Speedway: 'Flyin' Ryan was simply the best
Peterborough Panthers team manager Trevor Swales has told the Peterborough public: ?You got it spot on.?
Peterborough Panthers team manager Trevor Swales has told the Peterborough public: ?You got it spot on.?Swales was thrilled to learn that 'Flyin' Ryan Sullivan topped the poll to select the best Panthers rider of 'the noughties' on The Evening Telegraph's website, www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk
The awesome Aussie just pipped his 2006 Elite League title-winning skipper Hans Andersen to success. Sullivan received 43 per cent of the votes with Andersen getting 41 per cent as it turned into a two-horse race.
And that is the right result in the eyes of team boss Swales who has been in charge of the city club since 2004.
Swales said: "Ryan always has been and always will be Mr Peterborough.
"I've always had a soft spot for Ryan as a rider. I was working for the club when he came over to sign for the Peter Oakes promotion back in 1993 and he has been a real star ever since.
"don't get me wrong, Hans is a brilliant rider but for me he didn't emulate what Ryan achieved.
"Ryan"s length of service and the quality of his performances for the club are second to none in my opinion, as is his loyalty to the club.
"A lot of people thought there had been a fall-out between Ryan and the club when he didn't return to ride for us in 2004, but that wasn't the case.
"He had already committed to riding in Poland, a country who released their fixtures long before the British ones were out, and there were just too many fixture clashes to make it logistically possible for him to ride for us as well.
"Ryan has always stepped in and ridden for us whenever the club has asked him. In fact I think his return during 2008 saved us from the embarrassment of finishing bottom of the league.
"And I don't think anyone should ever rule out Ryan returning. He actually figured in our plans for this season before we decided to go down a slightly different route with our team-building."
It is fitting that the top two men of the past decade were responsible for conjuring the most amazing conclusion to a season of all-time when Panthers dramatically snatched title glory from the clutches of defeat in 2006.
They looked dead and buried until their two main men weaved their magic. Andersen roared home for maximum points on a heat 13 tactical ride before Sullivan charged to glory in the penultimate race - both of them receiving splendid back-up from reserve charger Richard Hall.
And then they teamed up together to complete a fairytale finish by slamming home a 5-1 in the finale. Sullivan sped round the outside to hit the front and Andersen watched his back to keep Greg Hancock at bay as Alwalton erupted.
Swales added: "Ryan and Hans must have been the only two men not to feel any nerves because no-one else in the stadium, myself included, could stay calm.
"They produced the goods under extreme pressure to achieve a title win that I don't think anyone will ever forget."
POLL RESULTS
Ryan Sullivan - 43%
Hans Andersen - 41%
Sam Tesar - 8%
Mark Loram - 3%
Jesper B. Monberg - 2%
Chris Harris - 1%
Niels Kristian Iversen - 1%
Kenneth Bjerre - 1%
Nigel Sadler - 0%
Shane Parker - 0%
THE new speedway poll running on www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk concerns the class of 2010.
Who do you think will be Panthers' best rider this season?
Niels Kristian Iversen
Kenneth Bjerre
Troy Batchelor
Lewis Bridger
Karol Zabik
Krzysztof Buczkowski
Adam Roynon
Klaus Jakobsen
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Thursday 18 March 2010
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