My first time: Belle Vue Aces 48 v Kings Lynn Stars 42 (Premiership) ─ Monday 16th May 2022.
I do like to mix things up in my life, frequently by design, but very often unintentionally. Red wine in the fridge and wearing white socks with shorts – faux pas are pretty consistent for yours truly. The Kipling prose, “Never the twain shall meet” doesn’t really apply to me since risk is often rewarding or embarrassing.
The world of speedway is best illustrated by grit, determination, and modesty. Glamour, opulence, and glitz are natural contradictions. What better way to mix both together and see what happens than by inviting along an ITVBe Real Housewife of Cheshire to meet the real riders of Belle Vue and Kings Lynn? Deborah Davies ─ TV personality, Medium and podcaster ─ had never been to speedway and now was the time to remedy this with a visit to her nearest Premiership club. The risk was evident – would she love it or loath it?
Prior to the meeting Deborah asked my advice on recommended attire. Me, Gok Wan’s alter ego? I simply reminded her that we would be in Manchester ─ so an anorak was essential!
Arriving at the National Speedway Stadium in good time and booking into the Speedway hotel (Diamond Lodge) a hop, skip and jump away, I ensured that my shades were down, Aces beanie hat was stowed away, and my top buttons were undone. It was a blistering sunny day ─ ideal for the evening action! A few minutes after check-in I ventured out into the ensuing monsoon. Yes, this was the North-West where all four seasons of weather are often experienced in the same afternoon – especially prior to a speedway meeting.
I met press officer Hayley Bromley at the main gate, and Deborah wasn’t far behind, being chauffeured by husband Pete who had last seen the Aces in action at Hyde Road many decades previously. Deborah had largely ignored my fashion advice, although to be fair her handbag appeared a good place in which to store the meeting programme.
Although the opposition were the Stars from Kings Lynn, Hayley was the real star of the show as she took us on a tour of the pits to meet both teams. Her passion for everything Belle Vue and her encyclopaedic knowledge of the sport was breath-taking. The question was, would the racing on a heavy track be just as good?
With front row seats on the first bend and hot drinks all round we waited for the battle to begin. Nudging Deborah to give a prediction she excitedly saw an Aces win, although it would be a close match with Max Fricke, who had charmed us all with his uber modesty, doing particularly well.
A few days after the top tier tussle in which the Aces edged home in a thriller, I asked my newbie to reflect upon her experience.
Profile
Deborah Davies.
Age: 54.
Occupation: CEO, Content Creator, Podcaster & Medium.
Current favourite pastimes: Going to Anglesey beach, eating out, reading, and spending time with the family.
Thoughts on arrival?
“The stadium was impressive – although slightly smaller than I had imagined. Everything was well organised, and the set-up was ultra-professional.” Deborah was introduced to the home team boss by Hayley, who simply announced, “This is Mark Lemon.” I stepped into clarify his position – Mark Lemon: the Australian legend and speedway manager par-excellence. It was important that my guest appreciated that she was meeting speedway royalty.
What was it like meeting the Real Speedway riders of Belle Vue and Kings Lynn?
“It was great to meet both teams ─ albeit briefly.” Walking onto the hallowed racing strip as both sides completed the track walk, still clutching her pink Mulberry handbag, Deborah lined up for an impromptu team snap. Other than a serious looking Niels Kristian Iversen the rest of the lads seemed to be chilled with our captivating Cheshire housewife. I managed to photobomb both.
The pre-show build-up and view of the action?
“There was a lot of excitement in the build-up – watching the riders check out the track added to the drama.” My suspicions that the wet track may throw some dirt up into the terraces were well founded when Deborah experienced her first spray of shale. As she winced there was a sobering realisation from my glamourous guest that her prized handbag should have remained in Cheshire. I also learnt that the value of her accessory would have secured me a season ticket at Kirkmanshulme Lane for the next four seasons. I hope that the latter clean-up was less dramatic than Max Fricke’s sensational swoop past Niels Kristian Iversen in heat ten which I think Deborah missed as she was still busy removing more track from the inner recesses of her clothing.
What did you think of the stadium facilities?
“The whole show ran like clockwork, well organised and flowing effortlessly, even though I’m certain there was a tightly run schedule in the background.”
Declining an offer to ascend to the enclosed bar and restaurant area Deborah asked Pete to purchase a hotdog for her during the second track grade of the evening. Her verdict? “Delicious!”
At this juncture, unbeknown to me as I helped Pete with the refreshments, Deborah broadcast a live feed to her thousands of followers on social media giving Belle Vue speedway a well-deserved burst of publicity.
Entertainment value (based on £22 admission)?
Deborah was in no doubt. “It was great value ─ £22 to watch world class sportsmen competing in their field.” I was just hoping that the Mulberry clean-up was no more than this princely sum!
How easy were the general rules of the sport to grasp?
With a little coaching from Pete and me Deborah picked up the pace quickly and never had her programme, which she expertly used as her own dirt-deflector, too far away. “The general rules of speedway are easy to grasp and whilst watching the racing you soon get to grips with them.”
By heat eight Deborah was fluent in the theory of the yellow flashing light and was even introduced to the tactical substitution rule in the latter part of the meeting.
Positive points?
Deborah was impressed with queue management and the seating arrangements in the main stand. To be fair our fast-pass entrance, facilitated by Hayley, meant that our party had glided gracefully into the National Stadium, although TV celebrity or not, the temporarily ousted season ticket holders didn’t stand on ceremony and we quite correctly had to move from their allocated seats!
Deborah beamed, “The view of the action was fantastic!”
Suggested improvements?
Pete, recalling his visits to the old Belle Vue site within the impressive and long-gone Zoological Gardens, gave an early heads-up to his wife about the typical speedway cuisine and nothing had really changed in the last forty-odd years. Perhaps this is something speedway needs to address given the importance of food and drink nowadays in our entertainment itinerary.
Things that made you smile / laugh?
I cringed since I guessed what was coming. I had several sleepless nights thinking about that Mulberry bag. Originally pink ─ by heat twelve it was a definite polka dot.
Deborah smiled broadly and laughed out loud! “Being splattered with a dash of the track from the guys speeding around it made me laugh. It was good fun!”
Phew! And I wasn’t landed with the cleaning bill either!
Would you go again?
Given the type of extravagant entertainment synonymous with her former TV programme I was bracing myself for the red exclusion light and Deborah only added to the drama with a pause, “I would definitely go again. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience!”
Good on you Belle Vue! The sum of all my fears had been brushed aside like a Charles Wright blast along the back straight leaving the opposition in his wake. But there had to be one condition – an anorak ─ and perhaps a decommissioned bag. Giving Deborah a tour of the track shop, I pointed out a few potential options for next time.
Who was your favourite rider and why?
Ever the diplomat Deborah replied, “I didn’t have a favourite rider because I felt that each of them brought unique skill sets.” Although Thomas Jorgensen secured a modest points haul his barnstorming style drew a special mention as he showered my guest with shale. She added, “It was fascinating to see their strategic manoeuvres, particularly at the start line.” In time Deborah will be as familiar as the rest of we speedway fans with the etiquette of “gardening.”
Who had the most chance of making it on TV?
Sorry Stars, but Deborah thought that the Aces line-up had more of the ‘X’ factor, and who knows, with her media connections we may soon have “Made in Manchester” or “Four in a bed, one rider replacement, a rising star and a guest.”
However, two riders did catch Deborah’s talent spotting eye ─ Richard Lawson with his flowing locks, and the ever-smiling Tom Brennan. Maybe chaps, a contemporary remake of “Starsky and Hutch” or “Tango & Cash”?
What’s your prediction for your local team the Aces this season?
“I think it’s difficult to make any predictions in sport, but I would say that my intuition is that the Belle Vue Aces will do very well indeed this season.”
If that isn’t an incentive you Aces, I don’t know what is!
So, another successful recruitment process! But I can’t take all the credit on this occasion – a huge thank you to all fourteen riders for putting on a terrific show in tricky conditions, and to the magnificent Hayley Bromley. If you ever enter a speedway quiz in the future and want to ensure victory invite her onto your team!
And finally, a big thank you to my star guest for the evening who after the racing joined me for a beer at the hotel to chat speedway. Thanks too for giving the sport some welcome exposure on social media. Returning the favour ─ you can discover more about Deborah at www.deborahdavies.com.
© Ian Kirke 2022 and all photographs.
@ianjkirke