You wait fifteen years for a speedway team to return to Oxford, and then two come along at once. After the return of the Cheetahs last month, tonight sees the (home) debut of the Chargers – Oxford’s newest professional sports team. Of course, it’s not the first time Oxford have fielded a junior / amateur / development team, but it is of course a brand new ‘brand’. Previous teams have been tied to the senior side, either as the Cheetah Cubs or the Silver Machine Academy, but for the first time (we don’t talk about the Oxford Lions) the team is operating with its own standalone identity. Hopefully as a standalone team the Chargers will be a more permanent feature in the league than the previous “second” team, there the participation was decidedly patchy through the years.
Despite being a brand new team there are a few familiar faces. Jordan was here last week with the Bears, and Nathan has been riding with the Cheetahs while Josh has been on the sidelines (the only reason Nathan couldn’t sub in last week was because he’s riding here tonight, and that would have violated speedway’s ‘eight day’ rule). Finally we have Ben Hopwood, who is the only current Oxford rider – whether Chargers or Cheetahs – who is not in his first season with the team. Ben was a member of the Cheetahs side which finished second in the Conference league in 2007, so should be no stranger to us here in Sandy Lane.
Now we have a few meetings under our belt, hopefully you’re getting used to seeing us in the Supporters Club around the stadium selling our raffle tickets alongside the programmes. We try and make sure everyone has the chance to buy some tickets for the 50/50 draw, but if you’re reading this and you haven’t managed to buy your tickets you can either find our sellers in the stadium, or come and join us in what Richard Palmer used to call the “Supporters Club Suite” in the upper bar. We’ll be at the tables closest to the Tote windows by the Champs Bar.
So tonight the Chargers take on the Berwick Bullets. The teams have already faced each other this season, with Berwick winning 50-40 at their place last month in what was the first Oxford Speedway meeting in a decade and a half. We didn’t get the fairytale return to the shale in Berwick, so it only seems fitting we get our revenge tonight…
Go Chargers
Gav