(SPEEDWAY 1)
DARCY Ward is planning to attend his Benefit Meeting at Poole on Wednesday.The Pirates asset was seriously injured in Poland back in August and a high-class field has been put
together by his parent club, with teams led by Maciej Janowski and Chris Holder and a packed house
expected at Wimborne Road.Poole promoter Matt Ford said: “The best news there has been is Darcy stating that he is going to attempt
to attend the meeting. That will be a massive breakthrough for him if he does and it will undoubtedly add
to the emotion of the evening. “We shed plenty of tears last week when we clinched that third successive league title and dedicated it
to Darcy, and I really don't think we will be able to hold the tears back again when Darcy enters the
stadium on Wednesday night. “It is a big moment for him and whilst it means so very much I would like to repeat Darcy's call that we
should not ’expect too much of him.’ He will be as emotional as the rest of us and he still has an awful
long road to go down as he battles through the injuries he has sustained.”
(SPEEDWAY 2)
BIRMINGHAM host their final meeting of the season at Perry Barr on Wednesday as they take on Eastbourne
in the first leg of the Gold Cup Final.Brummies boss Graham Drury has booked Kent’s Danny Ayres to guest for the injured Zach Wajtknecht while
rider replacement will operate for Sam Chapman. Jack Smith will ride at reserve once again with Ben
Basford filling the other reserve position.Drury said: “We’ve had a tremendous season at Birmingham and it would be great if we could go out with
one last win. There’s no point whinging about our injuries like other clubs seem to do, we’ve just got to
knuckle down and get on with it.“Ourselves and Eastbourne fully deserve to be in the final of this competition – we finished first and
second in the league and that shows we have been without question the two best teams in the league this
season.”The Eagles clinched the National Trophy last weekend - but chairman Martin Dugard says they are looking
for more, with both the Gold Cup and KO Cup still on offer.Dugard said: “If that's all we get, that's all we get but I have to say we are looking for bigger things.“I am disappointed still that we didn't win the league but we have to build from that and we have. We are
very much on our game now, more so than we were at the start of the year.”Meanwhile King’s Lynn host Cradley in the first leg of their KO Cup semi-final at the Adrian Flux Arena.The Young Stars operate rider-replacement for the injured Jake Knight, whilst Cradley have Darryl
Ritchings and Jack Parkinson-Blackburn making guest appearances.King’s Lynn boss Dale Allitt said: “Cradley have a good team, but our guys know how to beat them. We have
done it once at home already this season and there is no reason why we can’t do it again.“The shape of the team has changed a little bit with the new averages coming into effect, but that
shouldn’t make too much of a difference. We are going out to win and to take a lead to their place.”Cradley manager Will Pottinger said: “We’ll be going there with a positive attitude and we’re definitely
going there to win. We need to get off to a positive start and just keep it as close as possible. “Nobody gave us a chance against Birmingham last week and we put in a brave performance and to prove some
people wrong was good, so we are looking to build on that against King’s Lynn.”
(FIXTURES)
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 7:NATIONAL LEAGUE KO CUP S/F 1st leg: King’s Lynn v Cradley 7.30GOLD CUP FINAL 1st leg: Birmingham v Eastbourne 7.30DARCY WARD BENEFIT: Poole 7.30
FRIDAY OCTOBER 9:PREMIER LEAGUE PLAY-OFF S/F 2nd leg: Edinburgh v Peterborough 7.30; 1st leg: Somerset v Glasgow 7.30
SATURDAY OCTOBER 10:GOLD CUP FINAL 2nd leg: Eastbourne v Birmingham 7.30PAIR OF ACES: Rye House 7pm
SUNDAY OCTOBER 11:PREMIER LEAGUE PLAY-OFF S/F 2nd leg: Glasgow v Somerset 3pmCITY GEARBOXES NATIONAL LEAGUE: Stoke v King’s Lynn 3pmABBEY FAREWELL: Swindon 4pm (including British 150cc Championship)
