Sport

Belle Vue manager warns of former Aces ahead of Premiership clash

Here's hoping they get the week off to a perfect start.

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 14th April 2025

Belle Vue Aces boss and Aussie speedway legend Mark Lemon has warned his side of Oxford Spires’ quality ahead of their face-off in the Premiership, especially as they prepare to come against some ex-ATPI employees.

With a ROWE Motor Oil Premiership round coming up on Monday night (14 April) and the Aces second in the table with five early points total on the board already, the CEO, Director and Team Manager isn’t underestimating the southern opponents.

Even though Oxford have had a tough start to the season, the Manchester racers can’t afford to be complacent, and Lemon has already identified some key threats on the track, including two former Aces.

It’ll be a thrilling night at the National Speedway Stadium (NSS), as always.

Speaking on Sunday ahead of the races, the 52-year-old said: “I know it’s a cliche, but there really aren’t any easy meetings in the Premiership. 

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“We know what Oxford’s riders are capable of; Rohan [Tungate] and Charles [Wright] can be very good at the National Speedway Stadium, and that makes them dangerous. 

“When you add in the likes of [Maciej] Janowski, Erik Riss and guest Dan Thompson, [Oxford Spires] are a strong side.”

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33-year-old ‘Magic’ Janoswki from Poland is not only a former world number three but has four FIM Speedway World Cup gold medals to his name.

Nevertheless, the Aces have bounced back after a disappointing 50-40 defeat in the KO Cup by Ipswich Witches to record a double over King’s Lynn Stars, with a narrow loss against Leicester still showing plenty of fight and promise for the rest of the campaign.

belle vue aces vs oxford spires 2025
Belle Vue Aces’ Jaimon Lidsey pushing hard against King’s Lynn – here’s hoping for more of that against Oxford. (Credit: Taylor Lanning)

Lemon went on to assure that he remains confident, however, adding: “We’re settling back into a routine. It was good that all the boys are getting confidence-building scores.

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“Zach Cook, Norick Blodorn and Jake Mulford have all started winning key races and scoring well. Tate Zischke is also solving some bike issues.

“As I’ve said before, at this time of the season, it’s about building momentum. That’s the target.”

The Aces get underway against the Spires at the NSS just down the road in Gorton from 7:30pm – best of luck to all those at Belle Vue.

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Featured Images — Taylor Lanning (supplied)

Sport

Salford City FC have been bought out by a new consortium

Danny Jones Danny Jones Salford City FC buyout Gary Neville David Beckham

Another era beckons for Salford City as a buyout of the Greater Manchester football club by a new consortium has been announced.

Well, sort of.

Salford City FC were famously the subject of a joint takeover by Singaporean businessman Peter Lim and members of Manchester United’s Class of ’92 over a decade ago, and now 11 years on from that last milestone moment in their history, the local side has a new administration once again.

It is a fresh chapter for the club, but supporters will be glad to hear that there will also be some continuity and key throughline of consistency among some of those at the top.

Led by Man United legends Gary Neville and David Beckham, who have been involved with Salford since 2014, the new nine-member consortium consists of the Dream Sports Group – a leading sports technology company based in India – along with a number of other key figures.

One of those is Lord Mervyn Davies, a former Labour MP and Minister of State for Trade, Investment and Small Business, who still serves as a trade envoy between the UK and Sri Lanka.

Another is Irish-American entrepreneur Declan Kelly, who is Chairman and CEO of The Consello Group, a global advisory and investing firm.

While the previous co-owners and fellow Class of ’92 United graduates are no longer shareholders at Moor Lane, it is said they will still play important roles at the club.

As the official statement reads, “The acquisition includes a commitment by the new shareholders to invest significantly in the Club, the team and its facilities”, meaning there will funds will likely be sweet aside not only for some healthy transfer business but more updates to the Peninsula Stadium.

Commenting on the announcement, Neville said: “I’m passionate about Salford City. This is a unique partnership with a diverse range of minds and expertise, held together by a love of football.

“Football will come first, however, it’s critical that we drive the Club towards sustainability in the next 4-5 years. I can’t wait for the next part of this journey.”

Meanwhile, Beckham went on to add in the excitable Instagram post seen above: “Salford played such an important role in my life growing up… It’s where I trained with United alongside my best mates every day, it’s where I bought my first house and where me and Victoria lived.

“I’m so proud to be part of a new ownership group alongside my mate [Neville] as we begin the next chapter of Salford’s journey. Football is at the heart of this community and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for the Ammies.

Are you happy with the news, Salford fans?

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Featured Images — Salford City FC (via Wikimedia Commons)

Sport

Chester Zoo’s sellout 10k charity run returns this summer with three new routes

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant Chester Zoo Run For Nature

Chester Zoo has announced that its popular Run For Nature is back again this summer, and this year, there’s three new routes to run.

The UK’s biggest charity zoo saw success with similar sold-out events in 2023 and 2024, and is now looking for 2,500 runners to sign up for one of the North West’s most unique athletic experiences when it returns later this year – with all funds raised from the popular event going towards efforts to protect highly-endangered giraffes in Africa.

Participants will this year take on a brand-new route winding through more of the zoo than ever before, and enjoying glimpses of elephants, lemurs, and other incredible species along the way, before heading out into the picturesque Cheshire countryside.

Chester Zoo is inviting runners of all abilities to take part this year, as there’s a new 5km run added to the usual 10km route, and even a one-mile ‘Zoom’ fun run for kids aged four-15.

With only 2,500 places up for grabs, organisers say the event is expected to sell out quickly, just like it has the past two years, as runners race to support a very special cause.

All proceeds from this year’s Run For Nature in September will go directly towards protecting Nubian giraffes in East Africa – a species which has seen drastic population declines in the wild due to habitat loss, poaching and conflict with humans.

Chester Zoo Run For Nature
Chester Zoo’s sellout 10k charity run is returning this summer with three new routes / Credit: Chester Zoo

Runners will receive a wooden medal at the finish line and free entry to the zoo for the remainder of the day, so they can relax and celebrate their achievement among 30,000 amazing animals.

If that didn’t all sound brilliant enough as it is, top fundraisers from the day will also be in with a chance of winning some exciting prizes too, including annual zoo memberships, animal adoptions, and even special behind-the-scenes zoo experiences.

“We’re thrilled to be bringing back Run For Nature for a third incredible year,” explained Sarah Jones, who is the Fundraising Lead at Chester Zoo.

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“We’ve now doubled the distance runners spend inside the zoo, so they’ll pass by even more iconic animals, [making it] a really special experience you won’t get anywhere else.”

Run For Nature is back at Chester Zoo this Sunday 21 September, and you can find out more and sign up to take part here.

Featured Image – Chester Zoo

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