Category: Bears News

Due to a change in the forecast, tonight’s meeting at Berwick has been postponed.

A restaging date will be announced in due course

Tonight it’s Redcar Agilia Bears Vs Poole Pirates!

The Redcar Bears have a full 1-7.

The Poole Pirates are without Fraser Bowes and will operate rider replacement.

Redcar: Nicolai Klindt, Jake Mulford, Jordan Jenkins, Jason Edwards, Jake Allen, Ace Pijper, Jody Scott

Poole: Richard Lawson, Fraser Bowes r/r, Lewis Kerr, Kyle Newman, Zach Cook, William Cairns, Cooper Rushen

Ecco Arena

Tapes up 7:30

Tickets – https://shorturl.at/yWsvA

Tonight’s (8th May) meeting against Poole has been postponed due to the poor weather forecast.

This will be re-staged next Friday, 15th May.

The Agilia Bears head south on Wednesday night to kick off their Championship campaign with one of the toughest tests in the league — a trip to face Poole Pirates at Wimborne Road.

Fresh from sealing their place in the semi-finals of the BSN Trophy with another impressive away performance, the Bears arrive full of confidence. However, they now face a venue that has proven to be one of the most formidable in British speedway.

Since joining the Championship in 2021, Poole have turned Wimborne Road into a fortress, suffering just three home defeats in that time. In contrast, Redcar have found visits there challenging, with their best result from ten attempts being a hard-earned draw — although they pushed the Pirates all the way in 2024, only losing in the final heat.

Promoter Jamie Swales said:
“We seem to visit Poole so often now that it almost feels like the longest distance derby match in sport. We’ve raced some big occasions against them over the last few years and we finally got one over them last year. There is a mutual respect between the clubs though and it’s always a fixture I look forward to.”

This year’s Bears side, however, has shown real spirit and determination, and will be looking to take that momentum into what promises to be another fiercely competitive encounter.

One of the most intriguing battles on the night could come from the reserve berths, where two exciting young pairings go head-to-head. Poole’s Cairns and Rushen have earned a growing reputation, but the Bears’ duo of Ace Pijper and Jody Scott have been in outstanding form in recent meetings and will be eager to stake their claim as one of the league’s top reserve pairings.

While Wimborne Road can favour those who gate well, Redcar have shown they have the tools to compete — and if they can make the starts, they have every chance of pushing the hosts all the way.

A tough opener — but one the Bears will relish.

Poole: Richard Lawson, Fraser Bowes, Lewis Kerr, Kyle Newman, Zach Cook, William Cairns, Cooper Rushen

Redcar: Nicolai Klindt, Jake Mulford, Jordan Jenkins, Jake Allen, Jason Edwards, Ace Pijper, Jody Scott

The Agilia Bears, fresh from their Knock-Out Cup success, head to Cumbria this Saturday looking to defend a six-point lead from the first leg and secure their place in the BSN Series semi-finals.

Recent visits to Workington have been productive for the Bears, with three wins from five trips to Northside, including two comfortable victories in 2025. However, this Comets side looks much stronger this season and will provide a stern test on home shale.

New signing Jonas Jeppesen — who fired in an 18-point maximum at Northside last weekend — gives Workington serious firepower. Add in the experience of Troy Batchelor and an improving Tate Zischke, and the hosts have plenty of strength throughout the side.

Workington are, however, hit by injuries, with Niklas Holm Jakobsen ,Vinnie Foord and Craig Cook all ruled out. The Comets will run r/r for Jakobsen, with Kyle Howarth coming in for Cook and Ryan Ingram for Foord. One change that has been announced sees youngster Jamie Etherington replaced by Max Perry.

For Redcar, the task is clear. A solid performance and two points on the night would guarantee progression regardless of other results in the group. With several qualification scenarios still in play, the Bears’ emphatic win over Scunthorpe earlier in the campaign could yet prove decisive if it comes down to race points.

The Bears will also take confidence from their recent draw at Armadale, while in-form reserves Ace Pijper and Jody Scott continue to impress.

Redcar: Nicolai Klindt, Jake Mulford, Jordan Jenkins, Jake Allen, Jason Edwards, Ace Pijper, Jody Scott

Workington: Jonas Jeppesen, r/r, Kyle Howarth (g), Tate Zischke, Troy Batchelor, Ryan Ingram, Max Perry

The Middlesbrough Tigers return to home action tonight on the back of a historic result — securing both their first away NDL win and their first-ever victory over the Oxford Chargers last Sunday.

It was an outstanding all-round team performance at Cowley, led superbly by skipper Ace Pijper, but there will be no room for complacency. The Chargers remain a formidable outfit, featuring five riders from last season’s Championship-winning side, along with an inspirational captain who knows his way around the ECCO Arena.

The Tigers make two changes for the clash. Freddy Hodder comes into the side to replace Nathan Ablitt, who is on Championship duty with Scunthorpe, while former Redcar Cub Seth Norman lines up at No.2 in place of Kai Ward, who has made the decision to step away from the sport.

Both guests are more than capable of stepping in, and the Tigers will be looking for another strong team performance as they aim to build momentum early in the season.

Oxford, meanwhile, will arrive determined to respond after last weekend’s defeat on home shale, setting up what promises to be a fiercely contested encounter.

Middlesbrough: Ace Pijper, Seth Norman (G), Stene Pijper, Jade Mudgway, Freddy Hodder (G), Harry Sadler, Charlie Southwick

Oxford: Jody Scott, Mason Watson, Senna Summers, Ashton Vale, Daryl Ritchings, Harry Fletcher, Max Broadhurst

The Middlesbrough Tigers have been forced into an early-season team change after it became clear that Ben Trigger will be unable to commit to the season ahead.

Ben has been a high performer at NDL level, and riders of a similar calibre are not readily available . As a result, the club has acted swiftly to ensure the side remains competitive.

We are pleased to welcome a familiar face, with Jade Mudgway stepping in to the Tigers. Jade is well known to everyone at the club and brings a wealth of experience to what is a very young team.

He will go straight into the line-up this Sunday for the trip to Oxford.

We’d like to place on record our thanks to Ben and wish him well in the future.

The Agilia Bears head north to Armadale Stadium this Friday with a 12-point advantage as they look to book their place in the Knock-Out Cup semi-finals against Edinburgh Monarchs.

Recent visits to Armadale have proved productive for the Bears, with wins in 2023 (47–43) and 2024 (46–44), and even last season’s narrow defeat would still be enough to see Redcar progress given their current lead from the first leg.

Edinburgh, however, will be expecting a big response on home shale. The Monarchs will point to below-par returns at the ECCO Arena from key men Dan Thompson and Justin Sedgmen, along with a quiet night from their reserves — all of whom are likely to improve significantly in front of their own supporters.

But the Bears can make the same argument. Both Nicolai Klindt and Jake Mulford posted uncharacteristically low scores in the first leg, and a return to their usual levels would further strengthen Redcar’s position.

There is no doubt this will be a tough, no-holds-barred contest. Edinburgh boast a powerful top five capable of piling on the points, and the tight, technical nature of the Armadale circuit provides a clear home advantage.

TEAMS

Edinburgh Monarchs
Dan Thompson
Jonatan Grahn
Justin Sedgmen
Paco Castagna
Kye Thomson
Mitchell Cluff
Jordy Loftus

Redcar Agilia Bears
Nicolai Klindt
Ace Pijper
Jordan Jenkins
Jake Allen
Jason Edwards
Jake Mulford
Jody Scott

The Agilia Bears made it three wins in a row with a hard-earned 51–39 victory over Edinburgh Monarchs on a rain-affected track at the ECCO Arena.

It looked like it might be one of those nights from the very start when No.1 Nicolai Klindt ground to a halt with engine trouble on the first bend of Heat 1, leaving young Ace Pijper to battle it out alone. Showing great composure in tricky conditions, Pijper held off Monarchs star Dan Thompson to secure a vital second place and limit the early damage.

That proved to be the start of an excellent night for Pijper, who attacked the conditions from the outset and finished with 8 points, including an impressive Heat 8 victory.

Edinburgh’s main resistance came from captain Paco Castagna and the highly impressive Kye Thomson, both of whom relished the difficult conditions and kept the visitors in contention.

The Bears, however, were solid throughout, with all seven riders contributing at least one race win. The standout performer was Jody Scott, who was unbeaten by an opponent in his programmed rides, eventually finishing with 10+4. His Heat 11 ride was the moment of the night — storming from last to second with two superb overtakes to secure a paid win.

Promoter Jamie Swales said:
“It was a great result and the lads kept positive heads and attacked a track that was far from ideal. After the issues we had at the last home meeting, a lot of work went in from the track staff to get things right.

We held a full practice day with no problems and even had a senior rider test the track on Friday morning. Unfortunately, a huge downpour around 4pm undid a lot of that work and made conditions very difficult.

Full credit to the track staff for working with both teams to keep the meeting going, and to all 14 riders for getting on with it. As tough as it looked, we completed 15 races and six junior races afterwards without a single faller.”

Despite the challenging conditions, Redcar built a 12-point advantage heading into the second leg — putting themselves in a strong position ahead of next Friday’s trip to Edinburgh.

Encouragingly, the Bears have a strong record at Armadale, and with the tie now firmly in their hands, progression to the Knock-Out Cup semi-finals is within reach.

SCORES

Redcar Agilia Bears 51
Nicolai Klindt 4+1 (R, 1′, 3, 0)
Ace Pijper 8 (2, 2, 3, 1)
Jordan Jenkins 7 (R, 2, 2, 3)
Jason Edwards 8+3 (3, 1′, 1′, 2, 1′)
Jake Allen 11 (1, 2, 3, 3, 2)
Jake Mulford 3 (3, 0, 0)
Jody Scott 10+4 (2′, 3, 2′, 2′, 1′)

Edinburgh Monarchs 39
Dan Thompson 5 (1, 0, 2, 2)
Jonatan Grahn 8+1 (3, 3, 1, 1′)
Justin Sedgmen 4 (2, 1, 0, 1)
Paco Castagna 9+1 (1′, 3, 2, 3, 0)
Kye Thomson 12+1 (2, 3, 3, 1′, 3)
Mitchell Cluff 0 (0, 0, 0, 0)
Jordy Loftus 1 (1, 0, 0, 0)

KNOCK-OUT CUP | 1ST LEG | ECCO ARENA | FRIDAY NIGHT

The Agilia Bears turn their attention to Knock-Out Cup action tonight as they host Edinburgh Monarchs in the first leg at the ECCO Arena (7:30pm).

Over a month into the season, form across the league is still taking shape — something Bears boss Gavin Parr believes makes early comparisons difficult.

“It’s still early days and there’s a bit of an imbalance with some riders having had plenty of meetings and others barely being on a bike,” said Parr.
“Even our lads are a little bit up and down at the moment — it’s just about getting the rhythm going, and the early season weather hasn’t helped.”

Redcar have had four outings so far, mainly in BSN Series action, while Edinburgh have only raced once as a team due to weather postponements — although several of their riders have been active elsewhere.

The Bears’ campaign was dealt a major blow with the loss of skipper Charles Wright through injury, but the swift signing of Danish international Nicolai Klindt has proved inspired. Klindt has top scored in each of his appearances so far and will again be key to Redcar’s chances.

Parr is well aware of the threat posed by the visitors:
“Dan Thompson is riding on the crest of a wave at the moment and could be the next big thing in British speedway, while Justin Sedgmen is a former Bear who always goes well around our track.”

Thompson arrives in top form after winning last month’s Ben Fund Bonanza, while Sedgmen’s gating ability makes him a serious danger. With additional strength from Paco Castagna, the Monarchs have the tools to make this a tough first leg.

With the return fixture scheduled for next Friday in Edinburgh, the Bears will be keen to build a strong advantage on home shale before the trip north.

Cup racing under the lights — it all starts tonight.

Redcar: Nicolai Klindt, Ace Pijper, Jordan Jenkins, Jason Edwards, Jake Allen, Jake Mulford, Jody Scott

Edinburgh : Dan Thompson, Jonatan Grahn, Justin Sedgmen, Paco Castagna, Kye Thomson, Mitchell Cluff, Jordy Loftus