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THE line-up has been confirmed for the Premier League Fours at Leicester on Sunday, August 7.Beaumont Park is the newest venue in the sport and is expected to play host to a bumper crowd for one of the most popular events in the domestic racing calendar.The home side have been drawn in Group 1 alongside Scottish rivals Glasgow and Edinburgh, with Somerset completing the quartet.In Group 2, Jason Lyons and Aaron Summers are included in the Redcar line-up having both been part of the Birmingham team who won the event last season, with the Brummies now having moved into the Elite League.The most recent winners of the event to still be in the Premier League are Workington – who were victorious in three of the previous four years – and they join the Bears, Sheffield and Ipswich in the group.A huge promotional effort is being put into the meeting, with an impressive poster campaign already in operation around the City.And speedway will also have a display on the front concourse at Leicester City FC’s Walkers’ Stadium on Saturday July 30, for the sold-out pre-season friendly against Real Madrid.GROUP 1: SOMERSET: Travis McGowan, Cory Gathercole, Sam Masters, James Holder. LEICESTER: Kauko Nieminen, Magnus Karlsson, Henning Bager, Jan Graversen. EDINBURGH: Kevin Wolbert, Craig Cook, Andrew Tully, Matthew Wethers. GLASGOW: Joe Screen, James Grieves, Theo Pijper, Michal Rajkowski.GROUP 2: SHEFFIELD: Ricky Ashworth, Josh Auty, Shane Parker, Emiliano Sanchez. REDCAR: Matej Kus, Jason Lyons, Aaron Summers, Gary Havelock. WORKINGTON: James Wright, Tomas Topinka, Rusty Harrison, Peter Kildemand. IPSWICH: Kevin Doolan, Morten Risager, Lasse Bjerre, Taylor Poole.
*JASON Garrity was crowned British Under-19 Champion with victory at Rye House on Saturday, ahead of Hackney duo Shane Hazelden and Ben Morley.Garrity said: “I didn’t start off well, locking up in my first ride, but it’s how the night ends that really counts. “Things have been going well for me this year. I had my Elite League debut at Peterborough on Friday, and I learned from that experience, and I was able to come here tonight and show where it’s got me.”Hazelden, too, was pleased with his performance after a two-week lay-off due to a fractured and dislocated finger.He said: “The doctor said I should take another fortnight off, and said that I was pushing it to ride. I haven’t been on a bike for two weeks, but I went back to basics with my settings, and felt good on the bike and really fast.“I struggled a little bit toward the end of the night as the track slickened off, but I was still getting wins and seconds. I hurt my finger again and got winded during the first go at the Final, but I went out in the re-run and made a better gate. I would have settled for just reaching the Final, so second place is more than good.” SUPER7EVEN SERIES SPEEDWAY GB EVENTSBRITISH UNDER-21 FINAL: TAI WOFFINDENELITE LEAGUE PAIRS: POOLEBRITISH FINAL: SCOTT NICHOLLSPREMIER LEAGUE PAIRS: GLASGOWPREMIER LEAGUE FOURS: Leicester, August 7 PREMIER LEAGUE RIDERS CHAMPIONSHIP: Sheffield, September 25 ELITE LEAGUE RIDERS CHAMPIONSHIP: Swindon, October 15
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BELLE VUE boss Jim Lynch says the return to top form of skipper Chris Harris is a major boost as the Aces look to secure a top-four finish.Lynch said: “He is getting back to the Chris Harris we know and love and is looking more like the great rider we know he can be.“He has had his bike problems this season and they are the more the cause of what has been wrong. It’s not the man riding them. We have managed some decent results with him below par so we can do really well with him back in his best form.”BIRMINGHAM skipper Daniel King admits the Brummies are desperate for a home win when they entertain Eastbourne on Thursday.King said: “We need to get back to enjoying our racing and hopefully we can start by beating Eastbourne on Thursday. Last week’s home defeat by Lakeside in front of a good crowd was a disaster for the club, I also accept my responsibility in that.“The fans have been brilliant, I think they’ve seen some real entertainment this season but when we ride like we did against Lakeside it takes apart all the good work.”COVENTRY skipper Edward Kennett put to one side a frustrating night personally to reflect on a second home win in four days against Poole, with the Bees having added six points to their total.Kennett said: “I’m pleased with the result for the team although not the result for me personally! It was a tough meeting, the boys dug deep and it was a good team performance.“We’ve got three points from each of the last two home matches so we want that again on Friday, but it’s a case of taking each meeting as it comes and keeping the boys hyped up. There’s no reason why we can’t do it, we have a good enough team now but we have to pull together and be strong.”EASTBOURNE are awaiting a further update on Simon Gustafsson, who crashed out of the World Under-21 Final round at Poole on Sunday and is to have further tests.Gustafsson said: “I’m not totally sure what the damage is yet. I’m going back to Sweden for a proper X-ray but they were saying they were 90 per cent sure I have two broken ribs.“The lungs are okay, though. There was some talk I had punctured one but it’s okay, maybe just bruised. I can’t say how long I will be out of action for.”KING’S LYNN boss Rob Lyon is chasing revenge for the Stars’ only home defeat of the season so far when Eastbourne make their second visit to the Norfolk Arena on Wednesday.Lyon said: “We were up against it that night after losing Olly (Allen) in his first heat but we looked to have pulled something special out of the bag only for an engine failure to cost us the victory. “I hope that this time round all seven riders stay fit and the gremlins stay hidden away because I believe that we can gain all three league points against them.”LAKESIDE promoter Jon Cook admits that a return for Adam Shields in the near future is looking unlikely, with the Australian still suffering from a knee injury after crashing in early June.Cook said: “It’s looking increasingly likely that Adam will have to undergo an operation, and we’ll have to look at that situation with a view to how we compensate for his potential loss.“Frankly there is no suitable top-end availability out there. We have been talking to Jonas Davidsson but he’s doing very well in the various leagues that he rides in the present time, and at the moment he’s probably not an option.”PETERBOROUGH manager Trevor Swales has urged his side to improve their away results if they are to mount a play-off push – following a disappointing display at Belle Vue on Monday.Swales said: “The Polish boys were very, very poor and Nicki (Pedersen) had a pretty lame night too. He should be making every Heat 15 but tonight we had no choice to put Linus (Sundstrom) in.“We are simply not going to win away with everyone underperforming and if we don’t start picking up away points soon we are going to fall short of where we want to be which is the play-offs.”POOLE duo Darcy Ward and Kyle Newman have both been ruled out for a fortnight following their crashes at Coventry on Monday. Ward has a groin injury with Newman suffering a twisted knee, and the Pirates are awaiting news on Jason Doyle.Promoter Matt Ford said: “We have suffered three big blows in one meeting, it doesn’t come much more of a crisis than this. We will obviously have to operate rider replacement for Darcy but our options for the other two are not yet clear.“We will put Gary Havelock on standby in case Doyley is forced to miss tomorrow’s (Wednesday) meeting, and with Christian Hefenbrock still not fit to return we will have to consider how to cover the reserve berth. I think this will put a totally different complexion on things.”SWINDON boss Jan Staechmann is hoping to build on a positive outcome from his first home match in charge, when the Robins secured a 46-44 win over Eastbourne.Staechmann said: “We would have liked the maximum three points, but a win’s a win and we’ll take that. I thought our boys showed a lot of character and it was a good team effort.“I thought it was encouraging to see the condition of the track, it was nice and smooth. It’s got a good base to work from and we can progress from here.”WOLVERHAMPTON are facing a massive week in their bid to climb the table, with a home clash against Lakeside next Monday followed by trips to Poole and Birmingham.Boss Peter Adams said: “We still need to take points away from home to get back on target for a place in the play-offs.“I’m sure we can do that because the race for the top four right now is wide open and we will go into our meetings with a positive attitude.”
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BERWICK went out of the Knockout Cup after a fiercely competitive tie with Glasgow, the Tigers winning on aggregate by 13-points despite the Bandits working hard for a 49-41 first leg lead.Team boss Ian Rae said: “We were left lacking tonight (at Glasgow), but when you’re up against the top team in the league that’s no great shame and we wish the Tigers well in their quest for the cup as they certainly added to our entertainment on Saturday in the first leg.”EDINBURGH star Craig Cook produced one of the rides of the night to overhaul Rye House No.1 Jordan Frampton in the Monarchs’ win over the Rockets at Armadale.Cook said: “That was awesome, I knew Jordan didn't have the speed because he wasn't pulling away from me, so I just upped the power and got past him, I knew I was faster than him. But overall it was a good team performance, we all pulled together and I'm really happy we took all three points.”GLASGOW co-promoter Alan Dick has admitted his pleasure at being able to fight on more than one front this season, with the Tigers now into the semi-finals of the Knockout Cup after overcoming Berwick.Dick said: “The middle section of the tie allowed us to take the strain off in the final closing heats and we were able to thoroughly enjoy the win and getting that place in the semi final. We are all looking forward to that tie and it makes a pleasant change to be fighting for a place in a national final again.”IPSWICH director of speedway Chris Louis admitted that a lengthy clear-the-air meeting was held between riders and management following last week’s home defeat by Newport which effectively ended the Witches’ Knockout Cup interest.Louis said: “It was a very long meeting. I’ve helped all the riders individually, but this was time for me to express to them all what I thought of their racing – in front of the other riders. It had to be done. I didn’t want any excuses, and I didn’t get any.”LEICESTER boss Jason Attwood was pleased with the determination shown by his side to secure a 45-45 draw with title-chasing Workington – the third time this season the scores have ended all-square at Beaumont Park.Attwood said: “We’ve had some pleasing performances in all three meetings against Ipswich, Sheffield and Workington, and what I was pleased about on Sunday was that heads didn’t go down even though a couple of riders didn’t perform to their usual standards.”NEWCASTLE’S injury problems have mounted with concerns over skipper Derek Sneddon and high-scoring reserve Kyle Newman.Sneddon crashed out of the KO Cup win over Somerset with a foot injury which initially raised thoughts of a break, although x-rays have shown a small chip to the bone with lots of rest and ice prescribed for the Scot. In-form Newman, meanwhile, suffered a knee injury in a fall when racing for Poole at Coventry on Monday.NEWPORT have set up a Knockout Cup semi-final clash with Workington after overcoming Ipswich with home and away wins over the Witches.Danish star Charlie Gjedde scored a paid maximum in the 58-32 second leg victory against an injury-hit visiting side, with Jason Doyle and skipper Leigh Lanham also in double figures.PLYMOUTH skipper Ben Barker says the Devils can build on a much-needed home victory against Redcar, which gives them clear hope of moving up the Premier League table.Barker said: “It felt fantastic to win. There was a real buzz around the place, we haven’t had that for a while. It’s been a very tough start to the season but we’ve got a lot of matches left and have to stay positive and hope we can climb off the bottom of the table.”REDCAR boss Jitendra Duffill admitted a point from a 46-44 defeat at Plymouth came as little consolation after the Bears were defeated in a last-heat decider.Duffill said: “Before the meeting we felt we could do better than that, but we didn’t have an answer to their top two. Matej (Kus) has never seen a track as small as that before, but if he’s going to be a top rider he’s got to learn how to ride tracks like that. It’s all part of his speedway education and he’ll come back a better rider for the experience.”RYE HOUSE skipper Chris Neath gave praise to home side Edinburgh after the Rockets went down to a 55-37 defeat at Armadale last Friday.Neath said: “Credit where it's due, Monarchs rode really well and didn't have a weak line in their side. It was very tough for us because Monarchs were electric out of the starts and were by far the better side.”SCUNTHORPE promoter Rob Godfrey feels his side are perfectly placed to enjoy a strong run in the second phase of the Premier League season.Godfrey said: “The clubs we’ve been drawn against, we’ve already taken points off them. I’m confident this is going to be our best year, if we can keep injury-free. Then we can build for next year.”SHEFFIELD boss Eric Boocock had no complaints after the Tigers were narrowly beaten over two legs by Workington in a thrilling Knockout Cup tie – which went down to the final race at Derwent Park.Boocock said: “I cannot fault the effort of anybody. A couple of the boys had an off-night but that’s always likely to happen and generally I’m happy with the way the season is going. It’s a shame we’re out of the cup but we are even more determined to kick on in the league after this setback. I wish Workington well.”SOMERSET promoter Debbie Hancock is keen for the Rebels to continue a proud record of success having qualified for the Premier League Fours to be held at Leicester on August 7.She said: “It goes without saying that we are delighted to have qualified for the Championship. It is a competition in which the Rebels have a proud record, having won it back in 2005, the first year we qualified for the final stages, and since then the club has never been off the podium, a record that we aim to continue in this year’s event at Leicester.”WORKINGTON boss Tony Jackson was left to rue a fine ride by former Comets star Kauko Nieminen which limited the visitors to a draw from a close-fought encounter at Leicester.Jackson said: “We should have been happy with two points away from home, but everyone was down at the end because we really should have won it. Kauko and Magnus Karlsson have really stiffened-up the Leicester side, and I’m sure that if we had met them a few weeks ago when the fixture was rained off we would have collected at least a three-point win.”
FIXTURE PICTURE…
WEDNESDAY JULY 27:SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: King’s Lynn v Eastbourne 7.30, Poole v Lakeside 7.30
THURSDAY JULY 28:SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Birmingham v Eastbourne 7.30, Swindon v King’s Lynn 7.30 PREMIER LEAGUE: Redcar v Workington 7.30, Sheffield v Rye House 7.45
FRIDAY JULY 29:SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Coventry v Birmingham 8pm, Lakeside v Peterborough 8pm PREMIER LEAGUE: Newport v Leicester 7.30, Plymouth v Ipswich 7.30, Scunthorpe v Glasgow 7.30, Somerset v Redcar 7.30 SCOTTISH OPEN: Edinburgh 7.30SATURDAY JULY 30:SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Eastbourne v Swindon 4pm PREMEIR LEAGUE: Berwick v Newcastle 7pm, Leicester v Newport 8pm, Rye House v Plymouth 7pm, Workington v Glasgow 7pm NATIONAL LEAGUE FOURS: Stoke 7pm
SUNDAY JULY 31:PREMIER LEAGUE: Glasgow v Edinburgh 4pm, Newcastle v Workington 6.30 NATIONAL LEAGUE: Newport v Isle of Wight 2.30 BRITISH YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP Round 2: Buxton 2pm
MONDAY AUGUST 1:SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Belle Vue v Coventry 7.30, Wolverhampton v Lakeside 7.30
TUESDAY AUGUST 2:NATIONAL LEAGUE: Dudley v Mildenhall 7.30 WPA HEALTH TROPHY: Isle of Wight 7.30
WEDNESDAY AUGUST 3:SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: King’s Lynn v Swindon 7.30, Poole v Wolverhampton 7.30
THURSDAY AUGUST 4:SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Birmingham v Wolverhampton 7.30, Swindon v Peterborough 7.30 PREMIER LEAGUE: Redcar v Rye House 7.30
FRIDAY AUGUST 5:PREMIER LEAGUE: Edinburgh v Glasgow 7.30, Scunthorpe v Ipswich 7.30, Somerset v Berwick 7.30
SATURDAY AUGUST 6:SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Eastbourne v Poole 7.30, Lakeside v Coventry 7.45 PREMIER LEAGUE: Plymouth v Berwick 7.30, Rye House v Redcar 7pm, Workington v Edinburgh 7pm NATIONAL LEAGUE: Stoke v Isle of Wight 7.30 BRITISH YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP Round 3: Plymouth 1pm
SUNDAY AUGUST 7:PREMIER LEAGUE FOURS: Leicester 5pmMONDAY AUGUST 8:SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Belle Vue v Birmingham 7.30, Wolverhampton v Poole 7.30 ELITE LEAGUE KO CUP 2nd leg: Peterborough v Coventry 7.30TUESDAY AUGUST 9:NATIONAL LEAGUE: Isle of Wight v Buxton 7.30
WEDNESDAY AUGUST 10:SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: King’s Lynn v Coventry 7.30, Poole v Swindon 7.30