Quantock’s dreadful recent record in the Club Pairs Championship continued with a fourth successive first round defeat for the top flight side. Winners of the competition in SL6 and SL7, the Rangers have appeared in the final just once in nine years, that despite finishing in the top half of division one in all but one season over that period. Just one heat advantage in six outings to the track from their pairing in their opening round tie at Dumpton (27), the second division hosts cruising to a seven point victory over fellow qualifiers to round two, Bolsover and Merseyside, in the tie. In Jacek Wozniak (15) and Iain Johnson (12), Terry Meech has a couple of riders that could take his minnows all the way, their tally of four 5-1’s in the meeting would have been five if not for a Johnson retirement from the lead of heat 11, a place in the final surely the minimum of their ambitions following this performance. Quantock are joined on the sidelines by another top flight stalwart, Southampton, the Scorpions missing the cut in their tie at Whiteley (24), which was again won by the hosts. It’s the first time the Scorpions have failed to make it passed round one in eight seasons and only the third time since they lifted the trophy 15 years ago. Whiteley were surprise winners of the competition in their debut season in SL23. Meanwhile home advantage also helped Birmingham (27) to a six point first round win over Ramsgate and Denaby, not so good though for Hertford who hosted the final first round tie, they going out in a meeting won by Laceby (23). Brighton, Cradley, Buxton and Altrincham complete the list of sides to progress from the first round ties.

A losing start for Altrincham on their return to the top flight. Tipped to finished tenth following their promotion, their promoter Garry Robinson had suggested the detractors had got it wrong, with some solid pre-season results providing evidence he might be right. Reality struck with the visit of Cradley Heath to the Cheshire Arena, the Panthers never ahead in a meeting in which the visitors sealed a 42-48 win with a heat 15 Rudolf Svatek (14)/Bradley Law (13+1) 5-1. That was the third maximum scored by the Hammers—promoted as division two champions last year—in the meeting, Wojtek Majewski (7+3) runner-up to Svatek in the two others. Cradley’s first home top flight meeting in four years though ended in disappointment, Don Valley coming away from the Dudley Wood Arena with a point thanks to Valeri Lach’s (15) last heat victory over Svatek (12), which also secured him his first league maximum of the campaign. A draw too for Cradley Heath in their Division One Cup first round opener, this one more pleasing as it came at Quantock where they trailed their hosts by eight with just four races remaining. The visitors turned things around with two 4-2’s and a 5-1 in the next three, Law (16) winning two of those heats, the first when in as a tactical substitute.

Birmingham have lofty ambitions having reached division two for the first time last season. Back-to-back promotions their goal, an ambition they set immediately to work on achieving on their opening day clash at Bolsover. Leading from start to finish, the Lyons dominated the side promoted alongside them in SL24, with loanee Jacob Cooke (9+1) making an immediate impact on his competitive debut for the club. The Don Valley asset raced to two wins, the second returned in a heat eight 5-1, which began a run of four heat advantages in the space of seven races which would secure Craig Dickson’s side the points. Two time BU21 champion Cooke (12+3) went on to score his first career league maximum in Birmimgham’s later 59-31 home win over Tottenham, a result which sees them top the second tier standings on points difference from Dumpton. Dumpton matched Birmingham’s winning start to the season with a 41-49 success at Somerset, where Jacek Wozniak (15) scored a maximum for the Devils. Dumpton also enjoyed away success in the Division Two Cup—beating Wednesfield 42-48 on their travels—as did Buxton and Sankey, who won at Bolsover (43-47) and Hertford (44-46) respectively in the competition.

A poor start to life for two of the league newcomers, with Benfleet and Nottingham losing both their opening division three meetings. 43-47 home defeats to Border in the Bees case and against Whiteley for the Red Raiders especially disappointing. Border themselves had lost on home shale earlier in the week, going down 44-46 to third tier favourites London following the concession of a last heat 4-2 to Bojan Kraka (16+1) and Liam Marlow (11+1).

18 year old Altrincham reserve Oliver Hodge (15) scored a maximum to win his BU21 semi final at Wednesfield. The victory was Hodge’s third in a WSO event this season, following successes in the semi final and final of the BU19 Championship. Dumpton’s Jay Higgins (13) won the second of the ties.