The Somerset ‘Sharp’ Rebels brought the curtain down on a highly successful, if somewhat fraught season with an entertaining challenge match against ‘Boycie’s Boys’, who included three former Rebels in the mix of Elite, Premier and National League performers. In the Rebels Young Shield match with Stoke the track was as slick as it had ever been at the Oak Tree Arena, but since then the track staff had put in a tremendous amount of work to produce a surface that would provide good racing. However the autumnal weather, combined with an almost windless day caught everyone out, making the surface heavy, but the riders coped with conditions well, and provided the crowd with some great entertainment.

The match itself was a tight affair, with never more than four points between the sides, often less, and produced a last heat decider, in which either side could have carried the day. In the opening two heats the sides swapped 5-1’s, with Lakeside Hammers star, Kauko Nieminen, and former Rebel Jay Herne flying from the tapes in Heat 1 to take the early advantage, despite a hard chase from Steve Johnston.

Former Oak Tree favourite Danny Warwick blasted from the tapes in Heat 2, but Justin Sedgmen was soon passed him as they exited Bend 2. Nick Simmons was soon on his case, and on the very next lap he used the same spot to take up second place, as Warwick took his customary wide line.

Rebels 2003 ‘number one’, Mark Lemon, got the better of Emil Kramer to take Heat 3, despite the Swede never being far away, and the ‘Boys’ took a narrow advantage as Richard Sweetman took third place. Heat 4 saw the Rebels in front after a superb 5-1 from Cory Gathercole, and Nick Simmons. Gathercole and Steve Boxall broke quickly. Gathercole shot around the outside of the Poole man on the second turn, and at the same time Nick Simmons took his chance on Boxall’s inner. Once in front Gathercole towed away to an easy win, as Simmons fought off the close attentions of Boxall to the line.

The Nieminen/Herne partnership repeated their Heat 1 start in the next, with Emil Kramer being the victim on this occasion. Kramer was not far away, and was harrying Herne, until he picked up some grip, and did well to stay on two wheels. Kramer’s misfortune handed the visitors the full house, and with it restored their two-point lead. However it wasn’t long before the Rebels repaid the debt, and Heat 6 saw them take their second 5-1 advantage. The two Steve’s, Johnston and Boxall, flew from the tapes to contest the early stages, but behind them Simon Walker was getting into top gear. He came barrelling around the boards, and was soon upsides Boxall, and by the final turn of the lap he was passed. His momentum carried him alongside his race partner, and right to the front. From there on it was all Rebels as they retook their narrow advantage.

The ‘Boys’ levelled it up, and then went back in front over the next two heats. Firstly Richard Sweetman made a superb start to come over the top, and clamp Cary Gathercole to the kerb. Gathercole got out of shape, and in the melee, Justin Sedgmen was hampered, and then filled in, leaving him struggling for vision going onto the back straight. Gathercole quickly recovered, but could never get back on terms with the Brummies racer. Mark Lemon took third to level the scores. Jay Herne took Heat 8, after Simon Walker suffered an engine failure on the line. Danny Warwick and Nick Simmons shot off the tapes to lead, but Herne came storming around the wide line to pass the pair before the back straight. Simmons was all over Warwick for the next three laps, and used the wide line to swoop on the Bournemouth man on the final bend of Lap 3, but with Walker stuck at the line the ‘Boys’ were back in front.

With the exception of Heat 10, the next four heats were shared. Emil Kramer took Heat 9 with a flying start, and was never troubled by the pairing of Boxall and Warwick, who shared the points. Mark Lemon added his second win in Heat 10, as he just got the better of a level break with Steve Johnston. Third went to Richard Sweetman, but it may have been different had Simon Walker not suffered mechanical problems, whilst engaged in a tight battle with the young Australian.

Justin Sedgmen made a great start in Heat 11, but the quick starting Kauko Nieminen beat him to the drop. However the Rebels rising star was not phased, and was soon challenging on the inside of the final bend of the lap. He just failed to get through, but he gave Nieminen a really hard time, until the ‘Flying Finn’ pulled away. Jay Herne, who had been on a paid maximum up to this point, took third place and another shared heat went in the book. Justin Sedgmen had no time to contemplate what might have been as he was out again in the very next heat, but once more he had to make do with second place. This time it was Richard Sweetman who took the win, but once more Sedgmen harried him all the way, throwing in several challenges, and providing great entertainment in the difficult conditions. Nick Simmons took third place to keep the Rebels in the mix.

Heat 13 brought the Rebels back level with their fourth full house of the night. Cory Gathercole powered to the front after a level break with Steve Johnston and Kauko Nieminen. Steve Johnston led in a tight first bend, but Gathercole was flying around the outside, and by the second bend he was in front. Once there he pulled well clear to take an easy win, but Steve Johnston had to overcome a hard chase by Nieminen, and a bit of motorcrossing in the late stages to take the full house.

Mark Lemon has been in fine form in the latter stages of the season, and he showed it again in Heat 14 as he made a superb start to lead from Danny Warwick. Justin Sedgmen was the early challenger to Warwick, but could not get alongside. Emil Kramer took up the chase, but Warwick used the dirt burm on the outside to keep the reliable Swede at bay. Every time Kramer got in a challenging position, Warwick stuck the back wheel in the dirt cushion, and pulled back in front. Eventually Kramer’s superior speed overcame Warwick’s clever use of the dirt line, and he eased into second, but Lemon was long gone. Justin Sedgmen came with a late run, but once more Warwick’s line won the day, and the visitors were back in front.

So rather fittingly, and in true Oak Tree Arena tradition, the Rebels final encounter of the season had come down to a last heat decider. The advantage was with ‘Boycie’s Boys’ as they only needed to share the points to take the match, but the Rebels required a heat advantage to force a draw, or a full house to take the honours. Steve Johnston did his best to make it happen as he shot of the start to lead, but Cory Gathercole was squeezed out in the opening turns, and the opponent’s pair of Lemon and Nieminen closed ranks, and held him off with some tidy team riding. Try as he might Gathercole couldn’t close the gap, and the shared heat gave Boycie and his boys the match by just 2-points. Despite the difficult conditions the riders, both established stars, and future ones, had all provided some good entertainment for the watching fans.

From a season long viewpoint the Rebels have had a great season. Having been written off by almost every pundit at the start of the season, they were right in the hunt for a play off place until the very end of the league season. Off track the club overcame some unforeseen problems, with injuries forcing team changes and a totally unexpected change of management just as the season was building to its climax, so with this in mind the team’s on track activities are nothing short of superb.

If the bulk of this season’s team can be kept together, the Rebels will have a strong base to build on for the future, and it was clear that barring any rule changes to the contrary, those riders want to be involved in that future.

In the after meeting interviews, Promoter, Debbie Hancock, and Team Sponsor Mark Saunders briefly outlined the problems the club had encountered, and explained some of the plans for next year, which left those in attendance in no doubt that the club has a bright, and hopefully successful future. So all that’s left to say is Roll on 2010!