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2/5/21  -  CRAYFORD PRESS & PRACTISE DAY

The Kestrels held their Press & Practise on a day where the sunshine went toe-to-toe with the rain and sleet throughout the afternoon.  Thankfully though the weather held off for long enough so that Official Photographer Kev Whiting and crews from both ITV Meridian and the Warner Brothers Documentary Film Unit could get their content.

As well as unveiling the clubs brand new logo resplendent on the excellent individually stitched ‘old skool’ race jackets once again produced by master craftsman Roy Miller of RMR Products, the Kestrels were proud to introduce two new members to the Crayford squad.  Having enjoyed a few practise skids over the last few seasons, 19-year old Roksana Brzeska, who hails from Tczew, Poland is now stepping up to compete in this seasons main support event The Lydd Trophy.  This valuable track time will undoubtably help Rox with her development and her goal to claim a team place with Crayford.  The Kestrels other new face and our first ever Youth rider, is 13-year old Charlie Wood who lives just a short distance away from the track in nearby Staplehurst. Charlie has been riding since he was eight, predominantly on 125cc but is stepping up to a 250 this season and this likeable & talented rider has a big future in front of him.

Crayford were happy to report that the rest of their 2020 squad will all be returning for this season, although Kestrels number one Jamie Couzins may miss the odd meeting as he’s now been signed by the Kent Royals to race in the NDL and James Laker will also be doubling up following his signing by Ipswich for their Premiership Junior League team and his continued contract with Eastbourne Seagulls in the MSDL.

With Crayford currently having more home matches than the likes of pro-club Mildenhall, the Kestrels management are looking forward to another successful season at their Romney Marsh base and hopefully very soon the public will also be allowed to attend meetings as the Government lockdown restrictions begin to ease.  Already Crayford were happy to welcome to this press day Kestrel legends Alan Sage, Paul Woods & Club President Laurie Etheridge who joined Keith Cornell in the pits and its hoped that many more former riders will pay a visit to Lydd this season.

 

 

 

 

3/3/21  -  FIXTURE UPDATE – CARMARTHAN DRAGONS TO VISIT THE KESTRELS

Crayford are proud to announce that the Carmarthan Dragons will be visiting Lydd on Sunday October 10th for an Inter-Club Challenge match. Following the loss of their home track in 2005, the Dragons were resurrected by Lawrence Fielding and competed in the MDL and MSDL before losing their home base at Stoke at the end of 2019.  A reluctance to allow ‘nomad’ clubs to compete in the junior league in 2020 prevented both Crayford and Carmarthan from even considering an entry, although the pandemic put paid to the competition anyway.  Therefore, with a continued ‘ban’ on nomad teams in 2021, its a pleasure that the two clubs were able to agree a suitable date for this match.  For further information, please visit the FIXTURES page on this website.

 

5/2/21  -  CRAYFORD KESTRELS 2021 FIXTURE LIST RELEASED

please visit the ‘Fixtures’ page on this website

Crayford are proud to release our 2021 Fixture List, which contains a number of mouth-watering team matches.  The Kestrels open the season on 9th May with the “Battle of Belgar Farm 2.0″, a rematch against our landlords and Lydd Speedway’s home club, the Romney Falcons.  Last seasons hard fought encounter went right down to the wire with Crayford only just emerging victorious by 2 points after 20 heats of close speedway action.

The Kestrels then entertain another Kent side and our oldest derby rivals Canterbury on 13th June, followed by potentially the toughest opposition that will visit Lydd in the shape of the very strong Scunthorpe Stags.  Unfortunately, last seasons home and away fixtures against The Stags fell foul to the pandemic but we’re keeping everything crossed that lockdown conditions will have vastly improved by the summer.

Following Lydd’s annual staging of their ever-popular Britsh Vets Championship on 24th July, the Kestrels then entertain another nomadic club in the shape of the resurrected Wimbledon Dons.  28th August sees the re-staging of the 90th Anniversary Best Pairs event that fell foul to the weather at the back end of last season and on 19th September, yet another nomadic club visits Crayford with a second challenge match against our good friends the Thurrock Hammers, who will no doubt be keen for revenge following last seasons defeat by the Kestrels.

All in all, 2021 promises to be a great season of competitive racing and once again, with a number of pro clubs either not running this year or considering that decision, the Kestrels are proud to be the one club that offers riders a chance to race speedway.  Dependent upon the prevailing government restrictions at the time, the above meetings will hopefully also be open to the public!

 

 

PETE WIGLEY 1951 – 2021

It is with great sadness that on 26th January we said goodbye to a much loved member of the ‘Crayford Family’ Pete Wigley, who passed away at home after a short illness.  Pete started his racing career grass-tracking before moving onto the shale in 1972, where he raced with distinction for Wimbledon, Rayleigh, Rye House and finally Crayford.  Popular with both riders and fans alike, it is an often used cliche, but he really was one of the nicest men in speedway and will be sadly missed by all.  Pete was a great supporter of the recent Crayford revival and was present when we fielded a Kestrels pairing at Kent in their Anniversary Pairs meeting and he also attended meetings at Iwade to support Crayford as we competed in the 2019 SSL. He is survived by his wife Christine.  RIP

 

31/10/20  -  90th ANNIVERSARY BEST PAIRS FALLS FOUL OF THE WEATHER

Unfortunately Crayford’s season finale fell victim to a severe change in the weather forecast when the heavy rain storm projected to hit the Lydd area around 2pm decided to pay an early visit forcing the abandonment of the meeting after just two completed heats! Commemorating Crayford Speedway’s 90th Anniversary season, the Best Pairs Championship also paid homage to the select few riders who have competed at Lydd in this pandemic shortened season and featured not only some of the 2020 Kestrels squad but also riders who had ridden for this seasons opposition, namely the Romney Falcons, Amateur All-Stars and Thurrock Hammers.  With club loyalties cast aside, the pairings were drawn pre-meeting, creating some competitive combinations and the Crayford management have already decided to re-stage the event on Sunday, April 11th as the 2021 season opener with all the same rider pairings invited to compete.

In summary, this season has been a hugely successful one for Crayford, who despite having to operate ‘behind closed doors’ due to the lockdown restrictions of the pandemic, were able to stage three highly competitive team challenge matches and also assist Lydd Speedway in another entertaining running of their Vets Championship.  The Kestrels management would like say a big thank you to Malcom Smith for allowing the club to use his excellent track and to also thank the riders, pit support, officials and volunteers for all their efforts – as ever the ‘Crayford Family’ pulled together to make this historic season a truly memorable one, especially given the exceptional conditions that prevented the majority of British Speedway from even turning a wheel on the shale!

 

 

18/10/20  -  KESTRELS WIN THE BATTLE OF THE NOMAD CLUBS!

CRAYFORD KESTRELS   69  Rob Hollingworth 14, Chris Laidlaw 12, Jamie Couzins 10+1, Keith Cornell 10, Chris Watts 9+1, Will Little 6+4, Robbie Higgins 5+1, Josh Couzins 3+1

THURROCK HAMMERS   51   Jack Kingston 14, Nick Laurence 10, Eli Meadows 7+2, Josh Warren 6, Rhys Laker 5, James Jessop 5, Cesca Wright 2+1, James Laker 2

(Inter-club Challenge)

On a positively ‘balmy’ October afternoon, Crayford welcomed fellow nomadic club Thurrock Hammers to Belgar Farm for another ‘Behind Closed Doors’ challenge match. And following the recent cancellations of both home and away fixtures versus Scunthorpe Stags and an away match at Eastbourne due to the Government’s ever-changing rules on the pandemic, it seemed like the virus would win again when the referee had to withdraw  hours before the start due to an outbreak of Covid-19 in his family!  Thankfully, the resident assistant referee and starting marshal were able to pool their collective knowledge and made their officiating debuts ensuring the meeting went ahead.

With the visitors management also involved with the Eastbourne Seagulls MDSL operation the Hammers drew the majority of their team from that squad plus the addition of two Lydd specialists in teenager Rhys Laker and probably the highest ranked rider to face the Kestrels this season, former Kent King and Thurrock Hammer Jack Kingston.  Despite being off the track for over a year and a half, Kingston lived up to expectations with an impressive 14 point haul and with a solid 10 point return from the very quick Thurrock skipper and number one Nick Laurence, these two riders scored nearly half of the Hammers team total.  That said, there was plenty to warm the hearts of the Thurrock management with the performances of current GB Youth member Eli Meadows and former moto-X racer & Danny King protege Josh Warren.  Riding at Lydd for the first time ever, both riders needed their first races to sight the track but from then on displayed great maturity and it was just reward to see both register wins in heats 12 and 18 respectively. However in contrast, it was a tough day at the office for the two Thurrock reserves Cesca Wright and James Jessop, who were also visiting the Kent track for the first time.

With Crayford heat-leader James Laker racing for the Hammers due to a contractual commitment to Eastbourne and ever-present reserve Paul Whichello now on the injured list, the Kestrels had a slightly different look to their team. Forced to search for an equal grade replacement for Laker, the Crayford management were delighted to sign the current British Vets Upright Champion & former National League legend Rob Hollingworth and at reserve the Kestrels gave a debut to former pit support member Robbie Higgins. Both proved shrewd moves as Hollingworth topped the Crayford scoresheet with a fantastic 14 points and was also the only Kestrel to beat Kingston. And despite an engine failure in his opening race, Higgins blew away the cobwebs of riding for the first time in three years, to register a very respectable paid-6.

Crayford’s number one Jamie Couzins once again displayed the speed and style that has served him well all season and his paid-11 point return was just reward for some intelligent riding. For younger sibling Josh, it was a tough and bruising afternoon hitting the deck on a couple of occasions in close combat with Thurrock’s second-strings but as ever, this likeable twenty year old soldiered on forcing the opposition to earn every point. Fully recovered from his hand injury, Kestrels captain Chris Watts looked back to his old self weighing with a well-deserved paid-10. The skipper also maintained his 100% record of winning every pre-meeting coin toss for gate positions!

As always, Will Little was in the thick of the action and from a Kestrels perspective, his exhibition of classic team-riding with fellow veteran Keith Cornell in heat 15 was an absolute joy to watch. Unfortunately, Little’s paid-10 return would have been even greater but for a nasty fall when challenging for the lead on the third lap of heat 18.

Hitting the fence hard, the Crayford vice-captain suffered a painful back injury and was finally taken from the track in an ambulance following a lengthy period of treatment on the shale. Thankfully, he was just battered and bruised but will take no further part in racing this season.

As ever, Kestrels top points scorer this season and current British Vets 2-valve Champion Keith Cornell had a great meeting and but for an engine failure in the penultimate heat, would have added further to his three victories. Crayford’s very own son Chris Laidlaw continued his fantastic run of form with another double digit return including some great battles with Hammers riders rated a grade above him.  It’s hard to believe that Laidlaw, with no prior motorcycle experience, only sat on a speedway bike just over a year ago and that this was only his fourth ever competitive meeting. Respectively scoring 11 points, paid-12, paid-15 and todays 12 point haul, he is without doubt the clubs ‘jewel in the crown’ and it’s only a matter of time before the MDSL teams come calling.

The final 69-51 scoreline belies what a competitive and hard fought contest this was. The Kestrels strength in depth proved the key and was ably illustrated by the fact that six of the eight man Crayford side registered either a win or a paid win and those same six riders all recorded scores of paid-10 points or greater.

In truth though, speedway was the real winner. And in the current surreal environment created by the pandemic, which has forced the majority of pro teams to abandon plans for 2020, it was a pleasure that two nomadic clubs who share the same passion, ethos and goals of returning the sport ‘home’, were able to enjoy the sight of their respective colours in action on the shale and hopefully, this will be the first of many such fixtures between them.

 

12/9/20  -  ROBBIE LEE HIGGINS JOINS THE KESTRELS

Following the unfortunate news that Crayford’s ever-present reserve Paul Whichello will not race again this season due to the broken wrist and back injuries sustained from his crash against the Romney Falcons, the Kestrels have moved quickly to fill the reserve position ahead of our remaining fixtures this season. We are proud to announce that Robbie Lee Higgins will be joining the club at number eight.

Robbie is no stranger to the Kestrels as he was an integral part of our pit support team throughout our SSL Championship winning run in 2019 and has also been helping Will Little and James Laker this season.  Robbie began racing around three years ago and has competed in a few meetings at both Iwade and Lydd.  He has won races at novice class and finished on the podium at the British Vets Championship. Unfortunately, he was involved in a nasty crash at the same meeting, which resulted in a badly broken leg that prevented him from racing for the majority of the last two seasons. However, now fully fit Robbie has accepted the Kestrels offer and will make his club debut on October 18th against a very strong Thurrock Hammers team.  A very popular member of the Crayford family, its great that he will be stepping up from pit support to racing for the Kestrels.

 

 

30/8/20  -  CRAYFORD WIN THE BATTLE OF BELGAR FARM!

CRAYFORD KESTRELS   60  Chris Laidlaw 13+2, Keith Cornell 13, Jamie Couzins 10, Will Little 8+1, Josh Couzins 5+2, James Laker 6, Chris Watts 5, Paul Whichello 0

ROMNEY FALCONS   58   Gary O’Hare 14+1, Rob Hollingworth 13+1, Rhys Laker 9, Shaun Bickley 7+2, Martin Tappenden 6+1, Steve Cook 5, Chris Pullen 3, Jamie Willis 1+1

(Inter-club Challenge)

On another windy but dry day on the Kent coast, the ‘tenants’ of Lydd Speedway, namely the Crayford Kestrels entertained their ‘landlords’ the Romney Falcons in what proved to be a closely fought barnstormer of a ‘derby’ meeting.  And the fact that the meeting actually ran at all was in itself a close run thing, as days of heavy rain had left parts of the track underwater just 48 hours before the fixture was due to be raced.  Thankfully tireless work from venue owner Malcom Smith and Crayford’s Keith Cornell and Rich Holmes finally insured the green light could be given with just hours notice before some riders left home for their journey to the track!

With the Romney Falcons defending an unbeaten home record that stretches back to their formation in 1998 and the Kestrels now settling into their new ‘home’ base, this was always going to be a tight affair and so it proved to be.  Sometimes, matches have close score-lines but the races themselves can often be processional, however this was definitely not the case this afternoon as the 60-58 final result was indeed a true reflection of the closely contested heats.

The Falcons immediately served notice that they intended to maintain their unbeaten record with an opening heat 4-2 from the proclaimed ‘King of Lydd’ Gary O’Hare and the ever-improving Rhys  Laker.  The Kestrels immediately hit back with a 4-2 of their own in heat 2 from skipper Chris Watts & vice-captain Will Little, and both teams then continued to trade blows until Romney finally managed to build a 7-point lead by the half-way stage.  However, before the Falcons could increase their advantage further, the Kestrels rallied back with two consecutive 5-1s in heats 11 (Keith Cornell & Chris Laidlaw) and 12 (Laidlaw & Josh Couzins) to finally get their noses in front for the first time with a slim 36-35 lead by the interval.

This tiny advantage soon disappeared when the meeting resumed, as once again O’Hare and Rhys Laker combined to hit back with a 4-2, which was then immediately enhanced with a 5-1 from Falcons heat-leaders Rob Hollingworth and Shaun Bickley putting Romney back in front with a 5-point advantage.  This ‘toe-to-toe’ contest continued with Crayford responding in kind with a 5-1 in heat 15 (Cornell & Will Little) and another maximum win in heat 17 from James Laker and team-mate Josh Couzins saw the Kestrels finally retake the lead.  Now ahead by just two points with only two heats remaining, Crayford’s ‘dynamic duo’ of Cornell and Laidlaw once again combined for a 5-1 in the penultimate heat to deliver the ‘coup de grace’ guaranteeing a Kestrels victory and inflicting the first ever defeat of the Romney Falcons at Lydd.

The top two riders of the day were Falcons heat leaders, six-time Vets Champion Gary O’Hare and fastest rider of the meeting Rob Hollingworth, who dropped just one point between them.  Ably supported by fellow veteran heat-leader Shaun Bickley and teenager Rhys Laker, the Romney team nearly had enough fire-power to win but it was the Kestrels strength in depth that proved strong enough to secure victory by the narrowest of margins.  Crayford top-scorer Chris Laidlaw built upon his solid introduction to team racing in last months opening fixture with a paid 15 from seven rides.  And his large points haul was all the more impressive considering he rode the majority of the meeting nursing a back injury sustained in his spectacular crash in heat 7, which left him sprawled on the centre green in agony.  Unfortunately, fellow Kestrel reserve Paul Whichello suffered the same fate when he looped at the start of heat 8 but fared less well and had to retire from the meeting with a suspected broken wrist.  Joining Laidlaw at the top of the scoresheet (and for two very important 5-1s) was former London Road Kestrel Keith Cornell, who weighed in with another well-deserved 13 point tally despite having to use his back-up machinery for most of the meeting.

Crayford’s smooth riding number one Jamie Couzins claimed some notable scalps and his wins in heats 6 and 9 were instrumental in helping the Kestrels hang onto the Falcons ‘coat-tails’ as they attempted to increase their early match lead.  Younger sibling Josh showed great maturity in his paid 7 return, which included a fine example of team riding in heat 12, when he superbly defended both inside and outside lines against Falcons skipper Steve Cook. This tactical racing enabled his team mate Laidlaw to roar clear for a much needed 5-1 and resulted in Crayford taking the lead for the first time in the meeting.  Once again both Will Little and James Laker were in the thick of the action with some brave and battling performances, and Laker’s impressive heat 17 win was just reward for the tremendous effort this ‘never-say-die’ teenager had put in all afternoon.

In summary, this contest was another fantastic advert for grass-roots speedway with two evenly matched sides locking horns for some tough and close racing.  For now, local bragging rights reside with Crayford but Romney are already keen for revenge and hopefully a rematch can be arranged before the seasons end.

 

 

26/8/20  -  TWO NEW SPONSORS LEND THEIR SUPPORT TO THE KESTRELS

Crayford’s Commercial Manager Paul Whichello, has been hard at work during the recent lock-down and the results of his labour have today borne fruit with the signing of two new sponsorship deals for the Club.  The Kestrels are proud to welcome Rob Racing and CHC Commercials as joint lead sponsors alongside Clean My Ride and Rock Oil.

Rob Couzins was a regular in the Crayford pits last season, helping our riders with his vast experience and mechanical support and it is with great pleasure we can formally welcome Rob and his business Rob Racing as a joint lead sponsor of the Club. Rob Racing are specialists in speedway and grass track equipment, building machines and supplying parts for junior spec through to adults at competitive prices with a dedicated after-sales service. For further information, please visit: www.robracing.kong365.com

Crayford are also proud to announce the support of CHC Commercials as joint lead sponsors and we hope this is the beginning of a long and rewarding relationship. Operated by Kelly Holland and her son Harry, Surrey based CHC have over 15 years’ experience in high-quality used commercial vehicles, including de-fleeted and ex-hire models. For further information, please visit: www.chccommercials.co.uk

 

 

26/7/20  -  CRAYFORD’S SEASON FINALLY BEGINS

CRAYFORD KESTRELS   66   Keith Cornell 13+1, Will Little 10+2, Chris Laidlaw 9+3, Chris Watts 9, Jamie Couzins 8+1, James Laker 7+2, Josh Couzins 7+1, Paul Whichello 3

AMATEUR ALL-STARS   54   Aaron Jackson 14+1, Jacob Clouting 12, Steve Cook 8+2, Rhys Laker 7+1, Chris Pullen 7, Tony Gaul 5+1, Gavin Ware 1+1, Martin Tappenden 0

(90th Anniversary Challenge)

On a sunny but windy Sunday afternoon in deepest Kent, speedway history was made when the UK’s first competitive team match of 2020 and the first ever since a government lock-down was held at Lydd Speedway with the kind permission of owner Malcom Smith.  Two eight-man teams representing Crayford and an Amateur All-Stars select competed over a newly devised 20 heat match format interspersed with supporting junior races.

In a strongly competitive contest, the Kestrels emerged victorious by 66-54 but the scoreline slightly flattered the home side as only two points ever separated the teams right up until heat 12 with the lead changing hands five times in those first eleven races and the destination of the match only decided in the penultimate heat.

For the visitors, amongst some fine battling performances, Australian speedster Aaron Jackson stood out with a 15-point paid maximum including a victory in heat 16 that saw him break the eight year old Lydd track record.  This was Jackson’s last meeting before he heads back home to Queensland but we are sure to hear more of this super quick racer.

The other All-Star heat leaders Jacob Clouting and Rhys Laker were both in outstanding form.  The fast starting Clouting registered some impressive winning times and nearly broke the track record himself in heat 5 but for easing down at the line.  He also came close to registering a paid maximum, when following four straight wins, he crashed in the final heat of the afternoon whilst challenging Crayford skipper Chris Watts for second place.  As he drove under Watts exiting the fourth bend, Clouting caught too much drive throwing him off the back of his bike and sending it spinning through the air nearly crossing the finishing line before it came to a halt.  Former Kent Kings mascot and Reading MSDL regular Laker was a last minute replacement but the 19yo grabbed the opportunity with both hands producing some excellent performances in a tough grade, including a wheel-to-wheel battle with Crayford’s Josh Couzins, that saw both riders come together twice down the back straight of heat 6.  The All-Stars heat-leaders were ably supported by regulars from the amateur scene in the shape of ex-Wimbledon Don and All-Stars skipper Chris ‘Mad Dog’ Pullen; speedway and grass-track racer Gavin Ware; the fast starting former Rye House second-halver Tony Gaul and with a solid paid 10 return, the veteran speedster Steve Cook, who at 68 years young, drove all the way from his home in Lincolnshire and rode in seven races as he covered for Lydd regular Martin Tappenden, who unfortunately injured himself in his opening ride and was advised to retire from the meeting by the attending medical team.

The home side Crayford also demonstrated plenty of strength in depth and two of their top scorers ably illustrate how the revival of the club has crossed three generations.  As covered previously on this website and in the Speedway Star, the return of 62yo Keith Cornell to the club that gave him his debut way back in 1981 and saw him this afternoon once again don a Kestrels race jacket after a gap of 37 years has provided the Crayford with a tangible link back to its old London Road days.  And the popular Cornell returned with a bang as he top scored with a paid 14 from five rides, including a last to first win in his final heat showing there’s still plenty of life left in the old dog!  At the other end of this three generation story is the Kestrels novice reserve Chris Laidlaw, who in only his second ever speedway meeting and his first ever team match weighed in as joint second top scorer.  And in two heats Cornell and Laidlaw rode together, registering 5-1 and 4-2 heat wins.

Another interesting storyline running through the Kestrels team were the Couzins brothers racing together for the very first time.  Former Lakeside and Kent National League racer and Kestrels number one Jamie, who was returning to the track after a niggling injury sidelined him for most of 2019, was joined by his younger sibling Josh at number two.  Together, they made a formidable combination and were the first brothers to ride in a Crayford team since 1936 when early pioneers John and Reg Guntrip raced.

The Kestrels also benefited from the battling performances of heat-leaders James Laker and Chris Watts; vice-captain Will Little and popular reserve Paul Whichello.  18yo Laker found himself in the middle of some tough scraps with his opposite numbers on the All-Stars team and despite suffering a nasty crash in heat 5 when he and Clouting connected on the second bend, he shook this off to record an impressive paid 9.  Also weighing in with a 9 point haul was Kestrels skipper Watts, who led the team by example having to fight hard for every point in some very competitive races.  Will Little, seemed thoroughly at home on his favourite track today and this showed as he finished joint second top scorer.  His points haul included a great tussle with ‘Mad Dog’ Pullen in heat 18.  Little stalked the All-Stars skipper until the last lap when he rode around the boards on the exit of the second bend overhauling Pullen down the back straight to claim the chequered flag and secure at least a draw for Crayford.  The result of the match was finally decided in the following heat when Josh Couzins rode to victory in the rerun following a controversial stoppage.

This meeting was an excellent advertisement for the sport and a credit to grass-roots speedway.  Filled with competitive racing, spills and total commitment from all the riders, this afternoon’s fixture thoroughly lived up to its historic billing. It was a shame that the public were not allowed to attend however, thankfully for those who still wish to relive the action, they can do so as the entire event was filmed by T2TV and will shortly be available as a dvd.

Photo credits: Kevin Whiting, Spotlight Photography

 

10/7/20  -  INTRODUCING THE 2020 CRAYFORD KESTRELS

The Kestrels management are proud to introduce the 2020 team resplendent in their new race-jackets.  The striking body colours were produced by Roy Miller of RMR Products to commemorate the 90th anniversary of Crayford Speedway.  The team lined up for a ‘social-distancing’ photo taken by official photographer Kevin Whiting at the club’s recent private press day.  Lining up like a group of ‘gunslingers’, the Kestrels fans have nicknamed them “The Hateful Eight” - one better than the Hackney Hawks ‘Magnificent Seven’!!

And with plans already at an advanced stage, it won’t be long before the Kestrels take flight and race their first competitive match of this delayed season.

 

3/7/20  -  CRAYFORD ANNOUNCE NEW SPONSORSHIP DEALS

Crayford are proud to announce the signing of two sponsorship deals worth thousands of pounds of support for the Kestrels riders.  Each member of the Crayford team will receive branded product, helping them to keep the costs of racing as low as possible.

Firstly, last seasons sponsors Clean My Ride have renewed their commitment to the club and both the Crayford management and squad are enormously grateful for company owner Paul Taylor’s continued support.  Clean My Ride were the first sponsors to step forward and help the team during the Kestrels SSL Championship winning run and its a pleasure to continue the close and productive relationship we have with this excellent and forward thinking business.

And in a major coup from Crayford’s Commercial Manager Paul Whichello, the club are excited to announce that Rock Oil, a world famous manufacturer of lubricants and fuels, are supporting the team with a generous deal that involves each rider receiving a range of their motorcycle products.  Established in 1928, Rock Oil have been great supporters of British motorsport throughout the years and are currently lead sponsors of the British Super Bike series.  In addition, their interest in speedway has included sponsorship of Tai Woffinden and Jason Crump, as well as supporting the late great Simon Wigg and its an honour for Crayford to join forces with such an illustrious company.

Together, the deals with Clean My Ride and Rock Oil represent many thousands of pounds worth of financial support for our riders and guarantee not only that the Kestrels are using the finest products available in the sport but also illustrate the commitment of Crayford to support those who wear the red, yellow and black.

 

1/7/20  -  THE KESTRELS NEW MASCOT

Crayford are pleased to welcome the newest member to their squad in the shape of nine year old Leelan Little, grandson of the Kestrels vice-captain Will Little.

Leelan has been appointed as club mascot and will ride his brand new 125cc mini-speedway bike at home meetings resplendent in his custom-made junior race jacket (courtesy of Roy Miller at RMR Products, who have produced all this seasons Crayford body-colours).

And just maybe Leelan will follow in the footsteps of the many mascots who went on to enjoy successful speedway careers.

 

18/6/20  -  CRAYFORD COMPLETE THEIR SQUAD WITH THE BEST YOUNG TALENT IN KENT

Jamie Couzins and James Laker, members of the Kent Kestrels SDL 2018 Championship winning side and considered amongst the brightest prospects of young speedway talent in Kent, are both joining Crayford as heat-leaders.

JAMIE COUZINS
Crayford are proud to announce that Jamie Couzins, elder brother of Kestrels ‘wunderkind’ Josh, will be joining the Kestrels as their number one and heat-leader.  Twenty-four year old Jamie already has National League experience under his belt with both Lakeside and Kent.  He began riding at the age of 9, progressing from 125cc to eventually racing 500cc at both Lydd and Iwade training tracks.  In 2012, following regular pre-meeting racing at Lakeside, Jamie was selected to join the Young Hammers AJL squad but unfortunately a nasty collarbone injury prevented him from taking his place. Finally in 2015, he signed for the Kent Kings and competed in over twenty NL and challenge matches that season.  Jamie moved to Lakeside in 2017, where he became a team regular and also rode for the Hammers in their League Play-Off Semi-Finals against Belle Vue.

He returned to Kent the following season, where he posted solid performances in the Kings team and rode in their League Play-Off Semi-Finals against Mildenhall.  As well as a full season at reserve in the NL, Jamie also helped the Kent Kestrels SDL side to championship success.  Unfortunately, a niggling injury prevented him from racing no more than a couple of meetings in 2019, including an appearance for the Southern Track Riders team in the opening round of the SSL, where he topped scored and caught the eye of the Crayford management.

Jamie is undoubtably a great talent and Crayford are keen to help him continue his career in the professional ranks as well as leading the Kestrels to victory on the amateur scene.

 

 

JAMES LAKER
The Kestrels are excited to announce that following a successful and very hectic 2019, eighteen year old speedster James Laker will also be joining the club as a heat-leader.  As well as making his competitive debut in the National League last season riding for the Kent Kings, James also guested for Stoke Potters in the NL and rode for two amateur clubs in separate competitions throughout the year.  Firstly, as captain of Weymouth Wildcats in the MSDL where he topped the averages and swept the board at the end of season presentations, winning both the Management’s and Team’s “Rider of the Season” awards.  And secondly, riding as number one for SSL Championship runners-up Sittingbourne, where he was one of the League’s top performers and instrumental in helping the Crusaders challenge Crayford for top honours.  James, who hails from Sandwich in Kent, began riding at the age of 12 at the Hagon Shocks Academy based at Lakeside.   From there he progressed to compete in the British Youth Championships in 2015, 2016 and 2017 racing 125cc up to 500cc.  In 2017, Laker joined the Kent Kestrels SDL team and was also a member of their League Championship winning side in 2018.

Having now dipped his toe into National League waters, the future looks bright for this likeable and dedicated rider and Crayford are pleased to be supporting James in his bid to secure a regular place with a NL outfit.

 

15/6/20  -  A FORMER KESTREL RETURNS!

Providing an amazing and tangible connection back to the Kestrels London Road days, former Crayford reserve Keith Cornell rejoins the club who gave him his competitive debut way back in 1981. Keith began racing speedway in the late 1970s at Iwade, where he became Club Captain and was originally asked to join our Kent rivals Canterbury but he chose Crayford instead and so began a career with the Kestrels that has now been rekindled over three and a half decades later!

Unfortunately, Cornell’s speedway career was plagued by injury and subsequently he made only a handful of appearances in the 1981/82 seasons.  And it was in April 1982, whilst riding in a World Championship qualifier at Crayford that his career came to a premature halt. Racing in second place behind London Road track specialist Tom Owen, Keith had nowhere to go when the Newcastle number one suddenly came off on the third turn. Cornell could not avoid the fallen riders bike, which propelled Keith into the safety fence breaking his leg in four places!  That pretty much ended his career as Crayford closed in 1983 whilst he was still recovering from his injuries.

Keith returned to racing via grass-track in 1987 and competed at a high level culminating in a very successful 1989 season, where he won 11 out of 14 meetings and qualified for the British Finals.  Unfortunately due to ACU politics, he wasn’t allowed to compete in the Finals and frustrated with his treatment he left the sport that season. Roll on ten years and he returned to grass-track racing when invited to compete in the British Past Masters, which he duly won remaining undefeated throughout the meeting.  Keith then didn’t sit on a bike again until last season, when he entered the British Vets Championship at Lydd Speedway and finished on the winners rostrum with a very respectable third place.  As the 2019 season entered its final month, Cornell supported the Kestrels in the pits as they wrapped up the SSL Championship and it was there he accepted an offer from the Crayford Management to rejoin the club as a competitive rider.

This is truly a fantastic link to Crayford’s past and it will be a memorable day when Keith once again dons the red, yellow and black colours to race for the Kestrels after a break of 37 years!

 

 

21/4/20  -  90 YEARS OLD TODAY

Crayford Speedway celebrates its 90th Anniversary.

On this date in 1930, the first ever speedway meeting in Kent was held at the Crayford Fairfield.  Crayford Speedway’s opening meeting was held on Easter Monday 21st April 1930 in front of “over 1,400 persons”. The afternoon’s racing was dominated by WJ Hewstone who won the Crayford Cup, Bexley Heath Cup, Solo Championship and both his match races against HW Osborne and EH Langman. Hewstone also set the track record with a winning time of 2m 12.5secs. The only other winner on the day was EAJ Angus who emerged victorious in the Dartford Cup event.

Please visit the ‘HISTORY’ page of this website for further information

 

15/3/20  -  SEASON DELAYED!

Following the recommendations of the ACU, we have suspended the start of the season pending the relaxation of the public gathering restrictions due to the CV-19 pandemic.  Further updates will be posted on this website and on our social media feed.  Stay safe

 

 

1/3/20  -  KESTRELS APPOINT OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPHER

Crayford are pleased to announce the appointment of Kevin Whiting of Spotlight Photography Services (facebook.com/spotlightphotographyservices/) as our Official Photographer this season.

Kevin is a great friend to the Kestrels and will be in attendance at all Crayford home meetings and also travel with us to our away fixtures.

 

31/1/20  -  90th ANNIVERSARY SEASON

This season marks the 90th Anniversary of the first ever speedway meeting held in Kent at the Crayford Fairfield on April 21st, 1930 and the club fully intends to celebrate this landmark.  More details to follow.

The Kestrels are also in the final stages of compiling this seasons fixture list, which will see the club return to full team matches, basing their home meetings (with special thanks to the generosity of Malcom Smith) at Lydd Speedway alongside the Rommey Falcons.

 

 

16/12/19  -  WILL LITTLE & PAUL WHICHELLO JOIN THE CRAYFORD MANAGEMENT TEAM

It is with great pleasure that Crayford Kestrels Amateur Speedway Club can announce the appointment of Will Little and Paul Whichello to their management team.  Both riders were key to the success of the Kestrels in their comeback season and with plans now being formulated for next year and beyond, the existing management team felt it was key to increase both personnel and expertise in the running of the club.

This seasons vice-captain Will Little, has been appointed as Operations Manager and will have key input in the day-to-day running of the club.  Kestrels 2019 ever-present reserve Paul Whichello, has been appointed as Commercial Manager, where he will capitalise on his successful involvement in this seasons ‘Clean My Ride’ deal.  Both will also continue to race for the Kestrels next season.

Further information regarding Crayford’s 2020 plans will be announced early in the New Year.

 

20/10/19  -  CRAYFORD ARE SSL CHAMPIONS!!!

 

Result:  Sittingbourne 49,  Crayford 41,  Oxford 38,  STR 36,  Wimbledon 14

SSL CHAMPIONSHIP – FINAL LEAGUE TABLE 2019

1. Crayford Kestrels                   259 pts  (wins 3)
2. Sittingbourne Crusaders        242 pts  (wins 2)
3. Wimbledon Dons                   224 pts  (wins 1)
4. Oxford Cheetahs                   199 pts  (wins 0)
5. Southern Track Riders           145 pts  (wins 0)
6. Lincolnshire Poachers            113 pts  (wins 0)

 

After a long hard summer, Crayford emerged victorious to claim the SSL Championship in this, their comeback season after an absence of over 35 years. And once again, it was the strength in depth of the Kestrels team coupled with yet another star debut from an un-raced novice that won through.

But the afternoon was not without its scares and the destination of the League title was only decided in heat 33 when, with just four heats left of the competition, vice-captain Will Little led from start to finish and mathematically secured the destination of the Championship. Still racing with injuries sustained in July, he showed the typical gutsy display of competitive racing that has been the hallmark of his attitude throughout the season. This was also in evidence in heat 30 when having missed the gate, Little drove hard into bends 3 and 4 to go from last to first in one fell swoop and secure yet another heat victory.

Completing a successful afternoon for Crayford was the debut of novice Chris Laidlaw. The son of long-time Kestrel supporters Tim and Sally and a popular member of the large group of fans behind the clubs return to the track, Chris made an unbelievable start to his speedway career easily winning his first three races and only denied a full maximum when beaten in his final heat by a rider, who for some strange reason was allowed by the officials to drop down two grades and race at the novice level!  What made Laidlaw’s debut even more impressive was the fact that he hadn’t even sat on a speedway bike before April of this year and had never ridden a single lap at Iwade until today!  Without doubt, young Chris is a tremendous talent and the Crayford management are excited to include him in their future plans.

1. Chris Watts (c)     0,2,1,3        =     6
2. Will Little              2,2,1,3,3     =   11
3. Josh Couzins       3,Fx            =     3
4. Paul Whichello     2,1,1,1        =     5
5. Louis Bryant        1,2,2           =     5
6. Chris Laidlaw       3,3,3,2        =   11

However, it was a tough day at the office for the Kestrels teenage superstar Josh Couzins, who following an impressive first heat win suffered a freak accident whilst leading in his second race.  Unfortunately Couzins had to retire from the rest of the meeting with a broken bike and a few bumps and bruises, including a bang to the head as he was propelled into the shale when his front wheel collapsed.  Losing young Josh put a lot of pressure on the rest of team but with the same battling spirit that has marked their entire season, skipper Chris Watts along with reserves Paul Whichello and Louis Bryant dug deep and rode to management instructions securing the points required to maintain Crayford’s advantage over the opposition.

The post-meeting presentations of the SSL Championship trophy and individual medals to the Kestrel riders were greeted with traditional war-cries from the large group of Crayford fans in attendance, who then joined the team on the centre green to celebrate a fantastic end to this comeback season.  And the icing on the cake was novice reserve Louis Bryant winning the ‘SSL Most Improved Rider of the Season’, a fitting award for a great competitor and an influential member of the Crayford team. Louis has come along way from his unbeaten debut in May, when he was having to practise racing starts in the pits ahead of his first ever competitive race!

The Crayford management and fans would like to thank the 2019 Kestrels (skipper Chris Watts, vice-captain Will Little, Josh Couzins, Paul Whichello, Louis Bryant, Chris Laidlaw, Gavin Ware & Jacob Clouting) for representing the club with such honour – every rider has done the red, yellow and black colours proud.  Also a big thank you to the following for all their help and support behind the scenes this season, ‘The Crayford Pit Crew’: Robbie Lee Higgins, Roksana Brzeska, Jamie Couzins, Jake Couzins, Terry Watts, Pete Watts, Rob Watts & Tim Laidlaw.  Plus, special thanks to Julian Couzins, Martin Tappenden, Jeanette Little, Keith Cornell, Rob Couzins of Rob Racing and the season-long sponsorship from Paul Taylor and Clean My Ride. And finally, thanks to Geoff Young and Amanda Morrison for allowing us to use their excellent photos on this website.

This season has seen a victorious return to the shale for Kent’s oldest speedway club and has also seen the Crayford management and fans fulfil their goal of encouraging new talent into the sport, ably illustrated by the fact that three of the Kestrels Championship winning team made their competitive speedway debuts this season.  With planning already under way for 2020, the Kestrels are well and truly back!

Crayford Kestrels – SSL Champions 2019

 

 

9/10/19  -  NOVICE CHRIS LAIDLAW MAKES HIS COMPETITIVE TEAM DEBUT!

With the final and deciding round of the SSL Championship taking place on October 20th at Iwade, Crayford are proud to announce the debut of 27 year old novice Chris Laidlaw.  Chris is the son of Tim and Sally, both Crayford fans who use to watch the Kestrels race at London Road and form part of the large contingent of supporters who are behind the clubs return to the shale this season.  Its a very proud moment for the Crayford management to welcome ‘one of our very own family’ into the team for what will be the most crucial meeting of the season.

And this is truly an amazing story in that prior to a visit to Rye House in April this year, Chris had never even sat on a speedway bike nor had he any prior motorbike experience other than riding to work each day.  And yet only six months later, he makes his competitive team debut for the Kestrels!  However Chris is no stranger to the Crayford team members, as he has spent most SSL meetings this season helping out in the pits and has also ridden in the clubs recent private practise session.

Chris will be the third ‘unraced’ novice to make their competitive debut this season for the Kestrels, fulfilling the goal of the club to encourage new talent on to the shale.  In fact, to illustrate just how successful this policy has been, when Crayford line up for the final round of the SSL, three of the six man Kestrels team had not raced competitively prior to this season!

 

 

1/9/19  -  CRAYFORD COMPLETE A HAT-TRICK OF VICTORIES!

Result:  Crayford 41,  Wimbledon 38,  Oxford 35,  Sittingbourne 26,  STR 12,  Lincolnshire 10

In an exciting and eventful round 5 of the SSL the Kestrels, fielding a full team for the first time this season, claimed their third competition victory and marginally increased their slender lead at the top of the League table. Unfortunately, the meeting had to be abandoned with 8 heats still remaining due to a horrific crash involving former National League legend and current Wimbledon number one, Rob Hollingsworth. After a lengthy period of time being treated on the track by the attending paramedics, Hollingsworth was eventually taken by Country ambulance to a local hospital where it was revealed he had suffered a punctured lung, a broken collarbone and two busted ribs! Crayford riders and management wish him a speedy recovery.

1. Chris Watts (c)    2,2,F,Fx       =     4
2. Will Little (vc)      2,3,3,3         =   11
3. Josh Couzins     3,3,3,3         =   12 maximum
4. Paul Whichello   3,2,2            =     7
5. Louis Bryant      1,2,2,2         =     7

From a Crayford perspective, this was a solid day at the office. Teenage superstar Josh Couzins, racing in only the third competitive meeting of his career scored a faultless four ride maximum from his new position in the higher intermediate grade. Without doubt young Josh has the potential to go very far in the sport and the Kestrels are keen for him to figure in their plans for next season and beyond. A welcome return to the Crayford line up was vice-captain Will Little, who despite racing in terrible discomfort from his crashes in round 3, managed to drop only one point all meeting.  An amazing feat given that not only was Will in obvious pain throughout the afternoon but also this was his first time back on a bike in six weeks!

The Kestrels ever-present reserve Paul Whichello continued his exponential improvement this season to register yet another strong score, including an exciting neck and neck battle with Dons rider Geoff Jeggo in heat 14. Also riding with controlled aggression was Crayford’s other reserve Louis Bryant. Sadly unable to attend the previous round, the management were very pleased to welcome him back to the team, where he rode ‘to orders’ and showed great maturity in patiently waiting for his opportunities. Together, the Kestrel reserves demonstrated once again the strength in depth the team has possessed all season.

Unfortunately, it was a bruising meeting for skipper Chris Watts who suffered two falls whilst challenging for points in what has now become a very tough heat-leader grade in the SSL. There are no easy races at this level and its testament to the Captains determination that he still managed two second places in very competitive heats and remains third in the SSL averages for this grade.

Having led the League since winning the first meeting, the big question is can Crayford hold on to claim the SSL Championship title in this, their comeback season after an absence of 35 years? Although the Kestrels have won three of the five rounds, they still need a solid points performance to secure victory and the destination of the Championship trophy could go down to the final few heats!  Round 6 is on October 20th tapes up at noon.

 

 

4/8/19  -  CRAYFORD’S THREE AMIGOS KEEP THE KESTRELS TOP OF THE LEAGUE

Result:  Sittingbourne 47,  Wimbledon 43,  Crayford 36,  Oxford 35,  Lincolnshire 30,  STR 21

Crayford’s chances of remaining top of the SSL looked slim at best as round 4 of the competition began today. With only three available riders due to injury to vice-captain Will Little and the very late withdrawal of Louis Bryant who was unable to get to the track, it meant that skipper Chris Watts; teenage ‘wunderkind’ Josh Couzins and veteran reserve Paul Whichello would have to work overtime to complete the near impossible 24 programmed rides between just the three of them!  And so, pre-meeting the riders and management all decided that this round of the SSL would have to be purely about damage limitation to the Kestrels overall lead in the League.

1. Chris Watts (c)    1,3,3,2,3,1,3       =    16
2. R/R
3. x
4. Josh Couzins      2,3,3,3,3,3         =     17
5. Paul Whichello    1,0,2,Fx             =       3

Once again, Kestrels captain Chris Watts led from the front taking seven rides, many in quick succession to score a very solid 16pts. Crayford’s teenage superstar and without doubt the SSL “discovery of the season” Josh Couzins, weighed in with a massive 17pts from six rides and only missed out on a full maximum when beaten by the Lincs number one!

And although his score doesn’t reflect it, reserve Paul Whichello rode his strongest meeting of the season, seriously contesting a number of heats against far higher graded opposition. And as testament to his hard riding Paul unfortunately suffered a nasty last lap head-on crash with the fourth bend air-fence whilst fiercely contesting the lead. Suffering thankfully nothing more than a few bruises, he still had to withdraw from the rest of the meeting due to a broken frame and forks.

Considering the Kestrels had only three riders and couldn’t even field a rider in nearly a third of their programmed heats, they still managed to finish in third place in the meeting and somehow retain their position at the top of the SSL, albeit by only a slim margin.

 

Round 5 is scheduled for September 1st, when hopefully Crayford will be at full strength for the first time this season!

 

26/7/19  -  OFFICIAL CRAYFORD KESTRELS MERCHANDISE NOW AVAILABLE

Please visit the ‘Club Merch’ page of this website

All profits go towards helping our riders

 

 

21/7/19 –  CRAYFORD ‘CRASH’ IN ROUND 3 OF THE SSL

Result:  Wimbledon 54,  Sittingbourne 52,  Crayford 43,  Oxford 22,  Lincolnshire 19,  STR 17

The Kestrels dream unbeaten start to their comeback season unfortunately came to a ‘crashing’ halt this afternoon. Falls for Louis Bryant, Paul Whichello, Josh Couzins and two for Will Little cost Crayford at least 8 points, which would have meant the final meeting result would have been much tighter.

In addition to having to lay his bike down after the throttle jammed open in his third ride, Crayford’s novice reserve Louis Bryant also had a spectacular and eventful opening heat. Viscously looping at the start, it was a miracle Louis didn’t end up on his back. However, he somehow managed to gain control of the bike and once back on two wheels set about hunting down the opposition with a gutsy last to first ride to clinch victory. Fellow reserve Paul Whichello fell whilst running second but thankfully was able to remount and still claim a third place finish. Kestrel’s vice-captain Will Little had two nasty falls in his first and last rides, both whilst challenging for the lead.

Unfortunately, the second was a spectacular crash that left him trapped under his bike and in a bad way with damage to both his wrist and left ankle. A subsequent visit to the hospital revealed no broken bones but unfortunately tendon and ligament damage. He now faces a tough battle to get fit for Round 4 of the SSL in two weeks time.

1. N/A
2. Chris Watts (c)   2,2,3,2,2,3        =    14
3. Will Little (vc)     Fx,2,3,2,Fx        =      7
4. R/R
5. Paul Whichello  2,1,2,1              =       6
6. Louis Bryant     3,2,Fx,1,1          =       7
7. Josh Couzins   3,3,3,Fx              =      9

However, amidst all this carnage, there were two ‘silver-linings’ to cheer the large contingent of Crayford fans in attendance. The first was the performance of ‘Mr Consistency’ Kestrel skipper Chris Watts who top scored with a massive 14 point haul, including a fantastic heat win over two National League riders, one of whom is also a GB Young Lion squad member. The second impressive performance to lift the Kestrels was the debut at novice reserve of teenager Josh Couzins. Making his first competitive starts on a 500cc bike, Josh overcame his pre-meeting nerves to easily win his first three rides. And it was a shame that his fall whilst leading in his final race, didn’t see Josh crown this magnificent debut with a maximum. That said, it was a truly spectacular performance from a genuinely nice lad and the Crayford management think the speedway world will be hearing a lot more about young Josh and they are proud to have given him his first chance in competitive racing.

Overall, a ‘tough day at the office’ for the Kestrels, who saw their League lead cut in half and it was no surprise to see last seasons League Champions, the always competitive Wimbledon Dons, emerge as Round 3 winners. At the half-way stage of the season, the SSL is shaping up nicely with only 21 points seperating the top three teams. Round 4 is scheduled for August 4th, tapes up at noon.

 

13/7/19  -  KESTRELS SIGN SPONSORSHIP DEAL

Crayford are proud to announce the signing of a season long sponsorship deal with ‘Clean MyRide’, a supplier of ”Pro-grade environmentally friendly biodegradeable motorcycle combined wash and degreaser”.  The Kestrels would like to thank Paul Taylor, the head of the Mitcham-based company for this generous offer of support, which will massively help our riders who, in true amateur spirit, pay to race speedway!

 

9/7/19  -  ’UNRACED’ NOVICE JOSH COUZINS JOINS CRAYFORD

With the SSL now expanding to seven man teams adding another rider of reserve grade, the Kestrels are pleased to announce the signing of nineteen year old Josh Couzins, the brother of former Kent Kings rider Jamie.  Josh has ridden 125cc bikes at Lydd and Iwade but stopped the last few years to complete his education and also help his brother with his speedway career.  He has only had a handful of practise sessions on a 500cc and never raced competitively, which makes his appearance for Crayford in round three of the League on July 21st all the more exciting.

Josh will be the second ‘unraced’ novice to make their competitive debut this season for the Kestrels, fulfilling the goal of the club to encourage new talent on to the shale.

 

 

6/7/19  -  TRIO OF KESTRELS IN THE BRITISH VETS CHAMPIONSHIP

On a beautiful summer’s afternoon in front of  a massive crowd, Lydd Speedway celebrated the tenth year of the Veteran Speedway Riders Open Championship.  Crayford were strongly represented by Will Little, Gavin Ware and Paul Whichello.  The competition was dominated by former Belle Vue rider Barry Ayres with a fifteen point maximum but things could have been so very different had Kestrels vice captain Will Little not had his fuel accidentally turned off just prior to him riding onto the track to compete in heat 13 against Ayres!  Unable to even move once the tapes went up the frustrated Kestrel had to watch in vain as Ayres went onto claim victory.

Little went on to drop only one more point in the rest of the meeting to finish on 11pts, just one off the podium! Crayford’s other representatives second-string Gavin Ware and reserve Paul Whichello both performed creditably finishing in sixth and seventh places with 10pts and 9pts respectively.  Whichello’s performance was all the more impressive as he was constantly racing riders above his grading and to illustrate he finished joint-top points scorer for those riders who normally compete as reserves in the Summer Sixes League.  An excellent days racing was further enhanced by the attendance of Crayford legend Alan Sage, who was helping another former Kestrel Keith Cornell in the pits.

 

 

2/6/19  -  DEPLETED KESTRELS WIN ROUND TWO OF THE SSL

Result:  Crayford 49,  Sittingbourne 40,  Wimbledon 35,  Lincolnshire 34,  Oxford 30,  STR 25

The drama for round two of the SSL began two days before the event, when on Thursday evening Crayford received the double whammy that both number one Jacob Clouting and their highly rated new number four Danny Woodward would not be racing. For Clouting, it was due to riding commitments as he had been recruited to ride for Kent in their National Trophy decider but sadly for Woodward, the news was less career positive! Unfortunately, he had been the victim of a nasty crash racing at Poole that evening in the MSDL. And to compound his woes, in addition to a painful dislocated shoulder, the crash had wrecked his bike!

Straight away the frantic search for replacements began and on Friday evening, the Kestrels were finally able to secure the services of Gavin Ware at second-string. Well-known on the local amateur circuit, Gavin hadn’t ridden a speedway bike in nearly a year but was keen to help Crayford and his efforts were not to be in vain. Unfortunately, the heat-leader position could not be filled and so ‘Rider Replacement’ would have to be used again. Given the strict grading of riders in the League this would mean lower rated second-strings competing against heat-leaders unless Kestrels skipper Chris Watts could take as many of those rider replacements as possible.

So, on another scorching hot afternoon, the depleted Kestrels took flight to build upon their unexpected victory in round one. Team and management decided the best strategy was for Watts to take as many rides as he could manage at the heat-leader grade and fill any remaining ‘empty’ heats with lower graded riders hoping to ‘nick’ a point or two. In the end, the Captain rode seven races, tactically looking after both himself and his equipment in each ride aiming for points rather than wins as the ultimate goal. And he achieved this to the letter, registering second places in every race for a solid 14 point haul and it was also fitting that it was Watts who clinched victory for the team in his final race of the afternoon when he recorded another ‘targeted’ second place!

Round one had already proved just how much strength in depth the Kestrels had and again it was solid scores from second-strings and reserves that added enough points to reward Crayford with another unlikely victory!  Vice-Captain Will Little once again had an excellent meeting scoring a gutsy 13 points from his five rides and was unlucky to suffer a puncture in his last race and not add to his three excellent wins. Sharper out of the gate this meeting thanks to some adjustments to his clutch, its not hard to imagine that it won’t be too long before Will claims his first maximum for the club! Last minute replacement Gavin Ware shook off his first race nerves to record an excellent second place in his opening ride and went onto capitalise on this excellent start with another second and a third. He also bravely stood in to take a rider replacement race against heat-leaders when Watts needed to take a well-deserved break. And its a testament to his ability, that Ware was running third until losing grip on the penultimate lap.

Reserve Paul Whichello produced a solid battling performance and kept on improving as the meeting progressed winning his final race by almost half a lap! And although Whichello rode superbly in round one, this meeting saw him take his gating and passing to a higher level and it shouldn’t be too long before he also is scoring his first maximum. Crayford’s novice reserve and star rider of the previous meeting Louis Bryant, unfortunately saw the other side of the sport when serious bike problems hampered him throughout the afternoon. However, despite mechanical gremlins, he still managed two wins when his equipment behaved itself.

1. R/R
2. Chris Watts (c)   2,2,2,2,2,2,2        =    14
3. Will Little (vc)     3,2,3,3,2               =    13
4. Gavin Ware       2,2,0,1                  =      5
5. Paul Whichello  1,2,3,3                  =      9
6. Louis Bryant     1,3,1,3                   =     8

All in all, this was another tremendous team effort from the Kestrels to maintain a 100% record in the League and go 23 points clear on the overall aggregate scores. And all this without yet fielding a six-man team! There’s now a seven week break before round three on July 21st, when hopefully Crayford will be at full strength for the first time this season.

 

 

12/5/19  -  CRAYFORD WIN THE FIRST ROUND OF THE SSL

Result:  Crayford 49,  Oxford 45,  Wimbledon 40,  STR 34,  Sittingbourne 28,  Lincolnshire 20

On an unusually warm and sunny Iwade afternoon, the Kestrels returned to the shale after an absence of over 35 years. Supported by a large group of fans, including Kestrel legend and Club President Laurie Etheridge, Crayford’s riders produced a battling display to win this first round of the Summer Sixes League (SSL). Every rider from the heat-leaders down to the reserves played their part, with no weak links as demonstrated by the following scores:

1. Jacob Clouting  0,3,2,3,2          =    10
2. Chris Watts (c)   2,2,1,2             =     7
3. Will Little (vc)     3,2,2,2,1,2        =   12
4. R/R
5. Paul Whichello  1,2,0,3,2          =     8
6. Louis Bryant     3,3,3,3              =   12 maximum

Crayford skipper Chris Watts and fellow Development League recruit Jacob Clouting performed admirably against a very competitive opposition of heat-leaders. Will Little, the Kestrels vice-captain and sole representative at second-string, put in a hard shift of six rides scoring a magnificent twelve points. In addition, Will showed great leadership in not only helping novice Louis Bryant in the pits throughout the meeting but also agreeing to take an additional two rides despite being exhausted in this, his first competitive meeting at Iwade following a nasty accident at the track last October. First reserve Paul Whichello, having only his second meeting since last September, produced a gutsy display and did well to survive repeated attempts by another rider to introduce him to the safety fence in one particular race!  And an illustration of Paul’s competitive spirit was his disappointment at only finishing second in his final ride!

Second reserve and without doubt “Rider of the Day” was Louis Bryant. Up to today Louis was a complete novice, having never raced in a competitive speedway meeting! To compound this, he had to wait a nerve-racking 18 heats before his first programmed ride.  However, he seemed unaffected by the long wait, as he led from start to finish to record a fantastic debut win. And it didn’t stop there, as Louis went on to win his remaining three rides coming from behind in every race including a last lap, last bend dive up the inside to snatch victory on the line. A twelve point maximum and the only unbeaten rider of the meeting is an amazing achievement for a novice and augers well for Crayford as the season progresses.

This was an impressive team performance from the Kestrels with great spirit in the pits and gutsy racing on the track. This will undoubtably be a tough season-long competition and the other sides now have Crayford in their sights, which will make the next round all the more interesting. Round two is scheduled for June 2nd.

 

7/5/19  -  JACOB CLOUTING JOINS CRAYFORD ON LOAN

The Kestrels are proud to announce that 19 year-old Ipswich based racer Jacob Clouting has joined the team on loan as a heat-leader alongside our skipper Chris Watts.  The son of former Poole & Ipswich star Savalas, Jacob raced last year for Kent Kings in the National League and also rode in the Kent Kestrels SDL Championship winning side. Crayford are expecting big things from this young talented rider, who is also representing Weymouth in the MSDL this season.

 

5/5/19  -  KESTRELS ANNOUNCE THEIR CAPTAIN & VICE-CAPTAIN

With just a week to go until the season opener of the SSL at Iwade, Crayford have appointed Chris Watts as their Captain and Will Little as Vice-Captain.

Both Chris and Will bring a wealth of Development League and Amateur League experience to the Kestrels.  And along with our teenage sensation James Jessop, they have been instrumental in the team building phase.

 

 

 

 

26/4/19  -  TEAM BUILDING CONTINUES

The Kestrels are proud to announce that Louis Bryant (son of Oxford team manager, Mark) has kindly stepped in to help out the team as a reserve.  Louis first rode as a teenager just having a few practise sessions at Iwade and now returns to the saddle after a 13 year break. He will make his competitive speedway debut at the season opener on May 12th.

 

21/3/19  -  BLAST FROM THE PAST

84 years ago, this advert appeared in the Kent Messenger newspaper promoting the South-East’s first amateur speedway club at Crayford.

Using a cinder based circuit laid inside the existing greyhound track, the club attracted many aspiring speedway riders.  As detailed on the “HISTORY” page of this website, riders came from all over Britain to practise and compete on the new track, with many turning professional to race for clubs such as Wimbledon, New Cross, Hackney, Aldershot, Leicester, Wimbledon, Walthamstow and Belle Vue.

In addition, the amateur club benefitted from the support of a number of pre-war speedway stars including Tiger Stevenson, Gus Kuhn, Arthur Warwick and Claude Rye, who lent his name to the Club Championship award.

Interestingly, the safety fence was constructed of wire mesh attached to concrete posts, which by all accounts kept the local hospitals busy with broken bones and related injuries!!

 

24/2/19  -  KESTRELS BEGIN TEAM BUILDING FOR AMATEUR COMPS

Crayford are proud to announce that Chris Watts, Paul Whichello and James Jessop will be joining the Kestrels for the SSL at Iwade Speedway.  Kent-based Watts, is an accomplished Development League and grass track rider having already ridden for Milton Keynes, Carmathan and the Isle of Wight and will be joining Crayford as a heat-leader.  Amateur speedway stalwart and Dragons 2017 Rider of the Year Whichello, will be racing at reserve alongside teenage sensation James Jessop.  James is currently a Development League rider with Weymouth and a past Southern Track Riders Novice Champion and Novice Pairs Champion.

In addition, the Kestrels have been boosted by amateur speedster Will Little.  Will competed in the British Amateur League at Iwade in 2018, where he performed strongly for Castleford.  Last season, Will also rode at Lydd Speedway where he finished runner-up in the Club Championship A Final & the British Vets meeting.

 

15/2/19  -  LAURIE ETHERIDGE NAMED HONORARY PRESIDENT

We are proud to announce that Kestrel legend and former skipper, Laurie Etheridge has accepted the role of Honorary President of the recently resurrected Crayford Amateur Speedway Club.  As well as being crowned NNL Riders Champion in 1975 wearing the red, yellow & black, the former England International scored over 2,500 points for the club in league and cup matches including 48 maximums!

Laurie skippered the team for eight of its nine seasons topping the averages in the first four and enjoyed a well-deserved testimonial in 1982.  Without doubt a true club legend, we are proud Laurie will be Club President and look forward to seeing him throughout the season.

 

 

11/2/19  -  CRAYFORD KESTRELS TO RIDE AGAIN!

We are pleased to announce that we will be entering the Iwade Summer Sixes League (SSL) in 2019.  An amateur contest, joining the League marks the resurrection of the Crayford Amateur Speedway Club, originally established in 1935 and the first of its kind in the South of England.

 

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