Mythman’s 2022 Season Preview

As the old dears say the nights are starting to draw out and something about a hen’s stride…I don’t know, I was drifting in and out. But what I do know is that we are sneaking forward ever so slightly closer to the start of the speedway season and that my friends, is what the crowd came to see.

Now normally this would be around the time I would start my usually monumental multipart Mythman Season Preview where I would look at every Championship side, who’s gone where, who’ll be topping the charts, who’ll be languishing at the wrong end of the table and everything in between.

However, 2022 is going to be a little different in the sense that due to a combination of being busy with other things and changes in my own personal circumstances I haven’t had the time I would like to dedicate to such a massive project. Now I’m not one for getting into my own personal stuff here, mainly because it is a speedway related page and partly because nobody cares but the short version is that I’m all good and normal service will be resumed in the not-too-distant future.

For now, there will be no Mythman Season Preview, or at least not a full one but we will look at the Bandits line up in great detail and for that there seems no time like the present. But just before we do, I would say that Leicester, Poole and Glasgow will likely be at the top end of the table come the business end of the season.

Newcomers Oxford and Redcar fall into the dark horse category alongside Plymouth for me and when it comes to Edinburgh you can never write them off. At the other end of the table, it’s possible that Newcastle and Birmingham may be fighting it out for the wooden spoon but after tumultuous times for both teams in 2021, it is fantastic to see them back at the tapes for 2022.

But what about the Bandits? Indeed, what about the Bandits. Now it would be safe to say that my fellow blogger Sarah had done an admirable job of previewing the Bandits and there’s a fair old chance I’ll be “borrowing” some of her content. I think it would also be safe to say that the Bandits line-up has managed to garner plenty enthusiasm and divide opinion all at the same time.

Before we look at the line-up, let’s look at some facts…

At the end of last season there was one word which seemed to be banded about a lot, and that word was change.

The fans wanted change and a fresh approach to team building. Check.

They wanted an out and out number one to win the big races. Check.

They wanted a team capable of making the playoffs and challenging for honours. Check.

When the announcement was made that CHRIS HARRIS was going to be riding for the Bandits in 2022, I know I had to do a double take. I had to check the date to make sure it wasn’t April 1^st, but it turns out that good things come to those who wait. Well, I won’t lie to you, I reckon I’ve waited 20 years to see Bomber in the black and gold. In all that time he has consistently been one of the best and most exciting visiting riders to Shielfield Park and he’s a rider who ticks the box of being the go-to guy when you NEED a race win pulled out of the bag.

Don’t believe me? Have you been living under a rock? The guy literally got run over before winning the rerun in a playoff final and is the definition of Speedway YouTube gold! While I can respect the fact this maybe isn’t the Chris Harris who won the British Grand Prix in 2007, he is the guy who’ll pull out the big win when you need it the most. He’s the guy who if you’re going to beat him, you’ll have been in the race of your life to do so and the best bit about it all is that he’s a Bandit!

Heat’s 13 and 15 more often than not proved to be the undoing of the Bandits for much of 2021 and that was often the time where it came crashing down and it hurt inside. In times like these you need a Real American to get the job done alongside our new number one and that man is RICKY WELLS, another rider with an impressive record around Shielfield as a visitor. He becomes the first ever rider from the USA to represent the Bandits which, in itself is an interesting statistic. He’s had more good meetings than poor ones as a visitor and that bodes well for us, given he is capable of beating absolutely anyone on his day. Truth be told he could well end up becoming our number one if he can recapture his form of a couple of years ago, although I suspect Chris Harris might have something to say about that.

Another man who might have something to say about that is LEON FLINT who returns after having the season of his life in 2021. The genuine bright spot and highlight of last season Leon knuckled down and improved beyond belief, giving him plenty to build on in 2022. If he can carry on that level of progression the Bandits could very well be on to a winner and he may well end up as the number one for his hometown club. Just somebody please keep him away from a microphone at the end of season do or we’ll be there ‘til next season!

Another man returning after having a solid season is KYLE BICKLEY who, somewhat staggeringly links up with a club for the second season in a row for the first time in his career. Having came up through the ranks of the British Youth system around the same time as Leon Flint, Kyle must surely be thinking he can make the same level of progress at some point. He is a rider very much capable of improvement on his starting average and perhaps the familiarity of being back at a club for a second year might be just what he needs to make that happen. There were flashes of just what he was capable of in 2021 but he did add a bit more aggression to his racing and here’s hoping for more of the same in 2022 from Kyle.

From two riders returning off the back of excellent seasons, JYE ETHERIDGE would probably be the first to admit that 2021 wasn’t his best year. But in saying that we all know just how good he can be on his day and if he can avoid injuries which have hindered him in the past, we should see the best version of Reggie again in 2022. Not so long ago he was knocking on the door of a number one spot in the team and if my maths is correct, he will start the 2022 season at reserve. Now that to me is the very definition of a no brainer. Strongest reserve in the league? Probably…and if all goes well that will remain much the same for the entirety of the season irrespective of who is in that position.

Another familiar face makes his return as THEO PIJPER returns to the Bandits fold having had three previous spells with the club in 2007, 2016 and 2018. The Flying Dutchman is still a quality performer on his day, and he is sure to bring plenty of experience to the table which in turn should help his younger teammates. While Theo might be nearer the end of his career than he is at the start of it, he still knows the fast way around Shielfield Park and he’s still the sort of solid and dependable rider that every team needs.

To say the final puzzle piece caused some unrest would be a bit of an understatement and it’s safe to say that the signing of TY PROCTOR wasn’t on many people’s radars. There were rumours of Dany Gappmaier and Nickolaj Busk Jakobsen returning but that wasn’t to be. Another Bandits fan and I had even managed to shoehorn Speedway of Nations superstar Philip Hellstrom-Bangs into the line-up as we played armchair team manager, but that wasn’t to be either. Woeful, terrible, and desperate were just some of the words used online to describe the signing of Ty Proctor and for me yes, he is a gamble. But say that gamble pays off the promotion will be widely lauded as geniuses by the same experts who doubted them. Yes, Proctor didn’t enjoy a good season in 2021, he will be the first to admit that himself, I’m sure. Prior to that it tends to be forgotten that he played a pivotal role in league triumphs for Workington and Leicester prior to Covid and all that nonsense. If, there’s that word again, if he can recapture even just a little bit of that form then the Bandits could well be a force to be reckoned with.

So, there we have it, that’s my thoughts on the Bandits for 2022 and I’ll level with you, I’m excited! Yes, there are question marks over some, but no more than any other side in the league and any questions will be answered in due course.

Playoff Contenders? I would say so.

League Champions? Time will tell but we can dare to dream.

We last won a national trophy in 2012 and before that it was 2002. Point I’m making is that these things are cyclic and based on that 2022 could well be the year of the Bandits!

Of course if you wish to agree, or disagree with the Mythman, have an idea for a feature, or you simply wish to chew the fat over all things speedway, you can email me  jbspeedwaymedia@hotmail.com or get in touch via the JB Speedway Media Facebook page. If your compliments, or indeed gripes can be contained to limited characters you can tweet @Mythman666.

Until next time…and there will be a next time.

Right I’ll hae’tae gan.

Mythman