Soundbites: 29th May 2004

"My knee's pretty swollen at the moment. I've got a brace supporting it and my leg up. I could be out for eight to 12 weeks. It's a massive blow. It's a shame because I've never experienced a start to the season like this before and it was probably the easiest meeting so far when this happened."
Mark Lemon

"I don't like it at all. Always it is badly prepared, at least all the times I have been there."
Magnus Karlsson on Newport

"We have no intention of starting off with a loss - and the team have been made aware of this. Rye House are a difficult and dangerous team, and it is not the fixture we would have chosen so soon after our defeat by Hull, but that's the way things go."
Edinburgh promoter Alex Harkess before him team's match against Rye House. He was to be disappointed.

"I was so pleased that Waggy gave me a chance and now he's stood by me which is very important."
Ryan Fisher thanks Nigel Wagstaff for his patience after a poor start

"Our good reputation as a club must be spreading far and wide. I'm not going to reveal the identity of the rider in case it alerts other clubs, but it wasn't a name instantly recognisable to us. He has a seven-point average in Poland and it is certainly a surprise development we will be following up."
Peterborough boss Trevor Swales after being contacted by a mystery Pole offering his services

"Privately I had hoped that I might get a wildcard entry to the British Grand Prix in just over a fortnight. I know I had my run-ins with authority when I was on the annual circuit and I might not have been the most popular guy with the officials, but the way I've been riding I thought I would stand a chance."
Carl Stonehewer

"Our thinking has been swayed by the possibility of having two new riders in the side a couple of weeks from now and it all revolves around the averages our existing riders will have at that time. I have spoken to both Scott and William and explained the situation and they are happy to go along with it."
Newcastle's Darryl Illingworth after deciding not to replace Scott Smith with Willie Lawson

"I am going to check out a few things, but I don't want to name names at this stage. Hopefully the trip will be worthwhile and we will end up signing a new rider or two."
Colin Pratt is off to Poland

"I want to know why Tobias Johansson is not riding. He has hardly scored a point for them this season yet is being replaced tonight by Antonio Lindback, who has an average of 8.46"
Ipswich manager Mike Smillie - Unhappy with the Belle Vue side

"I enjoy the track at Wroclaw and am the joint track record holder which should help. However, most of the riders know it well and ride it regularly. The Poles will certainly be on the pace and up for the meeting with a very noisy backing to help them. It will be a hard meeting but I am feeling confident. I have good bikes and fast engines which is essential on this big circuit and I am looking to be in the points again."
Leigh Adams on tonight's GP

"We just can't seem to hit a happy medium. It's all or nothing. Look at Paul Thorp at Edinburgh. Three points from four rides and then he goes out and pulls the match out of the fire and wins the meeting."
Eric Boocock

"What a night for the gremlins. It started off with young Darren Rolph seizing two engines, then we had burnt out clutches, flooded carbs and ignition box failures. You name it, we had it. Yes, it would have been nice to have rounded off the Premier Trophy with the bonus point. But putting the bike problems to one side it was a good team performance and now we can look forward to the start of the league season next week."
King's Lynn boss Laurence Rogers after a narrow home win over Newport

"Daniel has said he would like to ride somewhere closer to his Eastbourne home and expressed a desire to ride tonight. But that was not possible as we have a meeting at Oxford and if he can't ride for us, he can't ride for someone else."
Stoke boss Dave Tattum gets tough with Dan Giffard

"I called the boys together after heat 11 and said `if we lose this we really are a disgrace'. As a side, it was quite something to pull that one out of the bag like we did in the end. I am speechless."
Neil Middleditch - The Pirates were ten points behind at home to Coventry

"I was given permission by Eastbourne to speak with him but he just wasn't interested in the traveling. He's based in Hastings and isn't keen on travelling very far. I know Newcastle are showing an interest but I imagine they'll get the same response as we did because of the travelling he would have to do.
Ian Thomas on his attempt to bring Edward Kennett to Workington

This article was first published on 29th May 2004