Soundbites: 28th August 2004

"My ambitions were to do well enough to move up, but I just think it all came at the wrong time for me. I started off quite well and it's terrific knowing you have increased your starting average. That's what it is all about and I had set one of my targets as doing well enough to put pressure on those in the top five."
Stoke's Rob Grant - Dropping back to reserve in September

"Myself and team manager Trevor Swales called the lads back to the changing room at the interval to let them know what we thought of their performance. I told them in no uncertain terms that the display up to that point was simply not good enough. I reckon there were a good 150 Panthers fans in the crowd and that is no way to reward them for making the journey to watch their team. The boys were left under no illusions that they had to improve immediately or there would be serious repercussions."
Mick Horton on Peterborough's fightback at Ipswich on Thursday

"I thought this was a match we had a chance of winning. Somerset did lose at home seven days ago and its not always a good thing to visit a team who have just been beaten at home. But it's not a sensible excuse for our defeat."
Edinburgh director Mike Hunter on their drubbing at Somerset on Wednesday

"It was a big blow losing Corey (Blackman) because he's such an experienced rider, which is vital at this level of speedway. It was always going to be tough finding a good rider to fill his boots but we've done exactly that in Nick Simmons."
Weymouth boss Brian White

"It was a strange night for us with three punctures against an extremely powerful side. Jesper's still finding the right set-up for his engine."
Newcastle boss George English after Hull v 'Jason Lyons' on Wednesday

"We are very close to winning it, there is more and more pressure on me and the rest of the team, but we have won nothing yet. We have a big chance, of course we do, I'm not daft, but we haven't won it yet. We need another win."
Emiliano Sanchez of the champions elect - Hull Vikings

"As team manager I've got to say it will be our toughest meeting here this season and we'll need to be in tip-top form to get anywhere near them. At the start of the season you wouldn't have thought Hull would have been in the position they are now, but they have got some experienced campaigners and are solid right throughout their side."
Buster Chapman on tonight's Lynn v Hull clash

"Wolves have matches in hand, but they need to win them all, home and away, so it will be very tough for them to overhaul us. It would be special for us to finish on top of the league."
Bjarne Pedersen of Poole

"They've put me down as one of the favourites as it's at Rye House. I feel I can win it as I've beaten everyone that's in it, at one time or other, this season at Rye House in the conference league. I've just got to keep my head together and put together four or five big heats."
Joel Parsons of the Rye House Raiders on the CLRC

"Rye House fans would dearly love to see a home winner but I feel the line-up is wide open and it's hard to predict who will win."
Len Silver on the CLRC

"I will be bitterly disappointed if we do not record the double in both instances. It will not be easy but we have the ability to defeat them both."
Graham Drury looks forward to Mildenhall's meetings with the Welsh clubs over the bank holiday weekend

"It was an absolutely brilliant night and the support we had was superb as the crowd cheered us all home in every race. The atmosphere was unreal. As for the Comets team, I have never seen them so determined to win a meeting. Every one of us was up for it and we didn't want to let anyone down."
'Stoney' on the Comets' fours win last weekend

This article was first published on 28th August 2004