Henry injury dampens Newcastle win.

Newcastle Diamonds (Powered by The Gate) were at the centre of a simply amazing meeting at Brough Park last night, against the Somerset Rebels in the Premier League that went to a run off for the aggregate bonus point.

All was going well enough up to the mid point in the meeting with Josef Franc unbeaten, as were James Grieves and reserve Christian Henry despite a 1-8 to the Rebels in Heat 5 after Magnus Zetterstrom was on a win for double points, followed home by his partner, and former Diamond, Jamie Smith over Robertson and the increasingly disappointing Lubos Tomicek, taking the score to 20-13.

With the score standing at 40-23 to Newcastle, and the aggregate totals 74-81 to Somerset, the remainder of the evening was obviously going to be hot, heavy and memorable, but no one knew by how much.

Swede, Zetterstrom stormed to the front, but was soon passed out the outside by the revitialised Christian Henry on bend 2 of the race, a feat to be repeated by James Grieves one lap later, only for Zorro, as Zetterstrom is known, to return the compliment over Grieves on lap 3, but.... Zetterstrom's desperation for points got the better of him on bend 3, as he powered hard and way too fast under the steadily riding Henry sending the unsuspecting Diamond hard and fast into the fence, smashing fence posts in the process.

The shocking nature of this move from Zetterstrom resulted in the match referee, Stuart Wilson, going to the pits to initially resolve the heated aftermath of the crash, but also to issue Zetterstrom with a very, very rare exclusion from the remainder of the meeting for "foul riding", an offence for which there is no coverage with reserve replacement, leaving remaining races of his 3 riders only.

Henry was left on the track with immediate ambulance attention being summoned for his injuries. Initially it looked severe, but he soon got to his feet, climbing into the ambulance for a trip to hospital in order for a large and painfully deep gash in his upper rear thigh to be treated after the initial damage seems to have been caused by his own machine ripping the flesh from his leg. His wound was treated and sewn up, and he was eventually released, but it is not known how long this serious muscle damage will keep him out of action.

The race was awarded a 5-1 to Newcastle. Following Heat 13's 3-man running without the red-carded Zetterstrom gave Newcastle another 5-1 (53-31 and aggregate totals at 87-89) Heat 14 saw Tomicek suffer his second tape-touching incident of the night, and his second 15m handicap gifting a 2-4 to the Rebels, and taking the bonus 2 points further away from the Diamonds grasp. Heat 15 needed re-running too after there was inside bunching, which sent Franc flying on bend 1, and despte again Fry moving sharply right from the gate in the re start, Franc and Grieves took the 5 points to force a run off for the bonus, but yet again there were major, and mass heated "discussions" in the pits as Franc completed his victory lap sending Referee Wilson back into the pits to once again restore order.

After this fracas was broken up, the race off was finally able to take place with Franc easily beating Hawkins for the extra League point.

This meeting had everything, just a massive shame that one of speedway's nice guys is now lying in a medical bed, nursing a seriously nasty, and unneccessary injury.

It's incidental that supporters had already arranged a fund raising night for Henry, this Wednesday night (17-8-05 at 7.30pm) at the Newton Park Pub on Benton Road in Newcastle. An event who's fundraising efforts are now doubly important for Christian, and a big turn out is expected.

"I feel such a mixture of emotion tonight," said Team manager, George English, "The win was superb. The bonus point run off was spectacular, Franc's 18 point maximum was brilliant, as was Grieves's paid 15 max, but to end up with Christian in hospital with such a horrible and painful injury which should never, not in a million meetings, have happened. It's infliction is a sickening situation and a huge blow to the team and the club as he was just finding form and riding some superb speedway. We all wish him well and all the best for a speedy recovery. The lad just does not deserve this foul luck."