Speedway

Twenty-nine years have passed since the teams last met and whilst the standard may have been junior level, it was just like old times, nip and tuck throughout with the final result hinging on the outcome of the final heat.

Jonathan Bethell raced to an impressive unbeaten 9pt maximum and late replacement for the injured Ashley Johnson, Paul Burnett, backed him up with a solid 7pts. The real heroes though were Scott Nettleship & Phil Downes. Nettleship was pointless after two rides and needed to gain at least a point from his third ride if the Bears were to go into the final heat on level terms. Burnett and Nettleship team rode to keep out Kings' Tom Hill. Downes recovered from a heavy fall in his first race when he was impeded by Tom Hill to score two vital third places in his next two rides.

The Bears made a slow start to the meeting, finding themselves 2pts behind after three heats but a 4-2 heat result from Burnett and Downes in Heat 4 levelled the scores. In the final heat Bears' Jonathan Bethell and Kings' Mike Pickering fought out the battle for the lead whilst the minor placings saw a real scrap develop between Phil Downes and Tom Hill. On this occasion it was the Bears who triumphed in front of a reasonable crowd who stayed behind to watch the junior match.

Bears 19: Jonathan Bethell 9, Paul Burnett 7, Phil Downes 2, Scott Nettleship 1.

Crewe 17: Mike Pickering 7, Carl Belfield 6, Charles Wright 3, Tom Hill 1.

The return match takes place at Buxton on Sunday, June 20 at 3pm.

The latest news on Ashley Johnson is that he will be out for the rest of the season having sustained ankle injuries. Everyone associated with the club is devastated as Ashley was beginning to gain in confidence with each ride. He was riding in the Conference League match between Newcastle Gems and Wimbledon Dons at Brough Park on Sunday when he caught Dons' Andre Cross back wheel and catapulted both into the pits fencing, with Ashley himself ending up on the greyhound track. He was immediatley rushed to Newcastle General Hospital. The ankle is broken in four places; two in the fibula and two in the tibia. He also has a fractured heel and will be unable to walk unaided for at least three months.

The Bears make a quick return to Hull with a rearranged fixture against the Hull Angels at Craven Park next Wednesday, June 16 at 9pm. Exeter Falcons are the visitors in the main meeting.

Reigning 350cc British Grasstrack Champion Paul Cooper has asked to be considered for team selection when the Bears race down at Oxford on Friday 25. Cooper has ambitions to make his name in grasstrack and longtrack racing in Europe and so has shelved plans to race speedway full time.