Astley & Tyldesley skipper Damien Hack was in action in the European Junior Individual Cycle Speedway Championships at Sandwell at the weekend. As expected, the competition was tough, but Damien put in some terrific rides in his Semi-Final event.

However, his bid to reach the final was terminated due to a disgraceful decision by Sandwell referee Pete Dalley, an official who has consistently robbed A & T riders over the years. Everybody present saw Polish rider Lukasz Jozwiak of Bydgoszcz clearly move before the start of heat 10, but Dalley saw fit to adjudge Damien Hack as the culprit and his subsequent exclusion from that race from a favourable starting position was sufficient to end his challenge, as the points lost were just too much to catch up in a tough field.

Rafal Dulinski of Torun won the Junior Final and later on Sunday fellow Pole Karol Szymanski, of Bydgoszcz, won the Senior Final.

On Saturday, England overcame a large deficit to defeat Poland in the last race, in both the Senior and Junior Team Finals. The Poles were well in command before the rain came down, but struggled in both matches in the wet as the English riders enjoyed having tyres better suited to the greasy wet surface.