Soundbites: 17th July 2006

Leigh Adams with Craig Watson at Rybnik last night

"The boys were awesome tonight. We scrapped hard but when Todd went down it looked as if it might have been over. But the spirit is back in this team and Jason got us through at the end. Now we can put our feet up for a few days before going to Reading on Friday for finals day practice."
Leigh Adams

"We half expected to find ourselves in the race-off and we will be strong on home soil. I was really proud of everyone in the team, they all did their jobs and we are still in there fighting. We can still win this."
Scott Nicholls on last night's disappointment in the World Cup

"It was a bit of a surprise when we lost to Newport on Thursday and we knew it would be difficult to win at Armadale as Monarchs were desperate to wipe out their defeat against Rye House. We tried hard and I think we all rode well. Monarchs were in with a chance of the bonus point but we snapped up some vital points to save it."
Gary Havelock

"I was told on Tuesday afternoon, before the meeting in Sweden, that Lindback would not be riding and that Sullivan had been booked as a guest. I informed match referee Jim Lawrence and also spoke to the Promoters' Association. I will be taking this further."
Ian Thomas on Belle Vue's match at Poole. It was claimed that Lindback had been injured the previous evening.

"I didn't think I stood a chance of getting second spot in my first outing but when I get annoyed I can pass anybody sometimes. It was hard work having to fight from the back all the time but we all worked very hard. Having to take extra rides because we are a man down can place added pressure on you and I just hope we can find a new rider for Rusty quite soon. Redcar are a good side and having someone like Gary Havelock to lead them, makes them tough to ride against. He is a very experienced rider".
Edinburgh's Henrik Moller

"Speedway riding is not that hard on the body but it's the bumps that you take along the way that take their toll. But it is all part of racing and I'm pleased the injury is not as bad as we first feared. There is never a good time to get injured but I suppose this is it. We have a two week break due to the Work Cup and I will be doing all I can to get back as soon as possible."
The desperately unlucky Adam Shields

"I think that was the best performance I have seen at home from the side this season. There were some fine individual rides, but it was a real team effort, with everybody contributing. It was a great result for us and to go top of the league for the first time this season is a very nice feeling."
Plymouth boss Mike Bowden after their win over Scunthorpe

"There was a crowd of about 1,500 there and it was a great atmosphere. But the track was the poorest one we have ridden on all season. It was very bumpy. They are used to riding on it and that gave them an advantage. But at least we now know what it is like if, as seems likely at the moment, we have to go back there at the end of the season in the play-offs."
Scunthorpe's Rod Godfrey on the match at Plymouth

"I was well chuffed with the performance. They had been on a roll but we out-rode them, and that's the end of it. I have said all along that when we have got a replacement like Neathy' for Craig and we are all firing then we are a good team. Chris is really one of the boys and he fits in well with our team."
Tony Atkin on Newport's win at Redcar

"I'm at Workington tonight, Buxton tomorrow with the Spitfires and Belle Vue on Monday in an individual meeting. It's hard going at times, but it's something you have to do if you want to get your name about and make some form of progress."
John Branney

"After the wins at Wolverhampton and Arena Essex the boys were fired up for this one. They were full of confidence and I was not surprised by their awesome display tonight what a difference a week can make."
Swindon manager Alun Rossiter on their home win over Peterborough

"I felt that the one guy in our side who was on form was Parsons. We have been beaten by the champions elect, although we made them look a better side."
Tim Stone on Newport's home defeat from King's Lynn

"We gave some daft points away in the first few heats which boosted Redcar's confidence. A place in the top eight in the table to get into the play-offs is all that matters and the team we have is good enough to get us there."
Newcastle co-promoter Darryl Illingworth on their narrow home win last night

"The referee has the power to throw a rider out of a meeting for what he considers to be a serious case of foul or dangerous riding. The opinion of myself, our captain Garry Stead, and the vastly experienced Paul Thorp, was that he should have used that power in this instance, and we told the referee at the time."
Graham Drury on Danny Bird's involvement in the crash that left Richie Hawkins unconscious

"To go down to just five riders so early on in the meeting put a lot of pressure on the reserves, particularly with Barrie getting knocked about as well, and I thought that was a performance in which we stood up to be counted."
Stoke manager John Adams - The Potters grabbed the bonus at Berwick

"That wasn't a good performance. We struggled all night with our gating and it showed. Those first 30 yards are so important in this league and if you don't gate you are always going to struggle. The track was very heavy especially at the start and we just couldn't handle it."
Ronnie Russell on Arena's horrendous defeat at Coventry

This article was first published on 17th July 2006