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Glasgow Tigers v Redcar Bears
Premier Trophy (Group), 14 May 2006
Ashfield Stadium, Glasgow

Glasgow 58
1Danny Bird32*332* 2*.153
2David McAllan1330R ..70
3Lee Dicken1*1*2*2. ..63
5Shane Parker33333 ..150
6Robert Ksiezak32012 ..80
7James Cockle2*122*F ..72
Redcar 36
1Gary Havelock2321. ..80
3(g)Derek Sneddon00226^ ..100
4(g)Matthew Wethers302^*1*3 1.102
5Chris Kerr21100 0.40
6Jack Hargreaves10011 ..30
7Daniel Giffard0001. ..10

* = BP. ^ = TR . ! = TS (15m Handicap). # = TR (Points Not Doubled). & = TS (Points Not Doubled, 15m Handicap).

Glasgow were again without Kauko Nieminen and used Rider Replacement at number 4. They nominated Andrew Tully as their number 8. Redcar were barely recognisable with three of their team missing. Matthieu Tresarrieu was riding in the World under-21 Championship at Sheffield so the Bears used Rider Replacement for him at number 2. They were still without Kevin Little still suffering from a shoulder injury so had Edinburgh’s Matthew Wethers as a guest at number 4. Tomas Suchanek was missing too. He was riding on the continent and Redcar had Edinburgh reserve Derek Sneddon in his place at number 3.

This was no contest. Shane Parker and Danny Bird went through the card for Glasgow while the two Edinburgh guests scored 20+1 with the help of TRs to the rest of the Redcar riders’ 16. But the big unanswered question was why Gary Havelock did not take a TR – leaving them to Matthew Wethers and Derek Sneddon – and why he did not appear in heat 15.

Glasgow got off to a good start. Danny Bird beat Gary Havelock in the opening heat with David McAllan third for a 4-2 then added a reserves race 5-1 in heat 2. Matthew Wethers came from the back in heat 3 to pass both Lee Dicken and Robert Ksiezak for Redcar’s first race winner and a shared heat then Shane Parker won heat 4 from Chris Kerr with James Cockle third for another 4-2 which took the heat four score to 16-8.

Gary Havelock won heat 5 but with Matthew Wethers taking the R/R ride and falling while third the race was shared. Glasgow took a 5-1 against the weak Redcar third pairing thanks to David McAllan and Danny Bird to take a 12 point lead so Matthew Wethers was given a TR in heat 7. The race was won by Shane Parker but Derek Sneddon in second place got his wires crossed and did Wethers no favours keeping him in third place for a 3-4 rather than 3-5. David McAllan and James Cockle had a comfortable 5-1 in heat 8 to take the score to 32-17.

Any lingering hopes of a Bears’ fightback ended with another 5-1 to the Tigers in heat 9 through Danny Bird and Lee Dicken to put the Tigers 19 points ahead. Glasgow looked like scoring another 5-1 in heat 10 when Danny Bird and David McAllan looked set for the maximum. However McAllan got out of shape on the last bend and Derek Sneddon and Matthew Wethers took full advantage by passing him to share the race. Shane Parker won again in heat 11 beating Gary Havelock and, with Robert Ksiezak third, another 4-2 went the Tigers’ way. In heat 12 Redcar gave a TR to Derek Sneddon. The crowd were none too impressed when he was allowed to remain in the race when it was rerun after James Cockle had fallen but Sneddon made no mistake winning the race from Lee Dicken after James Cockle had fallen on the last bend while in second place. This gave Jack Hargreaves third place so the Bears took a 2-7 to reach the 30 point mark as the score went to 46-30.

Heat 13 resulted in the routine Parker/Bird 5-1 with Havelock third but the Bears scored a 2-4 in heat 14 thanks in part to an engine failure for David McAllan while well in front. Matthew Wethers won the race from Robert Ksiezak. In the last heat Redcar went with Wethers and Chris Kerr who were no match for Shane Parker and Danny Bird who both completed maximums with a 5-1.

Match Report by Merlin