Soundbites: 31st July 2004

"It's very frustrating for the team to see our league position and we have been poor away from home, it's been a nightmare to be honest. I know I haven't helped because my away scores have been poor and I know I should be doing so much better, but it's not for the want of trying."
Andre Compton of the Sheffield Tigers

"That was my best performance for Poole. It was very close to a maximum. I just lost the point in the last corner. But that is speedway. A maximum is very hard to get. I made a small mistake and paid for it."
Matej Ferjan - on his tremendous fourteen points against Coventry on Wednesday

"I turned 21 last Tuesday, and they say when you turn 21 you become a man, but I'm still a kid at heart and I'm still going to go out and enjoy my racing."
Jamie Smith

"Screen was tremendous and looked a different character from a month ago. He's full of confidence again and is ready for the World Cup."
Jim Lynch - impressed by Joe's performance on Monday night

"It was a great track, as is always the case at Swindon, and they were far the better side on it. Lee and Lukas both rode exceptionally but it was the same old story of the reserves not getting any points. I believe we need to be scoring 10 points from reserve and I simply cannot tolerate a rider getting nothing."
Peterborough boss Trevor Swales on Thursday's defeat

"We are actually a bit stronger when we go on the road. Freddie Lindgren has come into the team and is going really well on other tracks. I feel we can still catch Poole and finish on top."
Wolves Mikael Max

"We're well aware it'll be difficult at Workington as they still believe they can win the title, while Berwick perhaps start as favourites coming to Brough Park which is a rare situation for any speedway local derby. If all seven of our current team score to their potential, we'll beat the Bandits."
George English of Newcastle previews this weekend's action

"We have rather overlooked the league of late with all the cup matches we've had, but we've got to target some more points. The cut-off date for the Young Shield is in six weeks, so we need to make sure we're in the top eight then."
Tony Lethbridge of Exeter

"Of course I would like to come back for 2005. I like Hull as a place and the Vikings fans. Everyone helped me when I had a bad time at the beginning of the season, I have not forgotten that. When things are going good a lot of people can be next to you, but sometimes they are not there when things go bad. I had a lot of support when things were bad, that was really special, I will remember that."
Emiliano Sanchez

"In the end everybody did what they had to do and to get the bonus point was a terrific achievement without our injured riders. Hans and I rode well and communicated well because the likes of Mikael Max and Sam Ermolenko are not slow and they very much wanted to win. This keeps us right on track for where we want to be come the end of the season."
Scott Nicholls on the Witches home win against Wolves on Thursday

"It's a blow, especially as he had only just rejoined us. He said he would only be able to do home matches when the Grand Prix meetings started again after the summer break and that's no good to us. I asked him why he didn't tell us that when he came back but he said the problem was down to the meetings we've had to rearrange."
John Perrin on the sudden loss of Kaj Laukkanen

"I have only ridden on a few English tracks, but I am looking forward to riding at Brandon. All the Coventry boys have helped me so far and I hope I can score some good points."
New Coventry recruit Sergei Darkin

"Rosco had rallied the lads beforehand, but we knew that the match at Arena Essex was a big one because we needed the away win. We've known that about most of our away matches recently, but I'll be honest, I didn't really expect to get the win there. Maybe we caught Arena at the right time."
Leigh Adams of Swindon on Wednesday's win at Arena

"Not to jinx anything, but I'm relatively confident, although I think it will be a good meeting. Shaun Tacey will be riding for King's Lynn and there's nothing better than a former Vikings heat leader returning to Craven Park. The way he rode for us in Newcastle a couple of weeks ago suggests he's in good form."
Hull promoter Paul Hodder on tonight's home clash with the Stars

"I will need to pull my finger out to stand a chance. I'll be up against 15 other guys who all want the same gold medal. It will be twice as tough as it was in Austria. However, I feel I am quick enough. I just need to be more consistent and if I get a bit of luck, I should be alright."
Belle Vue's Rory Schlein on his prospects in the World Under 21 Final

"I had a bad knock at Newcastle a few weeks ago and hurt my right knee and shoulder. It took a few days for the bruising to come out, but I've been all right since. At Exeter, the chain snapped and I stopped so suddenly that it nearly spat me off the bike. That's when I jerked my knee again and I was struggling so much I couldn't take my fourth ride."
Paul Pickering

"I'm really delighted with the way Marc has adapted. He came back to racing without any lengthy practice and has done well. A few determined sessions will really set him up."
Wimbledon boss Dingle Brown on comeback kid Marc Norris

"It's a monster meeting for the club, with 40 riders involved and 28 races for the fans to enjoy. We staged the Best Pairs for four years but this is going to be even bigger for us. Because there are so many riders involved, we have to move the pits to the other end of the grandstand, which will mean putting up temporary cover and lighting."
Ian Thomas looking forward to the fours at Derwent Park

This article was first published on 31st July 2004