The Swedish International Speedway star says of his arrival at the Club located adjacent to the Lakeside Shopping Centre:
“The Arena Essex Raceway, where the Lakeside Hammers race, is one of my best tracks and I think the team that they have put together has an excellent chance of success.”
Vatcher continued: “Joining the Lakeside Hammers last year was something of a dream come true to manage at the highest level and to play a part in the winter team building has been a real privilege. I know Davey very well and was very keen for him to join us and to have PK also agree to join really was the ‘A team’ I was hoping we could put on track.
LAKESIDE Hammers heat leader Peter Ljung will not be returning to the club for the 2012 Elite League campaign. The 29-year-old, who averaged 5.55 points last season, has decided he cannot commit to the Hammers after being handed a Grand Prix berth.
HAMMERS saw their Elite League play-off final aspirations dashed at Arlington on Monday evening despite a determined performance. The final scoreline was flattering to the home side, who now face Poole in the final after the Pirates put Ipswich Stars to the sword by an aggregate score of 108-75.
THE LAKESIDE HAMMERS were left rueing their missed chances and sloppy errors after winning 47-46 to Eastbourne Eagles at the Arena Essex tonight (Monday).
THE LAKESIDE Hammers in proud association with The Royal Navy are all set for this evening’s home leg of the Play Off Semi Final against local rivals, the Eastbourne Eagles. All of the Hammers riders came through their various weekend racing commitments and with the weather holding over the weekend for the Banger World Final, which was staged yesterday at the Arena-Essex Raceway, all preparations are all in place for tonight’s big meeting.
Both riders share one position at the Club and it’s been a tough decision for Co Promoter Jon Cook and Team Manager Neil Vatcher. The pair have also moved the team line up around with the loss of Tomasz Jedrzejak meaning the return of the Rider Replacement facility, which will now be at No.5.
News that the Lakeside Hammers will face fierce local rivals Eastbourne in the Semi Final of the 2011 Elite League Play Offs was greeted with a hugely favourable response by the Club. “It is the fixture we wanted.” said team owner, Stuart Douglas. “We know now that the atmosphere will suit the occasion, and that really transmits in a positive way to the lads. This isn’t just another Speedway meeting; this is the best four teams in the Country fighting to be top dog.”
The Hammers Co Promoter, Jon Cook, commented: “It’s a must win, make or break, meeting and, ideally, we would have had this out the way already. The team has been in great form recently and it’s a bonus to have Ty (Proctor) back with us so soon as he fitted in well here in our match against Peterborough . Results elsewhere are still falling in our favour and this is a hugely exciting race to be part of in our attempt to claim a place in the Play Offs. When the season started you want to be in the Play Off hunt come your last meeting and credit to the team for having overcome a string of injuries and poor form to put us in that position.”
Because of the anticipated high interest in the meeting, coinciding with the last Bank Holiday weekend of the year, fans travelling from the east are advised that the Top Gate entrance adjacent to Lakeside Karting will be opened from 6.30pm should there be a traffic build up.
The Hammers now have just one Elite League match left, which is at home to the Birmingham Brummies, and will take place at the Arena-Essex Raceway this Friday, 26th August. With all the other teams in the League having matches in hand it will be a nervy finish to the year for everyone involved with the Essex based Club.
With the team now reduced to just three full time Hammers riders for the meeting against the Panthers the Club’s No.1 says he, and his team mates, are even more determined to keep in a magical top four position in the League table to enable them to continue their League season into September. Lee Richardson stated: “Nobody should write us off just yet. We have come a long way as a team over the last two months and our spirit is excellent.
In the meantime the Hammers have added Swindon’s young Dane Nicolai Klindt as a guest in their team for Friday. He joins Wolverhampton’s Ty Proctor as a replacement for Peter Ljung, who will be competing in the Grand Prix Challenge Final, whilst Kauko Nieminen returns to the side after having missed last Friday’s match against Swindon due to his Premier League commitments with Leicester.
The match at Purfleet on Saturday ended in a shock 48-42 win for Coventry over Lakeside, with Kennett top-scoring with a perfect 15-point maximum. However, both clubs confirmed after the meeting that appeals had been launched after issues over a number of silencers were raised.
There was a great heat ten for fans to savour as Fisher powered past Ljung and Richardson only for the Hammers’ skipper to repay the compliment with Pawlicki also in the mix. But another vital minor place for Morris – this time over Mear – in the eleventh was followed by a momentum shifting win by the young Aussie in heat twelve over Nieminen and Nilsson which paved the way for the Bees’ strong finish.
Speedway’s Russian sensation Emil Sayfutdinov will make his eagerly awaited first ever appearance at the Arena-Essex Raceway this Saturday, 6th August, after he was confirmed in the Coventry team for the fixture that is sure to be a Saturday night sensation as the Hammers switch, for one night only, from their traditional Friday action.
The Hammers Promoter Jon Cook commented early this morning: “My main thoughts are with Robbo as it sounds like he had a big smash. I have been in contact with his father in law and my Newcastle counterpart, George English, and although his injuries are serious thankfully he looks to have avoided the leg and wrist injuries first reported. He will need time to recover but, hopefully, we won’t have seen the last of him this season.
Top scorer for the home side once again was Swedish starlet Kim Nilsson who is quickly proving a firm favourite amongst the home faithful. Another spectacular score of paid seventeen points ensured he topped the home scorechart for the second week running and he was duly rewarded with a ride in the nominated race during which he held off Karlsson.
The League match at Perry Barr Stadium, Birmingham was an important one for the Hammers as they needed the win to keep their Play Off aspirations intact. It turned out to be a match that saw the Hammers dominate throughout the 15 heats. Still utilising the ‘Rider Replacement’ facility for their injured Australian, Adam Shields, the remaining six members of the Hammers team all put in good performances. Pole Piotr Swiderski top scored for the Essex based Club with paid 15 points from his six rides outscoring his fellow Pole, Krzysztof Kasprzak, who top scored for the Birmingham Brummies with 11 points from his 5 rides.
There is Elite League Speedway of the highest order this Friday at the Arena-Essex Raceway as League leaders, the Poole Pirates, take on the Lakeside Hammers in a meeting that sees the debut of new Hammers Swedish rider, Kim Nilsson.
It’s a must win match for the home side if they are to maintain Play Off ambitions and the second League meeting in an important 24 hours as the Hammers visit Birmingham on the Thursday evening.
The Hammers went down to a 40-53 defeat against Peterborough at the East of England Showground on Monday evening.
The Lakeside Hammers return to Elite League action this Friday 1st July at the Arena-Essex Raceway with the visit of the Sport’s oldest and most illustrious club, the Belle Vue Aces from Manchester.It’s crunch time for the Hammers League aspirations as they face three vital matches in five days with visits to Manchester next Monday 4th July but first up a trip to Swindon this Thursday 30th June.
The Hackney Hawks fixture with the Isle of Wight at the Arena-Essex Raceway, the home of the Lakeside Hammers, has been moved back to the 8th July from tomorrow in view of the current wet track conditions and with a very poor weather forecast for Friday.
The Lakeside Hammers became the first team to book their place in this year’s Elite Knockout Cup Semis Finals last Friday after a steam roller performance that saw the side hit the 60 point mark for the second successive home meeting as they completed a double leg win over Birmingham. The team now await the Preliminary Round meeting between Peterborough and Coventry and the Quarter Final clash between the winners of that tie and Belle Vue to see who they will face in the Semi Final. The home leg of this Semi is scheduled to take place at the Arena-Essex Raceway on Friday 16th September.
