CLUB NEWS: Panthers finish with Celebration Party

Words and photos by Andrew Parr

The Kesgrave Panthers’ season concludes on Saturday with a Celebration Party to recognise our riders’ 2019 achievements. Our U10 superstars, in particular, can look back with pride on a successful year. Oliver Edmunds, Oscar Hammond, Thomas Jackaman, Lily Parr, Harvey Shumake and Luca Woodhouse have all won national titles. But if there is one man who epitomises the essence of the Kesgrave Panthers Cycle Speedway Club, and has done more than most to ensure the continued success of Kesgrave riders, it is coach Peter Ingram.

Kesgrave coach Peter Ingram

Peter obtained his first coaching qualification in 2005; success soon followed. Coached by Peter, Kesgrave U10s won the British Club Championship for the first time in 2007, a feat repeated for an unprecedented seven years in succession from 2010 through to 2016. Kesgrave surrendered the title to an excellent Poole team in 2017 but regained their crown in 2018 and 2019. Peter has now overseen our U10 Panthers winning the British U10 Club Championship for ten of the last thirteen years as well as British U10 Individual titles for Lewis Brinkhoff (twice), Oliver Reynolds, Noah Woodhouse, Ryker Jolly and now Lily and Luca.

Peter Ingram coaching indoors

Although 2019 has been an extremely successful year for our U10s (five of whom are ranked in the top six of the BYJL) most will be moving up an age group next year but Peter’s production line of talented U10 riders are likely to prove strong opposition for our competitors in 2020.

A dedicated, modest and unassuming individual, Peter is probably the very definition of an unsung hero and our thriving club would not be in the healthy position it is today, and have been consistently successful nationally, without Peter’s unbounded enthusiasm for coaching, cycle speedway in general and Kesgrave Panthers in particular.

Check out Peter’s Facebook page for lots of good stuff regarding cycle speedway and cycling https://www.facebook.com/Lapse-4-2012-Cranking-192916407456320/