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Spotlight on the Boston Barracudas

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News and reports round-up for 2008
See Result 2008 section (above) for latest match action details and fixtures in grid format
Monday May 12^th, 2008
Little to show from long haul trek The Boston ‘Staffsmart’ Barracudas returned from the long trip to Plymouth with very little to show for their efforts. The 60-32 Conference League scoreline didn’t show the efforts put in by the six riders present but that is the result now etched in the records for future reference. The Barracudas travelled with a depleted side for the fixture due to other rider commitments on the night and this added to a night of various problems and the story becomes clear. Darren Rolph picked up a second in heat one and was then leading his next race (heat five) when a chain snapped and left him at the back. The rest of the meeting saw him suffer with other mechanical gremlins severely hampering his scoring power although there was enough on show to demonstrate the ability he has still got in his arsenal. Captain Matt Wright and Darren Mallett both picked up paid six points although neither was happy with their performances and both of them would be looking to put the meeting firmly behind them on their long journeys home. Simon Lambert weighed in with 15 points including a double point second place in heat eleven when he took his rider replacement ride. Other than that ride he picked up three race wins and kept the score a little more respectable on the night. Adam Lowe put in another very creditable performance and his score of paid five could have been higher except for the fact he suffered from arm pump which restricted his number of rides in the meeting. Oliver Rayson suffered out of the start for most of the meeting but again it was pleasing to see him on the pace once he got going so more positive signs on view there. The Barracudas only had a couple of days before they were back on home shale for the Conference Trophy semi-final match against Buxton, a match they needed to pick up a healthy lead to take to the Hi-Edge Raceway on Sunday May 25 for the second leg. Darren Rolph took the place of the scheduled Jamie Smith who still wasn’t feeling 100 percent following a track crash just over a week ago and the home side started the meeting like the proverbial train and led by fifteen points after just six races. Lambert and Mallett got them off to a good start with a 4-2 in heat one and although Adam Lowe and Oliver Rayson collected a 5-0 in heat two youngster Rayson needed medical treatment after he hit the bike of fallen Gareth Isherwood. Joe Haines, back in the Cudas line up, scorched to wins in heats three and five to help the score along before the Lambert/Mallett partnership fired in another 4-2. The Buxton fight back began in the next race as Ben Taylor on a tactical ride and Adam McKinna flew from the tapes in heat seven to pull back points with an 8-1 advantage. The Buxton management then brought John Branney into heat eight as a tactical substitute to replace Lewis Dallaway and he finished second after passing Rayson on the second lap. Simon Lambert and Joe Haines went on to complete their maximums in a match Boston finally ran out winners by a 26-point margin and Adam Lowe collected a season’s best 13 in a match full of incidents. Oliver Rayson was withdrawn from the meeting as a result of clipping Danny Hodgson’s bike in heat eight after the Buxton rider had fallen; let’s hope he makes a speedy recovery. Boston’s next meeting is the Conference Trophy second leg a week on Sunday.
Monday May 5^th, 2008
Cudas poised for league match long haul The Boston ‘Staffsmart’ Barracudas return to track action on Friday (May 9) when they face the long haul to the St Boniface Arena, Plymouth, for a League fixture due to get under way at 7.30pm. The Barracudas will travel with a depleted side though with Joe Haines riding for parent club Workington at Scunthorpe and also Jamie Smith who rides for Reading at Edinburgh. It is hoped that this year’s fixture will have better luck on the weather front as last year one of the Barracudas, Darren Mallett, didn’t even make the fixture as he was stuck in floods en route and Adam Lowe took 24 hours to get home after the meeting! The Plymouth meeting will see the first appearance of the season for squad rider Darren Rolph who is eager to get on track again after a spell away from the sport. Co-promoter Mick Smith said: “Even though we are not at full strength for this match I know the riders will be giving it 100% on track. With three points now available for away wins it is vital that we pick up a couple of victories on the road and hopefully this can be the first after we came close at Scunthorpe.” Boston will line up as follows: 1 Mark Thompson (rider replacement), 2 Darren Rolph, 3 Matt Wright, 4 Simon Lambert, 5 Darren Mallett, 6 Adam Lowe, 7 Oliver Rayson. Sunday sees the Barracudas back on home shale for the first leg of the Premier Trophy semi-final against the Buxton Hitmen. Team manager Dale Allitt has the luxury of a full squad to choose from for this fixture and he said: “With having several riders also racing in the Premier League it was always going to mean that we were missing riders for certain meetings but that is why it is important to have good squad riders like we do have. However I am delighted that we can track our first choice team for this meeting as it will be vital to build up a good lead at home before we visit Buxton in two weeks time for the second leg.” Boston’s line up for this meeting will be: 1 Simon Lambert, 2 Darren Mallett, 3 Matt Wright, 4 Joe Haines, 5 Jamie Smith, 6 Adam Lowe, 7 Oliver Rayson. Fans are reminded that this fixture will begin at the new later start time of 7.00pm, which will be the case for all the Boston home meetings for the 2008 season. Also, a date for Boston fans’ diaries as the Plymouth home league fixture has been arranged for Friday August 1 meaning that the team will race three meetings in three days with two fixtures against Weymouth the same weekend.
Monday April 28^th, 2008
Riders keep busy despite lack of Cudas’ team action As we move into May, the Boston Barracudas remain very quiet on action as a team, the same cannot be said of their riders individually though. Many of the squad are also racing for Premier League teams to fill their racing calendars, which gives them plenty of track time. Captain Matt Wright rode for Mildenhall at Redcar last Thursday in the Premier League Knock out Cup. Mildenhall unfortunately lost the meeting but Matt won heat two and then picked up another point in heat eight to come away with a very creditable four points. Matt said: “It’s always good to get extra racing in and the Mildenhall ride was exactly that.” That wasn’t the end of his week’s action as on Friday he travelled the long distance to Weymouth to ride for Newport in a challenge fixture, this time being joined by Boston team-mate Darren Mallett. The Barracudas pair lined up at numbers three and four but they didn’t have the greatest of success while riding together as they conceded a 4-2 and two 5-1s. It was a different story when they rode without each other, Matt won heat 12 and Darren won heat 14! The British Under 21 final was also taking place on Friday night in Essex at the Lakeside track, a meeting which involved Joe Haines. He was one of eight riders making their debut in the final, Joe being the youngest competitor on the evening at just 16 years old. The little youngster from Bolton certainly didn’t let that fact stand in his way as he scored an impressive nine points from his five rides to finish in seventh place overall. He didn’t get off to the greatest of starts as he finished last in heat three although the riders that beat him (Lewis Bridger, Adam Roynon and William Lawson) all finished high up in the final standings. This result didn’t deter him either as he then went on to secure nine points from his last four rides including exceptional wins in heats five and 18, not bad for someone making their first appearance in the final. Saturday’s Premier Trophy clash at Mildenhall (versus King’s Lynn) again involved two Boston riders. Matt Wright completed a busy few days, this time guesting for Mildenhall at reserve while Simon Lambert was racing for King’s Lynn at the number two position after his impressive start to the campaign. Matt’s contribution of seven points to the Tigers score was a strong reason for their two point victory and it was also a good night for Simon picking up paid five from his new riding position. He said: “I was really pleased with my score. It is obviously harder riding in the top five but its progress and I want to keep going at that level. It was a great boost to my morale getting a paid win with Tomas in heat one and now I want to stay in that position for the rest of the season.” The Barracudas next fixture is away at Plymouth on Friday May 9.
Monday April 21^st, 2008
Rain wrecks plans for home league opener The ‘Staffsmart’ Barracudas had to postpone their first home Conference League fixture of the season last Sunday against Rye House due to a waterlogged track. The early decision was made at 12.30pm as the track was already in a poor state and with more rain forecast in the area there was no time to repair the damage done by the weather. Even at this early stage of the season Boston have a fixture backlog with a home tie against Plymouth to restage and now the Rye House match also. Talks are ongoing with the clubs concerned and the Norfolk Arena to find suitable replacement race nights and hopefully a decision can be reached in the next couple of weeks to pencil in some dates. Despite the rain off, several of the Barracudas squad have been keeping themselves busy on track. Simon Lambert hit a Premier League career best score of paid nine at Rye House in King’s Lynn’s recent Premier Trophy visit. Joe Haines has started to hit some form for parent club Workington, he hit paid nine from four rides at home to Glasgow last Saturday and this should give him the confidence he needs for Friday at Lakeside as he lines up in the final of the British U21 Championship. Jamie Smith, meanwhile, has been in action for Reading and Friday sees another two of the squad in action. Darren Mallett and Matt Wright face the long trip to Weymouth to ride for Newport in a challenge fixture. Team manager Dale Allitt said: “We were all very disappointed to call off last Sunday’s meeting against Rye House but its good to see that at least five of the squad have been keeping active and match fit. Oliver Rayson has competed in some grass track meetings although his reserve partner Adam Lowe has had cancellations at Birmingham due to weather issues. These activities augur well for our next competitive match, an away trip to Plymouth on Friday 9th May in the League. We don’t currently have a re-staging date for the fixture with Rye House but hopefully we can announce a date shortly. Our next home fixture will now be the Conference Trophy meeting first leg on Sunday 11th May where we face Buxton.” At the request of fans, Boston has been looking at the start times for their home meetings on Sunday’s at the Norfolk Arena. After deliberating over various options, the club have decided to move the start time by 30 minutes and home matches will now start at 7pm. The decision has been made for several reasons as Dale Allitt explains “We hope the new start time is a good compromise; the Norfolk Arena holds several different events at the stadium including training days and Southern Track Riders meetings and by moving the start time a little this gives us more time to work on the track and should also help any fans wishing to travel from Mildenhall to watch the meeting after their own fixture has finished and the meetings wont finish much later than they would have done originally.”
Tuesday April 8^th, 2008
Haines makes impact in championship event Boston “Staffsmart” Barracudas held a successful qualifying round of the British U21 Championship last week at the Norfolk Arena. It was an honour for the club to host such an event and a good night was had by all. There were 16 riders competing in the meeting and all were chasing one of the top three spots to gain progression to the next round. The Barracudas had four riders racing in the meeting and it’s fair to say they had differing fortunes on the night. On top of the rostrum at the end of the night’s racing was Joe Haines. He had tied on 14 points in the qualifying heats with Andrew Tully and as such was seeded straight to the final which he won as he was in the lead when the race was stopped as Tully and Charles Wright had fallen. He was joined on the winners’ podium by Sean Stoddart and Charles Wright. Simon Lambert, meanwhile, had a frustrating and expensive night. He won his first race and was then leading heat seven when bike problems forced him to stop. He changed bikes for the rest of the meeting but he just couldn’t do enough to qualify. Simon explained: “I had a great win in my first ride and then in my second ride I blew an engine big time. I changed to my second bike which was slow compared to the number one bike. I missed out on the semi final by one point but I will have a go for it next year.” The two Barracuda reserves were the club’s other representatives in the meeting. Adam Lowe continued where he left off at Scunthorpe and battled very hard for seven points on the night which was a good achievement while Oliver Rayson continued his steep learning curve and picked up two points from the number one race jacket despite still feeling under the weather. Meanwhile, tonight (Wednesday), the “Staffsmart” Barracudas begin their home fixtures with a challenge match against the Redcar Cubs. The Barracudas will be at full strength. Full team line ups are: Boston, 1 Simon Lambert, 2 Darren Mallett, 3 Matt Wright, 4 Joe Haines, 5 Jamie Smith, 6 Adam Lowe, 7 Oliver Rayson; Redcar, 1 Scott James, 2 Martin Emerson, 3 Jade Mudgway, 4 Gary Beaton, 5 Aaron Summers, 6 David Wallinger, 7 Guy Kendrew.
Monday March 31^st, 2008
Cudas swoop for another squad recruit The Boston ‘Staffsmart’ Barracudas have added another rider to their 2008 line up. Twenty-five-year-old Darren Rolph has joined the club after spending a few seasons away from competitive speedway. Darren hasn’t been idling during this time as he has been racing grass track and has also took part in a few practice sessions at King’s Lynn. He began riding speedway at the end of 2001 at Sittingbourne although prior to this he raced on the grass track scene and won the Eastern Centre Championship in his first year. A King’s Lynn asset, Darren is no stranger to the Boston operation. He rode 11 matches for them in 2003 and achieved over five-and-a-half points a meeting. The following season he again lined up for the club for the full campaign and averaged around eight points per match. Following the 2004 season and despite offers of team places Darren decided to take a break from the sport and hadn’t been tempted back since — until now, that is. Boston team manager Dale Allitt said: “I am delighted to have Darren on board at last. I tried really hard to sign him last season but to no avail although it is great to have his signature now, better late than never. He has a great racing style and the fans will get right behind him when he races for us. He has real potential still and at only 25 years old plenty of time to achieve good success.” Next Wednesday sees the Barracudas take to the track at the Norfolk Arena for a challenge fixture against Redcar which is sure to be an exciting meeting for the fans and a good opportunity for the riders to get more track time on their home circuit. Joe Haines will make his Boston debut. The full team in riding order will be: 1 Simon Lambert, 2 Darren Mallett, 3 Matt Wright, 4 Joe Haines, 5 Jamie Smith, 6 Adam Lowe, 7 Oliver Rayson. The fixture starts at 7.30pm.
Tuesday March 25^th, 2008
Season’s action gets under way Scunthorpe 46, Boston 43 (Conference League) Monday (March 24) saw the Boston ‘Staffsmart’ Barracudas begin their 2008 Conference League campaign at the Eddie Wright Raceway against Scunthorpe in what can only be described as a bitterly cold day, the match ending in a slender 46-43 defeat for the Cudas. All the Boston riders had been racing in some capacity recently — captain Matt Wright, Darren Mallet and Oliver Rayson have been practising hard while reserve Adam Lowe took to the track at the Birmingham press and practice day. Simon Lambert and Jamie Smith have also been involved in meetings for their parent clubs, which augured well for the away trip despite the fact that the club hasn’t held their official press and practice session yet as this is due to take place next Tuesday (April 1). The match was full of incidents and differing weather conditions and in the end the home side sneaked a 46-43 victory. The Barracudas fell behind to a Scunthorpe 5-1 in heat three and then the match swung both ways before Boston got a 5-1 of their own from Matt Wright and Simon Lambert to equal the scores after heat ten. Heat 13 was the pivotal race as both the visiting riders were trying really hard in tough conditions to get some points back when they both fell and were excluded. The winning race time in the re-run was some 10 seconds slower than Jamie Smith’s victory in heat six showing how tricky the conditions were at that point. Team manager Dale Allitt said: “This was clearly a match that held differing emotions for both teams with Malcolm (Vasey) leading the Saints for the first time against the Barracudas. I thought the team did really well to keep fighting back and we had a really great team spirit in the camp. I am disappointed with result but I saw enough today to say that after our press and practice session next Tuesday we will be a force to be reckoned with and I don’t think many teams will go to Scunthorpe and win this season so the result doesn’t put us at too much of a disadvantage at this stage of the campaign.” Of the riders, Dale commented: “Simon (Lambert) was outstanding and Jamie (Smith) showed just what a class act he is. His fall in heat 13 caused by the blizzard conditions ruled him out of racing in heat 15 as he had a lump on his leg the size of a tennis ball but he will be OK. Matt Wright laid his Scunthorpe ghost to bed as he raced to two wins on the day and Darren Mallett’s points total doesn’t do him justice for the effort he put in. Despite the fact that Mark Thompson hadn’t seen any competitive action for six months due to an injury sustained last season he progressed as the day went on which is another positive to draw from the meeting. Adam Lowe put in a good performance from reserve and teamed up with Simon for an important 5-1 in heat 14 while Oliver Rayson scored his first points for Boston in heat two.” Boston scorers: Mark Thompson 3+2; Darren Mallett 5; Matthew Wright 7; Simon Lambert 12+1; Jamie Smith 8; Adam Lowe 7+1; Oliver Rayson 1+1. Next for Boston is their official press and practice day on Tuesday before a home challenge fixture against Redcar on Wednesday, April 9 with a start time of 7.30pm.
Sunday March 16^th, 2008
Lambert gearing up for a busy campaign As the 2008 speedway campaign approaches, media sources caught up with Simon Lambert as he prepares for another season in the blue, white and red of the Boston ‘Staffsmart’ Barracudas. The 19-year-old embarks on another term with Boston and will also be riding full-time for King’s Lynn in the Premier League. Simon said: “My preparation for the new 2008 season is going well and I have a new Jawa bike ready to ride. My engines have all been tuned and I have had several practices in the last couple of weeks which have generally gone well.” Simon rode in an Amateur Open meeting at Scunthorpe and finished third overall. He raced to five wins and a second place to get into the final although, unfortunately, he missed the gate totally in that race to finish third. He has a very busy calendar for 2008 and with that comes lots of opportunity. Simon has set a few goals for the season. He said: “My aim for the 2008 season is to finish as one of the top three riders in the Conference League and to progress as far up the ladder as I can and to get in the British Under-21s team. I hope to score plenty of points for Boston and King’s Lynn all over the country.” It goes without saying that he wants plenty of success and also to remain free from injury. Good preparation is the key to achieving that success and Simon has certainly been working hard in that area and commented: “I have been working hard on my fitness with regular visits to the gym and the swimming pool. I have also purchased some good new equipment this year and have secured the services of good mechanics in Tony Louth and Wayne Dunworth to help me. I have a good strong family backing and cannot forget to mention a good manager (my dad). my mum and dad are 100 percent behind me and I really couldn’t do what I do without their help and support. “I am now a year older, stronger, wiser and have got over my injuries. I am looking forward to a rewarding and enjoyable season. I have attained some new sponsors this year and I can’t thank my sponsors enough for all the support and faith that they have in me. I can’t name them all as there are too many but they are all listed on my website. I really could not have the good equipment that I have without their help.” With riding full time in the Premier and Conference Leagues, Simon will be a very busy racer in 2008. He said: “We travel thousands of miles each year to different tracks. I tried my best last year to gain a full time place in the PL after guesting for 11 different teams – for and against King’s Lynn! I was very proud at the end of last season to be asked to ride in the Elite League for Belle Vue against Peterborough and I was very pleased with the paid six points I scored in the meeting. I have got the opportunity to ride a full season in the Premier League for King’s Lynn and I hope to have a good season and keep my team place. My aim in the Premier League is to try and get into the main part of the team at some point during the season. Simon had a good practice with the King’s Lynn team – all went to plan and he tried the different set-ups on the bike. Simon concluded by saying: “I realise 2008 is going to be a big year for me but I am well ready for the season to start and hope I can continue where I left off last year – on a roll and on a high. You can all follow my results and fixtures for the forthcoming season on my website at the www.simonlambertracing.co.uk address.”
Sunday March 9^th, 2008
Snags hit riders at Cudas’ practice session Thursday February 28 saw some of the Boston ‘Staffsmart’ Barracudas put through their paces at King’s Lynn in a closed-doors practice session. Joe Haines, Simon Lambert and Adam Lowe were all trying out equipment in preparation for the new season, which is now just three weeks away. The day didn’t go entirely according to plan for the riders, though, with various problems on the track. Haines lost a primary chain that ended his day prematurely while Lambert also had problems with his best engine. Reserve Lowe had a disaster of a day, blowing both his engines, which just brings home how expensive the sport can be. If anyone would like to help any of the Boston riders before the start of the season, however small, then please contact co-promoter Dale Allitt on 07970 666936 or email him at dale@bostonspeedway.net. Afterwards, Lowe said: “This just reminds you how expensive speedway is. I am preparing hard for the new season and this is a set back. It is an expensive sport for any rider but for a reserve in the Conference League it is doubly hard. The blow-ups leave me really struggling to be ready for the start of the season in just three weeks’ time. It will take over £1,000 to get the engines rebuilt and any help would be greatly appreciated. I can be contacted through the club’s www.bostonspeedway.net website or through any of the promoters at the club. This is a really big year for me and it is a huge disappointment so close to the get go.” The day did conclude successfully for the promoters, though, with a positive fans forum held at the Waggoner’s Rest where approximately 70 fans turned up. Matt Wright, Simon Lambert and Adam Lowe were in attendance along with the three promoters and all took questions from the floor during an enjoyable evening. The full team line up was announced and this was well received by the attendees. Stephen Lambert said: “I was very happy to be welcomed back to the club as co-chairman. It was a very pleasing turnout and I would like to thank the owner of the Waggoner’s Rest, Keith Reams, for his hospitality. It looks like I am going to have a good relationship with Mick and Dale and things are really looking up.” Further track action took place for some of the 2008 Barracudas at the Eddie Wright Raceway at Scunthorpe on Saturday March 1. Matt Wright, Simon Lambert and assistant team manager Wayne Dunworth all took part in the amateur open meeting. On a cold day it turned out to be a successful one for the Cudas’ contingent with two riders reaching the A-final. Lambert finished third overall with Wright just behind him in fourth place. Dunworth finished further down the order but had a solid day on track overall. Boston’s first fixture of the Conference League campaign takes place at Scunthorpe on March 24.
Saturday March 1^st, 2008
Cudas seeking final squad recruit The Boston ‘Staffsmart’ Barracudas’ search for their final squad member continued this week. Team manager Dale Allitt said: “We are continuing to look for the final grade two squad rider. This is an important decision, just as important as all the previous signings and so we won’t be rushed into filling the last spot. There are several possibilities and we will look over all options before deciding on the rider.” Meanwhile, the Cudas can also confirm that they have stepped in to replace Sittingbourne in the Conference Trophy after negotiations with league co-ordinator Peter Morrish. Boston have had confirmation of their semi-final ties where they will face the Buxton Hitmen over two legs starting with the first match at the Norfolk Arena on Sunday May with the return leg at Buxton on Sunday May 25. Turning to the Conference League KO Cup, Boston have been drawn against the Redcar Cubs in the competition for the second successive season. The first leg is due to take place at the Norfolk Arena on Sunday June 8 while the second leg is to be raced at Redcar on Saturday June 14. The club have also announced details of their opening fixture for the coming season. This will be a challenge fixture against the Redcar Cubs on Friday April 11 at 7.30pm. Team manager Allitt said: “I would like to thank promoter Glyn Taylor and team manager Jason Pipe for their help in arranging this fixture. It should give the boys of both teams a great run out and I am pleased with the outcome from the discussions.”
Tuesday February 19th, 2008
Forum chance for Cudas’ fans The Boston Staffsmart Barracudas have announced details of a fans forum to be held this month. The get together will be held at the Wagoners’ Rest in Algarkirk, Boston (at the Texaco roundabout A17) on Thursday February 28, starting at 7.30pm. This will be a great opportunity for speedway fans to question the promoters on any subject they wish: views for the coming season, plans for a possible new site back in Boston etc. Also in attendance will be some of the riders due to line up at the tapes in April for the new campaign and for those present to hear what their aspirations are for themselves and the Barracudas in 2008. The forum is also an important time for the club as the promoters look to the public to assist during meetings this season. Anyone wishing to be involved in the track staff side of things should also attend, anything from track rakers to flag marshals are required to run meetings during the Conference League campaign. The Cudas have also announced their press and practice day for Tuesday April 1 from 1.pm to 5.pm. Members of the public are invited to come along and see this year’s team continue to blow away the winter cobwebs at the official pre-season practice; this is free of charge and a great time to see the riders on track. The session is to be held the day before Boston hosts their British U21 qualifying round and so riders like Joe Haines and Simon Lambert will have plenty of track time to prepare for this important race meeting. Team manager Dale Allitt said: “It gives us and the fans an opportunity to put the 2008 Barracudas through their paces. I am also hopeful that we may be able to find another grade 2 rider for our squad for this season and with that in mind I have invited several riders that fit the bill and also a couple of grade three and four riders who could also fit in at reserve if required. I am very happy with our team and the way we have managed to build it and with the likes of Mark (Thompson) and James (Cockle) who can replace any member of our top five if need be. We have tried to cover every eventuality.” The first match of the new season will take place at the Norfolk Arena on Friday April 11 at 7.30pm. This will consist of a challenge fixture between the Boston Barracudas and a team yet to be named, further details will be available in the next couple of weeks.
Tuesday January 8th, 2008
Changes at helm as Vasey departs Boston Barracudas and their long-serving team manager Malcolm Vasey have parted company after a week-long series of discussions that have led to changes at the top level in the club’s promotion. The situation has been brought about primarily by a need to increase the Barracudas’ strength within the promotion with personnel based within the Boston/Spalding areas in order to maximise their local knowledge and contacts to improve the levels of local sponsorship so essential in keeping the club afloat. The whole matter has been sorted out very amicably and there is considerable sadness for all parties. Co-club promoter Dale Allitt said: “Malcolm has served this Club very well for eight seasons and we will miss him. He has been snapped up by Scunthorpe where he will manage their Conference League team, which speaks volumes for how he is seen throughout the sport particularly at Conference level. He is leaving with our very best wishes after eight seasons during which time he has created the proud record of never missing one single fixture and how many people could say that? When the Club seemed to be at the point of closure last winter, Malcolm was instrumental in ensuring that the possibility of continuing was kept open and with a new promotion we had our best year for a long time on track. He will be a hard act to follow and during the next few days we will finalise the arrangements to complete rebuilding the promotion and then make a further announcement when that has happened. All I can say is that Scunthorpe have acquired a very good manager for their Conference side and we wish them and Malcolm Vasey every success in the future.” Vasey said: “It’s always sad when you feel the time is right to move on but eight years is a long time and Boston now need to focus more strongly than ever in getting back into the Borough. That is a job for people with local knowledge and influence and from more than 100 miles away it is not practical for me to provide what I feel is needed now. There have been many great times and a million memories and I will still be watching the Barracudas at every opportunity but it is time for a change and I wish all at Boston, sponsors, promoters, riders, supporters, and the tireless staff many of whom are now personal friends, every success in the future. I am looking forward to my new challenge.”