SCB PRESS RELEASE: EDINBURGH v WORKINGTON

FOLLOWING an article in the Speedway Star dated July 27 in a section written by Peter Oakes under the headline “Just Saying” the Speedway Control Bureau (SCB) would like to clarify the facilities that the Workington team had been granted for the fixture at Edinburgh on Friday July 19.

The SCB received a call from the Workington Team Manager at 11.02am on the morning of July 19 informing us that due to the Global Technical Glitch which was to end up cancelling a number of flights coming into the UK, Claus Vissing’s flight to Amsterdam from Denmark had been cancelled, and therefore he would be unable to make his connecting flight to Edinburgh.

As these were extenuating circumstances, under SCB Regulation 010.5 p) Workington would be granted a facility for the absent Vissing. Bearing in mind that they were already using Rider Replacement for the injured Tate Zischke, this meant the Workington Team Manager making frantic calls to riders to see if any would be able to make it to Edinburgh for that evening’s fixture.

Then at 12.35pm, again the SCB were contacted by the Workington Team Manager, this time to inform us that Celina Liebmann had made it to Luton Airport, but her flight to Edinburgh from Luton had been cancelled, and all further flights that day to Edinburgh were full and she would also be unable to make it to Armadale that evening.

Again, as these were extenuating circumstances the same facility was applied and Workington would able to cover her absence with a guest up to and including her current average.

The SCB requested and received documentation of both Vissing’s and Liebmann’s cancelled flights.

The SCB understand that despite the Workington Team Manager doing all he could to find suitable guests to appear at Edinburgh that evening, due to the lateness of the notice that both Vissing and Liebmann would not be in attendance, and also with six of the nine Championship teams riding that evening, no Championship riders were available to make it to Edinburgh in time for that evening’s fixture.

Therefore, the only option was for Workington to use two riders who were at Edinburgh that evening representing their Northern Junior League team.

The SCB are very disappointed that Mr Oakes went to print with this article without contacting either Workington or the SCB for any comments.