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THERE will be a new name on the Premier League Riders Championship trophy this seasonwith a wide-open contest forecast for Sheffield on Sunday.Former Tigers star Ricky Ashworth has been forced to admit defeat in his bid to be fit for the September 23 showpiece at Owlerton after breaking a shoulder last month.Ashworth was the only previous winner due to be in the event, and SpeedwayGB Events Co-Ordinator David Hoggart believes several riders will have genuine ambitions of taking the top prize.Hoggart said: People will have their favourites and Im sure they will include the likes of Josh Auty with his track knowledge, and he along with Jason Doyle and Ben Barker are flying in both leagues at the moment.I think its absolutely wide open and its a great opportunity for a number of riders. Were all looking forward to what should be a fantastic day.Restaurant bookings should be made in advance on 0114 234 3074, with the Sunday Special Carvery available at 8.95 for adults and 5.95 for children.LINE-UP: Leigh Lanham (Ipswich), Anders Mellgren (Rye House), Nick Morris (Scunthorpe), Jason Doyle (Somerset), Stuart Robson (Newcastle), Sebastian Alden (Berwick), Richard Hall (Sheffield), Theo Pijper (Edinburgh), Ryan Fisher (Plymouth), Ben Barker (Plymouth), Ulrich Ostergaard (Redcar), Josh Auty (Scunthorpe), Kauko Nieminen (Leicester), Richard Lawson (Workington), Josh Grajczonek (Glasgow), Lasse Bjerre (Leicester).*THE 2012 major events series will conclude with the Elite League Riders Championship at Swindon on Saturday October 20.Last years meeting at Blunsdon provided a fitting climax with Belle Vues Rory Schlein winning the title in a dramatic final race as he got the better of Scott Nicholls and former champion Freddie Lingdren.The meeting will now start at 6pm, and SpeedwayGB Events Co-Ordinator David Hoggart said: Swindon Town FC are in action so we have moved the start time back to ease traffic and to allow local fans to visit both.The early evening start times have been successful by allowing some of the meeting to run under lights in the traditional manner and finish in reasonable time to allow travelling fans the opportunity to get home safely at a sensible hour.Last years event was an absolute classic, and as difficult as these economic times are I would urge you not to miss it. Swindon do the sport proud with their preparation and presentation, and the racing is superb.*RYE House will stage the National League Riders Championship at Hoddesdon on September 29.Each of the leagues eight clubs will be represented by at least one rider with the top two sides in the competition, Dudley and Mildenhall, both set to have three riders involved - although their respective No.1s, Adam Roynon and Cameron Heeps, are currently on the sidelines due to injury.LINE-UP: Charles Wright, Adam McKinna (Buxton), Adam Roynon, Tom Perry, Ashley Morris (Dudley), Danny Warwick, Ben Hopwood (Isle of Wight), Lewis Kerr (Kings Lynn), Cameron Heeps, Stefan Nielsen Joe Jacobs (Mildenhall), Jason Garrity, Ben Morley (Rye House), Gary Irving (Scunthorpe), Ashley Birks, Ben Reade (Stoke). Reserves: Tom Stokes (Kings Lynn), Connor Coles (Rye House).

SPEEDWAYGB EVENTS SERIES:BRITISH UNDER-21 FINAL: JOE HAINESPREMIER LEAGUE FOURS: BERWICKBRITISH FINAL: SCOTT NICHOLLSPREMIER LEAGUE PAIRS: WORKINGTONPREMIER LEAGUE RIDERS CHAMPIONSHIP: Sheffield, Sunday September 23ELITE LEAGUE RIDERS CHAMPIONSHIP: Swindon, Saturday October 20

NATIONAL LEAGUE MAJOR EVENT DATES:NATIONAL LEAGUE PAIRS: MILDENHALLNATIONAL LEAGUE FOURS: MILDENHALLNATIONAL LEAGUE RIDERS CHAMPIONSHIP: Rye House, Saturday September 29

BRITISH SPEEDWAY FIM EVENT DATES:WORLD UNDER-21 TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP SEMI-FINAL: AUSTRALIAGRAND PRIX QUALIFIER: CHRIS HARRISWORLD UNDER-21 CHAMPIONSHIP Round 3: MICHAEL JEPSEN JENSEN

THE Midland Development League Riders Championship at Leicester on Friday September 28 has received a major boost with a sponsorship deal reached with D-Star Racewear of Hayling Island, Hampshire.The Kevlar and accessories manufacturer run by former rider Chris Johnson are providing a complete set of body colours in the club colours of the competing riders that they will be able to keep as a personal souvenir of the inaugural staging of the event.Former World Champion Jan O Pedersen will be the guest of honour at the event, and will be available near the turnstiles for photographs, for a donation which will be sent to the Lee Richardson fund.The meeting will be run over 20 heats followed by two semi-finals and a Grand Final.LINE-UP: Oliver Greenwood (Milton Keynes), Michael Neale (Belle Vue), Andy Mellish (Stoke), Lee Springthorpe (WILDCARD Halifax), Andy Braithwaite (Sheffield), Chris Widman (WILDCARD Long Eaton), Lee Geary (Long Eaton), Dan Phillips (Scunthorpe), Liam Rumsey (Long Eaton), Dan Greenwood (Coventry-Mercia), Tom Woolley (Sheffield), Shaun Tedham (Stoke), Nick Laurence (Milton Keynes), Martin Knuckey (Coventry-Mercia), Max Clegg (Belle Vue), Tommy Fenwick (Scunthorpe). Reserves: Dan Holt (Belle Vue), Adam Kirby (Scunthorpe).

ELITE LEAGUE LATEST

BELLE VUE boss Jason Attwood admitted the shine had been somewhat taken off his sides biggest win of the season with injuries suffered by Peterborough duo Ryan Sullivan and Linus Sundstrom on Monday.Attwood said: I can't fault the performance from the team tonight, it was fantastic. And Artur (Mroczka) owed us that after a disappointing night at Swindon.Rory (Schlein) took a knock to his ankle in the first incident but was later complaining of double vision, which is why he was replaced later on. But nobody wants to see any rider get injured, and watching Ryan and Linus get hurt like that put a bit of a dampener on things.BIRMINGHAM boss Phil Morris insists his side would not fear facing Poole in the play-off semi-finalsshould they confirm their place in the top four.Morris said: We have shown Poole that we can beat them I think. They know they were in a meeting on Monday. With not such a bad start and a little bit of good luck we maybe could have won that to and got the job done, but we will regroup and start again on Wednesday against Swindon.We have drawn against them once at their place, and we did lose by 18 at home the first time but we only lost by four on Monday. Hopefully if we face them at home again in the play-offs then we will beat them by a few and give ourselves a chance of beating them over two legs.COVENTRY skipper Chris Harris was pleased with his sides efforts to secure a draw at Kings Lynn as they look to finish the season on a high and prepare for the KO Cup semi-finals.Harris said: I think it was a good meeting for the fans and it was good for us to get two points. We want to finish as high up the table as we can, its been a bad season for the club but tonight just shows we have got a good side.The boys are on a high at the moment, and were riding with more conviction. When you win races confidence goes up, and although the team has always been there weve not all gelled together, but most of us scored well tonightEASTBOURNE saw their play-off dreams ended by a 56-34 defeat at Birmingham on Thursday.The Eagles hopes were raised when they led 23-19 at Perry Barr but they lost out heavily in the second half the meeting to end their chances of repeating last years qualification for the Grand Final.KINGS LYNN boss Rob Lyon described Mondays 45-45 draw with Coventry in the Stars season finale as probably the best meeting of the season in terms of entertainment.Lyon added: A draw was a fair result. It was a good meeting for the fans to finish off with.LAKESIDES play-off hopes will be decided on Wednesday with results elsewhere crucial after the Hammers moved back into the top four with a vital home win over Peterborough.Co-promoter Jon Cook said: When all is said and done its a huge achievement for the team to have come through this terrible season and still have a realistic chance of making the top four.Although we can only sit and wait it does make for a very exciting few days for our club and the fans.PETERBOROUGH co-boss Jan Staechmann could not hide his disappointment after a disastrous night at Belle Vue damaged the Panthers play-off hopeswith Ryan Sullivan and Linus Sundstrom both hurt in a heavy defeat.Staechmann said: The overall performance was embarrassing for want of a better word. We were basically a two-man team after losing Ryan so early in the meeting.We have not exactly had many lucky breaks of late, but tonight we were not good enough. Now we have to do all we can to draft in guests for the trip to Coventry and do our utmost to get the result we need.POOLE promoter Matt Ford is offering no clues at this stage as to who the Pirates are likely to pick in the play-off semi-finals, having confirmed top place in the Elite League table with their win at Birmingham on Monday.Ford said: There are still two play-off places to sort out away from ourselves and Swindon, so it would be foolish for me to show my hand at this stage.One thing I can say is we are 95 per cent certain to race away from home in next weeks first leg and make the second leg at Wimborne Road. But our opponents will remain unclear until later this week when the top four takes on a more stable look.SWINDON boss Alun Rossiter is unconcerned by missing out on gaining pick of opponents in the play-off finals, with the Robins now locked into second place in the table.Rossiter said: When you go into the play-offs you have to beat everyone to win it all, so we are not concerned about who we ride against.At the end of the day we have had a great season at Swindon after two years in the doldrums, and we can be proud of what we have done. Now it is all about the play-offs, but we can be confident whoever we face.WOLVERHAMPTONS talented Dane Nicolai Klindt says injuries ended their chances of play-off qualification.He said: It has been disappointing for Wolves but we can't help it. Me and Tai (Woffinden) were injured for a long time otherwise we'd have been pushing hard for the play-offs in my view.I was going into a really good run when I got injured and with me and Woffy out it was very tough for the team. I have struggled since coming back and it just hasn't been our season. Lots of things have gone against us.

PREMIER LEAGUE LATEST

BERWICK boss Ian Rae said revenge had been uppermost in his teams thoughts as they defeated Ipswich 55-39 at Shielfield Parka result which ended the Witches play-off hopes.Rae said: To get a win was very satisfying, but as it was over Ipswich who took us apart in the Cup it was especially sweet as we all rode brilliantly to take the deserved success.EDINBURGH boss John Campbell has given his backing to reserve Marcel Helfer as the Monarchs prepare for important fixtures in the coming weeks.Campbell said: Marcel has now probably ridden more matches here than he has done in Germany, and he is building up experience all the time. He still produces extraordinary rides, particularly away from home, and that justifies his place in the team.GLASGOW co-promoter Alan Dick says reasonably positive discussions have taken place over the potential sale of the Ashfield club.Dick said: I dont think any sale will go through before the end of the season, but the interest is definitely there and its a case of agreeing a price. I dont want to give too much away, but it is someone who is a long-standing supporter.IPSWICH will look to gain some consolation for missing out on the Premier League Championship play-offs when they face Workington in the League Cup semi-finals.The Witches host the first leg of the tie on Thursday with the Comets having booked Ashley Birks, Ricky Wells and Jason Bunyan to guest for their injury-hit side.LEICESTER boss Glyn Taylor is looking for his team to complete their regular Premier League programme on a high in this weeks away matches, with a play-off place already guaranteed.Taylor said: Were looking to get something from all three matches if we can. I think were in with a chance of possibly winning at Redcar, and if we can get a point from Edinburgh Ill be happy. Workington at this point are an unknown quantity because of their injuries.NEWCASTLES Scandinavian duo Ludvig Lindgren and Claes Nedermark were both in high-scoring form with 14-points apiece as the Diamonds defeated Edinburgh 53-39 to take another step towards a top two finish.Manager George English said: This match was a potential banana skin as Edinburgh usually go well here. However, once our lads sorted their machinery out, we fended off any real threat from the Monarchs top riders.PLYMOUTH must collect maximum points from their home match against Newcastle to guarantee finishing off the bottom of the Premier League table.Promoter Mike Bowden said: We have to steer clear of the wooden spoon if we are to qualify for the play-offs in the end of season competition for teams finishing seventh to 12th in the table. So it is down to the riders. They must beat Newcastle on Friday if they want to extend their season for at least another couple of home matches.REDCAR boss Jitendra Duffill says play-off contenders Leicester should not automatically assume they should expect an away win from their trip to the South Tees Motorsports Park on Thursday.Duffill said: Previous noises emanating from the Lions camp indicated that they had already inked their visit in as a win. I would suggest they have a much bigger task on their hands than they anticipate and the fans will be the real winners in light of what should be a battle royal.RYE HOUSE are building up to a big home fixture against Edinburgh on Saturday with Jason Garrity now back from injury and Kasper Lykke now partnering Garrity at reserve.Manager John Sampford said: Saturday is going to be a huge match for the Rockets, because we desperately want to avoid finishing bottom in the League. We cant rely on Newcastle doing us a favour by beating Plymouth on Friday; weve got to do our own work and beat Edinburgh in the return match.SCUNTHORPE have already enjoyed their most successful season in the clubs history having confirmed a top-four finish in the sports second tierbut promoter Rob Godfrey says there is plenty more to come.Godfrey said: We dont want to stop theretheres still a lot of the season to go. We are aiming to gain three points from Glasgow on Friday in our last regular league match. If Newcastle slip up at Plymouth and Leicester dont go on a winning spree in their away meetings this week, we can still finish top of the Premier League table. The league is decided via play-offs this year, but finishing top of the table would still mean a lot to this club. And then we will also be aiming to win the play-offs and the Premier League Championship.SHEFFIELD boss David Hoggart says British Under-21 Champion Joe Haines will be offered a team place back with the Tigers next season.Hoggart said: Joe will be the first name on our team sheet next year, providing he wants to stay with us.  He came to us a little washed up after a tough year last year where he represented several teams, but weve been patient with each other and its paid off and worked for both parties.SOMERSET turn their attentions to League Cup semi-final action this week when they host Newcastle on Wednesday, having booked their place in their Premier League play-offs.Promoter Debbie Hancock said: It goes without saying that we will be looking to build up a healthy lead with which to take with us when we go to Newcastle for the second leg. We really need all those Rebel fans out there to get along to the Oak Tree Arena to cheer the boys on in that quest.WORKINGTON saw Tero Aarnio join their growing injured list when he suffered a cracked right collarbone in a spill at Somerset last Friday - but the Comets remain hopeful that they may soon be over the worst of their injury crisis as the season moves towards the latter stages.Manager Tony Jackson said: I could not believe it when Tero became our fourth injury victim and it was certainly strange in the pits at Workington on Saturday against Glasgow with just three of our own riders and three guests. However everyone pulled together and we finally got the win that secured our place in the top six play-offs despite the difficult conditions caused by the arrival of rain in the middle of the meeting.Tero is very hopeful of being back in action soon and we are also looking to hear some more positive news from both Kyle Howarth and Adam Roynon soon, which would be great for everyone connected with the club as we still have the Premier League play-offs and the semi-finals of both the Knockout Cup and League Cup to look forward to.

FIXTURE PICTURE

TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 18:INTERNATIONAL TEST MATCH: Team GB v Young Australia, Leicester 7.30

WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 19:SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Birmingham v Swindon 7.30, Coventry v Peterborough 7.30LEAGUE CUP S/F 1st leg: Somerset v Newcastle 7.30NATIONAL LEAGUE: Kings Lynn v Isle of Wight 7.30

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 20:ELITE LEAGUE KO CUP Q/F 1st leg: Swindon v Peterborough OFFPREMIER LEAGUE: Redcar v Leicester 7.30LEAGUE CUP SEMI-FINAL 1st leg: Ipswich v Workington 7.30

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 21:PREMIER LEAGUE: Edinburgh v Leicester 7.30, Plymouth v Newcastle 7.30, Scunthorpe v Glasgow 7.30

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 22:PREMIER LEAGUE: Rye House v Edinburgh 6pm, Workington v Leicester 7pmNATIONAL LEAGUE: Rye House v Stoke (follows PL fixture)

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 23:PREMIER LEAGUE RIDERS CHAMPIONSHIP: Sheffield 5pmNATIONAL TROPHY: Mildenhall v Isle of Wight 4.30

MONDAY SEPTEMBER 24:SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE PLAY-OFF SEMI-FINAL 1st leg: TBC v TBC 7.30, TBC v TBC 7.30SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Wolverhampton v Belle Vue 7.30PREMIER LEAGUE KO CUP: Newcastle v Workington 7.30

WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 26:ELITE LEAGUE KO CUP Q/F 1st leg: Belle Vue v Birmingham 8pmNATIONAL LEAGUE: Kings Lynn v Stoke 7.30

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 27:ELITE LEAGUE KO CUP Q/F 2nd leg: Birmingham v Belle Vue 7.30

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 28:LEE RICHARDSON MEMORIAL: Lakeside 8pmMIDLAND DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE RIDERS FINAL: Leicester 7.30

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 29:PREMIER CHALLENGE TROPHY: Berwick v Glasgow 7pmNATIONAL LEAGUE RIDERS CHAMPIONSHIP: Rye House 7pm

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 30:LEAGUE CUP SEMI-FINAL 2nd leg: Newcastle v Somerset 6.30, Workington v Ipswich 7pmASHFIELD CLASSIC: Glasgow 4pm

MONDAY OCTOBER 2:SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE PLAY-OFF SEMI-FINAL 2nd leg: TBC v TBC 7.30, TBC v TBC 7.30