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All the news from the Crusaders from Season 11 ........

Part 4 (Quarter Season)

• A home win against B'ham and a narrow away loss by just two points at Dulwich have made thing s interesting at the bottom of the table still. The Crusaders are just out of trouble and present but are far from safe as relegation is still a real worry. The final 4 matches are vitally important. The Junior Crusaders tied up their championship a few weeks ago but are heading for a record score as they currently have 105 points with a plus points difference of 792.

• A poor week with two defeats and now the Crusaders sit just above relegation on points difference alone. A defeat by ten away at Brookwood in the KOC didn't help matters although one bright spot was the junior side who again dominated against Sheffield and look to break all records.

• Relegation was escaped on the last week of the season - two victories with bonus points lifted the Crusaders up to sixth in the table which I guess wasn't bad after the poor start the team had to the season. It was disappointment in the KOC with a home defeat although congratulations go to winners Brookwood. The juniors finished head and shoulders above their opposition despite a final match defeat away at Nottingham which hadn't happened for nineteen matches. It's now off to regroup for the new season with some new faces on the way.

Part 3 (Quarter Season)

• A narrow home win over Welling and then a good six point defeat at possible champions Beverley. The signing of Steven Read should increase the scoring power of the reserves (hopefully) and now maybe we can continue with the winning ways just like the juniors. The young Crusaders won both matches again and remain six points clear of Hove.

• A mixed set of emotions as the Crusaders force a fabulous draw away at Birmingham only to be held at home by Brookwood. An away defeat at Springfield by 4 means the KOC QF is finely poised with the return leg next week. New loan signing Steven Read settled in well and will continue in the reserve berth this week and will also ride in one junior fixture. The Juniors won both meetings again and are now ten points clear of Boston at the top of the table.

• The juniors Crusaders are almost there with the championship but it is a very different story for the Coventry Senior side who continue to scrap it out at the wrong end of the table. A home win over bottom club Norwich was followed by a narrow two point away loss at ninth place Tibthorpe. Next week could see us drop into the bottom three as Cardiff look to have an easier week and are well placed for their bonus point. Division Two is looming large again!!

• A good win at home over Dulwich in the league was then undone by an away defeat at Brookwood. The team then returned to Diamond Park to face Dulwich again, this time in the first leg of the KOC semi final. It again ended in victory but this time it was a closer match, the Crusaders winning by just 8. The Junior team trounced Norwich home and away and are now confirmed as Junior league champions.

Part 2 (Quarter Season)

• The second quarter of the season starts with two narrow 46-44 victories. The away win at Brookwood was the first for us this season although the narrow win at home still tells me there are troubled times ahead. We also suffered a two point loss at Workington in the KOC although that does mean we qualify for round two. The juniors win twice again and still head Boston by one point - one point is better than none at all.

• More success on the track although the results are very tight indeed and the team clearly needs more changes. A home victory by two points (phew!!) over Beverley was followed by an away draw at Welling moves the Crusaders up to a season best 3rd place although we are under no illusions that we will stay there. The junior side completed two more wins over Beverley and still head their table. Transfers this week see Andy Newman move on loan to Boston with ten point plus man Jiri Broz making the same move the other way. Andy has struggled of late and Broz is riding high so let's hope the move helps both clubs involved.

• Not a good set of results this week - two defeats and lost bonus points means a drop to fifth in the table and back into the trouble area. Lost by eight at home to B'ham and away by four at Dulwich - let's hope Broz does the business. Juniors did win both matches to remain top of their division although they face Boston next week in a tough fixture.

• The Crusaders find themselves back in relegation trouble meaning that more changes are on the cards. A home loss to Springfield was damaging but then a huge loss at fellow strugglers Cardiff sees the team back in the bottom three, a place they have become used to in recent seasons. A narrow home win in the KOC over Stafford looks to spell an end to that competition whilst the juniors lost their first match for a while at title chasers Boston. A very good home win though sees them six points clear of Hove at the top of the table.

• As we reach the half way point of the season the Crusaders managed a good set of results. Two wins lifts us out of the relegation zone and into sixth place - this just needs to continue so we can retain our Division One record. It was a good six point win away at bottom club Norwich - new boy Jiri Broz scoring 14 points whilst Viitikko and Tatti both chipped in with double figures. The home match saw a crushing victory over Tibthorpe by 24 points - our best score of the season as things start to look brighter. This match saw a maximum for Timo in what was a great two weeks for him. He also recorded paid 11 in the cup victory at Stafford. This was always going to be a tense match but progression was the name of the game and that was achieved. John Hodgson rode in the World U21 Final and came 11th with six points, a good achievement for him. Hopefully we can continue in the second half of the season as we have finished off the first half.

Part 1 (Quarter Season)

• A slow start for the crusaders with a reasonable home win over Welling but a poor 16 point defeat away at Beverley. Timo struggles on a 7.64 average whilst the pace is too much for Jon Seymour also. Juniors do the double over a Cardiff 'B' side.

• A huge 30 point defeat at B'ham shows just how weak the team is and also shows the inconsistency of riders at this level. Top rider Timo who has been a near 10 point man for 3 seasons is now averaging around seven and a half points a meeting and Alvaro who is a double world champion and also has averaged over ten for many seasons now cannot even manage a seven point average so what's the point? Juniors lost by 4 at B'ham but then won by 22 at home which is encouraging.

• A home loss to sister club Springfield in the Division One Cup was then followed by an away draw at Norwich, a team who are struggling more than us. It's time to dip into the transfer market although for whom I'm not sure. Juniors won both matches and now sit fourth in the league. Some team tactics are about to change this week.

• More disappointment for the Crusaders with another huge away defeat although they did manage a home win over Cardiff. The averages have now changed leaving Coventry on a figure of 40.40, the lowest in their history. Changes will now be made. The junior team continued to shine with two wins and they are now bolstered by the return of Jon Seymour who needs time to rebuild his confidence. Look out for new faces soon.

• Two defeats in the Divisional Cup to table toppers Beverley and B'ham means the end of the competition for the Crusaders but no real surprise there. We have now brought in 33 year old Jiri Casko to bolster the team so hopefully better news next week.

• Last matches in the 1st quarter of the season. A 10 point home win over Norwich was good for two reasons - the win and the fact that Timo Viitikko and Alvaro Tatti both managed paid maximums in their new team positions. Away it was a two point loss at Tibthorpe so that's no disgrace. We also take a 16 point lead to Workington for the second leg of the first round KOC tie. The juniors continue to top the table after two more fine wins.

Pre Season
A big move in the transfer market for long term target Timo Viitikko from Pitsea. The Finn has cost the club a lot of money plus Vince Birkett but he is believed to be the top rider the club have been missing for the last couple of years. Also coming in is highly rated youngster John Hodgson who starts in the junior side. John Collins has been sold to Stafford whilst Gary Curtis has gone on loan to third division Westcliff. Hopefully things will improve this year after a poor season ten. Pre season challenge matches don't always tell the story as it's the quality of the opposition that counts. The Crusaders did come away with 4 wins, a draw and a defeat but the opponents weren't that strong so we still look on the season as a tough challenge ahead. Timo looks to be in great form as does Alvaro so hopefully we can be at the right end of the table this year fighting for the title and not to avoid relegation like last season.