HALLAMSHIRE LEAGUE


400 YOUNGSTERS TRY CYCLE SPEEDWAY FOR THE FIRST TIME - posted 17 December 2009

With the seventh and final round of the Hallamshire Go-Ride League being staged at the prestigious English Institute of Sport in Sheffield, plenty of people turned up to watch a terrific afternoon's racing at the new venue.

In the second year of competition, rider numbers swelled from 42 in 2008 to 62 (including 13 girls over all categories) by the end of the 2009 season and a record number of teams - thirteen - formed by members of the Sheffield club augmented by riders from the city's schools and youth groups, was the highest number of team competing in the city league for well over 40 years.

This was especially encouraging as the vast majority of the riders were novices. Few of the riders competing represented any of the Sheffield teams in inter-city competition in 2009, although plans for the newly-name Hallamshire Go Race League in2010 will include a section for more experienced riders and it is hoped that many of the riders from the 2009 competition will step up to British Youth & Junior League and regional competitions next season.

Cookson Park easily won the team event whilst the Grand Prix titles went to Niamh Morton (Under-8), Niall Morton (Under-10), Kyle Brough (Under-12), Aiden Owen (Under-14) and Liam Webster (Open). Sandra Tamborska took the Girls' title in a competition that saw a record 11 girls compete.

The Hallamshire Go Ride League forms the natural progression from the schools' taster sessions and competitions that had attracted almost 400 students to try cycle speedway during 2009.