Ommerin' Around: Episode 1 September 2005:
A look at recent events by Keith Burrows.


Elite League 2005 Season Review After 36 Matches
(for most anyway!)

Belle Vue Did all and more than was expected from them. Got the best out of rejects Smith and Lyons, Screen enjoyed a new lease of life, and Bjerre was superb, and Stead improved as the year wore on. Great effort. Problem with injuries to key men may hamper play off bid.

Coventry Must be team of the year. Signed a new number one, and persisted with some good prospects. 2pts from the first seven league matches. Overcame the loss of the uninterested Jonsson, and the unlucky Schlien by creating a proper team, who all contributed, when necessary. Still vunerable at the hive, but what an away record. Major improvement from Bomber Harris, who now looks a genuine world prospect.

Peterborough What an unexpected run to reach the play offs, a great effort, should be proud of their performances since the arrival of a different Horton. No GP riders but Panthers didn't need such luxuries to be successful

Eastbourne Stuck with it throughout a difficult year, Shields and Watt have improved month by month, as has Moore following a brave leap to Elite league. Hampered by the continuing problems of Norris, and the late season injury to Pedersen. Barker performed much better this year at his 'spiritual' home.

Poole Bookies favourites and defending Champions, the major disappointment of the EL. Top 5 to die for (or so it seemed at the start of the year). Got off to a reasonable start but then didn't seem to have any away matches for months, at home they started to look vunerable about mid year when Oxford held them to a 2 point win, and then went on a 8 match late season losing streak included defeats at home by Peterborough Coventry and Ipswich. Unlucky with Sullivans health, but Lindback and Ferjan let them down at times. Pedersen was the major success of the Top 5, and Kasprzak was a revelation, but the reserves consistently were poor despite an ever changing cast, and some great performances by Kennett. You could say that cheats never prosper and the average manipulation at the end of the 2004 season looked set to give the Pirates the upper hand for 2005, fortunately, it didn't.

Swindon Some good performances some bad, hampered by a poor year for Adams (by his high standards) and the back up men under performing, never looked capable of mounting a serious play off challenge.

Wolverhampton Tried to create a true team, (as Coventry finished with) but couldn't find anyone other than Max to win races with the oppositions top boys in them. Johnson, Howe and Lindgren just could beat anyone when it mattered, (Heats 13 & 15), and the consequent poor start to the season put them on the back foot. Just as it looked like they where getting it together the unlucky Max had a horror crash in Sweden and that finished their season. Successes where Lindgren (who improved all season culminating in an imperious maximum at Coventry) and Pecyna. Correy, Johnson and Howe all disappointing, Max had a poor start but was getting better by the time of his accident, and Karlsson did all that could be expected following his step up to the 'big league'

Ipswich I couldn't believe that they let Scott Nichols go so easily, revamped the team, with a foreign emphasis, Andersen and Pepe tried hard and Louis had a good season, and they did actually get off to a good start, however some of the less well know riders started to struggle and a few home defeats and some shocking away performances condemned the Witches to a lowly league position.

Arena Essex Started off with the weakest looking team in the EL, looked as though all that was nonsense with a televised thrashing of the champions but they flattered to deceive, unlucky with Lorams injury, and quickly drafted in the fantastic Rickardsson for a month, had a great unexpected win at Belle Vue on Lorams return, but really only 2 outstanding performances all year, at home to Poole, and at BV. Had one horror show at home when losing by 24 points at home to Wolves.

Oxford Looked to have an OK team prior to the start but an injury to Hamill early season set the tone. An ever-changing cast of riders and guests added up to a season to forget for Waggy's men. Hancock down on his best, Gustafsson had some great meetings prior to his problems. Iversen showing good signs. If they could have carried this team through the season it would have been so different. Greg Hancock, Henka Gustafsson , Freddie Eriksson, Billy Hamill, Niels-Kristian Iversen, Travis McGowan, Chris Mills

What Will Happen Next?

Elite League This is the point that I now have to get off the fence, just what will happen over the next few weeks?. Well getting my crystal ball out I predict that Belle Vue will see off Eastbourne, Coventry will get the better of Peterborough, giving us a Final of Belle Vue and Coventry, I then think that Coventry will shade the final over 2 legs. Of course that Coventry BV final will be great for yours truly as I have backed both each way at 6-1!, so come the end of September I hope to be considerably richer, and Will Hill will be licking their wounds.

Craven Shield I have a sneaking suspicion that Peterborough will come away victorious as they won't have to negociate a one legged tie away from home!

Keep checking for further reviews and predictions, I hope to write this column about 12 times a year, although it will be less frequent during the winter! Next on my agenda will be the SGP and SWC!

Agree or disagree with my views, do I know nothing, talk about it on the Fans Forum at www.cradleyspeedway.co.uk - the place for news about the best speedway club in the world - THE CRADLEY HEATH HEATHENS!

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