:: SPEEDWAY REPORT (JAN '09)
:: CAMBRIDGE NEWS
A three-man consortium are expected to complete their takeover of Mildenhall imminently as intense negotiations reach the final stages.
Speaking for the first time, one of the consortium members revealed to Cambridge News that an agreement has been reached on the price for the promoting licence with current promoter Keith Chapman and that dealings with stadium owner Dave Coventry are nearing completion.
The source, who cannot be named at this stage, confirmed: ?We are getting very close and I am quietly confident that we will conclude the deal very shortly. I can only apologise to the supporters that things have taken this long, but it will be worthwhile as we will run the club in a professional and value-for-money way.
?We are not in it for just this season. We are making sure that everything is in place with the intentions for the long-term future and prosperity of the Fen Tigers. Everyone is fully committed and we are adamant that we get the credibility back that has been missing for the past couple of years.
?We have made a lot of ground in a relatively short space of time considering there were other parties who were also negotiating. I hope the supporters will give us their full backing and we will give them a team to be proud of in the new National League.
?The wait will be worthwhile, I can assure them. There has been a lot of matters to sort and negotiate over, but I will be disappointed if we are not in a position to declare a successful takeover by the end of this week.?
Chapman echoed those sentiments, stating: ?In a way I am happy that they are taking their time and covering all angles. That way they will make sure everything is right for the long-term benefit of the club, rather than jumping in and it all goes wrong.?
A couple of former West Row favourites have already stated their desire to return to Mildenhall in time for the new season, which starts in April.
:: SPEEDWAY REPORT (JAN '09)
:: ELY WEEKLY NEWS (PART OF CAMBRIDGE NEWS GROUP)
:: HISTON 1 SWINDON TOWN 0 (FA CUP 1ST ROUND) (NOV '08)
:: SHOWCASE REPORT FOR NON-LEAGUE FOOTBALL NEWSPAPERS
Stunned Swindon boss Maurice Malpas launched a scathing attack on his players after seeing the League One Robins rumbled by village part-timers Histon.
In the biggest FA Cup giant-killing of the first round, the tiny Cambridgeshire club powered their way to a guaranteed £20,000 and a place in the second round with a deserved victory as Malpas’s outfit succumbed to Histon’s direct, high-tempo approach.
The former Scottish international pulled no punches, stating: “I’m embarrassed by this result. The fans have had a go and I fully agree with them. After this performance I am ashamed to be part of Swindon Town Football Club.”
He added: “We knew how Histon were going to play, with their long balls and delivery at set pieces, and we should have been able to deal with it. We weren’t brave enough to play our passing game, keeping possession and using our width. Any kind of performance would have won us this game.”
Histon’s achievement at nobbling a side 37 places above them will be a relief for referee Steven Rushton, who’s first half astonishing u-turn at chalking off a goal for the home side after initially awarding it, would have otherwise stolen the headlines.
The clincher came on 66 minutes from a swooping left wing corner which Nathanial Knight-Percival stabbed into the crowded box for Danny Wright to pivot and strike cleanly home from just three yards out.
Delighted Stutes manager Steve Fallon commented. “It was a fantastic performance from the lads. They deserved the result because we dominated the game with possession and created the most chances. It was a good finish by Danny and all we want now is to be at home in the second round.”
The ‘goal’ that never was came after 36 minutes when Gareth Gwillim’s speciality long throw into the box was missed by all as it bounced and looped over sub goalie Peter Brezovan into the net. Wright was announced as having claimed the crucial touch and as the home fans celebrated, the ball was back on the centre spot for the restart.
Only then, following protests from the Swindon camp, fourth official Declan Ford beckoned Rushton over to inform him that no-one had made contact with the throw-in and the ‘goal’ was ruled void.
Fallon commented on the incident: “I was by the assistant referee and I couldn’t see if anyone got a touch to it as there were a lot of players in the box. It makes a mockery of the FA’s respect rule if the referee over-rules a goal through a team’s protest. The decision lifted our players and even against the wind in the second half we stayed strong as they threw everything at us in the last 10 minutes.”
Jack Midson came closest for Histon in the first half with a header that was just tipped over and half-time sub Knight-Percival almost made an instant impact two minutes into the second half in a one-on-one with Brezovan, but the keeper saved with his feet and Wright’s follow up was cleared off the line by full-back Michael Timlin.
Swindon’s best effort did not come until deep into stoppage time when sub Barry Corr’s shot forced a desperate save from Danny Naisbitt at the foot of the post, in what proved to be the final attack.
:: CAMBRIDGE UNITED 1 WEYMOUTH 0 (BLUE SQUARE PREMIER) (OCT '08)
:: SHOWCASE REPORT FOR NON-LEAGUE FOOTBALL NEWSPAPERS
Ten-men Cambridge survived a injury-time onslaught from Weymouth to seal their third successive home win and move into the top three.
The U’s were rarely troubled having led from a tenth minute 20-yard strike from Jon Challinor. But Lee McEvilly’s red card for a two-footed lunge on former Cambridge man Stephen Reed three minutes from time sparked a grand-stand finish from the Terras.
Three minutes into the allotted four of stoppage time, substitute Michael Malcolm met with Anton Robinson’s cross from the right, only to see his header crash against the crossbar. Malcolm led the visitors’ renaissance, lashing in a 25-yarder that was tipped over by U’s keeper Danny Potter.
From the resulting corner, Scott Doe’s header was cleared from the line in an anxious scramble and then Pierre Dubois saw his shot hoofed away by Ben Farrell to seal maximum points.
Cambridge boss Gary Brabin said: “I saw significant signs from this performance that we are getting close to where we want to be. We went out with an attacking mentality with three forwards and with four on the bench.
“The early goal helped us and it is pleasing that we are still winning games without taking all our chances and keeping clean sheets. We have got goals in us and I have given Jon (Challinor) a licence to get forward more and he’s showing the benefits of that.
“I’ve got no grievance about Lee’s (McEvilly) sending off, it was justified. But there was a lot of lunges by Weymouth that went unpunished including a blatant shove on Danny Potter, and no-one knows why the referee ruled out a perfectly good goal from us in the second half.”
Goal-scorer Challinor said: “It’s important to get more forward to support the front lads and the boss has given me the option to do that. I’m getting more into the attacking mentality. We have got the personnel to switch positions and formations, and it’s working.”
Weymouth manager John Hollins said: “In the last 15 minutes we battered them and were very unfortunate not to get an equaliser. We deserved a point after that final flurry.
“We conceded the goal too easily but weathered the storm after that. We lost as a result of our poor finishing and Cambridge’s solid defending and excellent goal-keeping.”
The home side gave the large crowd at the Abbey plenty of optimism with a blistering start that should have seen them in front inside the first five minutes.
Mark Beesley broke the offside trap down the right and had two supporting team-mates in bags of space in the centre as he ghosted into the box but instead he rifled off a shot at the near post, which was deflected behind, to the groans of the home fans.
Six minutes later the U’s broke the deadlock, with Challinor firing in a fine left-footed strike past Richard Barnard’s right following a flick on from Danny Gleeson’s throw.
Cambridge dominated the first half, with the Terras’s defensive high-line caught out all too often with Robbie Willmott’s pace causing havoc, and there was little action in the second half until the late dramatic finish.
:: 'GUEST WRITER' COLUMN FEATURE ON VISITING TEAM MILDENHALL
:: SOMERSET SPEEDWAY PROGRAMME (SEPT '08)
Who would have believed it?
Having seen Allen Trump’s takeover fall through and fearing the worst for the club, Mildenhall’s saviour last week turned out to be the promoters of neighbouring rivals King’s Lynn!
Buster and Jonathan Chapman’s record is, of course, second to none and you can only be excited at the prospect of them bringing their branded recipe for success to the Fen Tigers.
Chapman jnr, with his vibrant energy and radical methods, is sure to surprise along the way but with a knack for positive promoting and publicising, you can be sure that West Row will soon be buzzing in anticipation again for the exciting times ahead.
And heck, it needs it after trudging through their worst season on record.
A year beset with injuries, departures and record-breaking defeats only gives you a taster of the last six months that the hardcore and loyal Fen Tigers supporters have had to endure.
The pundits’ predictions that the team would do well to finish out of the bottom three was never going to be far wrong, having gambled on a youthful, cosmopolitan policy.
It all started brightly enough with an encouraging performance in a season-opening challenge at Elite League giants Peterborough, but the series of defeats soon kicked in.
There was at least one shining moment, though, with that savouring last-heat victory over King’s Lynn (sorry Buster and Jonathan!) in April that will remain etched in the memories for a very long time.
Dane Casper Wortmann captured the miraculous comeback story of the year. His smash in April caused such severe internal damage that his life was in serious danger, yet incredibly, he returned four months later in a post-match spin and is back donning the Fen Tigers race-jacket again!
His countryman Jan Graversen has shown bags of effort and aggression, winning many admirers, and while he may have not yet mastered his home circuit, he has the talent and attitude to make it big.
The reserve positions have proven to be a poison chalice. James Cockle was an early casualty of the poor start, axed after just half a dozen appearances, and his subsequent replacements (Henning Loof (who is now back!) and Matt Wright) didn’t fair much better - both hitting the exit door in similar fashion.
After a positive back end to 2007, this term promised much from fans’ favourite Mark Baseby. Sadly injuries to his ankle and back have curtailed his progress, but expect him to be back with a vengeance next year.
At the top end, seasoned pros Kaj Laukkanen and Robbie Kessler both delivered the points at times, but their commitment appeared questionable and they never stuck around beyond June.
Polish trio Michal Rajkowski, Sebastian Truminski and Marek Mroz proved worthy editions late on, beating some of the best around West Row at times, and entertaining the crowd with amusing celebrations to boot!
Ex-Team manager Laurence Rogers remained admirably upbeat and motivated throughout, no mean feat considering every time he put a team on track he had to watch it get torn apart, with regular 30-point home drubbings bringing the inevitable flack which he has had to take on the chin. The club, having now replaced him with Richard Knight, are a great deal poorer without him.
It can also be all too easy to forget the much maligned Mick Horton’s courage to take Mildenhall into the Premier League in the first place. Something others had before him considered but ducked, while Horton put his neck, and cash, on the line to hand the supporters their wishes.
David Crane
Cambridge News Speedway Writer
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