Hethersett Athletic

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Mel Perkins

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Hethersett NR9 3DZ

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2010 Match Reports and Press Releases

March 21st

Two young members of the Hethersett Hawks / Swinton & Co cycle-speedway club have been selected for the England U18 team to take on Wales in Newport (April 3) and Bristol (April 10). This is a big achievement for the small village club. Dan Chambers and Leon Wild have impressed in pre-season British Academy weekends to earn their caps.

The two new internationals were paired together in the Hawks' opening South-East League match at Ipswich and rode well together. Both teams were down on full strength but it was a well-contested opener in which Ipswich had most of the breaks. Hethersett competed well and the final score slightly flattered the home side. Ex-British Champion Phil Howells made a tentative start but reeled off three good wins but it was Chambers and Wild who won the only race for the Hawks - a 6-4.

IPSWICH 103 HETHERSETT 77

(P.Howells 17 Dan Chambers 14 P.Adams 13 L.Wild 10 B.Collins 7 Dave Chambers 6 D.Adams 5 S.Wilcox 5).

In the Combination League match the Hawks were eight points down after five races but a rousing 7-3 orchestrated by Ben Collins with Mel Perkins gave them hope. But a nagging injury and general fitness told as the younger home side took advantage. There were some encouraging signs from the female pairing of Tiffany Collins and Carly Grimes while Ben Collins remained unbeaten.

IPSWICH B 99 HETHERSETT B 76

(B.Collins 23 D.Adams 19 C.Grimes 9 T.Grimes 8 M.Perkins 8 T.Collins 6).

This Sunday some Hawks riders will be contesting the first South-East Grand Prix, again at Ipswich.

April 4th

Two young riders from Hethersett Hawks / Swinton & Co cycle speedway club starred in England's 98-80 win over Wales in a junior test match at Newport. Dan Chambers and Leon Wild both scored 14 points to help England to a victory. Chambers is a big doubt for the return match in Bristol this Saturday after a collision with a starting gate while racing for Norwich in the Premier League at Wednesfield saw him taken to hospital where severe ankle ligament damage and not the feared break was diagnosed. He will also be doubtful for the Hawks' first home match of the season this Sunday (2 p.m.) against Great Blakenham

April 11th

HETHERSETT HAWKS / SWINTON & CO staged their first home match of the 2010 season and, with a depleted side, were well beaten by Great Blakenham. Despite trying hard they were often trailing from the starting gates and tactically struggling against the experienced Suffolk outfit. Four visiting riders were unbeaten with only Ben Collins and Dan Chambers getting race wins for the Hawks.

HETHERSETT 63 GT.BLAKENHAM 116

Dan Chambers 12 B.Collins 12 P.Adams 8 T.Grimes 8 D.Martin 8 Dave Chambers 7 C.Grimes 5 M.Perkins 3.

For the Combination Division match neither side could field additional riders so the handicap points at the start gave Hethersett an 81-44 advantage. The Hawks defended that well early on with Tim Grimes impressive but a couple of poor tactical races gave Blakenham their chance and they gradually chipped away to take the lead with one race to go. The Hawks' top two tried everything they could in the last race but Blakenham took it 7-3 and the match points.

HETHERSETT B 59 (+81) = 140 GT BLAKENHAM B 101 (+44) = 145

D.Martin 13 P.Adams 12 Dan Chambers 12 T.Grimes 11 M.Perkins 6 C.Grimes 5.

This Saturday Hawks riders will be in action at Eaton Park (Norwich) in the British Youth & Junior League and then next Wednesday evening entertain local rivals Norwich in a League match.

April 18th

HETHERSETT HAWKS / SWINTON & CO had a squad of seven riders for the first regional round of the Wosskow Brown British Youth & Junior League in the warm sunshine at Eaton Park, Norwich. Competing in the older age groups the squad put up a first-class performance to take third place in the match and provide six "A" finalists in the grand prix event.

Highlight was the Under-18 competition where the four Hawks blitzed the opposition to all make the final and a cracking race they put on. Dan Chambers hit the front after the first corner and went away for victory but behind there were several passes with Ben Collins coming through to second place followed by Phil Adams and Leon Wild. If these four maintain this form they will be one of the favourites for the British Under-19 Club Championships at Ipswich on Saturday.

Scott Grimes had his first outing of the season and, despite a couple of falls, finished third in the Under-16s while in the Girls event Tiffany Collins was back to her top form finishing third with Carly Grimes winning the "B" final.

IPSWICH 248 KESGRAVE 209 HETHERSETT 84 NORWICH 76 GT.BLAKENHAM 58 COLCHESTER 51

(D.Chambers 15 L.Wild 13 T.Collins 13 B.Collins 12 S.Grimes 11 P.Adams 10 C.Grimes 10)

As well as the important British match on Saturday, the Hawks travel back to Suffolk on Sunday for a League match at Kesgrave.

April 25th

HETHERSETT HAWKS / SWINTON & CO had a busy week with the highlight being contesting the British U19 Club Championships at Ipswich. They had been drawn in by far the toughest Semi-Final, and this was proven as they were eliminated by the eventual winners and runners-up. Poole set the early pace from Hethersett but Birmingham recovered from a poor start to share the lead with Poole, Hethersett being just two points down, at the break. Phil Adams slipped after making a fine pass in heat 13 and two third places saw the Hawks drift behind. However, a late rally with Leon Wild and Dan Chambers winning races took it to their last race only for Ben Collins to unfortunately get tangled up. In the end just six points short of a place in the final was a reasonable performance.

POOLE 51 BIRMINGHAM 47 HETHERSETT 41 IPSWICH 33 WEDNESFIELD 25

(D.Chambers 11 L.Wild 11 B.Collins 10, P.Adams 9 S.Grimes - sub, unused)

In the midweek local derby at home to Norwich Hethersett had a weakened team and were beaten by 20 points. Dan Chambers was in good form and there were some good races from Scott Grimes in his first League outing of the season.

HETHERSETT 79 NORWICH 99

(Dan Chambers 19 P.Adams 17 D.Adams 11 S.Grimes 9 Dave Chambers 9 T.Grimes 7 C.Grimes 4 M.Perkins 3)

A much stronger side made the Sunday trip to Kesgrave and they had a convincing win over a home side that contained five promising U16s and U13s. Leon Wild was in good form and Dave Adams looked much improved on new equipment.

KESGRAVE 67 HETHERSETT 113

(L.Wild 19 D.Martin 17 B.Collins 17 D.Adams 16 Dan Chambers 15 P.Adams 14 Dave Chambers 9 M.Perkins 6)

This win will be a big tonic as the Hawks prepare for this coming weekend's European Club Championships in Bury (Lancs) where the Hawks will face top sides from the U.K. and Poland over three days.

May 3rd

HETHERSETT HAWKS / SWINTON & CO survived the Arctic Bank Holiday weather to produce a performance to be proud of at the European Club Championships in Bury (Lancs). After the first qualifying round early on Saturday which saw them heavily defeated and having Leon Wild suffering from double vision after the most spectacular fall of the weekend, they then rallied to come within one harsh exclusion and, in a later qualifier, six points of qualifying for the Quarter-finals. Sunday was tough as the programming meant that the Hawks raced in all of the first three matches and it took its toll on the fitness towards the end of the final eliminator. Dan Chambers was in good form and Wild recovered to score some notable points. Racing against the top UK and Polish teams certainly was a testing experience but one they will learn much from.

Scores from the qualifying matches ---

TORUN 53 WEDNESFIELD 46 CZESTOCHOWA 40 HETHERSETT 21

D.Martin 6 Dan Chambers 5 B.Collins 5 L.Wild 3 Dave Chambers 2

SHEFFIELD 49 HETHERSETT 45 SWIETOCHOWICE 44 NORWICH 20

Dan Chambers 13 B.Collins 11 L.Wild 11 D.Martin 10

SWIETOCHOWICE 45 CZESTOCHOWA 41 OSTROW 36 HETHERSETT 32

L.Wild 11 B.Collins 8 Dan Chambers 7 D.Martin 5 Dave Chambers 1

OSTROW 53 HETHERSETT 48 BURY 32 NORWICH 26

Dan Chambers 14 B.Collins 13 L.Wild 9 D.Martin 8 Dave Chambers 4

CZESTOCHOWA 47 OSTROW 40 SWIETOCHOWICE 39 HETHERSETT 34

Dan Chambers 12 L.Wild 9 B.Collins 7 D.Martin 5 Dave Chambers 1

Closer to home in midweek Hawks' riders were in action at Harford Park in the first Norfolk Grand Prix, Newcomers Oliver Buxton and Calvin Grimes finished in the top positions in the Novice event whil Carly Grimes and David Adams finished second in their events.

This Saturday Hethersett riders will be at Kesgrave for the British Youth & Junior League and next Wednesday there is Grand Prix action at Hethersett at 7 p.m.

May 10th

HETHERSETT HAWLS / SWINTON & CO gave League debuts to Swardeston youngsters Oliver Buxton and Calvin Grimes and the points they scored helped the Hawks into third place at the Regional Round 2 of the Wosskow Brown British Youth & Junior League at Kesgrave. Scott Grimes was in great form scoring a maximum with Philip Adams also doing well.

KESGRAVE 352 IPSWICH 271 HETHERSETT 77 GT.BLAKENHAM 75 NORWICH 53 COLCHESTER 50

(S.Grimes 16 P.Adams 14 T.Collins 13 D.Chambers 11 O,Buxton 10 Carly Grimes 7 Calvin Grimes 6)

In the Grand Prix series Dan Chambers and Tiffany Collins took second places with Phil Adams and Scott Grimes both finishing third.

Hethersett riders were unlucky with the toss of coins in the Norfolk Senior Championships at Eaton Park. Dan Chambers and holder David Martin both featured in leading positions but both lost the toss for crucial inside starting positions in race-offs. 16-year-old Dan topped the scorers with experienced home rider Lee Grange and tried everything in the race for the title but could not find a way past. Two points behind were David and home rider James Wakefield. Again the toss went to Norwich and Wakefield held out several challenges before David clipped his wheel and his chance of the third place trophy was gone.

This Sunday the Hawks entertain Ipswich at the Memorial Playing Field at 2 p.m.

May 17th

HETHERSETT HAWKS / SWINTON & CO welcomed back combative Harley Hamill for their home match against Ipswich in the South-East League and, in a competitive match, they could not quite get on terms. Dan Chambers was outstanding defeating England international Dan Pike twice but the only other home rider to win a race was Phil Adams. In heat 11 he twice passed Pike to lead to a foul by the Ipswich rider. The 7-2 win gained in the restart, with Pike excluded, gave the Hawks hope by narrowing the deficit to five points but Ipswich closed ranks and won by 11.

HETHERSETT 84 IPSWICH 95

Dan Chambers 18 D.Adams 14 P.Adams 12 D.Martin 12 H.Hamill 10 B.Collins 9 T.Grimes 5 S.Grimes 4

In the Combination Division match the Hawks had another returning rider - Roger Carter having his first outing for three years and he was the only Hethersett race winner in heat 8. The whole team had moments of promise for the future.

HETHERSETT B 67 IPSWICH B 96

R.Carter 12 Calvin Grimes 11 Dave Chambers 11 Carly Grimes 10 T.Collins 9 O.Buxton 8 M.Perkins 3

In the midweek Norfolk Grand Prix at Hethersett home riders won each category - Calvin Grimes (Novice) Scott Grimes (U16) and Dave Martin (Seniors).

This Sunday there is a big match at the Memorial Playing Field with Hethersett staging a South-East Grand Prix for riders of all ages. Racing starts at 1 p.m.

May 24th

HETHERSETT HAWKS / SWINTON & CO had a good tussle with their local neighbours Norwich in the South East League at Eaton Park. Trying more positive tactics in the early heats failed to reap benfits and they trailed by 11 points at half-time. A good rally in the second half led by Phil Adams and Harley Hamill saw the Hawks shade the half. Roger Carter also did well on his return to the first team.

NORWICH 93 HETHERSETT 86

(P.Adams 17 H.Hamill 16 D.Adams 14 Dan Chambers 12 R.Carter 9 S.Grimes 7 T.Grimes 4 Dave Chambers 3 O.Buxton 2 Calvin Grimes 2)

Nine Hethersett riders took part in the South-East Grand Prix at Hethersett which attracted over 50 riders from Suffolk and Essex. Best home performances came from Scott Grimes and Phil Adams who both came second in their categories.

This weekend Dan Chambers is representing Young England in a match at Poole against the Rest of the World and on Sunday he is joined by Ben Collins in the Poole Ade Gale Memorial Trophy. The Hawks will therefore be down on strength for their League match at Gt.Blakenham. Next Wednesday (June 2nd) Hethersett stage the Breckland Autos Charity Cup (7.30)

May 31st

HETHERSETT HAWKS / SWINTON & CO cycle speedway riders had a successful time on the South coast over the Bank Holiday weekend. Racing at the picturesque Poole circuit three Cluib members were prominent in major events. Carly Grimes represented the East Region in the first Women & Girls League match against South-West & Wales and was second highest scorer with 12 points in the 66-54 defeat. She then went on to win the "B" Final in the Over-15s Grand Prix beating three top riders.

Dan Chambers represented Young England against a Rest of the World side. He scored 12 in the home 95-80 victory and the following day he contested the Ade Gale Memorial Junior Laurels event. He finished fourth overall after losing a race-off for third place. Ben Collins also rode well in this event to finish 8th.

Hetherrsett have a new Norfolk Champion with Phil Adams taking the U19 title after a very unpredictable and exciting final at Hetherrsett. Chambers looked favourite after already beating Adams but reigning champion Collins surprised him with a strong challenge in their last ride. The two tangled and ultimately Collins could only be content with a third place keeping Chambers at the back. Adams had won all his other races, including a recovery after being passed by Collins, so his 15 points gave him the title with Chambers winning a race-off with Scott Grimes for third place on the podium.

With several riders away the Hawks took a scratch side to face leaders Gt.Blakenham in the South-East League and got well-beaten although acting captain David Adams was in good form and his brother Phil scored the Hawks' only race win.

GT BLAKENHAM 114 HETHERSETT 65 (D.Adams 13 P.Adams 10 R.Carter 10 S.Grimes 8 T.Grimes 8 O.Buxton 6 Calvin Grimes 6 Carly Grimes 4)

The Combination Division match was much tighter as unavailability led to both sides using a lot of first-team riders, giving Hethersett a starting handicap advantage of 20 points. They defended that well with Scott Grimes and David Adams working an early 7-3 win. An exclusion for Phil Adams reduced the deficit but no more races were lost until David Adams fell and brought down Scott Grimes in heat 12 for a home 7-0. The Hawks won two of the last four heats to win by 5 points.

GT BLAKENHAM B 126 HETHERSETT B 131 (P.Adams 16 S.Grimes 13 Calvin Grimes 12 D.Adams 10 O.Buxton 9 M.Perkins 8)

This Saturday Hawks' riders will be at Colchester for Regional Round 3 of the British Youth & Junior League.

June 7th

HETHERSETT HAWKS / SWINTON & CO only had six available riders for the third Regional Round of the Wosskow Brown British Youth & Junior League at Colchester. However, the squad gave a terrific performance on the tricky Essex circuit and amassed enough points to finish third. Furthermore, the Hawks got a 1-2 in two of the Grand Prix Finals with Phil Adams and Tiffany Collins winning the U18s and Girls events with Dan Chambers and Carly Grimes taking second places as well. In the U16s Scott Grimes also led the final briefly before finishing a close third and Calvin Grimes, in his first season, was in the thick of the action and came second in the B Final.

KESGRAVE 276 IPSWICH 230 HETHERSETT 67 COLCHESTER 64 GT.BLAKENHAM 60 NORWICH 45 (S.Grimes 14 D.Chambers 13 P.Adams 12 T.Collins 11 Carly Grimes 9 Calvin Grimes 8)

On a sunny Wednesday evening one of the best-ever Hethersett Charity Cup events, sponsored by Breckland Autos, saw 2006 winner Lee Grange from Norwich recapture the Cup with a steady 19 points. Hethersett riders looked well in contention but Dan Chambers got relegated to last place in his fourth ride and finished on 17 points, having won his other four races. He finished one point behind runner-up Gary Brown from Kesgrave. The Adams brothers Dave and Phil both finished just outside the frame with 16 points. The Cup was presented by the winner of the inaugural Charity Cup event in 1969 - Rod Witham.

This Saturday Dave Martin will be captaining Ireland in the Home International at Birmingham with Tiffany Collins and Carly Grimes in the East Region team at the same venue in the British Women & Girls League. On Sunday Hawks riders will be at Colchester for the South East Grand Prix and on next Wednesday the Hawks entertain Norwich (7.00).

June 14th

HETEHRSETT HAWKS / SWINTON & CO had four riders in Birmingham on Saturday and star of the show was Dan Chambers who dropped just one point in his three races for a victorious England side in the Home International. Club captain Dave Martin's nine points helped Ireland into third place. Final score was England 63 Wales 48 Ireland 34 Scotland 28.

In the British Women & Girls League match the East Region team defeated the North 72-47 with Tiffany Collins one of the leading scorers with 14 points while Carly Grimes put in some excellent races to score 11. In the Grand Prix that followed Tiffany did very well to reach the "A" final but finished fourth while Carly won the "C" Final.

In the midweek Norfolk Grand Prix at Eaton Park Scott Grimes won the U16 event comfortably with Carly Grimes in fourth place. David Adams was in top form in a very competitive Senior competition and he was fiercely contesting the lead in the Final only to get entangled and become relegated to fourth place. In the Novice event Calvin Grimes was third and Oliver Buxton was fourth.

This Saturday the Hawks will be contesting the British Veterans Club Championship at Horspath (Oxford) for the first time while on Sunday they entertain East London (14.00)

June 21st

HETHERSETT HAWKS / SWINTON & CO took on local rivals Norwich at the Memorial Playing Field and it was the visitors who went away with the points after an entertaining match. Although the Hawks put up a good fight they never really threatened as the experienced riders in the Norwich team kept them just ahead. Phil Adams slipped a couple of times when in good positions but a rousing 7-2 in heat 17 by Dan Chambers and Ben Collins and a terrific ride by David Adams in the final heat kept the scores respectable.

HETHERSETT 86 NORWICH 93: D.Adams 17 D.Chambers 16 B.Collins 14 P.Adams 12 S.Grimes 10 R.Carter 6 C.Grimes 6 O.Buxton 5

This Saturday Hawks riders will be at Ipswich for the British Youth & Junior League.

June 28th

HETHERSETT HAWKS / SWINTON & CO took ten riders to Ipswich for the fourth Regional Round of the Wosskow Brown British Youth & Junior League and the squad rode well to consolidate their third place in the regional competition. Highlight of the day was the debut in the Under-8s by Tyler Matthews after only four weeks as a club member. He scored 10 points and went on to win the C Final in the Grand Prix. Four Hawks reached A Finals and there Grand Prix victories for Dan Chambers (U18s) and Tiffany Collins (Girls). Scott Grimes was runner-up in the U16s while Leon Wild was unlucky to be excluded in the U18 Final..

KESGRAVE 311 IPSWICH 306 HETHERSETT 96 COLCHESTER 70 GT.BLAKENHAM 56 NORWICH 48 S.Grimes 14 L.Wild 14 D.Chambers 13 T.Collins 11 T.Matthews 10 B.Collins 9 Calvin Grimes 8 O.Buxton 7 J.Matthews 5 Carly Grimes 5

Scott Grimes finished runner-up in the Carmichaels Norfolk U16 Championship at Harford Park. He dropped his only point to winner Josh Colby from Norwich. Calvin Grimes and Tiffany Collins finished joint fifth to qualify for the East Anglian Final.

The Hawks made their debut in the British Vets Club Championship near Oxford and finished fourth in the Semi-Final. POOLE 53 WEDNESFIELD 51 NORWICH 45 HETHERSETT 33 IPSWICH 16

T.Grimes 10 D.Chambers 9 M.Perkins MBE 8 R.Carter 6

In the Sooth-East League the Hawks gained two wins over East London. HETHERSETT 95 EAST LONDON 85 Dan Chambers 17 D.Adams 15 P.Adams 15 L.Wild 14 D.Martin 14 B.Collins 11 R.Carter 7 S.Grimes 2

HETHERSETT B 111 EAST LONDON B 102 S.Grimes 16 Calvin Grimes 11 Dave Chambers 10 T.Grimes 9 Carly Grimes 8 O.Buxton 6

This Saturday the top riders in the South-east will be at the Memorial Playing Field for the Regional final of the Grand Prix of Gt.Britain as well as the South-East Women & Girls Championships. Racing starts at 1.00. On Sunday the Hawks travel to Leicester for the Quarter-Final of the British Team Championships.

July 5th

HETHERSETT HAWKS / SWINTON & CO travelled to the East Midlands to take on Premier League Leicester in the Quarter-Finals of the British Team Championship. After a tough first half, which saw the home side faster from the starts and much stronger in physical encounters, the Hawks rallied and won four races in the second half. So Leicester won that half by just 10 points but took the match by 33 overall. Highlight for Hethersett was the return after 10 months of Nick Myhill and he reeled off strong wins in the three races his lack of fitness would allow. Phil Howells, the former British Champion, won his last two races in fine style and Dan Chambers also won heat 16.

LEICESTER 104 HETHERSETT 71

(P.Howells 15 D.Chambers 13 N.Myhill 12 D.Martin 8 L.Wild 7 P.Adams 7 B.Collins 7 D.Adams 2)

Three Hethersett riders reached the British Semi-Finals of the Grand Prix of Gt.Britain by finishing in the top eight in the Regional Final at Hethersett. Dan Chambers finished fourth while Dave Martin and Ben Collins shared 7th place. At the same event Carly Grimes was a popular winner of the South-East U16 Girls Championship with Tiffany Collins runner-up. Tiffany also took fourth place in the Women's event while newcomer Jasmin Matthews was third in the U10 Girls.

Five new recruits had their first taste of Norfolk Grand Prix action at Eaton Park. Charlie Larwood, Melissa Carter, Bradley Lewin and Jasmin and Tyler Matthews all gave promising displays. Phil Adams won the Senior event with Dan Chambers third while Scott Grimes won the U16s with sister Carly third. In the Novice event Oliver Buxton fought from the back to finish second.

This Saturday three Hethersett riders are at East Newport for the British U19 Championships.

July 12th

HETHERSETT HAWKS / SWINTON & CO had two riders in the British U19 Championships at East Newport. Phil Adams did well to reach the Final but finished down the filed while Ben Collins just missed the final by one place. Dan Chambers was unable to take his place as he was at hospital having investigation into a long-term wrist injury which will now need an operation this autumn.

In the Norfolk U13 Championships at Harford Park Charlie Bion survived four falls to still qualify for the East Anglian Final along with another newcomer, Bradley Lewin.

This Saturday some of the seven Hawks who have qualified for the national rounds of the British Youth & Junior League Grand Prix series will be in action near Manchester while on Sunday the Hawks play hosts to Kesgrave at 15.00

July 19th

HETHERSETT HAWKS / SWINTON & CO had three riders in the first National Round of the Wosskow Brown British Youth & Junior League Grand Prix near Manchester. In an event that set new attendance records - 172 riders present - Dan Chambers won the U18s event with a very fast start from the unfavourable grid 3 while Phil Adams won the "B" final in the same category. Tiffany Collins topped the qualifiers in the 12-17 Girls group and went on to take runners-up spot in the final, a result that takes her to the top of the series with three rounds left.

The Hawks had two South-East Division One matches in the space of five days and on both occasions put out a scratch side due to holidays and work commitments. At Harford Park they struggled to master a loose track and failed to win a heat against Norwich until heat 13 when David Adams and Roger Carter scored a 6-4 victory. That turned out to be their only victory but there was some improvement in the second-half performance. Ben Collins excelled in a rare heat-leader position and dropped just one point all evening.

At home against bottom club Kesgrave they struggled to pull away from the gallant young side but five 7-3 wins brought a comfortable win in the end. Highlight was a 20-point maximum from reserve Dave Chambers with his son Dan also unbeaten.

NORWICH 98 HETHERSETT 82

B.Collins 18 Dan Chambers 17 D.Adams 16 R.Carter 12 Calvin Grimes 6 O.Buxton 6 M.Perkins 5 T.Collins 2.

HETHERSETT 99 KESGRAVE 79

Dave Chambers 20 Dan Chambers 19 P.Adams 17 B.Collins 16 D.Adams 13 R.Carter 7 M.Perkins 5 T.Collins 2

This weekend three Hethersett riders are in Poland for the European Championships.

July 26th

HETHERSETT HAWKS / SWINTON & CO had three riders in Poland over last weekend competing in the European Championships. In the Junior event Ben Collins and Dan Chambers contested qualifying rounds at Zielona Gora on Friday. Ben rode well to score 14 points and qualify for the Quarter-Finals and in a later round Dan also scraped through qualification with 13 hard-earned points. On the Saturday they were at Leszno in pouring rain for a 9 a.m. Quarter-Final. The very heavy track conditions made it difficult and Ben was unlucky in a couple of races before running out of stamina to finish on 9 points. Dan was in the thick of the action but some dubious Polish tactics robbed him of a point which in the end was vital as his 12 points was one short of the automatic qualification for the Semi-Finals. After all the Quarter-Finals were completed Dan was involved in a sudden-death four-rider race to fill the one remaining place. On a now drying track he finished second and, like Ben, was eliminated.

Later the same day Dan was in action again at Leszno racing for Young England in the European Junior Cup of Nations and played a full part with 15 points. However, in one race he unfortunately fell while leading and a key 7-3 lead was reversed and a similar result in the penultimate heat involving two other riders gave Poland a narrow victory - Poland 65 England 62 Wales 52.

In the Open European Championship Mel Perkins MBE made a cameo appearance as the oldest entrant having never raced abroad before. He scored seven points in a qualifying round and then nine in a repechage before being eliminated. Both matches were at Leszno on Friday.

Four recently recruited Hethersett riders qualified for the East Anglian U10 Championships following performances in the Norfolk U10 Final at Hethersett. Charlie Bion finished runner-up and Bradley Lewin third while Tyler Matthews and Adam Allen also finished in the top six.

This Sunday Hawks riders will be at East London in a South East Grand Prix.

August 8th

HETHERSETT HAWKS / SWINTON & CO only had two of their top eight riders available for the trip to Ipswich in the South-East League and consequently suffered a heavy defeat. Ben Collins worked hard for his 13 points but David Adams was trying too hard and suffered two exclusions and a fall. Highlight was a rousing 7-3 win by Scott Grimes and Collins in the penultimate heat.

IPSWICH 114 HETHERSETT 64 B.Collins 13 T.Grimes 11 S.Grimes 10 R.Carter 9 Carly Grimes 7 D.Adams 5 T.Collins 5 O.Buxton 4

In the Combination Division match Scott Grimes won three races and produced a brilliant last bend pass in the final heat but he was the only Hethersett rider to trouble the home side. Charlie Larwood made his team debut.

IPSWICH B 131 HETHERSETT B 55 S.Grimes 19 O.Buxton 10 T.Collins 8 Carly Grimes 8 M.Perkins 5 C.Larwood 5

In the Norfolk Grand Prix at Harford Park Scott Grimes won the U16s with Tiffany Collins fourth while in the Senior event Dan Chambers was second and Phil Adams fourth. Olover Buxton took third place in the Novice category.

Mel Perkins MBE was the only Hethersett rider at the South-East Grand Prix in East London finishing seventh in the Vets category.

This Saturday some Hethersett riders will be at the Wosskow Brown British Youth & Junior League national round at Gt.Blakenham.

August 15th

Riders from Hethersett Hawks / Swinton & Co had a successful day at the second National Round of the Wosskow Brown British Youth & Junior League at Gt.Blakenham in Suffolk. Four riders took part in a field of 161 but three of them reached "A" Finals in their categories. Tiffany Collins consolidated her position at the top of the Girls Grand Prix series with a well-worked second place while Carly Grimes reached her first final after some stirring rides in her heats. In the Final she just made a small mistake while in third place on the last corner and was just pipped in the run-up to the chequered flag.

In the U18s Phil Adams had been racing with a lot of speed all evening so it was no surprise when he raced into second place. Scott Grimes was not so lucky in the U16s despite looking fast in the heats. In his second race he was illegally knocked from his machine and suffered facial and hand injuries. He soldiered on in the restart and further heats but his eight points were only good enough for the "D" Final. Not to be deterred he produced a brilliant last bend drive round the outside to win the Final.

Scott was runner-up in midweek in the Norfolk Grand Prix at U16s and two other Hawks took runner-up positions - Oliver Buxton in the Novices and Dave Martin in the Seniors. 16 Hethersett riders competed in the event at Eaton Park.

This Sunday the Hawks are away to League leaders Gt.Blakenham while on Saturday Mel Perkins MBE is racing in the British Over-50 Championship in Southampton. Wednesday evening (25th) brings Grand Prix racing to the Memorial Playing Field at 7 p.m.

August 22nd

HETHERSETT HAWKS / SWINTON & CO got off to a poor start in their South-East Division 1 match away at leaders Gt.Blakenham with Dan Chambers and Ben Collins both falling in the first three heats. Dan recovered well to produce the win of the day, beating Lewis Osborne in heat 8, and Ben produced a great pass in heat 11 and a win in heat 14. Meanwhile Dave Martin and Phil Adams were putting some good races together to make the score respectable at the end, although a heavy fall by Dan saw him withdraw from his last race.

GT BLAKENHAM 103 HETHERSETT 73 (D.Martin 14 P.Adams 14 B.Collins 11 S.Grimes 10 Dan Chambers 8 Dave Chambers 7 T.Grimes 6 Calvin Grimes 3)

In the Combination Division match Hethersett were able to track a fresh six riders including a team debut for Daniel Delaney. In an entertaining match Hethersett won by seven points and also received seven from Blakenham who used two first-team riders. Star of the match was Carly Grimes who put in a true captain's performance with five stright wins to complete a maximum. There was good support too from Tiffany Collins and Oliver Buxton

GT BLAKENHAM B 76 HETHERSETT B (83+7) 90 (Carly Grimes 20 T.Collins 18 O.Buxton 17 C.Larwood 10 D.Delaney 10 M.Perkins 8)

The previous day Mel Perkins MBE was in Southampton where he finished joint fourth in the British Over-60s Championship and 15th in the Over-50s.

This weekend the Hawks head North - on Saturday Carly Grimes and Tiffany Collins are in Hull for the British Women's and Girls Championships then on Sunday Scott Grimes (U16s) and Ben Collins (Open) are in Semi-Finals at Stockport and Dave Martin (Open) at Bury, all hoping to make Monday's finals at Astley & Tyldesley.

August 29th

HETHERSETT HAWSK / SWINTON & CO had five cycle-speedway riders competing in British Championships in the North of England over the Bank Holiday weekend.. At Hull Tiffany Collins and Carly Grimes were in the Women's and Girls Championship and both qualified for the final at the fourth attempt. They also started slowly in the Final but Tiffany won her last race to finish with 12 points and to take third place on the podium in the U16 Championship. Carly produced some terrific passes in her last two rides and finished just out of the frame with 11 points.

Over at Stockport Scott Grimes was unlucky in the U16 boys event. In the Semi-Final he thought he had finished third in a race for the line in his last race but the referee placed him fourth. That loss of one point left him to face a race-off for the last qualifying place in which unfortunately he could only finish second. So at Monday's Final at Astley & Tyldesley he was a reserve but did finish in style winning the race-off before the big crowd to become first reserve.

The competition in the Open event was really tough and both Ben Collins (at Stockport) and Dave Martin (at Bury) failed to qualify for the Semi-Finals despite valiant efforts.

This Saturday some Hethersett riders will be in Wednesfield for the third National Round of the Wosskow Brown British Youth & Junior League Grand Prix with Tiffany hoping to consolidate her lead in the Girls event.

September 5th

HETHERSETT HAWKS / SWINTON & CO had four riders racing in the third National Round of the Wosskow Brown British Youth & Junior League Grand Prix at Wednesfield that attracted a record attendance of 187. Tiffany Collins enhanced her position at the top of the Girls 12-17 category in a thrilling final that saw Tiffany and her main rival pass each other five times, the last one taking to Tiffany into second place on the line. She now has a 15-point advantage going into the final round in Wales at the end of the month meaning a place in the B Final or above will give her the title. Carly Grimes had two good wins but got shut out in the B Final at the first corner. In the very competitive Under-18 category there was another thrilling final to round off the day when Dan Chambers and the series leader Luke Draisey clashed on the last bend and Phil Adams slipped as he rtied to pass them both leaving a mad dash for the line which did not favour the Hawks riders in the end. Both riders still have chances to be on the rostrum in Wales.

There was another well-attended Grand Prix closer to home last Wednesday as Hethersett staged a Norfolk Grand Prix with 31 riders. Chambers took the chequered flag in the Senior final with Scott Grimes also wining the U16s.

This Saturday Tim Grimes and Mel Perkins MBE are at Gt.Blakenham for the British Over-40s Championship while on Sunday Hethersett riders have the opportunity to race in the South-East Grand Prix at Kesgrave.

September 12th

HETHERSETT HAWKS / SWINTON & CO had two girls in the Eastern Region team that faced the North & Scotland on the 3rd/4th play-off of the British Women & Girls League at Great Blakenham. Both Tiffany Collins and Carly Grimes played a major part in a convincing 78-41 victory. Both were unbeaten by an opponent and recorded three 7-3 wins when they raced together. In the individual event that followed both girkls were in the "15 and over" category. Carly struggled in the heats but still made the B Final and put up a terrific performance to win afetr almost being squeezed out on the first corner. Tiffany made the A Final and drawn on the outside of her oppoinets pulled of a brillinat pass on the third lap to finish in second place.

On the same programme was the British Over-40s Veterans Championship and Tim Grimes finished 11th and Mel Perkins 12th in a tough competition on a very fast track. Four Hethersett riders were at Kesgrave the following day for the South East Grand Prix Round 5. Best performance came from Phil Adams who won the senior category with a fast burst round the outside of his main rival in the final. Mel Perkins finished third in the Vets while at the other end of the scale Tyler Matthews finished 9th in the U8s and his sister Jasmin 14th in the U10s.

The Norfolk Grand Prix reaches its climax at Hethersett on Wednesday (22nd) and several home riders will be in line for honours after the penultimate round at Harford Park. Dave Martin, fresh from winning his 9th Hethersett Senior title, won the Grand Prix senior final with Phil Adams runner-up and Roger Carter 4th. Scott Grimes took runners-up spot in the U16s with sister Carly third and Tiffany Collins 4th while in the Novice event Calvin Grimes was second and Oliver Buxton 4th.

On Saturday Dave Martin and Ben Collins are taking on the best in the Grand Prix of Gt.Britain finals at Eaton Park and on Sunday the Hawks entertain League leaders Gt.Blaklenham (2 p.m.)

September 19th

HETHERSETT HAWKS / SWINTON & CO got back into League action after a month's break but faced League leaders Gt.Blakenham with a weakened team. However, in the eraly heats they held their own well and only trailed by five points after five heats and Ben Collins had been unlucky to get excluded when he clashed with Adam Peck. Three successive heat wins streched the lead and it was a question of damage limitaion after that with Phil Adams getting two good wins and some encouraging signs from Oliver Buxton. Collins too produced some great passes but got little reward.

HETHERSETT 74 GT BLAKENHAM 103

P.Adams 14 D.Martin 11 Calvin Grimes 10 O.Buxton 10 R.Carter 9 B.Collins 8 Dave Chambers 6 Carly Grimes 6.

Blakenham were forced to use riders who had raced in the first match when the Combination Division match started so gave Hethersett B a 42-point start. The Hawks, who had Melissa Carter making a team debut and Andrew Grimes having his first match for over 20 years, competed well and were leading without the handicap at half-time. Three 7-3 defeats changed that but it was still a comfortable win on paper with Harley Hamill returning in style and Tiffany Collins also impressive.

HETHERSETT B (74+48) 122 GT.BLAKENHAM B (85+6) 91

H.Hamill 19 T.Collins 14 M.Perkins 12 Carly Grimes 10 A.Grimes 10 M.Carter 9

Three Hethersett riders raced in the Semi-Finals of the Grand Prix of Gt.Britain at Eaton Park but neither of them reached the Final. Best performance came from Ben Collins who won two races and was unlucky not to score a couple more points than the 12 he did. Dave Martin tried hard to compete but was just off the pace with 10 points but David Adams, in as a late replacement, had a match to forget with three falls but a second place in heat 15 restored some pride.

This Saturday a few Hethersett riders will be at East Newport for the final National Round of the Wosskow Brown British Youth & Junior League Grand Prix.

September 26th

Tiffany Collins, the 15-year-old cycle speedway rider from the Hethersett Hawks / Swinton & Co Club, was crowned British U18 Girls Grand Prix champion after finishing third in the final national round at East Newport in Wales. Three wins in her qualifying races put her into the final where she came from the back to reach secdond place only to fall when challenging for the lead on the final bend. She limped over the line for third place and the 18 points this achieved brought her total over the eight rounds to 154, 15 points more than her nearest rival.

Dan Chambers, who was unable to race at East Newport due to recovering from a wrist operation, had secured enough points in the series to achieve third place in the U18 boys competition. Carly Grimes did race in the last round but took time to adjust to the tight track. She rallied to finish third in the B Final.

Chambers and Grimes were among seven Hethersett riders to get on the podium at the end of the Norfolk Grand Prix series. It was a Hethersett 1-2-3 in the over-16s category - Dave Martin winning, closely followed by Phil Adams and Chambers. Scott Grimes was a clear winner in the U16 series with his sister Carly in third place. In the Novice category Oliver Buxton was second and Calvin Grimes third.

This Saturday Hethersett riders are at Kesgrave for the East Anglian Championships while on Sunday the Hawks entertain Ipswich in the South-East League (2 p.m.)

October 3rd

HETHERSETT HAWKS / SWINTON & CO cycle speedway riders had to endure wet and muddy conditions over both days last weekend but had two trophies to show for their efforts. In the East Anglian Championships at Kesgrave Scott Grimes finished third in the U16s and Phil Adams was runner-up in the U19s. Grimes went on to top score in the Norfolk U16 team dropping just one point to the victorious Suffolk side. Calvin Grimes also rode well in his first County match.

It was Norfolk v Suffolk rivalry again on the Sunday with Ipswich visiting Hethersett and an even first half turned against the Hawks in heat 9 with a harsh exclusion that led to a 2-7 defeat. Hethersett rallied in the second half without reducing the Suffolk side's lead but a 6-4 win by Phil Adams and Ben Collins ended the match on a high. These two and captain Dave Martin led the side well but the all-round strength of Ipswich gave them a deserved victory.

HETHERSETT 83 IPSWICH 95

(D.Martin 19 P.Adams 19 B.Collins 15 H.Hamill 9 Calvin Grimes 7 R.Carter 5 O.Buxton 5 T.Grimes 4)

In the Combination Division the league champions Ipswich retained their 100% record despite giving Hethersett 46 points start for using riders who had raced in the first team match. Scott Grimes was the only home rider to trouble the effective Ipswich side but he was struggling to maintain his efforts due to playing in a football match immediately prior to racing.

HETHERSETT B (49+46) 95 IPSWICH B 110

(Dave Chambers 9 M.Perkiins 9 Carly Grimes 8 S.Grimes 7 C.Larwood 7 M.Carter 5 A.Grimes 4)

October 17th

HETHERSETT HAWKS / SWINTON & CO took part in the TA Security South-East Cup Fours at Harford Park and finished third in both the Senior and Junior events. An early exclusion for Dave Martin pegged the Hawks back in the Senior event but he and Phil Adams rode well to keep the side in touch with second-placed Ipswich while Gt.Blakenham stormed away to victory.

GT.BLAKENHAM 63 IPSWICH 38 HETHERSETT 35 NORWICH 19

P.Adams 11 D.Martin 9 R.Carter 8 Dave Chambers 7

In the Junior event Calvin Grimes was the pick of the bunch with some good passes but his stamina was affected by a heavy cold.

IPSWICH 61 NORWICH 46 HETHERSETT 37

Calvin Grimes 10 C.Larwood 9 Calvin Grimes 9 S.Grimes 7 J.Matthews 2

Two Hethersett riders competed in the final South-East Grand Prix at Gt.Blakenham. Oliver Buxton finished 6th in the U16s after finishing second in a race-off for the A Final. Mel Perkins narrowly avoided a falling rider in the Vets final to finish second and the 20 points secured in that gave him 4th place overall in the series.

This weekend Hawks riders are involved in some international challenge matches at Harford Park on Saturday while the A and B teams are at East London on Sunday for their final League matches of the season.

October 24th

HETHERSETT HAWKS / SWINTON & CO travelled to East London for their final League matches of the 2010 campaign and played a big part in some entertaining racing in cold conditions. The home side admitted to fielding their strongest squad of the season whereas the Hawks had two out injured and others unavailable. Captain Dave Martin set the best example of all winning all his five rides and encouraging his lesser experienced colleagues while Phil Adams notched an exciting 16 points, including a 6-4 win in heat 15 with Scott Grimes.

EAST LONDON 105 HETHERSETT 73

D.Martin 20 P.Adams 16 S.Grimes 9 R.Carter 7 Dave Chambers 7 Calvin Grimes 6 T.Grimes 5 O.Buxton 3.

Both teams used two first-team riders in the Combination Division and the two Hawks made the best impression with Oliver Buxton looking a much better rider on borrowed equipment. The whole team tried very hard and Charlie Larwood and Carly Grimes both picked up key points by determination to keep the pressure on.

EAST LONDON B (95+9) 104 HETHERSETT B (64+13) 77

O.Buxton 19 Calvin Grimes 17 Carly Grimes 9 C.Larwood 7 M.Perkins 7 A.Grimes 5

Dave Martin rode in the Ireland team against Wales at Harford Park scoring 10 points (with one exclusion) in their 83-92 defeat. Earlier, Phil Adams (16) and Scott Grimes (11) had top-scored for an Ireland Select side that lost 72-108 to Young Wales.

The Hawks conclude their season with their traditional Maiden Plate and Best Pairs events on Sunday starting at 2 p.m.

December 7th

HETHERSETT HAWKS / SWINTON & CO took a squad of seven riders to Salford for the British Indoor Championships. This fast and exciting form of the sport is very competitive and an intense programme with 20 matches over two days. The best performances for the Hawks came from Ben and Tiffany Colins plus the Junior Team. Ben reached the U19 Final despite a plaster on his arm and finished 15th while Tiffnay scored 14 points to finish joint fifth in the Women's Championship. The team missed out on the final by just three points. The Open team had a difficult semi-final lining up against five other teams including four 2010 Premier League sides.

Full results -

U16 Individual Semi-Finals - S.Grimes 10 (11th) T.Collins 9 (13th) Calvin Grimes 6 (15th) Carly Grimes 6 (15th)

U19 Individual Final - B.Collins 7 (15th); Calvin Grimes, P.Adams and S.Grimes eliminated in qualifying heats

Open Individual Semi-Final - D.Martin 5 (16th)

Women's Individual Final - T.Collins 14 (5th) Carly Grimes 11 (10th)

Junior Team Semi-Final

BIRMINGHAM 41 POOLE 39 WEDNESFIELD 38 HETHERSETT 36

(S.Grimes 10 P.Adams 10 B.Collins 8 Calvin Grimes 8)

Open Team Semi-Final

HORSPATH 67 WEDNESFIELD 53 BIRMINGHAM 50 STOKE 46 SHEFFIELD 43 HETHERSETT 31

(D.Martin 11 P.Adams 8 B.Collins 6 S.Grimes 5 Calvin Grimes 1)