(SPEEDWAY 1)
SHEFFIELD have arranged several extra attractions for supporters at Sunday’s Premier League Riders’ Championship (5.30).Club bosses have worked hard to piece together an entertaining event with fans having the opportunity to meet the shale stars.Signing sessions with the riders have been arranged at 4pm and 4.15 and the souvenir programme will have space for autographs by rider profiles.There will also be live music on the infield from 3.45 to build up to the showpiece event which everyone wants to win.And for the children there is face painting available, plus a children’s entertainer walking around the stadium.There will also be a special appearance from 1976 World Champion Peter Collins who will make the presentations as well as displaying one of his bikes. Again, the programme carries fantastic pictures of his world title win which can be signed by the man himself.British Champion Danny King has also agreed to bring his trophy for fans to have photographs.There will also be a 50/50 draw but there will be consolation prizes for second and third in addition to the winner.Sheffield co-promoter Damien Bates said: “We are really working hard to make this event the success it deserves to be.“The weather forecast is looking good and there are coaches coming from some tracks. It promises to be a fun-filled occasion for all the family and one of the most hotly-contested meetings on the British Speedway calendar.“I’m looking forward to it and I’m sure the fans are too.”
(SPEEDWAY 2)
BELLE Vue remain in control of top position in the Elite League following a 52-40 win over bottom club Leicester.The Aces overcame the absence of Scott Nicholls and Max Fricke at the National Speedway Stadium, with guest Danny King top-scoring on 12+1 in another impressive appearance at the venue – whilst Craig Cook added 11+2 and in-form reserve Joe Jacobs collected 11.Patrick Hougaard totalled 14+1 for the Lions, and even home boss Mark Lemon felt the visitors may have deserved more for their efforts.Lemon said: “Tonight’s score doesn’t reflect how hard Leicester pushed us. We’re in a position with the play-offs imminent where we need to build confidence and on Wednesday that’s just what we did.“The boys can feel proud of their efforts. It was frustrating to be without Scott and Max but the boys pulled together and delivered the goods, and Danny King once again proved to be a great guest.“It’s not a disaster to finish second but that top spot is where we want to be. It shows we are the team to beat. We’ve held onto it since July and ideally we want to keep it that way.”Meanwhile Poole kept up the pressure with a hefty 61-29 home win over King’s Lynn at Wimborne Road.Chris Holder returned from his injury scare with a full maximum from four rides for the Pirates, whilst Brady Kurtz piled up 12+2 and reserve Bjarne Pedersen added 10+2.It was another tough night on the road for the Stars, who brought in Michael Palm Toft as a late replacement for the injured Nicklas Porsing – and he top-scored with 13+1.Kurtz said: “I’m pleased that I have put last week's disappointment behind me and bounced back like this. Things went well for me tonight and we put on a good showing. “We are in the play-offs and there are some big meetings to come but no-one should doubt us. We can pull this off.”Stand-in Stars boss Garry May said: “Poole were gating and King’s Lynn obviously struggled a lot at times. It’s always really hard at Poole and it was a tough night. “Palm Toft really did a good job which is why he had so many rides. Every time I asked him to take three rides on the trot he was up for it, and that’s exactly what you want.”
(SPEEDWAY 3)
BIRMINGHAM will take an eight-point lead into the away leg of their Knockout Cup semi-final tie against Kent after a 49-41 win at Perry Barr.The Brummies had to work hard for their success in a close fought first leg tie, with a Heat 14 5-1 from Tom Bacon and Jack Smith proving pivotal in the outcome.Skipper Tom Perry won three of the final five races for the home side as both he and Bacon finished with 11 points with the eventual winning margin to the satisfaction of boss Graham Drury. Danny Ayres scored 12+1 for the Kings.Drury said: “Our overall performance was very professional and we're more than pleased to come away with an eight point lead."As I said prior to the start of the meeting though, tonight is only half time - there's still a second leg and 15 more races to go and we've still got a job to do."Credit to both sets of riders who all played their part in another great contest between two very entertaining teams.”
(SPEEDWAY 4)
IPSWICH boss Ritchie Hawkins knows his side are heading for a season-defining run of fixtures in the chase for the Premier League play-offs.The Witches are looking to chase down either Sheffield or Peterborough, and they host the Tigers at Foxhall on Thursday before travelling to second-from-bottom Redcar on Friday.Hawkins said: “It's time to stand up and be counted, they've got the opportunity to make the play-offs and we are in the form of a good play-off team so the opportunity is there for us to grab. We know what we have got to do we've just got to go out there and do it.“Sheffield and Peterborough are the two teams we can catch mathematically and they have both dropped down the table a bit so the pressure is on them to keep those spots. In contrast we were written off a long time ago by many.“The form we have been in at home, I would expect us to beat anyone and we need to win by more than six - it's quite simple. I'd expect us to beat them with a full strength team so we need to get that done and then move onto Redcar.”Sheffield co-boss Marc Bates said: “We’re capable of getting something if everyone turns up, but we haven’t done that enough recently.“Dimitri (Berge) is still struggling with a leg injury but he’s going to be OK to ride, and Josh (Bates) is coming off his antibiotics now and is feeling much better. “We’re still not sure whether Jason (Garrity) will be fit or not, but we’ll go there and give it our best to try and get a result.”Meanwhile Swindon boss Alun Rossiter is anticipating some exciting action as they host a National League Challenge at the Abbey on ThursdayA Swindon Sprockets side – led by local lad Darryl Ritchings – will take on third tier side Coventry Storm in a one-off encounter.Rossiter said: “I came through the Sprockets as a youngster so I know how good it is and how important it can be for people’s careers.“We’re basically testing the waters to see whether it will be supported well enough to run a National League team next year.“We’re looking at the continuity, because the biggest complaint in British speedway at the moment is that there aren’t regular meetings.”(FIXTURES)
THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 8:PREMIER LEAGUE: Ipswich v Sheffield 7.30CHALLENGE: Swindon Sprockets v Coventry Storm 7.30
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 9:PREMIER LEAGUE: Edinburgh v Glasgow 7.30, Peterborough v Workington 7.30, Plymouth v Newcastle 7.15, Redcar v Ipswich 7.30, Scunthorpe v Rye House 7.30LEAGUE CUP SEMI-FINAL 1st leg: Somerset v Sheffield 7.30TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Belle Vue v Buxton 7.30, Coventry v Isle of Wight 7pm, Coventry v Kent (follows previous fixture)
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 10:ELITE LEAGUE: Leicester v King’s Lynn 7.30PREMIER LEAGUE: Berwick v Rye House 7pm, Workington v Glasgow 7pmTRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Stoke v Cradley 7pm
