REPORT: Chargers robbed by poor refereeing decision at Middlesbrough
REAL MINI COMPANY Oxford Chargers lost out by just a single point (44-45) in highly debatable circumstances in the WSRA National League to Middlesbrough Tigers at Redcar’s ECCO Arena last night (Friday).
The controversy centred on Heat 14. Teenager Charlie Southwick had enjoyed a highly productive evening at reserve for Middlesbrough, despite having to switch to his second bike following a heavy fall in Heat 12.
Southwick was leading the race, when his bike started revving on the third and fourth bends of the third lap. His bike then shed a chain with a lap remaining, as Oxford’s Ashton Vale passed him on the inside for first place. Southwick was now a passenger on his own machine and hurled into the first corner out of control. Southwick made contact with Vale and took a heavy fall but was fortunately soon back on his feet.
Amazingly, referee Graeme Hunter excluded Vale for the incident. It turned what appeared was a 5-1 to Chargers that would have taken them one point ahead with one race remaining into a 4-2 to Middlesbrough, which all but killed off the challenge of the visitors. Everyone in the pits – including on the Middlesbrough side – was baffled by the decision. Centre green presenter Roy Clarke commented on the clear revving noise that Southwick’s machine started to make as it went wrong – something everyone in the stadium could hear.
Chargers had earlier conceded a 5-0 in Heat 9, when Darryl Ritchings and Harry Fletcher collided on the third turn, and unusually both were excluded from the re-run. To rub salt into the wound, Jade Mudgway also crashed later around the same turn and came down before the red lights came on, and yet he was allowed in the re-run.
Oxford were 11 points down with just four races remaining, but staged a late comeback after successive 5-1s from Senna Summers and Fletcher in Heat 12 and skipper Jody Scott and Ritchings in Heat 13.
Scott and Ritchings also took a 5-1 – their second over home skipper Ace Pijper in two races – in the concluding Heat 15.
Scott scored 14 points, dropping a single point to Pijper in Heat 1, while Ritchings collected 10+2 and only dropped points he was excluded from Heat 9. Senna Summers won two races and scored nine points.
16-year-old Fletcher showed so much potential for Chargers for the second successive meeting and piled up 9+1. His defence of first place ahead of Southwick in Heat 8 was one of the highlights of the evening as the two youngsters showed their capabilities.
Chargers’ manager Peter Schroeck said: “For me, the WSRA National League is not about winning or losing, it’s more about the progression of young riders. I don’t mind losing fairly and squarely, for example when Middlesbrough beat us at Oxford on Sunday. But tonight, I felt we deserved more, and our riders were robbed by the referee.
“Charlie Southwick already had something wrong with his bike and he lost his chain going down the straight with a lap to go in Heat 14. The lad was totally honest about that after the race – I don’t have any problem with him or anyone from the Redcar/Middlesbrough management.
“Ashton had no choice but to go inside him. He passed him cleanly, but Charlie was just a passenger going into the first turn and he had no chance of remaining on board. Yes, there was contact at that point, but I can’t see how that could possibly have been Ashton’s fault – he was still in control of his machine, where Charlie wasn’t, because he didn’t have a chain on his bike.
“It was a very, very poor decision by the referee and it wasn’t fair on our riders after they’d battled back into the meeting. Quite often, a 5-0 can kill off a team, but the boys came back after Heat 9. They don’t know when they were beaten and I’m proud of their battling qualities. That goes for the whole team, because all the lads were getting stuck in together.
“I didn’t agree with the 5-0 either, because I didn’t argue too much with that, because you could see it different ways. On the other hand, the Heat 14 decision was completely wrong and it was out of order.
“It’s a long trip up there and I don’t think the lads were given a fair chance tonight. To me, it was all about coming up here tonight and showing what we could do and the boys did that, while young Harry Fletcher had another great night. I’m proud of them all.”
The next scheduled meeting at the BetGoodwin Oxford Stadium is on Wednesday, May 13 at 7.30pm, when the SD Timmo Car Sales Oxford Cheetahs take on Edinburgh Monarchs in their opening meeting in the Cab Direct Championship. Tickets will be on sale in due course on the Oxford Speedway website at: https://oxfordspeedway.club/tickets/
Middlesbrough Tigers 45: Ace Pijper 10, Seth Norman (guest) 5+3, Stene Pijper 1+1, Jade Mudgway 6+1, Freddy Hodder (guest) 7, Harry Sadler 4, Charlie Southwick 12+1.
Real Mini Company Oxford Chargers 44: Jody Scott 14, Mason Watson 0, Senna Summers 9+1, Ashton Vale 2+1, Darryl Ritchings 10+2, Harry Fletcher 9+1, Max Broadhurst 0.
PHOTO by Ian Wagstaff