HOME INTERNATIONAL: Teams announced
With the 2022 Home International at Fife less that 5 weeks away 33/18 News can bring you the first set of team announcements.
Ireland’s Over 40’s team will be chosen from Paddy Wenn (Norwich), Lee Ashman (Wednesfield), John Evans (Wednesfield), Dave Blackmore (Norwich), Gary Colby (Norwich) and Steve Copping (Norwich)
England Over 40’s Team Manager Geoff Gamage published this statement on Facebook:
“England Vets have released Lee Galley and will support Wales proposal of Residence policy prob 4yrs qualification .
“We have replaced Lee with Mark Whitehead who was going to Fife anyway. Mark has a good record racing for both GB and England.
“Therefore the team is as follows
“Craig Marchant (c), Norman Venson , Nicky Whitehead , Mark Whitehead, Gavin Parr not in racing order.”
England Senior Team Manager Wayne Aris revealed his team on Facebook’s “I was (or still am) a Cycle Speedway Rider!!!” page:
Chris Timms (Birmingham)
“Chris will be the Captain for this years team. He is a fella that always gives his all on the track and is the kind of rider that if he brings his A game is a rider that won’t be beat. He is a rider that’s been about for some years now so is a guy that the younger riders can feed off.”
Zac Payne (Horspath)
“Zac knows what this competition is all about. Not only is he junior manager but has also rode for me in this competition a few times before. The former British Champion has been a top rider since winning that title and is a kind of rider who would be welcomed into any team.”
Ed Morton (Sheffield)
“Ed has seemed to of been around for years and years and yet still only in his early 20s. He improves every year he does this sport and I feel that this is the time to give him his 1st England cap which he well and truly deserves.”
Ben Clarke (Ipswich)
“Ben is a rider that has impressed me greatly over the start of the season. Getting a win at Leicester and narrowly missing out on a top 3 in the Dash at Wednesfield. He has been a top junior for some time but now he seems ready to mix it with the top riders now.”
Lewis Brinkhoff (Ipswich)
“Lewis has exploded on to the cycle speedway map since he came 3rd in the Senior Open at Horspath last year. He is definitely a rider that can do big things in this sport and having him in my team was a no brainer. A very talented rider”
Scotland’s Junior team will comprise of Norwich rider Tom Blackmore as well as the Fife quartet of Kayden Davidson, Elliot Davies, Gareth Davies and Harris Allsop
Scotland’s Over 40’s team will also have 2 Fife riders in Gavin Kennedy and Danny peoples. They will be joined by Kevin Burns (Leicester), Neil McPherson (Edinburgh) and Joe Beuckmann (Glasgow)
2 Glasgow riders will feature in the Scotland Senior team, Calum Ramsay & Andy Macdougall. They will be joined by Edinburgh’s Jake Slight & Mikey Hewitson with Birmingham’s Nathan Groves completing the line-up