Sports Review: July - December 2008
James Gornall wins British GT Championship, Hans Andersen leaves Panthers, Louis Smith wins olympic bronze.
James Gornall wins British GT Championship, Hans Andersen leaves Panthers, Louis Smith wins olympic bronze.JULY
ICE HOCKEY: Phantoms appointed former Pirates legend Tim Peacock as assistant coach.
ROWING: Teenage stars James Fox and Adam Neill created Peterborough City Rowing Club history by winning gold medals at the world-renowned Henley Royal Regatta. The local lads were part of the quad crew that won the Fawley Cup after getting the better of Marlow in the finale.
ATHLETICS: Sprinting sensation Jake Berney (12) pocketed a pair of gold medals in the 100m and 200m at the Eastern Championships.
MOTORSPORT: Werrington speedster James Gornall completed a dream return to the race track by winning the British GT Championship in his debut season in the competition.
ROWING: The golden oldies added more Henley glory at the annual Veterans Regatta. The double sculls duo of Graham Barks and Pete Essex, single sculler Joan Heath and the coxless pair of Jo Canton and Hayley Masters delivered the successes.
ATHLETICS: Huntingdon youngster Jordan Gillbanks (14) grabbed a bronze medal at the English Schools Championships. The 14 year-old came home third in the 400 metres in Gateshead.
FLYFISHING: Coates star Wendy Miller won the top international rod award at the Ladies Home International in Monteith, Scotland for the second time.
SPEEDWAY: Panthers were left reeling after star rider Hans Andersen refused to race over a backlog of unpaid wages and sponsorship in the region of 50,000. Financially-stricken owner Colin Horton insisted the club would survive but promoter Mick Bratley quit after a takeover fell through.
BOWLS: Belvedere star Fiona Richardson took centre stage at the Northants Bowling Federation finals. She claimed an honours treble comprising four-bowl singles and both doubles rinks titles with partner Linda Darani.
SPEEDWAY: Andersen ignored his Panthers troubles to lead Denmark to World Cup glory. He skippered a side that also featured Panthers man Kenneth Bjerre and club asset Niels Kristian Iversen to a final triumph over Poland, Sweden and Australia.
MOTORSPORT: Wansford racer Alexander Sims ignited his challenge for Formula Renault Championship glory when taking a first race win of the year at Snetterton in Norfolk.
CRICKET: Peterborough Town legend Ajaz Akhtar became the third highest wicket taker in Cambs history after a seven-wicket haul during their Minor Counties Championship win over Bedfordshire.
AUGUST
SPEEDWAY: Panthers captain Hans Andersen confirmed his departure to join Elite League rivals Coventry but the city side responded by drafting in club legend Ryan Sullivan for a Showground return.
ATHLETICS: Andy Barber clinched his first Peterborough 5k Series title by finishing second in the final race.
CRICKET: March batsman Andrew Mills cracked a brilliant unbeaten 160 in only his second Minor Counties Championship for Cambs up against Northumberland.
GREYHOUNDS: Wisbech trainer Max Alden enjoyed his greatest night in 50 years in the business when Unique Double charged to Peterborough Derby glory at Fengate.
GOLF: Sam Hughes (17) won the prestigious Peterborough Milton Junior Open Championship with a gross 74.
GYMNASTICS: Eye sensation Louis Smith became the first British man to win an individual Olympic gymnastics medal for more than a century when brilliantly taking bronze in the final of the pommel horse in Beijing.
SPEEDWAY: Berkshire businessmen Rick Frost became the new owner of Panthers – succeeding the disgraced Colin Horton – after completing a takeover of the club.
BOWLS: Hannah Overton sampled English Bowling Federation Championship success for the second time in three years. She won the Womens Under 25 crown at Skegness after a 21-11 final victory over Kirsty Clarke of Suffolk.
AMERICAN FOOTBALL: Peterborough Saxons suffered heartbreak in their first British American Football League play-off action when going down 9-6 to the Cornish Sharks.
CRICKET: Village club Nassington toasted a major success by clinching the Cambs League Division One title for the first time.
ATHLETICS: Notts Athletic Club man Chris Warburton scooped the 750 first prize for winning the Mizuno Mile at the Embankment. Norwich's Jane Clarke broke the British Over 45 women's record.
SEPTEMBER
HORSE RACING: City businessman Richie Baines celebrated the perfect anniversary present as his horse Ask The Butler – ridden by Dane O'Neill – won 100,000 Best Odds Guaranteed At betinternet.com Stakes at Sandown.
HOVERCRAFT: Whittlesey racer Scott Tilley finished fifth in the Formula Two section of the World Hovercraft Championships in Sweden.
SPEEDWAY: Panthers rider Kenneth Bjerre won a place in the 2009 World Championship after coming out on top in the big GP Challenge meeting in Zielona Gora, Poland.
PARALYMPICS: Former Wisbech resident Jody Cundy completed a stunning sporting feat when capturing two Paralympic cycling golds in the 1k time trial and team sprint – those medals boosted a collection that also includes two golds and a bronze from his days as a champion swimmer.
MOTORSPORT: Alexander Sims sampled that winning feeling once again after taking the chequered flag in the 17th round of the British Formula Renualt Championship at Silverstone.
HOCKEY: Peterborough City pulled off the star signing of South African international Paul Blake. He headed straight to Bretton Gate from Beijing after representing his country in the Olympics.
PARALYMPICS: Matt Skelhon completed a remarkable rise to the top of the shooting world by winning gold in Beijing in the R3 10m air-rifle prone event. The 23 year-old from Stilton only took up the sport after being seriously injured in a car crash three years earlier.
BOWLS: Local youngsters Ean and Tristan Morton, and Spalding's Martin Spencer helped England regain the British Isles Under 25 International Series title.
ROWING: Peterborough City rowers Joan Heath, Jo Canton and Hayley Masters all struck gold at the FISA World Masters in Lithuania.
KARTING: City slicker Callum Bowyer (14) followed in the wheeltracks of Formula One hero Lewis Hamilton when winning the BRDC Stars of Tomorrow Championship.
SPEEDWAY: Panthers sacked Polish rider Karol Zabik only to hire him again the following day and give him a job for next year.
BOXING: Michael Maguire made a successful start to his professional career when claiming a 40-36 points victory over Delroy Spencer in his debut bantamweight fight.
More:
Sports Review: January - June 2008.
Review of 2008: headlines and events, in pictures and video.OCTOBER
POWERBOATING: Huntingdon 11 year-old Steven Curtis won the Honda RYA Youth RIB Challenge national title at Southampton. Curtis was successful in the eight to 12 years category.
ATHLETICS: Kenyan ace William Chebon posted the fastest half-marathon time ever in Peterborough when winning the Great Eastern Run in 62.57. Jo Wilkinson won the women's race.
SNOOKER: Chatteris potter Joe Perry was beaten by teenage whizzkid Judd Trump in the second round of the Royal London Watches Grand Prix in Glasgow.
SPEEDWAY: Panthers secured their Elite League safety by slamming Wolverhampton in the first ever relegation race-off. The city side lost 48-47 away in the first leg but dished a club record 67-23 drubbing in the second leg at Alwalton.
CRICKET: Peterborough Town player Waqas Chugthai was named as the Northants Premier Division top player for 2008. The 24 year-old Pakistani took 64 wickets and scored 490 runs.
GYMNASTICS: Louis Smith collected a silver medal for a polished pommel horse performance at the Glasgow Grand Prix – his first outing since the Olympics.
KARTING: Callum Bowyer completed a hat-trick of major honours when adding the Super 1 Mini Max crown to a collection that also includes BRDC Stars of Tomorrow and '0' Plate victories in 2008.
GREYHOUNDS: Wisbech dog Midway Skipper, trained by Henry Chalkley, finished second in the St Leger.
NOVEMBER
TENPIN: Sawtry 17 year-old Sean Griffin won a silver medal in the Under 18 section of the Belgian Open.
BOXING: Teenager Tariq Quaddus launched his professional career in winning start by beating Jamie Ambler on points in Birmingham.
GYMNASTICS: Louis Smith struck gold on the pommel horse in the Masters final at the British Men's Championship.
RUGBY: Peterborough lady Sian Williams (21) was in the England Ladies Development side that beat the Combined Services 32-10.
MARTIAL ARTS: Yaxley sensation Kelly Ding (13) claimed an avalanche of honours for the second successive year at the World Traditional Karate Association Championships in Italy. Ding bettered her 2007 hat-trick with an awesome foursome in the sparring, creative kata, traditional kata and team kata disciplines.
SWIMMING: Sawtry ace Lauren Steadman won 10 medals (two gold, six silver and two bronze) and set six personal bests at the Disability Short Course National Championships in Sheffield.
SNOOKER: Joe Perry booked his place in the final stages of the Premier League after a 4-2 win over John Higgins in Carlisle.
SQUASH: Tania Bailey lost to fifth seed Jenny Duncalf in the second round of the Hong Kong Open.
BOXING: Cello Renda was beaten in the final of the big Prizefighter Middleweight competition. Renda lost on points to hot favourite Martin Murray after beating Danny Thornton and Max Maxwell.
ICE HOCKEY: A takeover of Phantoms by a consortium featuring star player James Morgan fell through days after it had appeared to have been completed.
POWERLIFTING: Bretton ace Louise Fox won the world title in Indiana. The 35 year-old took the overall crown to add to her European title.
DECEMBER
BOWLS: Nicky Brett was a whisker away from a first-ever semi-final appearance in a world ranking tournament. He narrowly went down to fellow qualifier Darren Burnett in the quarter-finals of the International Open.
BOXING: Brothers Ben (11) and Callum Channing (13) both won gold medals in a big international tournament in Denmark while representing top London club Repton ABC. Elder brother Michael (19) won the English Universities crown.
MARTIAL ARTS: Seven year-old Bradley Hughes became a British champion in his first ever competition. Hughes of the Parkers Serial Kickers club won at 'The Battle' in Leicester. Seven year-old clubmate Braiden Wilson won a second national gong of the year at the same event.
SWIMMING: City of Peterborough Swimming Club star Callum Lawson set a European disability record at the East Region Winter Championships. He clocked 72.25 for the 100m breaststroke in the S9 category.
SNOOKER: Joe Perry suffered an agonising Premier League semi-final defeat. The Chatteris ace lost 5-4 to Ronnie O'Sullivan.
SNOOKER: Perry gained a slice of revenge when dumping O'Sullivan out of the big UK Championship, but then went out in the quarter-finals to eventual runner-up Marco Fu.
DARTS: Martin Adams ended a near 20-year wait to get his hands on one of the biggest prizes in the sport. 'Wolfie' pocketed 25,000 for lifting the Winmau World Masters in Bridlington after a 7-6 final triumph over Scott Waites.
NINE-BALL POOL: Baston man Mark Gray was part of the Europe team that beat the United States in the annual Mosconi Cup event in Malta.
TENNIS: City team Esporta – featuring locals Alan Jordan, Guy Tremayne and Graham Neal along with ex-Wimbledon stars Jeremy Bates and Nick Fulwood – were crowned National Club League Over 45 champions.
BOXING: City boxing trainer Kevin Sanders guided heavyweight charge Matt Skelton to EBU European title glory. He won the vacant belt by beating Italian Paolo Vidoz in Milan.
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