Latest OSSC News
- Success Stories: Chargers vs Comets
Back in May I had somewhat of an existential crisis
If you read my column regularly (and if you don’t, I don’t blame you), you might remember that in preparation for the Coronation weekend Knuckles Peasley made me write the column so far in advance that I ended up questioning the very meaning of space and time. I’m going through the reverse at the moment, because by the time the Kent and Scunthorpe fixtures take place the columns I wrote will be (or indeed, already are) weeks old, meaning the things I’ve written we’ll be doing “this week” (that week?) will happen neither that week, nor have happened the original week we’d planned. All I ask is that when those meetings eventually do happen, you’ll take my words as a snapshot of a more innocent time, and try not to get yourself as confused as I am.
But on to this week (and I do hope it’s this week), we have a lot of loose ends to tie up. In the lost columns I was plugging the collections for Jordan and Rory Schlein after their crash when Glasgow came to town. We’ve now concluded the collection, and thanks to your donations we’ve raised a grand total of £450 for each of them. We handed Jordan’s cash over last week, and we’re going to get Rory’s to him up at Berwick as he’s not due back to Oxford this year. Both riders are over the moon with the support you’ve shown, and it’s a credit to the club how generous you the fans are.
Another thing I’ve excitedly teased in the columns even fewer of you have read than normal is the first monthly donations from OSSC funds to the Chargers riders. This is something we’ve intended to do at both attempts at the Kent match, but we know how well that’s gone so we haven’t been able to. Tonight (fingers crossed) we’ll be giving out £200 for each of the July and August donations to two separate riders, so keep your ears out for who the lucky riders are this month (and last month). We’ll be giving out donations in September and October as well, and if your support for the Raceday Jackpot remains high – and I have no reason to suspect it won’t – we’ll continue into next year, too.
Finally, after all sorts of design, ordering, manufacturing, and logistical delays, we’ve finally taken delivery of the first batch of Oxford Speedway programme boards. The original plan was to have them last week – I think if one more person accosted poor Drew Kemp in the pits demanding to know where they were he’d have cried – but they’re available in the track shop tonight. So if you want to be among the first to get your hands on one (Clerk of the Course Geoff Barber was stood next to us when we opened the box at Poole and he announced he was going to be customer number one, and who are we to argue), come and see us upstairs.
So three weeks after the last time we successfully held a speedway meeting here at Sandy Lane, the Workington Comets come to town. It’s a fixture few would have thought possible a few years ago, but here we are, and with a 12 point lead from the first leg it should be pretty straightforward to claim the bonus point tonight and bounce back to the top of the National League. Speaking of bonus points, the Cheetahs are yet to drop one in the Championship after a nailbiter at Poole last week. The meeting on the night was out of reach after a disastrous run in the second quarter of the meeting, but sometimes you have to win ugly, and 91-89 gets you bonus points. And on cold Wednesday nights in October, it also wins you league titles.
But I’m getting ahead of myself. Tonight we have to concentrate on two things. The Comets, and getting a tenner out of Geoff for his programme board. I wonder which one will be more straightforward?
Go Chargers
- New Things Coming: Chargers vs Royals
What a meeting we had here last week
When the chequered flag flew for heat 15 the final score showed another healthy win for the Cheetahs, but that doesn’t tell half the story. Once again the racing felt closer than the final score suggested, but we were treated to what’s becoming this year’s Cheetahs signature move of three heat advantages to close the meeting out. It was certainly a slog to get there, as Jordan, Rory Schlein and the trackstaff who had to rebuild the fence on turn four after an exuberant start to heat five would agree. It must be something about having BSN in town that causes it; the last time they were here Lewi attempted to clear the fence in turn four. Maybe next time BSN are here Pete can start the meeting with R/R at 3 instead of having it forced upon us during the match.
Last week we had one of our highest prize funds in the Raceday Jackpot all year – thanks to your support we were able to give out £250 in prizes. There were times before the team closed in ’07 that we were doing 50/50 draws for Elite League meetings with a prize of £60, so it really shows how well the team has been supported over the last 18 months. Every week it seems the prize fund climbs, and that is simply down to you guys buying more tickets, and the more tickets you buy the more we’re able to do for the riders and the club.
So far we’ve donated over £1,700 to the riders, either because they’ve missed time due to injury or because they’ve needed help with their equipment. Every week we sponsor the Rider of the Night prizes, and we’ve donated a couple of batches of Richard Palmer’s favourite noisemakers for Nobby to distribute on the terraces (and he’ll have more this week!), but tonight we’re starting another new initiative to support the Chargers. Starting tonight, every month we’ll be making a cash donation to one of the Chargers to help with their running costs, so listen out for the interval to hear who’s going to be the first lucky recipient of the first donation (we’re still workshopping a snazzy name). So keep buying your Raceday Jackpot tickets, it supports the riders and fans in all sorts of ways.
I can also exclusively announce there will be a few extra items in the track shop in the coming weeks. You’ve asked (repeatedly) and after a short delay that Rob and I have agreed is down to the wrong kind of snow, there will be Oxford Speedway programme boards available at the track shops within the next few weeks. They’ll be B5 size to suit our oversize programmes, and look pretty cool if I do say so myself, so keep an eye out because they’re sure to be a hit on the terraces. We’ve also ordered another bit of merch that you’ve all been asking for, but the lead time is a bit longer so I’ll keep you in suspense for another week or so…
Tonight the Chargers are back in town for their first meeting since early June. Of course, Jordan, Henry and Ryan, fill their evenings by riding for the Cheetahs, but I know the rest of guys have been keeping themselves busy, most notably Jody who’s made his Cheetahs debut and ridden in both the British Under 21 final and the abandoned Under 19 final since he was here last with the Chargers. Tonight him and the rest of the team will be looking to move back to the top of the table. Will we see another Cowley Special ending? Time will tell, let’s just go easy on the fence in turn 4, guys…
- Something’s gotta give: Cheetahs vs Tigers
Last week was a big week for us in the Supporters Club as we tried a couple of new things.
Firstly, we rolled out our new raffle tickets, and feedback was broadly positive. As I said in last week’s column, the prices and your odds of winning a prize remain the same (actually, due to complicated maths reasons, your odds of winning the top prize are exactly the same, but your odds of winning the centregreen trip are actually better with the new tickets), but it means much less work for us on racenights and removes the ambiguity over what colour tickets get pulled out. Now you just need to listen to the winning numbers and see what you’ve got. Of course, as always, if you can’t hear the draw or you miss it, we post the results on Facebook and Twitter as soon as we can, and any unclaimed prizes get announced here the following weeks, so we try and give everyone the opportunity to claim their rightful winnings.
Secondly, Nobby the mascot was handing out free air horns on our behalf to those of you who were lucky enough to track him down. I can’t remember the Supporters Club giving out freebies before, but we’ve been looking at interesting ways of reinvesting the money we raise on racenights, and we decided to give something back directly to the fans. I’m pleased to say / sorry to let you know (delete as appropriate) that Nobby didn’t give them all out last week, so if you’re in early, make your way round to the pits and claim your horn if he’s still got a couple left. If you get there too late and he’s given them all away, there’s a good chance (roughly 100%) that he will have more next week.
Last week we were once again collecting for an absent rider, his time the all-action, but slightly unlucky, Lewi Kerr. Lewi’s probably on the sidelines again tonight while his shoulder recovers (remember, I wrote this last Thursday), but when he’s back in town we’ll be presenting him with £200 proceeds from the Raceday Jackpot. We’ve donated over £1,700 to the riders so far this year, and it’s all thanks to your continued support through buying raffle tickets. It really does make a difference to the guys when they’re off the bike for a bit.
The coach to Cardiff for the British SGP is rapidly filling up, so if you’re interested in coming with us for the biggest meeting of the year that doesn’t happen at Sandy Lane, come and get your name on the list. A seat costs £20 for OSSC members, or £25 for non-members. OSSC membership costs £10 for the season, and includes the famous OSSC membership pack. If you’re coming to Cardiff, the OSSC discount means you’re effectively getting the membership pack for £5, and if you fancy coming to a couple of the SGP BBQs, your membership pack gets even cheaper. In fact, if you join the OSSC, then come to Cardiff, and come to the remaining SGP BBQs, you effectively get an exclusive OSSC shopping bag and stainless steel travel mug for free, and who doesn’t like free stuff? Come and see us in the Champs Bar and we’ll sign you up.
Tonight the unbeaten Cheetahs take on the unbeaten Tigers, so something has got to give. Both teams (Rob assures me) have pretty much already qualified for the playoffs, but are chasing the top seed and supposedly easier route to the playoff final. For fear of tempting the wrath of the whatever from high atop the thing I won’t make any predictions, or comment on our recent home form, but we know what this team is capable of, and what they need to do tonight. Whatever happens, I’m sure we’re in for a cracking meeting. Fingers crossed the good guys come out on top.
- Boarder Force: Cheetahs vs Bandits
Good evening, winners
It seems like it’s been a quiet week or so in both the Championship and the NDL, but that just means we’ve been able to enjoy the sight of both the Cheetahs and the Chargers top of their respective leagues. It really does show how far we’ve come. It was two years ago next week the first working party of volunteers descended on a derelict stadium to try and dig the fourth bend terracing out from under a veritable jungle. Twenty four months later and not only do we have speedway back, we have two teams, both sitting top of their respective leagues. Feels good to be back, doesn’t it?
Last week we had another great night on the Raceday Jackpot. Thanks to your support we were able to give out a total of £250 in cash prizes, plus the centregreen trip, and a ticket to the SGP BBQ. It’s thanks to your support week in and week out that we’re able to not only offer great prizes, but also donate so much to the riders. Last week we raised £250 for Jordan Jenkins, and we’ll be presenting him with his cash here tonight. We also have a £100 unclaimed raffle prize from the Mildnehall fixture, and we’ll be donating that to Ryan Kinsley. Those two donations will bring the total we’ve been able to donate to riders this year to over £1,500, which is an incredible amount, and it’s all thanks to your ongoing support. So dig deep when you see us, the money really does go to a good cause.
Spaces are filling up on the OSSC coach to Cardiff for the British Grand Prix, so if you’re thinking about coming along make sure you book up soon. Deposit is £10 cash and we’re aiming for a total of £25 per person for the trip, leaving the stadium Saturday morning and arriving back early Sunday morning. I seem to say this every week, but it probably is the cheapest and least stressful way of getting to Cardiff for the big day. If you’re already an OSSC member, you also get £5 off the price, so it’s even cheaper.
If you’re not an OSSC member, there’s still time to sign up for the year. Membership costs £10, and gets you discounts on the OSSC coach and the SGP BBQs for the rest of the year. It also gets you a membership pack which includes the exclusive members-only reuseable tote bag and engraved steel OSSC travel mug, plus an OSSC ballpoint pen. This year’s merch really is top quality and fantastic value for money, and if you take advantage of the membership discounts, your membership pack actually pays for itself…
Tonight the Berwick Bandits have made the long trip down to try and kickstart their season. The match at Berwick was one of the nine (or ten, depending on how the Scunthorpe match went) wins we recorded in June, and that was without Lewi who crashed in his opening ride. Without wishing to tempt the wrath of the whatever from high atop the thing, the Cheetahs must be fancied to pick up the bonus point here tonight to extend their lead at the top of the table. Let’s hope it’s the start of another great month.
Go Cheetahs
- Don’t be controversial: Cheetahs vs Pirates
Welcome home, winners.
After last week’s decisive victory – and bonus point – over the Brummies, the Mighty Cheetahs sit atop the league, at least at time of writing. I wasn’t here last week (it was daddy and daughter night at Guides, so I was learning how to make stretchers out of duct tape. No, really), but it seems the trackstaff performed a minor miracle saving the track, which had been prepped for more sun than we had and was not particularly conducive to good racing at the start of the meeting. However, some diligent tractoring meant that the track bedded in, and the racing improved as the night wore on. It also says much that six out of seven riders in our “top heavy” team scored at least eight points on the night. No wonder a couple of the riders have been spotted smiling in the pits recently.
We had yet more great support for the Raceday Jackpot last week, which allowed us to give out £200 in prizes, instead of the usual £175. We always try and bump the prizes up if we can, and if we get the same level of support this week we’ll be offering up the same bumper prizes. Don’t forget, as well as cash, we also offer the centregreen experience trip as a prize, and this week we’ll be giving away another ticket to this weekend’s Speedway Grand Prix at the Ampleforth in Risinghurst. This is the same day as the Chargers trip to Workington, and I saw online this week that Workington are going to be showing the SGP after their meeting. On big screens. With barbecues. They do say imitation is highest form of flattery. Seriously, though, it looks like any of you taking the trip to Cumbria will be well catered for, but for anyone south of Stoke, the Ampleforth is probably more convenient for Grands Prix in the future.
OSSC members get a discount at the (Oxford) SGP BBQs, as well as the coach to Cardiff. If you haven’t already joined up, we still have some OSSC membership packs available. Membership this year is £10, and your pack includes a membership card and ballpoint pen, plus an OSSC tote bag and the exclusive for 2023 engraved steel travel mug. You also get a £5 discount on the coach to Cardiff, and a £1 discount on the five remaining SGP BBQs this year. If you’re good at maths (and you should be, you’re a speedway fan), you’ll notice that the discounts we’re offering neatly offset the price of the membership, so if you join up tonight, then sign up for the coach and come to the remaining barbecues of the season, you effectively get your membership pack for free…
So onto tonight, and our visitors. I must admit I was excited when I looked at the fixture list and saw who was coming to town tonight, not least because I made so many new friends online the last time we were down on the coast. I will say this here, before the meeting starts, Poole are without doubt a quality side, that we’ll have a tough time tonight, and there’s every chance that when the dust settles (ahem) at the end of the year one leg of the playoff finals this year will be at Wimbourne Road. Tonight, though, we’re at Sandy Lane, and it’s a very different type of track. Sometimes here in Oxford the riders change order as the race goes on, and often one rider who was in front on the first lap will be behind when the race finishes. This might be confusing for the travelling fans, but I can assure you, it’s all perfectly legal. You never know, you might even enjoy it.
Go Cheetahs
- Numbers Game: Cheetahs vs Brummies
It might not feel like it, but we’re nearly halfway through the season, and it’s inspired me to get my numbers hat out.
I know normally I leave the sums to Rob (if any of you have seen me trying to fill in a programme you’ll know why), but I’ve been looking at the teams overall, rather than individual riders. So far this year, the Cheetahs and Chargers have come to the tapes 17 times, and come away victorious 12 times. So far this year, our average margin of victory at home is 12 points – an average score of 51:39. Even taking into account our away results, our average overall result is 48:42, a six point win. The numbers back up what our eyes have been telling us; we’re lucky enough to have two very strong teams to watch this year. Of course, you can prove anything with statistics. If you disregard some outlying results, the statistics show that this year Oxford teams have won 11 out of 13 matches, with an average score (irrespective of whether we’re home or away) of 51:39. That’s mid-eighties level of dominance, and it will be interesting to see if we can maintain those results as the season progresses. The question is, what outliers did I remove, and what happens if you consider the outliers on their own? See if you can work it out, and I’ll tell you at the end of the column…
As I’m sure you’re aware by now, last week we donated the proceeds from the Raceday Jackpot to our mascot Chloe Davis, who had a mishap at Scunthorpe a few weeks ago, thanks to your generosity, and a few extra donations from the crowd, we were able to present Chloe with over £200 towards the cost of a new helmet and straightening out her front forks. That takes the money we’ve been able to donate to the riders to well over £1,000 this year, and it’s all thanks to you for buying your Raceday Jackpot tickets every week. So dig deep and take part, it’s for a good cause, and there’s a chance you could win a cash prize or a trip to the centregreen. Speaking of cash prizes, last week’s top prize was unclaimed. So if you’ve got brown ticket 261 tucked somewhere safe, come and bring it to us because it’s worth £100.
The OSSC coach to Cardiff is filling up, so if you want to reserve your space on the easiest and cheapest way to get to Cardiff, come and see us or email us at info@ossc.me.uk. Last year we were able to offer the trip for £25 a seat, which is significantly cheaper than any other way of getting to Cardiff. We leave the stadium Saturday morning and usually (traffic permitting) arrive home in the small hours of Sunday. This year’s event is the 2nd of September, so come and book your space early to avoid disappointment.
This week we have what passes for a local derby nowadays. The Brummies are our nearest league neighbours, being a mere 82 miles away. They’ve had a pretty torrid season up to this point, but that doesn’t mean they’ll be a pushover here tonight. That said, here’s to another 12 point win. After all, it’s statistically likely…
Go Cheetahs
Gav
The answer to your homework: Oxford have won 11 of 13 by a score of 51:39 when facing teams that aren’t, of course, from Poole. When facing the boys with the blue line our record this year is less impressive; one win from four, with an average score 40:50. There’s still the chance to improve that with the home and away league fixtures, though. I must remember to be as magnanimous in victory as they are…
- Top of the Table: Chargers vs Fen Tigers
As I alluded to in last week’s programme, I’m a creature of habit when it comes to writing my programme notes.
This means it’s Thursday night again and I’m watching the clock click down, hoping I can get these words finished before I either fall asleep on the keyboard or Rob is on the phone threatening to send the lads round because I’m holding up the programme going to press again. Actually, Rob’s far more likely to just write the column for me and tell me he’s done it; I’ve lost count of the times he’s called me to say that he’s ghost written another comment from me for the Oxford Mail or Speedway Star.
Normally at this point I say a bit about the previous week’s fixtures, but after the beating the OSSC Twitter notifications took on Wednesday night after I suggested the match was less than stellar, I don’t think I’ll bother. All I’ll say is that at least we get to concentrate on the league now, and it appears Poole fans are very protective of their racetrack with the pretty blue bits. Unfortunately due to the way time only flows forwards I can’t comment on the Chargers’ Northern Tour at the weekend, but I promise when the time comes I’ll try not to cause any problems or upset any of the locals.
By the time you read this, we’ll be halfway between SGP BBQs at the Ampleforth in Risinghurst. After what I can only assume was another great night last Saturday (remember, for me it’s Thursday at the moment), we’ll be there again (with our long suffering families) this weekend slinging the sausages while the Grand Prix is on the big screen in the bar. There aren’t many places you can get a two course dinner for £10 nowadays (or £9, if you’re an OSSC member), but that’s what we offer. Just make sure you get in the desert queue before two-puddings Peasley.
Of course, an even cheaper way to get dinner on Saturday night it to win it in the Raceday Jackpot. As well as a ticket to the barbecue, we’re also offering our traditional cash prizes – at least a top prize of £100 – and a trip to the centregreen for heats 14 and 15. Tickets, as always, cost £2 for three strips, which is fifteen chances to win a prize. All of last weeks prizes were claimed in pretty short order, but if you don’t hear me do the draw the winning tickets are always posted on our social media more or less immediately, so be sure to follow on Twitter and Facebook; come for the draw results, stay for the dubious attempts at humour and programme mistakes.
After the Cheetahs disappointment last week, it’s the Chargers turn in town again tonight. After a close first leg at Mildenhall a few weeks ago, both teams will be hoping for the aggregate point tonight, so here’s to some close racing on a well prepared track that allows the riders to show what they can do and not just follow each other for four laps. Sorry, I said I wasn’t going to mention the meeting at Poole, didn’t I…?
Go Chargers
- Back to the Future: Cheetahs vs Pirates
Off-racenights and bank holidays have disrupted my rhythm this week.
Normally, I sit down to pen these words on a Thursday, with the previous night’s decisive victory (or agonizing defeat) fresh in the mind. That is unless I forget, and I get a panicked message from Rob the programme editor on Friday and I have to pretend I’ve forgot to send it again, and crash out in a hurry. Either way, I can say a few words about the what happened the previous night, tell you all if there were any unclaimed raffle prizes, maybe plug a barbecue, remind you to variously buy raffle tickets, join the Supporters Club, and book seats on the coach to Cardiff, before saying a few rousing words about tonight’s meeting and declare with blind faith we’ll win tonight, as if there was any doubt.
However, because of the Bank Holiday weekend and the fact we’re riding on a Tuesday this week, I’m actually writing this on Sunday, 21st of May. Yesterday’s Bank Holiday is a week tomorrow, and tonight’s meeting won’t happen for another nine days. In fact, I only wrote last week’s programme notes (for the Chargers vs Colts meeting) the day before yesterday (sorry Rob, late again). If you think this is confusing, spare a thought for poor Rob, who had to explain this to me last Wednesday (which is actually a fortnight ago now) without the use of diagrams or finger puppets.
So I can’t say how well (or otherwise) the Colts meeting went. I can’t say if we were gracious in victory, or if we were robbed at the last minute. I can’t say if all of the raffle prizes got claimed, and I can’t tell you how well we did collecting for Jordan last week (in three days time). However, I can return to type and say we’ll be doing the Raceday Jackpot again tonight, with cash prizes, a centregreen experience trip and a ticket to the SGP BBQ this weekend (at least, it’ll be this weekend by the time you read this).
We’ve had some new faces at the SGP BBQs this year, making the most of their OSSC memberships (still available in the Champs Bar), but you don’t have to be a member to come along and join the fun. Entry is only £10 for adults, and I defy anyone else to match us for quality and quantity at that price. Get yourselves to the Ampleforth from 17:30 on Saturday and you’ll be fed before the tapes go up. Come once and you’ll turn into a regular without realizing it.
One thing that’s far enough away not to confuse me is the British SGP at Cardiff, which early deadlines won’t affect and remains on 2nd September. We’re running our coach again this year, and if you want to get to the Principality with the minimum of stress and fuss, come and book some seats with us. We’ll be aiming to arrive in Cardiff for lunch, and we normally arrive in Oxford just after midnight. If you want to join us, come and see us in the Champs Bar and get your name on the list, and maybe pick up a membership pack while you’re at it.
So onto tonight (or what will be tonight in a week and a bit). Our old friends the Pirates are back in town, this time in the Knockout Cup. We don’t need reminding how the first pair of fixtures against the Pirates went this year, but I have a feeling this week’s fixtures (by which I mean next week’s fixtures) will be closer now the Cheetah are finding their form. I would say more, but I’m sure Rob will be on the phone any minute, so I’ll sign off the usual way and go for a lie down in a darkened room for a bit.
Go Cheetahs
- Not an NFL Game: Chargers vs Colts
It feels like my programme notes are easier to write this year
Last years columns (available for you to read at www.ossc.me.uk) all seemed to be a variation of “wasn’t it a good meeting last week, and isn’t it a shame that the opposition scored more points than we did”. So far this year (apart from the season opener against Poole) the home team have soundly beaten whatever opposition has been placed in front of us, and appeared to make it look easy in doing so. Last week the Cheetahs knocked in another 20 point win, with two maximums and everyone – even Ryan, who was unemployed ten days before – being paid for double figures. Of course, Plymouth were hampered by injuries, but if the team can keep scoring the way they are, it l looks like it could be a vintage year for the Cheetahs.
Unfortunately, last time out for the Chargers Luke managed to do himself another mischief and faces a period on the sidelines. Last reports were of a broken trapezium (the bone at the base of his thumb), and he wants to be fully fit before getting back in the saddle. I’m sure we can all understand this, as we’ve seen many riders rush back into the saddle and aggravate injuries or worse. As we’ve done with other riders this year, we donated the proceeds from last week’s Raceday Jackpot to Luke, which totalled £175, and we were also able to hand over the collection for Lewi Kerr, which came in just over £200. This week we’ll be collecting for Jordan, after the concussion that kept him out of the meeting at Belle Vue, and presenting Jody Scott with £150 in unclaimed Raceday Jackpot prizes to go towards replacing the engine he blew in the same meeting. The riders really are grateful for your continued support, so keep buying your Raceday Jackpot tickets to support the team, and maybe win £100 while you’re at it.
Summer’s getting closer, and so is the SGP at Cardiff. As always, we’ll be running a coach from the stadium to Cardiff for the meeting, so to secure your place come and see us or email info@ossc.me.uk. Prices this year are likely to be around £25 for non OSSC members, so it really is a very cheap way to get to Cardiff – you won’t get there cheaper by car or train. OSSC members will get a discount on travel, as well as other OSSC events throughout the year, and the exclusive OSSC merchandise in our membership pack, so if you want to join up and haven’t yet, come and see us by the rack shop and join up.
Tonight, then, the Belle Vue Colts are in town. Last year the Colts took us to a last heat decider, before Jordan and Henry secured the win with a 5-1 in heat 15. Hopefully tonight we can put the meeting away a bit sooner, and maybe even get a little revenge for the mauling we took with a depleted team a couple of weeks ago in Manchester.
Go Chargers
- Challenging the Champions: Chargers vs Lion Cubs
I’ve said it before, but this years Cheetahs look very different to last years.
Last week the Redcar Bears came to town, who are fancied to be one of the stronger teams in the league. Not only did the Cheetahs win, they won by 14 points. Last year’s biggest league win was only 10 points, so we’ve eclipsed that in week one. A few times last year the Cheetahs were able to pull out a moderate lead in the early part of the meeting, only for the opposition to work their way into the meeting in the second half, sometimes snatching a win in the last heats. Last week was almost the opposite, with the Cheetahs pinging three 5-1s in the last six heats, including a critical one in heat 14 from Jordan and Henry. Maybe the team’s long tail that some people commented on over the closed season is actually quite short…
I said in last week’s programme that the Raceday Jackpot proceeds would be donated to The Amazing Flying Lewi Kerr after his acrobatics here a fortnight ago, and we were able to raise over £200, which we’ll be presenting to Lewi the next time he’s here with the Cheetahs. We actually have a few Raceday Jackpot prizes left over, so if you have orange ticket 202 or 160 from the Edinburgh fixture, or pink 714 from last week, come and see us and we’ll give you your winnings. Don’t forget your tickets for this week – £2 gets you 15 chances to win £100, or a trip to the centregreen, or maybe a ticket to this weekend’s SGP BBQ.
A fortnight ago we had a great turnout at the SGP BBQ at the Ampleforth with a few new faces, so if you’ve never been, swing past and enjoy the meeting with us. Entry is £10 for adults and £5 for children for all you can eat from the barbecue, plus sides and desert afterwards. There’s also sweepstakes, cash bingo and our world famous (we had some Australians in a few years ago) Find the Cheetah game. It’s cheaper than a takeaway, and you don’t have to do the washing up afterwards. OSSC members get a discount on the entry, so if you’ve already joined up you should make the most of your membership.
Of course, if you haven’t joined the OSSC yet, membership only costs £10 for the year, and in addition to discounts at all the SGP BBQs, you get a discounted rate on the coach to Cardiff AND a membership pack including a member exclusive OSSC tote bag and engraved steel travel mug, plus an OSSC pen to fill in your programme. Come and see us in the Champs Bar and we’ll take your details and hand over your membership pack.
Tonight sees the Chargers taking to the track for the first time this year. There’s a lot of familiar faces in the team this year, with five of them returning from last year. Of course, three of them rode here last week for the Cheetahs in the championship, and got paid for 21 points between them. Tonight they square off against the reigning NDL champions, and the side that knocked us out of the playoffs last year. Feels almost like there are a few scores to settle…
Go Chargers
Gavin
- The League Starts Here – Cheetahs vs Bears
Last week we announced during the meeting that the proceeds of the Raceday Jackpot were going to be donated to unlucky Nathan Stoneman.
Thanks to your support were able to present Nathan with £175 on the night to help him while he recovers. Unfortunately, during the meeting another Cheetah took a knock, when Lewi Kerr mistook the air fence on the fourth bend for a trampoline park. Those of you who weren’t here have likely seen the video of poor Lewi ten feet in the air, and we can all agree the air fence did an outstanding job of making sure he was able to walk back to the pits unassisted, even if he did have his bell rung a bit. This week we’ll be donating the Raceday Jackpot takings to Lewi to go towards freshening up his equipment after the big impact, so dig deep and come and see us at the main gate, or upstairs in the Champs Bar, to be part of the draw. Prices remain at £2 for three strips – that’s 15 chances to win – and there’s a £100 top prize, at least one other cash prize, and a trip to the centregreen up for grabs.
Speaking of last week’s draw, we still have two unclaimed prizes. So if you’ve found orange tickets 202 or 160 in your clipboard, coat or wallet come and bring them to us and we’ll reunite you with your prizes. Orange 202 is worth £100, and orange 160 is worth £50, so it’s well worth you having another look. If you can’t hear us announce the results on the night, come and see us in the bar and we’ll fill you in. We also put pictures of the tickets on the OSSC socials (“Oxford Speedway Supporters” on Facebook, and @OSSCTweets on Twitter) every week, and also on the OSSC website at www.OSSC.me.uk. If any prizes ae unclaimed at the end of the night I’ll also include them in the programme notes for the following weeks, just like this.
Last week also saw us set up at the Ampleforth in Risinghurst for the year’s first OSSC SGP BBQ (you wouldn’t want that as a scrabble hand, would you?). At the time of writing I can’t say what happened in the meeting, but I’d like to think everyone that came along had a good time and enjoyed themselves. We’ll have put some pictures from the afternoon on the Supporters Club socials and the website, so check them out and feel free to drop by on 13th May for the next round. I make no guarantees about the quality of the racing but I we do our best to ensure everyone leaves well fed.
The only SGP we won’t be running a barbecue for this year is the British SGP in Cardiff, and that’s because we’ll be there in person. We’ll be once again running a coach, leaving Sandy Lane in time to get to Cardiff for lunch, and then returning after the grand prix has concluded. While we can’t confirm the cost per seat at the moment, last year we were able to charge only £25 per adult, which was by far the cheapest way to get to Cardiff. If you’re considering going to the grand prix, come and see us and get your name on our list, it really is the easiest way to start and end your day.
And so on to tonight, for our first Championship fixture of the year. For the last two weeks we’ve seen (near) 20 point victories for the good guys here at Sandy Lane. Here’s hoping we can continue the run and kick off the league in style against the Bears.
- First Barbecue of the Year
Our first SGP barbecue of the year took place on Saturday, 29th April for the Croatian GP. Locally-sourced produce on the grill and live speedway on the TV. Here’s a few photos of the night:
Our home for the night – The Ampleforth 
Preparations underway for the first game of Find the Cheetah of 2023 
Burgers on the grill 
Three of the four types of sausages 
The secret recipe chicken is almost ready 
Our famous homemade barbecue sauce just being finished We’re back at The Ampleforth for the Warsaw GP on 13th of May. Come and join us!
- The Magic of the Cup: Cheetahs vs Monarchs
Is there a better way to start the season than hanging 55 points on the Robins?
Admittedly, last week was a challenge against a “select” side, but it was real enough for both sets of fans on the terraces. As always, the racing was closer than the score suggested, with passing throughout the night and a couple of last-gasp runs to the line. Who could have predicted, though, that when the match finished Jason Doyle, Chris Harris and Adam Ellis would have only won one heat between them? Or that the rest of the Robins would only muster another three wins? After a rough couple of meetings against the Pirates, it feels like the team are finding their feet.
On to tonight, then. As always, we’ll be selling Raceday Jackpot tickets on the gate and in the Champs Bar. Prices remain the same, at £2 for three strips – that’s 15 chances to win a prize. Last week, because the support for the raceday Jackpot was so good, we were able to give away £200 in prizes, plus the centregreen experience for heats 14 and 15. This week we’re going one better and offering an extra prize too. In addition to the £100 top prize, plus other cash prizes, plus the centregreen trip, we’re ALSO giving away free entry for one person this weekend’s SGP barbecue.
We’ve been running barbecues for the SGP series for over ten years now, and our current home is The Ampleforth in Risinghurst. If you’ve never been, we have three barbecues running outside, cooking premium produce from a local butcher. There will be chicken, burgers, and a variety of sausage flavours, plus baked potatoes, sides and salads, AND desserts. There will be sweepstakes to add a bit of extra interest to the night, and we’ll be having two rounds of our famous Find the Cheetah competition to close the night. Doors open at 6pm ready for the racing to start on the big screen at 7:00, and entry costs only £10 per adult and £5 per child. It’s a great night out, run by speedway fans, for speedway fans, and don’t forget OSSC members get a discount on their entry. So if you like speedway, and you like food, come and join us at The Ampleforth.
If you’re not already a member of the OSSC, you can join up tonight in the Champs Bar. In addition to discounts at every SGP BBQ this year, you’ll also get a discount on the coach to the SGP in Cardiff, a limited edition steel OSSC travel mug, and other goodies as well. Membership to the OSSC costs only £10, so if you join us for all OSSC events this year you’ll make your money back in savings, AND you get the OSSC merchandise as well. There’s really no reason not to join up, so if you haven’t already, why not?
Tonight the Edinburgh Monarchs make the long trip to Sandy Lane. At the moment the future of the Monarchs is up in the air, after the announcement last year that their home in Armadale will not be staging speedway after this year. Obviously, we hope this isn’t the last time we see the Monarchs down here in Oxford, but we can still hope we send them away with a loss tonight.
Go Cheetahs
- Unsatisfatory Start: Cheetahs vs Robins
Note: this column was originally written for the first planned staging on 23rd March
There’s a new look and a new feel to the Supporters Club in 2023. Not only do we have a snazzy new logo and snazzy new shirts to go with them, we’re also offering a few new things for the new season.
This year we’re offering the opportunity to become a member of the Supporters Club, and your membership comes with a whole host of benefits. We’ll be offering members discounts on OSSC travel, like the annual pilgrimage to Cardiff for the British SGP, and we’ll be offering members money off entry for every one of the SGP barbecues we host throughout the season at the Ampleforth in Risinghurst. If that wasn’t enough, by signing up as a Supporters Club member you get an OSSC ballpoint pen to fill in your programme, a reusable OSSC cotton tote bag to put your programme in, and a limited edition, exclusive for 2023 OSSC engraved steel travel mug. What’s the price for all of this good stuff, I hear you ask? A measly ten pounds. Membership packs have been selling fast, so to secure yours come and see us in the upper bar next to the track shop and we’ll take your details. If you’re reading this at home after the meeting, you can email us at info@ossc.me.uk to reserve your membership pack for the next meeting.
Also new for 2023 is the OSSC Rider of the Night award. At every meeting one of the home riders will be selected as Rider of the Night and receive a trophy and a gift from the Supporters Club. What will make the Oxford Rider of the Night award different to other clubs’ awards, though, is that on the nights where the award isn’t sponsored, it won’t be the Supporter’s Club committee making the decision. You’ll remember that last year the promotion donated a centregreen experience as a money-can’t-buy prize for our Raceday Jackpot draw. This year the lucky winner of the centregreen trip will also have the opportunity on selected nights to nominate their rider of the night, and present the award to their chosen rider on the centregreen once the meeting is finished. This is a truly fantastic opportunity that I don’t think you can get at any other track in the country, and all you need to do to get involved is spend a couple of pounds on Raceday Jackpot tickets.
Some things, however, never change, and 2023 sees the return of both Mark Dean’s Cheetahs Chronicle and the OSSC Coach to Cardiff for the British SGP. This month’s Chronicle includes another fascinating mix of articles, interviews and statistics that you won’t get anywhere else, and all for only £2. Mark will be selling in the upper bar on racenights, and all proceeds go to the Chargers. We’re about to start taking bookings for the Cardiff trip, so if you want to go to the biggest meeting of the year (at least, the biggest meeting of the year that’s not held at Sandy Lane) come and see us and get your name on the list. Don’t forget that OSSC members get a discount on the coach as well…
And so to tonight, where the new look Cheetahs take on a Swindon Robins side that features a couple of very familiar faces. It’s a real shame that for all the success of bringing Oxford back last year we haven’t been able to share the track with our nearest and dearest rivals from just down the road. If you’re one of the Swindon faithful and you’re here to support your boys, we hope you have a good time tonight, and we hope this won’t be the last time we see you this year. Here’s to a close meeting with excellent racing. And a win for the boys in blue.
Go Cheetahs
Gavin
- Win or Bust: Cheetahs vs Gladiators
It’s funny how a couple of days can change the mood in a fanbase.
This time last week, we were all excited to see what the 2023 Cheetahs could do. Unfortunately, the season openers turned out to be against one of the strongest sides that they’ll face all year. You don’t need me to tell you how that turned out, with a three point defeat at home and a trip to Poole we’d rather not speak about. Last Wednesday the Pirates were there for the taking, had circumstances been different. Two more points over the course of the night would have seen us take the win, and there were a number of times those points were nearly ours – If Luke’s engine hadn’t given out in heat four, for example, or if Sam had finished the night the way he started it, the night would have ended differently. Poole’s always a tricky place to visit, and Good Friday was certainly a long night for those of us who made the trip. There were lots of ugly starts throughout the night, with heats two and three both starting with all four riders meeting at the entrance to the first corner and an unlucky Cheetah being skittled towards the fence. While I’m not clever enough to say if any of those starts were unsatisfactory, I am able to count to four without getting lost, which the centregreen crew seemed to struggle with in heat four. I think we could have had as many laps as we wanted as the night wore on, though, and it wouldn’t have made much of a difference. The Pirates were relentless, and the score reflects that.
But we’re back home tonight, and that means regular OSSC activities have resumed. The Cheetahs Chronicle is on sale, the Raceday Jackpot is back with the guaranteed £100 top prize, and we still have a few OSSC membership packs remaining. For only £10 you get the exclusive 2023 OSSC merchandise – a reusable tote bag and an engraved steel travel mug – plus the opportunity to make back your membership fee in OSSC discounts as the year goes on. Come and see us next to the track shop to join up, or, if you’re reading this at home, email info@ossc.me.uk to reserve your pack for the next meeting.
Last week I told you about some of the changes we’ve made over the off season, but there are another couple I need to mention. For those of you on Twitter, our old, rather clunky, handle has changed, and we’re now tweeting from @OSSCTweets. Likewise the OSSC website has had a thorough reworking and is now online. We’ll be posting regular updates on the website, including events, and the results of the Raceday Jackpot. We’ll also be publishing our programme notes every week in unedited form – so if you go to www.OSSC.me.uk you get to read all the juicy bits Mr Peasley edits out every week…
Tonight sees the Plymouth Gladiators come to Cowley. It’s a completely different set of Gladiators compared to last year, including a pair of former Leicester Lions who finished top of the league table last year. Here’s hoping we can learn from last week and take our first win of 2023.
Go Cheetahs
- Raising the Curtain: Cheetahs vs Pirates
After a false start last week, it’s time to raise the curtain on 2023. We’ve been busy in the Supporters Club over the winter giving the club a new look and a few new things to try out.
We’re still running the raceday jackpot, but we’re changing the way it runs a little bit on some racenights. Last year we ran a 50/50 draw on Chargers racenights because historically (pre-2007) the money we raised on ‘third tier’ speedway wouldn’t support a top prize of £100 like the senior side did. However, with such a good level of support for the Chargers last year – and the anticipation it will continue this year – we’ll be offering a £100 top prize on their racenights, too. This will make it more transparent for you guys, and easier for us (and Mr Palmer) as we don’t have to remember what sort of draw we’re doing. As well as the top cash prize there will be other prizes on the night, including the money-can’t-buy Centregreen Experience, and a couple of other special prizes we’ve got lined up throughout the year, so keep your ear out and make sure you get your tickets.
This year we’re offering the opportunity to become a member of the Supporters Club, and your membership comes with a whole host of benefits. We’ll be offering members discounts on OSSC travel, like the annual pilgrimage to Cardiff for the British SGP, and we’ll be offering members money off entry for every one of the SGP barbecues we host throughout the season at the Ampleforth in Risinghurst. If that wasn’t enough, by signing up as a Supporters Club member you get an OSSC ballpoint pen to fill in your programme, a reusable OSSC cotton tote bag to put your programme in, and a limited edition, exclusive for 2023 OSSC engraved steel travel mug. What’s the price for all of this good stuff, I hear you ask? A measly ten pounds. Membership packs have been selling fast, so to secure yours come and see us in the upper bar next to the track shop and we’ll take your details. If you’re reading this at home after the meeting, you can email us at info@ossc.me.uk to reserve your membership pack for the next meeting.
2023 also sees the return of both Mark Dean’s Cheetahs Chronicle and the OSSC Coach to Cardiff for the British SGP. This month’s Chronicle includes another fascinating mix of articles, interviews and statistics that you won’t get anywhere else, and all for only £2. Mark will be selling in the upper bar on racenights, and all proceeds go to the Chargers. We’re about to start taking bookings for the Cardiff trip, so if you want to go to the biggest meeting of the year (at least, the biggest meeting of the year that’s not held at Sandy Lane) come and see us and get your name on the list. Don’t forget that OSSC members get a discount on the coach as well…
So the Pirates come to town for the first meeting of 2023. They always put together a strong side (don’t forget they ruined our reopening celerations last year), but I’m sure the new Cheetahs – no matter how familiar the faces – will put up a good fight. Here’s to the start of another successful year.
Go Cheetahs
Gavin
- Membership
2023 memberships for the Oxford Speedway Supporters Club are now available! Membership includes:
Discounts on OSSC events, like our SGP barbecues
Discounts on OSSC travel, like our coach to Cardiff
An OSSC ballpoint pen
An OSSC reusable cotton tote bag
An exclusive for 2023 engraved stainless steel travel mugMembership costs £10, payable in cash on racenights. To reserve your membership pack email info@ossc.me.uk with your name, and we’ll have your pack made up ready for the start of the season.
