LATEST NEWS ~ FEBRUARY 2008

NEW-BOY COCKLE GETS READY TO FLEX MUSCLES
By David Crane, Cambridge Evening News ~ Friday 29th February 2008
James Cockle will be striving to up his game on the road for the Fen Tigers this season and lay to rest a disappointing campaign when his progress stalled. The 21-year-old from March averaged just over four points with Sheffield, a figure down on that of his previous two campaigns with Glasgow. But the 'Legend Killer', as he was nicknamed by the Saracen Park fans, is relishing his fresh beginnings in the Fens as senior reserve and looking to score big away from the confines of West Row.

He said: "I'm really looking forward to this season. It's a new team and a new start for me. I like riding the Mildenhall circuit as I've always scored well there, but I feel I've got to improve on my away performances. I didn't have the greatest of years with Sheffield, but with Mildenhall we have a team of riders who want to win at every track we go to. I've been slated a bit for taking the No 8 position with Peterborough, but if I get a couple of rides it's more experience for me and I'm up for it this year, end of story."

Meanwhile, Simon Barton is continuing with his search for a co-promoter. Barton is backed by directors Laurence Rogers and Vic Clarke, plus in excess of 40 shareholders of Fen Tigers Ltd, and has held the reigns solely since the departure of Mick Horton last year. He said: "We are still searching and hopefully we'll find the right person. We are looking for a continuing investment into the club and also for that experience in speedway, which I have as a fan but not as a promoter."

The club is hosting a horse racing fundraising evening at the Mildenhall stadium tonight, starting at 7.45pm. Entrance is £5.
 

FEN TIGERS ANNOUNCE UNIQUE TEAM SPONSORSHIP FOR 2008!!!
By Mildenhall Speedway ~ Monday 25th February 2008
The Mildenhall “Fen Tigers”, a club owned solely by their fans with 40 plus shareholders, have announced what is a completely unique team sponsorship for 2008. Much hard work has been put in throughout the winter by Fen Tigers Ltd director Vic Clarke to attract backing for the club and along with several others who have brought in advertising and sponsorship revenue the club reports that they are over 30% up in that direction this year. What has been missing though has been a team sponsor although no stone has gone unturned in that direction as Vic Clarke revels, “We have made in roads with quite a few companies who are coming on board with us this year in a variety of ways from programme advertising, heat sponsorship or meeting sponsorship. We have come close with a few companies to actually come on board as team sponsors and we will be courting them closely in that direction in the next 12 months. But as it stands we have not secured any local or national company as our main backers but some may take on a role of associate sponsors in some way.”

But Simon Barton, the fan who took over the club and introduced the shareholder aspect to the club has some unique news about the team sponsorship for 2008. “I have floated this idea with the people concerned several times, initially as a bit of a joke but now it has all become reality. On the trip to Telford for the Indoor Ice Meeting I was able to conclude a deal that sees us go into 2008 with a team sponsor but one with a difference!! We have a very loyal and vociferous band of fans who travel the length and breadth of the country support Mildenhall. We adopted the name of the Barmy Army and have become renowned as this at every track in the country. Well now in 2008 no one will be able to say that hey haven’t heard of the Mildenhall Barmy Army as I am pleased to announce that this season we will be known as the Mildenhall “Barmy Army” Fen Tigers!!! That will undoubtedly cause some humour and comments wherever we ride and give away track announcers the opportunity to welcome our fans as the sponsors of their club.”

“I think this may well be totally unique. We are a club owned by the fans and now one sponsored by a group of those fans who spend countless hours and money supporting their riders. Now they have taken that one step further by backing the side. I cannot thank them enough for this and can’t wait to hear it announced for the first time when we travel to Peterborough on Thursday March 13th for the inter-league challenge against the Panthers. Certainly our body colours that Devon Shirt Designs are producing this year will be something worth having!! We are also planning to design a Barmy army special tee-shirt!!”

In addition Team Manager and Club Director Laurence Rogers has secured some backing from Clean Cut Sport who will be filming most of the Mildenhall home fixtures this year. Rogers explains, “They film at various tracks like Coventry, Peterborough and Wolverhampton and the talk began when MD Peter Ballinger met up with me at the Brighton Bonanza and I helped their interviewer Becky Pearson out with organising the riders for her to interview. We then spoke at the Coventry show the other week and since then we have concluded a deal with them to become involved with the Mildenhall “Barmy Army” Fen Tigers this year.”

“We are also talking to a few companies at becoming associate sponsors of the club including a media partner and hopefully we will have more news on that soon. It is superb to get the backing of our fans in this way and I cannot think of any club where this has happened before. One thing for sure is that the Barmy Army will make their presence known wherever we travel!!”
 

TIGERS' CAPTAIN KES GEARED UP TO ROAR
By David Crane, Cambridge Evening News ~ Friday 15th February 2008
New Fen Tigers' skipper Robbie Kessler is relishing his crucial role in the team after completing a winter loan switch from Sheffield. The former double German Under-21 champion, now an experienced 34-year-old international rider with a UK career of 14 years behind him, was the obvious choice of captain to pass on the benefit of his experience to his youthful team-mates.

Kessler said: "It's a fresh start for me and most of the team, and I think it should work out really well. Last year ended short for me with injury. I damaged some ligaments in my shoulder which required an op and has now been rested for three months. I've been riding motocross a lot in Germany with friends so if the shoulder can hold up doing that, it should be alright going around in circles for 60 seconds. At Stoke, they made me captain and sacked me after two meetings, so hopefully history doesn't repeat itself. It gives me responsibility to make sure the team is alright. I've raced long enough and learned a lot so I can help the team out."

Kessler, who is based at Wakefield after spending four years with Sheffield, comes into the team at No 5 on a bargain 5.79 average, considering his West Row scores almost double that. He said: "If I can't put a couple of points on to my average this season I'm going to have to retire. It's a new challenge for me and as soon as I left Stoke and went to Redcar I had a really good time. I've only ridden Mildenhall twice. Sometimes you just turn up at a track, drop the clutch and have a good meeting and sometimes you try your best and get no points. It's just how it goes."

Kessler has also been chosen as Ipswich's No 8. "It's a bonus as I like riding speedway and bikes in general", he added. "It's good to see what the Elite League guys do because they're always one step ahead with equipment and machinery. If I get a few meetings, it will be a bonus for Mildenhall as well."

Mildenhall's 2008 line-up: 1 Kaj Laukkanen (8.33), 2 Grant Tregoning (5.00), 3 Jan Graversen (7.00), 4 Casper Wortmann (7.00), 5 Robbie Kessler (5.79), 6 Mark Baseby (3.00), 7 James Cockle (3.68).
 

FLYING FINN IS FEN TIGERS No 1
By Mildenhall Speedway ~ Monday 11th February 2008
The Fen Tigers new look 2008 side is complete with the signing of Finnish international Kaj Laukkanen. Laukkanen started 2007 with the Belle Vue Aces where he averaged just under 5 including bonus points before personnel changes left him without a team place. He then moved to Edinburgh where he recorded an impressive green sheet average of 8.33, including a 13-point return at West Row. Laukkanen was also a reserve for the 2007 Grand Prix series where he made three appearances, beating Antonio Lindback and Rune Holta.

Mildenhall team manager Laurence Rogers is delighted with the signing and believes Laukkanen to be the man the Fen Tigers needed to lead them forwards: “ I had been talking to Kaj for a while and knew that he wanted to return to the UK this year despite rumours that he was not going to be seen in Britain in 2008. I was tipped off by the Belle Vue management that he was available and although we were also talking with Craig Watson , I had kept my talk with Kaj secret. We needed to finalise things and wanted to be able to announce to the fans and shareholders who was going to spearhead our side at the Fans Forum on Sunday. In the end it too just ten minutes to agree terms with Kaj and he is really looking forward to coming to Mildenhall.”

“He is a class rider and has performed at the highest level in the Gp’s . He certainly looked at home on our circuit last year with only Kyle Legault beating him when he visited with Edinburgh. We had a live link with him at the Forum on Sunday where he was amazed at the loud cheering that accompanied my announcement that we had signed him and now he can’t wait to get over to the UK to race for us. There was an instant rapport between the five Fen Tigers present on Sunday night and I think we have a great team spirit again this year. The boys had a chat before the forum and I offered Robbie Kessler the captaincy which he has accepted and I think he will prove a great skipper and look after the young lads in the side. Personally I can’t wait for the season to begin as I am very excited at the prospect of watching this side in action and improve –we have so much potential to harness and develop.”

“Robbie believes that the captaincy will be good for him and I think we have signed a rider who will be performing well above his average –he’s a steal at 5.79. Roll on March 16th!! Before that we have been invited to race in an inter-league challenge at Peterborough to open their season on Thursday March 13th. Due to the unavailability of the Stadium we have re-scheduled our Press and Practice Day. We will actually be having a Press Launch on Monday March 10th with a photo session with all the riders at 4.30 but there will be no racing. The lads then have been invited to practice at Wolverhampton on the Tuesday night and then on Saturday (15th) we are holding a full team practice from 12.30 till 4.30 followed by a social night including the introduction of Kaj Laukkanen and Grant Tregoning to the fans at 6 pm. Then it’s down to the real thing with 2007 League Champions Rye House the visitors on Sunday (16th) at 4.30pm.”

Laukkanen will take up the number 1 race jacket in the side with New-Zealander Tregoning at number 2. The Danish duo of Graversen and Wortmann while Kessler will partner the reserves at number 5.

The Mildenhall Fen Tigers 2008
1. Kaj Laukkanen - 8.33
2. Grant Tregoning - 5.00
3. Jan Graversen – 7.00
4. Casper Wortmann – 7.00
5. Robbie Kessler – 5.79
6. Mark Baseby – 3.00
7. James Cockle – 3.68
 

TIME'S UP - ROGERS NEEDS WATSON CALL
By David Crane, Cambridge Evening News ~ Saturday 9th February 2008
Mildenhall will reveal the identity of their final signing for the new season in front of supporters at the club's fans' forum at the West Row stadium tomorrow. A month has passed since the Fen Tigers confirmed they are in talks with 31-year-old Australian racer Craig Watson, who finished in last year's top 20 Premier League averages. The ex-Poole star, who has also attracted interest from Berwick and his former club Newport, will be imposed a deadline of this weekend by team manager Laurence Rogers.

Rogers said: "Both Craig and us are talking to sponsors to help finalise the deal, but I want to be in a position to announce our last signing to our fans on Sunday. It is not fair to keep the rider we are also talking to hanging on, so I'll be giving Craig a short deadline to make his decision."

Five of the side's six winter signings will be in attendance at the forum, which starts at 6pm and has an adults entry charge of £2, with children free. Cambridgeshire-based James Cockle and Robbie Kessler, both of whom have sealed No.8 positions with Elite League clubs, will be joined by Mark Baseby and Danes Jan Graversen and Casper Wortmann. New Zealand Under-21 champ Grant Tregoning is due to arrive in the UK on March 4. Fans looking to help out their favourite rider for the forthcoming season will be able to do so when the Riders Support Team is launched. Supporters can contribute as little as £1 a month to help fund the costs of essential items such as fuel, oil, insurance and travel.

With stadium maintenance ongoing and acquiring the relevant licences, the club has cancelled the training school on February 16 but Rogers remains hopeful of staging one before the season starts in just five weeks when they open against league champions Rye House.
 

WHO’s No 1?
By Mildenhall Speedway ~ Saturday 9th February 2008
The Fen Tigers will be announcing the final member of the new look 2008 line up at Sunday’s fans forum. After the disappointment of missing out on Australian rider Craig Watson the Mildenhall management have acted quickly in bringing in a rider of equal quality.

Team Manager Laurence Rogers said: “We had another option that I had kept up my sleeve and had kept in contact with the rider in question and we quickly agreed a deal. We will reveal our capture to the supporters at the Forum on Sunday night where new signings Casper Wortmann, Jan Graversen and Robbie Kessler will be in attendance along with Mark Baseby and hopefully James Cockle. I think our fans will be suitably impressed by the final member of the Fen Tigers side.”

The Mildenhall fans forum is being hosted at Mildenhall Stadium on Sunday February 10th at 6pm.
 

TOUGH START FOR FEN TIGERS
By Mildenhall Speedway ~ Friday 8th February 2008
The new look Fen Tigers start the season with four local derbies in the space of just 8 days. The season kicks off in the Premier Trophy on March 16th at 4.30pm against reigning Premier League champions Rye House. The Rockets have lost Steve Boxall and Adam Roynon over the winter but still boast a formidable line up and will be heading to West Row with an away win in mind. Mildenhall Promoter Simon Barton said: “Meetings against Rye House are always exciting and I expect this meeting will be just the same. They have put together a very strong looking team and I anticipate a very tough match. The trophy meetings will give our new overseas stars the chance to learn the quickest way around the West Row track. We will of course be riding without any home advantage, as the Rye House riders will have had more experience of our track than most of our team.” 

After two tough away fixtures against Kings Lynn and Rye House, the Fen Tigers are faced with the home fixture against the Stars. Kings Lynn have already been forced into a team change before the start of the season as the unfortunate Trevor Harding was injured riding in Australia. In his place will be Rusty Harrison who showed his ability at West Row last year scoring 5 paid 8 from his 4 rides. The Norfolk outfit also brought in Shaun Tacey after his discussions with Mildenhall broke down because he wanted a track with a mid-week race night. Tacey was one of the Fen Tigers star performers at home last season, recording a near 8-point home average.

“Last years meeting against Kings Lynn was certainly the one I enjoyed the most as all of our riders contributed to a great victory. Also the return of Shaun Tacey should be interesting” said Barton, “we really wanted him to be back racing for the Fen Tigers but I can understand his reasons for joining a mid week track. I am sure our fans will give him a ‘warm’ welcome.”

Mildenhall versus Rye House is on Sunday March 16th at 4:30 and Mildenhall versus Kings Lynn is on Easter Sunday March 23rd at 4:30.
 

SEARCH FOR NUMBER 1 CONTINUES
By Mildenhall Speedway ~ Friday 8th February 2008
Australian Craig Watson has confirmed that he will be signing for Newport for the 2008 season ending weeks of speculation about his future. Mildenhall Promoter Simon Barton said: “I am very disappointed both by Craig’s decision and by the length of time that he took to make it. We are continuing to search for the Number 1 rider we need to complete our line up and we hope to make an announcement soon.”
 

FANS FORUM
By Mildenhall Speedway ~ Wednesday 6th February 2008
Mildenhall fans will have a chance to meet five of the 2008 Fen Tigers at a pre-season fans forum this Sunday. Robbie Kessler, Mark Baseby and James Cockle will be travelling from their UK bases while Jan Gravesen and Casper Wortmann will be travelling all the way from Denmark just to be in attendance.

Simon Barton, Mildenhall’s Promoter, said, “The fact that the two young Danes are flying in to attend this forum shows how dedicated they are to being a success at Mildenhall. They have impressed me with their desire to ride for the Fen Tigers and I believe that they will both prove to be great assets of the club.”

Admission for the fans forum, which takes place this Sunday (10th Feb) at 6pm, will be £2 for adults and free for children.