stoke was absolutely brilliant. The boys had been longing for it, and to pull it off despite Rob (Branford) getting run over in one of his races was fantastic. Fortunately, he soldiered on despite his discomfort to help us get the win, and just as importantly he’s as good as gold again now.”

“The Team wants to show that it is not just a training ground – although that is so important – and that it can win too. In Rob and Ben (Morley) we have two of the very best riders in the League, and Luke (Priest) gives us so much extra stability.

“Now, we’ve got George back, rather than having to rely on Rider-Replacement, which hasn’t worked for us. We’ve also officially declared Macauley (Leek) as part of the Team after he initially guested for Kenny (Bowdery). It just wouldn’t be fair to leave him out after the way he’s done the business in his first two matches.

“We’re really looking forward to Sunday. Belle Vue have got their own new kid on the block in Daniel Bewley, who by all accounts turned more than a few heads (with paid 13) on his debut, but the victory over Stoke has made us all hungry for another one.

“Whichever way it goes, one thing I can guarantee is that the boys will give the very best they’ve got - and you can’t ask for more than that.”

BMR Raiders:

Harvie Banks, Rob Branford, Connor Locke, George Hunter, Macauley Leek, Ben Morley, Luke Priest (captain)

Belle Vue Colts:

Daniel Bewley, David Holt, Andy Mellish, Lee Payne, Rob Shuttleworth, Matt Williamson (captain), Tom Woolley

[speedyguy]

RAIDERS EDGED BY BEWLEY VUE!

The BMR Raiders slipped to a narrow 46-44 home defeat against Belle Vue in the Travel Plus National League – and there was no disguising the root cause.

16 year old Daniel Bewley followed up his sensational 18 point maximum against Mildenhall in Manchester on Friday with another 15 points here to tip the balance in the Colts’ favour. His tremendous solo display included victories over both Rob Branford and Ben Morley. The teenager was finally beaten when he fell while third behind the pair in Heat 13, and he then finished at the rear of the pack in the nominated race.

The Raiders needed a 5-1 from that final heat to salvage a draw, but although Morley took the chequered flag, Branford was unable to find a way past Matt Williamson into second place.

Elsewhere, Luke Priest provided his usual solid top-end backing, with 10 points, while George Hunter returned from the sidelines to secure an impressive 6+3 from four outings that included a Heat 1 5-1 alongside Branford over Williamson.

On the negative side, the Raiders had to cope without Harvie Banks, who had been taken into hospital with blood poisoning – and also lost Macauley Leek to a heavy crash at the start of Heat 6. As Team Manager Peter Schroeck updated immediately after the match, “Macauley has been taken to hospital for x-rays, but talking to one of our medical team here it is possible that he has escaped with severe bruising to his upper thigh. We will know more soon.

“We were hoping that we would finally get a full seven man side on the track, but Harvie’s illness meant that we had to shuffle things about again, and then we lost Macauley early on.

“It also didn’t help that Rob (Branford) had a few problems with his back after his smash on Monday.

“George (Hunter) did really well in his comeback meeting tonight. I put him out straight away as a Rider-Replacement in Heat 1 and he beat Matt Williamson to make the best possible start and settle any nerves. He did start to tire towards the end as a lack of match fitness made a difference, but he’s coming back on Wednesday for a private practice session to help get that back.

“It was Daniel Beuley who was the difference maker between us winning and losing tonight. The boy was on fire; he made really good starts and he rode the right lines.

“But overall the boys gave a good display, which is what I wanted to see.”

Rye House scorers:

Ben Morley 13+1, Rob Branford 12, Luke Priest 10, George Hunter 6+3, Connor Locke 3, Macauley Leek 0, Harvie Banks R/R

Belle Vue scorers:

Dan Bewley 15, Matt Williamson 11, Rob Shuttleworth 7+3, Tom Woolley 6+1, Andy Mellish 4, David Holt 3+2, Lee Payne R/R

Match Points: Rye House 0 Belle Vue 3

[speedyguy]

MACAULEY – NOTHING BROKEN

The BMR Raiders have been boosted by the news received overnight that Macauley Leek has escaped with severe bruising to his thigh from his Heat 6 crash at Rye House last night. The teenager was released from hospital late last night and is back home recuperating.

Fellow Raider Harvie Banks, meanwhile, is expected to be released from hospital within the next day or so following his attack of blood poisoning.

We wish both Macauley and Harvie the swiftest of recoveries.

[speedyguy]

NEW DATE FOR BIRMINGHAM AWAY

The BMR Raiders have agreed to bring forward their Travel Plus National League trip to Birmingham to fill an “open” date in the Brummies’ programme.

The Raiders will now visit the Second City next Wednesday, May 25th; a change from the original date of July 27th.

[speedyguy]

BLACK NIGHT AT PERRY BAR

Not unexpectedly, the BMR Raiders fell to their heaviest defeat of the season as they went down 60-30 at undefeated Birmingham in the Travel Plus National League – and also lost George Hunter into the bargain.

The 21 year old, only recently returned from a broken wrist, lifted coming out of a corner in Heat 3 and collected adversary Tom Bacon in what was a very heavy tumble for both. The pair were taken to hospital, with Hunter requiring a skin graft on his leg and Bacon suffering a suspected broken foot.

Fortunately for the Raiders, Rob Branford was in stunning form, securing four race wins, and also combining with Heat 1 winner Ben Morley to collect a consolation 5-1 in the final race of the night.

Rye House Team Manager Peter Schroeck admitted afterwards that “Perry Bar is a really tough place to come. Birmingham are pretty much taking everyone to the slaughter this year.

“George’s injury put a downer on it for us. We’ve already received a text from him from the hospital saying that he requires a skin graft, but until we’ve spoken further to him, we don’t fully know how long he will be out of action.

“It obviously put a lot of pressure on our two reserves, who had to cover George’s rides after that, and Macauley Leek was only just back from injury himself.

“But we soldiered on, and we got it together towards the end through Rob and Ben.”

The next stop for the Raiders is Stoke this Saturday, prior to returning home to Hoddesdon to face Eastbourne on Bank Holiday Monday in the second part of a double header meeting that kicks off at 2pm with the BMR Rockets’ Premier League encounter with Redcar.

BMR Raiders:

Robert Branford 13, Ben Morley 8+1, Luke Priest 5, Macauley Leek 4, George Hunter 0, Connor Locke 0, Kenny Bowdery 0

Birmingham:

Jack Parkinson-Blackburn 15+4, Jack Smith 13+4, Danyon Hume 12+2, Darryl Ritchings 10+3, Zach Wajtknecht 10, Tom Bacon 0, Tom Perry R/R


Match Points: Birmingham 3 Rye House 0

[speedyguy]

RAIDERS NEARLY PROVE A POINT

The BMR Raiders can consider themselves a tad unlucky not to return home from the Potteries with an away match point after going down 48-41 at Stoke in the Travel Plus National League.

That they fell a tantalising single race point short of achieving that objective had much to do with their misfortune in Heats 4 and 8. The first instance saw Rob Branford excluded for the pre-race infraction of riding on the centre green as a short-cut to the start line, with the Potters blasting a 5-1 when the heat did get underway to push clear at 15-8.

The second saw Kenny Bowdery fall after passing Paul Burnett for second spot, with the home side again capitalising with a maximum advantage to take the score to 28-19.

A strong top three of former Stoke man Luke Priest (13), Ben Morley (13) and Branford (10+1) held the Raiders together, but a 5-1from the latter two in Heat 15 left them just short of that elusive away point.

Rye House Team Manager Peter Schroeck dwelt less on what went down in specific races than an overview of the match as a whole when speaking afterwards. “Tonight came down to the same old thing of not being able to get anything out of Rider-Replacement and struggling a bit at the bottom end, but we’re not too disheartened, given our philosophy of bringing on the youngsters.

“George (Hunter) missed tonight, and he will miss the next one, but he should be back for our match at Kent (on June 13th). He just needs to give the leg some rest in the meantime.”

“The next one” that Schroeck was referring to is the Raiders’ forthcoming fixture on Bank Holiday Monday as part of a double header programme at Rye House.

The racing kicks in at 2pm with the Premier League fixture between the BMR Rockets and a Redcar team led by former King’s Lynn and Peterborough star Lasse Bjerre and the fast-emerging Jonas B Andersen. The Rockets will operate Rider-Replacement for concussion victim Leigh Lanham, with BMR Raider Rob Branford stepping up as a guest for Peter Karger, the Heat 11 hero against Edinburgh last Sunday, who suffered a wrist injury in the same Heat 14 incident that side-lined Lanham.

Although the Bears have suffered a difficult start to 2016, with just one competitive victory (against Plymouth) to show to date, Schroeck does not intend their threat on Monday. “We’ve already seen this season that every team can win and every team is beatable. You don’t know until the day how people will turn up.

“We’ll take it like every other match, as a must-win, and hit them as hard as we can from the start.

“We currently expect Peter (Karger) to be out for a fortnight in total, although I am monitoring the situation with him. In the meantime, Rob (Branford) will be keen to impress, and he gets on really well with (Ben) in the Raiders, so they should work well together as a pair.”

Monday’s 15 Premier League races will be followed by 15 more as the BMR Rockets battle south-coast adversaries Eastbourne in the Travel Plus National League. Cup kings in 2015 – they won the Knock-Out Cup, National Trophy and Gold Cup trophies – the Eagles have already made 2016 progress in the former by eliminating Mildenhall from that competition.

Says Schroeck, “The Eagles are going to be another tough cookie. But their No.1 Adam Ellis is due to be missing because of an Elite League commitment, so we’ll just get stuck in with the aim of our heat leaders doing their job for us and the rest of the boys adding their bit.”

Bank Holiday Monday’s double header admission:

Adults £20, Seniors (over 60s) £17, Full-Time Students (17-22) £15, Children (aged 12-16) £8.00, Children (under 12): FREE. Double header match programme: £3.00

Please note that those seeking Student admission must provide a copy of their current student photo ID (issued by the NUS or their university/college) at the turnstiles.

Eastbourne supporters wishing to watch only the second half of the double header may do so by entering the turnstiles after Heat 14 of the earlier Rockets-Redcar Premier League match. Normal National League prices will apply in this instance.

Finally, although the official action starts at 2pm, once again there are three 150cc demonstration races on the agenda, at 1.30, featuring Young Lions of the future.

BMR Raiders:

Ben Morley 13, Luke Priest 13, Robert Branford 10+1, Macauley Leek 5, Kenny Bowdery 0, Connor Locke 0, George Hunter R/R

Stoke:

Paul Burnett 9+3, Danny Phillips 9+1, Ben Wilson 9, Tony Atkin 8, Shaun Tedham 6+3, Ben Hopwood 6, David Morgan 1+1

Match Points: Stoke 3 Rye House 0

[speedyguy]

RAIDERS’ WINGS CLIPPED BY EAGLES

The BMR Raiders were unable to match their opponents’ all-round firepower as they fell to a 53-37 home defeat against Eastbourne in the second half of Bank Holiday Monday’s double header at Rye House.

Two wins for Ben Morley and one for Rob Branford was as good as it got over the first thirteen heats against an Eagles side for which all six riders won races and guest Daniel Bewley went from zero (literally) to hero (metaphorically) in the space of one afternoon with 14 out of a possible 15 points.

The Raiders finally claimed their only heat advantage of the day when Luke Priest and Connor Locke were awarded a 5-1 in Heat 14 after leader Charlie Powell had spun and fallen on the last lap, but although Morley provided one final success in the nominated race, partner Branford hit the deck after an overly desperate effort to pass Bewley for second place.

The biggest positive overall was the performance of Locke, who contributed a season best paid 7 in a highly encouraging display that snapped a recent very lean spell, while the loudest cheer of the day was reserved for fellow reserve Macauley Leek, who fell on the last bend of Heat 5 after shedding a chain but managed to extricate the chain from his rear wheel after considerable effort in order to push his machine down the home straight to claim third place within the time allowed.

Talking afterwards, Rye House Team Manager Peter Schroeck accepted the Eagles’ much stronger strength in depth as a decisive factor. “When you look at Eastbourne, they are an established side from last year and you’re going to find it tough against them, although we tried our best.”

Stalwarts Morley and Branford uncharacteristically dropped ten points between them, which Schroeck put down to the day’s marathon innings for both riders, as well as the extra pressures they face. “Racing in the match before (against Redcar) is tough on the bikes and tough on the body, and it also affects your concentration. Because we are top-heavy, there is also that extra pressure to push that little bit harder and maybe over-try.

“In one race (Heat 13, where he was passed for third spot by Jake Knight on the last lap), Rob thought that he had already completed four laps, whereas he hadn’t, which is why he slowed up. That’s just down to concentration over a long day.

“But there have been some really positive signs today with young Connor (Locke). The boy’s only 17 years old, but he’s a proper little tiger and I’m really proud of him today. He got stuck in, stayed on the bike for four laps each time and tried his heart out. We’ve changed a couple of things with his riding style, and it’s seemed to work.

“He should be really pleased with himself today, and I’m certainly pleased.”

BMR Raiders:

Ben Morley 13 (5 rides), Luke Priest 9+1 (5), Rob Branford 7 (5), Conner Locke 5+2 (5), Macauley Leek 2+1 (5), Kenny Bowdery 1 (5), George Hunter R/R

Eastbourne:

Dan Bewley (guest) 14 (5 rides), Ellis Perks 10+1 (5), Georgie Wood 9+3 (5), Jake Knight 8 (4), Charley Powell 6+2 (6), Luke Harris 6+1 (5), Gary Cottham R/R

Match Points: Rye House 0 Eastbourne 4