These are the confirmed dates so far. We hope to arrange at least one more home and away friendly with another club.
| 19th August Edinburgh v Northumbria |
| 23rd September Northumbria v Hull v Edinburgh |
| 30th September - Northumbrian Riders Championship |
Practice night is on Tuesday evenings from 6:30pm and training day on Sundays from 12.30pm. All comers welcome.
NVCSC is a British Cycling Clubmark club. More information here> Clubmark
I've been asked so many times by people who've never heard of Cycle Speedway "What is it?", and decided it's best NOT to use the "Speedway on pushbikes" analogy we've used since World War 2, because an awful lot of folk have never seen motorbike Speedway either, but rather to call it "pedal bike racing on a short oval track". So that's what I'm calling it here, you may prefer "Short Oval Racing", I would certainly prefer a name change for a new era - shame on me!).
You won't find shorter than this!
So now, visitor, you know what Cycle Speedway is from the photographs here. Those of us (probably the vast majority) who have it in their blood will describe it as being similar to Roller Derby on bikes, others maybe suggest Destruction Derby is closer to the truth, as a googlie at some CS videos on YouTube may suggest. However savage some of the "friendly" on-track conflict may appear, we love it, get loads of fun and plenty of laughs from it, make new friends, travel quite a bit and stick with it for ages. It is, of course, a great way to stay mobile and reasonably fit if you'd otherwise be using only your elbows to support a glass or a PS4 controller.
Come and have a go!
So, reader, now you know. With 2 or 3 metric dozen clubs around the UK, you can find one close enough to go take a look. You'll be made very welcome, you'll be loaned a bike and helmet, and you'll be shown the ropes by a track expert wherever you land, it's that kind of setup. We are waiting for you at Northumbria STRC (oops, sorry - CSC) but your first visit will prove fruitful whichever club you aim for. Use the links above or below to get in touch, or just turn up at the track when we resume serious Northern League Racing activities on 22nd March at 2:00 pm. Come and watch free, come and ride free. It's your move!
On Tuesday 12th February, Richie Smith and Terry Kirkup are due to meet Blyth Valley's School Sports Co-ordinator to discuss possible school sessions on the track this season. Lets hope we can start to emulate the amazing Queen Anne High School in Fife and get a massive betch of youngsters into the Sport.
Sunday 10th February should see a few of us getting our wheels on the track again, but only car wheels this time as we try to repair the damage the school's PE lessons have done over the winter on a surface way too soft for ANY kind of activity.
Viking's long-time Number One, ex-British Over 40s Champion Gavin Parr has signed for Hull CSC for the 2019 season. This follows the cessation of Northern League racing here at Northumbria following a disappointing few years where we failed to attract any new riders to boost our numbers and ensure a healthy future for the team. With a few of the remaining regulars off to Edinburgh for 2019, Gavin has taken advantage of the chance to link up with his good friend, 3-time British Champion Andy Angell at the Humberside club and we wish him all the very best for his coming season.
Vikings captain Jason Keith, now of course an Edinburgh rider as Northumbria take a break from Regional League racing, finished a mighty fifth in the British Over 40 Indoor Championship at Coventry on 5th January. This was by far his best ever performance on an indoor track as he competed against some of the World's top Veteran racers.
The North & Scotland AGM was attended by Chairman/Secretary Keith Dyer and Treasurer Jim Smith at Cramlington Sporting Club, the venue conveniently placed to make access by English and Scottish clubs as easy as possible. By all accounts the outcome pleased all clubs present but when word got back to base there was some headscratching done and our future remains as uncertain as it was before the meeting. This follows a unanimous decision at our own AGM a few days earlier to embark on a somewhat different path to the one that seems to have been agreed and as a result another Northumbria meeting has been called for Wednesday 21st November.
THE INCREDIBLES?
With an average age of 52.5 compared to their oppositions' of around 18, Northumbria's Old Vikings pulled off a stupendous second place in the Grand Finale of the Northern Fours at Astley & Tyldesley (Wigan) on Sunday 11th November. Details in #Away link on menu above.
Round 3 of the Northern Fours at a dry, cool Bury saw us gain promotion for the final round - report link above.
We weren't so lucky in the second round at Stockport - report link above.
Northumbria win promotion in Northern Fours at Hull. See full story above.
Skipper Jason Keith secured overall third place in the 2018 Over 40 Euro-Vets Grand Prix at Leicester on 6th October with a 4th place finish on the day, while Over 60 team-mate Terry Kirkup won the final round to finish second overall.
The 2018 Northumbria Riders Championship/TK Trophy was held on Sunday 23rd September at 11am and was followed by a series of Challenge matches between Northumbria, Edinburgh and Hull. See report link on @ Crammy menu above.
Sunday 19th August 2018saw the Vikings travelling to near neighbours Edinburgh Falcons for a challenge match, only the second time we've raced as a team this year following our disappointing but enforced withdrawal from the North & Scotland League at the end of 2017 due to rider shortages. A wet and cool afternoon was livened up by some great action on track with Edinburgh comfortably claiming victory.
2018 sees us embark on a team rebuilding programme with a serious search for junior talent led by Coach Richie Smith.
TK made some changes to the track floodlights on 23rd October while the School was on half term break. We now have much better coverage with some tweaks to the aiming angle of each lamp.
Dr Bike condemns our brakes!Jason Keith forgets his shoes!
Andy Knowles was untouchable in the quest for our "Clubman of the Year" award for the third year running in 2017. After his nasty hand injury at the back end of the season his big brother, Euro-Vet regular Mick Knowles accepted the award on Andy's behalf in his absence. Here receives his belated "Vikings Clubman of the Year 2016" award from Sheffield Team Manager Adrian Brownell. This was the second year running that our semi-detached (Middlesborough) Mister Dependable had won this award in recognition of not only his fabulous support in travelling with a home team 30 miles distant, but also his totally unselfish on-track performances which have also made him our Bonus Point King.
Saturday 29th October 2016 and our British Cycling Head Coach, Richie Smith joins a very select band of fully-qualified Cycle Speedway Coaches at Wednesfield, elevating himself from Lord to God at the Vikings lair. Not sitting on his newly-won laurels, Richie immediately sizes up some opportunities for winter indoor racing at several venues on Tyneside should the desire to race be strong enough. Some interest has already been shown by several of Terry Kirkup's Team Midaircrisis mountain bike club colleagues so we may see some fresh talent if this comes off.
We are always looking for extra help on match days and all such offers would be gratefully accepted and really appreciated. Like most other amateur sports clubs we do depend heavily upon parents and relatives, so if you think you could offer to help out in even the smallest way then just ask any club member for further information. You can also e-mail our Volunteer Co-ordinator through our inbox at vikings @ northumbriacsc.org
CALLING ALL UNDER 16 RIDERS AND POTENTIAL RIDERS! (and your folks!)
and of course anyone else over 16, both ladies and gentlemen - there is NO UPPER AGE LIMIT and this year we have riders in their early-20's and early 40s making their debuts! Come along on Saturday and show us what you can do!
Keep watching here and our FaceBook page (see link below) for information on training, racing and coaching, and come see what our Sport can offer YOU!
