THE 2002 Premier League clashes between Reading Racers and Workington Comets certainly were exciting affairs. There was great racing, controversy and a Lazarus type comeback from the Racers at Derwent Park.

Monday 22^nd July saw the Comets come to Smallmead looking for their first away win of the season, but the Racers had other ideas as they were in a rich vein of form on home shale having lost just the one meeting previously to the Isle of Wight Islanders.

Grand Prix star Carl Stonehewer was leading the Comets and Reading had no answer to him, but despite the Workington legend having been unbeaten from his first four rides the Racers opened a 41-41 lead after 12 races - but drama was to follow in heat 13

Reading's Dave Mullett and Anders Henriksson gated ahead of Stonehewer, with the Comets' linchpin wriggling into second place on the back straight. The visiting number one then shaped to pass Mullett, but showing vintage form, the Reading legend hugged the white line and countered the expected inside thrust. Mullett continued to hold firm on the second lap, when an ungainly challenge saw Henriksson bundle 'Stoney' into the fence on the fourth turn. Both men came down in a heap and the Workington star was rightly displeased about the challenge, but his reaction was wholly reprehensible as he vigorously laid into the still stricken Henriksson. The scene quickly developed into something depicting an old western bar-room brawl, as track staff, mechanics, riders and club mascot converged on the scene. Stonhewer had one of the Smallmead track staff in a headlock and appeared to have an altercation with Racers mascot Roary the Lion. Thankfully, good order was soon restored, with referee Paul Carrington excluding Henriksson from the re-run and later issuing Stonehewer with a hefty fine for his antics.  The meeting was held up whilst Reading management and officials pleaded with the referee to throw Stonehewer out of the meeting, but Carrington held firm and granted that Stonehewer could take his place in the re-run of heat 13.

Mullett again led in the re-start, but he went too wide on the second corner of lap two, with 'Stoney' nipping through for the win, whilst fellow Comet Peter I Karlsson had to settle for a point after the Racer had regained his composure to secure second place. Reading followed with a 4-2 in heat 14 and a 3-3 in the final race saw them run out 50-40 winners over the Comets.

However, all the talk afterwards was about Stonehewer's antics and the following few days saw Internet forums passing judgement on both riders involved in the incident. This was fuelled by Comets Team Manager's Ian Thomas outrageous claim in the Workington local press that Henriksson could have killed Stonehewer in the crash. Things did eventually die down, but the bad blood was raised again when Reading travelled to Derwent Park for the return fixture on Sunday 15^th September.

The meeting was the third and final match of the Racers Northern Tour, having lost at Edinburgh (46-44) and Berwick (51-39) the previous two evenings. Unfortunately Workington were without Stonehewer after his Grand Prix crash a week earlier, so Hull's Garry Stead stepped in as a guest replacement.

The events of the first match at Smallmead weren't forgotten though, as on parade the Workington fans gave Henriksson a very hostile reception. Although he was responsible for the crash at Smallmead, it was no more than a racing incident and the opinions of the fans had been moulded by that piece in the local paper after the event.

When the racing started things looked to be going the way of the home side as they opened up a 25-17 lead after seven races. Reading did pull a couple of points back with a 5-3 when Andrew Appleton (tactical ride) and Phil Morris finished behind Blair Scott in heat 8, but a Comets 5-1 in heat 9 put the Cumbrian club into a seemingly insurmountable 33-23 lead. The next two heats were both shared 3-3 so with the Racers trailing 39-29 with four heats to go the match looked all over for Reading and, possibly the aggregate bonus point as well.

However, a remarkable comeback started in heat 12. Paul Clews was introduced as a tactical-substitute for Glen Phillips and took maximum points with Morris from the previously unbeaten Rusty Harrison. Chris Schramm took his third compulsory ride in heat 13 replacing Henriksson. Mullett made a brilliant start from gate three and rode a great race to hold off everything the impressive Stead and Karlsson could throw at him.

The Racers were now six points down (43-37) and the bonus that looked unlikely a couple of heats earlier now looked a real possibility. Morris was brought in for heat 14 as a tactical-substitute after his improved ride in heat 12 to replace Schramm. Appleton made the start from gate one and the tactics worked perfectly as he headed for the outside to hold out Kauko Nieminen and Morris cut to the inside after a good start from gate three. The Racers duo team-rode together and covered all the gaps that gave Nieminen no chance. The bonus point was secured to the delight of the travelling Racers fans and gave them an outside chance of victory with Workington two up with just one race remaining (44-42).

The same pairing as heat 14 took to the track for the Racers and a carbon copy first bend took them into a potentially match winning 5-1 over Stead and Karlsson. The cheers of the Reading fans lasted for the entire race and long after as the pair again team-rode to perfection to take the 5-1 and all three Premier League points.  The Racers had won against all the odds by a final score line of 47-45 - quite incredible considering they were trailing 39-29 with just four heats remaining.

All the Racers team and back-up crew invaded the track after the race and Appleton was given the bumps for a magnificent 17-point haul. Morris showed his appreciation to the travelling fans as he stopped in front of them on the warm down lap and everyone joined him after both riders had got off their bikes.

The final action was for Henriksson who was lifted above the shoulders of his mechanic to the chants of "Anders" from the Racers fans as the fireworks marked the win. Henriksson scored only one point after struggling mechanically in his first two rides and possibly affected by the hostile reception he received. But that didn't matter to the travelling Reading hoards, as not for the first time in the Club's history, a Swedish rider named Anders was their hero.