East Newport Cycle Speedway Club held the biggest Cycle Speedway event ever to be staged in Wales on Sunday 13th September when they staged this years "British Team Championships" semi-finals and final.
 
The Club has only been going 4 years this October and to think that British Cycling awarded them this prestigious match shows that they had all the confidence that they could put on a great show and the spectacle that they put on anyone would think that they have been around for many a year.
 
The four teams battling it out to make the Final were Wednesfield v Poole and Horspath v Stoke. Last years winners Wednesfield made their way to the final defeating Poole 93-87 and Horspath defeated Stoke 102-77 to set up a Midlands v South West grand final.
 
Before the Grand Final "Newport Gwent Dragons" cheer leaders "Dragons Claw" entertained the large crowd and guest of honour "The Mayor Of Newport" Mr Glyn Jarvis was presented to both the Wednesfield and the Horspath teams before taking his seat for a pulsating final and what a final it turned out to be with the scores level at half time 43-43.
 
Wednesfield moved 8 points in the lead 72-64 and with only four races to go it looked as if Horspath had blown their chance of glory, but with the Midland side suffering two exclusions in heat 15 the title was up for grabs again. With a 5-5 in heat 16 and a Mike Morgans exclusion for legging in heat 17 Horspath found themselves 4 points down going into the last heat and with Horspath's Steve Harris and Mark Boaler gaining that all important 7-3 in heat 18 which meant the scores were tied at 86-86. The scene was set for 3 extra races, heat 19 saw Wednesfield riders Mark Griffiths and Chris Jewkes take a 6-4 (92-90), heat 20 Horspath hit back with a great ride from young Welsh rider Mark Carmichael and Steve Harris to gain a 7-3 (95-97) and this was the first time that the team from Oxford had taken the lead. In heat 21 all Horspath needed to win the title was a drawn heat and this they got with Mark Boaler coming home in first place followed by "British Individual Champion" Lee Aris, Scott Doherty 3rd and Danny Harper 4th, the final score being 100-102.
 
This was a great Final and one that everyone will be talking about for a very long time, well done to Horspath on winning their 2nd "British Team Championship" and to Wednesfield for making it what some described as the best final they had seen in years.
 
As for where the Final was staged this was the very first time that these Championships have ever been held in Wales and "East Newport" put on a great show a lot of time and effort went into this meeting and they should be congratulated on doing a fantastic job.
 
One official from the commission who was at the East Newport Polo for the very first time is looking forward to seeing more major finals come there way on a track that is not all about speed but track craft as well.
 
Horspath Scores

• Mike Morgans10+1
• Dave Carmichael 20
• Steve Harris 16+1
• Mark Carmichael 19
• Danny Harper 9+1
• Mark Baler 19+2
• Rob Hunt 2
• Wayne Hutt 7+1

Wednesfield Scores

• Roger Cox 10+1
• Chris Jewkes 18
• Sam Smith 8+1
• Terry Norman 13+1
• Dale Peace 1
• Scott Doherty 14
• Lee Aris 16+3
• Mark Griffiths 20