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EDINBURGH star Craig Cook has declared himself fit to ride in the Monarchs’ two crucial Premier League play-off clashes with Ipswich this week. Cook dislocated a knuckle whilst guesting for Wolverhampton on Monday but will be in the Edinburgh team as usual at Foxhall on Thursday and in the return fixture at Armadale on Friday.With Workington having completed their group fixtures on eight points Edinburgh know they need at least a point at Ipswich, who themselves cannot qualify. The Monarchs currently trail the Comets by four, so the away point is essential as only three points are available from a home fixture.This week’s action in the other play-off group gets underway with back-to-back clashes between Redcar and Somerset, the Bears having already put three points on the board with their win over Newcastle last Thursday.
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EASTBOURNE are preparing for a busy Sunday afternoon of action with a 35-race programme in various disciplines as they stage the Argus Sussex Championships.The regular Eagles will be up against the likes of track specialists Edward Kennett and Lewis Bridger in the main individual speedway event, and there will also be youth and quad racing prior to an after-meeting party.Eastbourne co-promoter Trevor Geer said: “It’s a competitive field. Obviously, each of our riders would love to come out on top and Edward and Lewis will want to be speedway champion of their home county.“(Jakub) Jamrog is an unknown quantity to me but he was certainly pretty lively up at Berwick, according to all reports. He is going to add a dash of spice to the meeting as he is, in effect, putting himself in the ‘shop window’ for next year.”
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KING’S Lynn are through to the National League play-off Final and will face Dudley over two legs for the silverware next week.The Young Stars eliminated reigning champions Mildenhall with a 57-39 semi-final win at the Norfolk Arena to overturn an eight-point first leg deficit, with teenage sensation Robert Lambert scoring a 15-point maximum. They will stage the second leg of the Final next Wednesday, 24 hours after visiting Monmore Green.King’s Lynn boss Dale Allitt said: “It got a bit tight at one stage when they pulled us back level on aggregate with a few big races, but we have a team of riders who always give their all. To pull to the scores level and move on showed a lot of character.“The Final is going to be hard, but we need to keep it close. Hopefully Lewis Rose will be back in the side, and that will make a big difference. The bottom line is we need to go there and make every point count.”
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COVENTRY and Leicester are to revive the East Midlands Bowl with two meetings in one day later this month.The competition was a traditional curtain-raiser to the new season in the Lions’ Blackbird Road era, and the Bees will now stage the first leg at Brandon on Sunday October 13 at midday with the return at Leicester’s Jordan Road Surfacing Stadium at 6pm.Coventry owner Mick Horton said: “This fixture has been on the cards for a couple of seasons now, and it should be a cracking day of action.“Leicester will be strengthened considerably and I know they are set to announce a couple of surprise riders for the meetings. This must be one of the biggest local derbies there is, and I’m sure supporters, like us, will be really looking forward to it.”
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POOLE have elected to defer the staging of their Blue Riband event until after the Elite League Grand Final.The Pirates were due to run the event on Friday October 11 but that date falls between the two legs of their title-decider against Birmingham, so the individual meeting has now switched to Wednesday October 16.Poole promoter Matt Ford said: “Once we confirmed our place in the Grand Final I felt that running the Blue Riband on the intervening Friday was probably not the best move as that would have left us with two really big meetings in five days at Poole.“I contacted all the invited riders and the majority of them were available for the following Wednesday, and the move also opens up the availability of some other riders.”
(FIXTURES)
THURSDAY OCTOBER 3:PREMIER LEAGUE PLAY-OFFS: Ipswich v Edinburgh 7.30, Redcar v Somerset 7.30
FRIDAY OCTOBER 4:PREMIER LEAGUE PLAY-OFFS: Edinburgh v Ipswich 7.30, Somerset v Redcar 7.30PREMIER LEAGUE: Plymouth v Newcastle 7.15SUPPORTERS’ PAIRS TROPHY: Coventry 7.30
SATURDAY OCTOBER 5:NATIONAL LEAGUE: Stoke v Mildenhall 7pmCUMBERLAND OPEN: Workington 7pm
SUNDAY OCTOBER 6:PREMIER LEAGUE PLAY-OFFS: Newcastle v Redcar 6.30PREMIER LEAGUE KO CUP FINAL 2nd leg: Rye House v Somerset 2pmCHALLENGE: Leicester v Belle Vue 5pmARGUS SUSSEX CHAMPIONSHIPS: Eastbourne 3.30JUNIOR GOLDEN HELMET: Glasgow 3pm
