THE BACKGROUND. Speedway Racing came to Somerset for the first time in 2000 and the venture at the Oak Tree Arena, Highbridge has been a resounding success both off and on track. Bristolian Andrew Hewlett and father Bob are the duo who turned a farmer's field used for occasional banger car racing into what has now been dubbed... "the finest track that has been laid not only in the last decade but in fact one of t he finest since the original Belle Vue circuit way back in 1928". These words were recently scribed in the World's leading Speedway publication, the 'Speedway Star' by their top reporter, a former Fleet Street journalist. That is an accolade that brings smiles to all concerned with the successful Somerset Rebels who have put the small town of Highbridge firmly on the map this year. The 37 year Bristol Council surveyor first saw the fast and furious sport at Eastville becoming a regular Bristol Bulldogs supporter until the racing was controversially closed down despite huge attendances. Ever since a long string of would be promoters have searched high and low for a suitable site in the Bristol area for a Bulldogs return but to this day this aim has not been achieved. Hewlett had left no stone unturned himself in trying to achieve this quest and fortunately he hit lucky when he went to look at the Highbridge site and started talks with landowner Bill Hancock who had never seen a speedway meeting in his life. That was rectified by a visit to Exeter and the ball started rolling towards the founding of the Somerset Rebels Speedway Club. The promotion encountered several pitfalls on the way mainly from two opponents of the venture, who have continued to try to spoil the enjoyment of thousands, so the launch of the team had to be put on hold during 1999 although they did manage to race two away challenges at Buxton and St Austell. After all the red tape was finally sorted, the Rebels got the go ahead with full planning permission and an opening date on May 26th for the excitement packed family sport of speedway. Unfortunately heavy rain decided against this happening but when gates finally opened the following week the crowds flocked in, with almost 2000 present for the historic match with Cornish rivals St Austell in a League Cup clash. So was born the Somerset Rebels! THE 2000 SEASON:.. To say that the Rebels have started their speedway existence in the best possible way is perhaps an understatement. They have taken the sport by storm and have given former Bristol Bulldog fans the chance to rekindle their interest in the sport at the same time as introducing a whole new breed of fans to the fast and furious action around the pacy and well praised Oak Tree Arena circuit. The accolades have been coming thick and fast and the programme for the Rebels recent Conference League clash at Peterborough started off with the following words, " The Speedway success story of the 2000 season is probably how the Somerset Rebels will be titled come the end of the Conference League season. Anyone who has visited their brilliantly named Oak Tree Arena which is situated just off Junction 22 of the M5 could not fail to be impressed by what promoter Andy Hewlett and his team have achieved in such a short space of time. On approaching the stadium you drive along a hardcore track that opens out into a field which is in fact the car park. Adjacent to the car park is the stadium itself and very fine it is too. It has banking all the way round and a grandstand on the back straight. Some stadiums haven't got this after existing for years." "The track is very similar to Peterborough albeit somewhat smaller in size and creates brilliant racing on a surface that shows no sign of only being laid a few months ago." The Somerset track has received constant praise and speaks volumes for the work put into it by the track staff and for the overall planning by former rider Glyn Taylor and this has produced racing that has led to the Rebels being able to boast one of the best regular attendances in the country. Many visitors come away claiming that the racing in Somerset is one of the most entertaining in any of the three leagues throughout the UK. Promoter Hewlett is overjoyed by the success of the initial season, " I must admit that when the gates opened on the first night I was a worried man. What if only a few came after all the work and investment ? My worries were quickly over as almost 2000 fans both old and new filed in through the turnstiles and thankfully most of the have kept coming back. From being a 'virgin' set of supporters they have developed into one of the most vociferous groups of supporters with tracks looking forward to a healthy turnout of what has become dubbed the Rebel Army. They have been magnificent. Even on an absolutely lousy night for our final meeting of the season with the rain lashing down all night over 900 of then turned up to watch and that is a hardcore of fans any track in the country would welcome." On track the Somerset Rebels have settled down to become a force to be reckoned with after a sluggish start as they tried to get the right blend of riders. The side they have finished the season with have certainly done the club proud and finished in the top three in the league and have a League Cup Final appearance to their name in their first season. Had the close one point defeats at Mildenhall, who are now favourites to become the inaugural league champions of the New Millennium, and at Buxton been victories then the championship would have been on its way to the Oak Tree Arena. Two home defeats to Sheffield and St Austell have also lost them valuable points and it is hard to believe that on July 21st the Rebels were at the foot of the table without a Conference League point before their first win over Peterborough 54-36 that gave them their first two points. Since then it has been a case of onwards and upwards and they currently lie in joint second place three points behind Mildenhall with fourth the worst scenario if the remaining meeting results go against them. The telling point in their upsurge was the signings of firstly veteran racer Malcolm Holloway and teenager Jamie Smith. Their addition to the squad has given the Rebels a very solid look. As Team Manager Greg Daniels, a former racer himself who broke his back in a track accident at St Austell in 1999, comments, "Up until Jamie Smith contacted one of our management team , Laurence Rogers, after his Conference League club Peterborough had 'sacked' him for not being able to ride at St Austell and asked to join the Rebels we were always looking for another rider. We had introduced the former Swindon and Reading rider Malcolm Holloway into side for the League Cup Final on July 14th after using several riders who had not been consistent enough. "Mad Wellie" as he is known gave us middle order stability. Then Jamie fell into our laps and we suddenly became a side. He came as a heat leader allowing fellow teenager Glen Phillips to drop into a second string role where he formed what turned out to be a lethal partnership with Steve Bishop. In fact in the month of September their partnership had a 100% record around the Oak Tree Arena with no one coming near them. We have won our last seven meetings home and away with the last time we tasted defeat was our controversial one point defeat at Buxton. We have handed out heavy thrashings to title challengers Boston, Mildenhall and reigning champions Newport and can only be proud of having reached the League Cup Final and be so close to bringing the title to Somerset in our first year." "Our No.1 Bristolian Steve Bishop also came within a whisker of becoming the League Champion losing out in a run-off to Scott Pegler at his home track at Newport in September with a huge Rebel Army there to support him. All in all it has been an amazing first season and stands us in good stead for next year." Off track too the commercial side of the business has seen a plentiful supply of sponsors and backers coming forward to support the club and riders. This is an area the club plan to expand upon during the winter with talks with a national company already underway who have shown an interest in becoming the club's main team sponsor. Commercial Manager, Laurence Rogers, is in charge of developing this side of the Rebels, " I must admit starting off with a brand new track in a county that had never staged the sport before was a huge challenge. We had 3000 sponsorship brochures printed and distributed. I was pleasantly surprised at the initial response from the local business people and we secured a range of backing from adverts in the programme to advertising boards and banners at the track and meeting, race and rider sponsorship. Naturally this has grown as the season has progressed and more people have become aware of the existence of the Rebels and come forward with offers of backing. Our final meeting of the season had some 46 different sponsors backing the Somerset Open Championship. I firmly believe we can increase our commercial backing in 2001 especially after the on track success of the team this season."
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