(SPEEDWAY 1 - SUNDAY REVIEW)
GLASGOW set up an all-Scottish Premier League Grand Final by overcoming Somerset in a thriller at Ashfield on Sunday.The semi-final was level on aggregate with one race to go after a nip-and-tuck encounter, with the Tigers securing a Heat 15 4-2 thanks to Aaron Summers and Richard Lawson to take them through to face Edinburgh.Summers completed a paid maximum to continue his unbeaten home run in the play-offs, whilst James Sarjeant gave a heroic display at reserve with a career-best 16+2 from seven rides after Kauko Nieminen was ruled out with a collarbone injury.Glasgow boss Stewart Dickson said: “That's what speedway is all about. I've been coming here since we opened at Ashfield in 1999 and I have never heard a noise like I've heard today.“I've seen it on the telly with other clubs, and I was at the play-off final last year with Edinburgh and Somerset - and I want those days and those nights at Ashfield. We're getting them.“I knew they wouldn't just roll over - I knew it was going to be tough. But we got there in the end. When you have riders that maybe have an off-day, you do need a reserve to step up to the plate, and James was fantastic today.”Somerset boss Garry May said: “The boys gave it everything, and whilst we are obviously disappointed to have lost out on a fourth successive Grand Final by the narrowest of margins, you cannot fault the team for their efforts.“I know that many people didn’t give us much of a hope of defending our six-point first leg lead, but the boys rode their hearts out to not only defend it, but to take things to a last heat decider.“In the cold light of day when we sit down and look back on the season as a whole, we do have the KO Cup Final win to our name, and we have finished runners-up in the league table, the Pairs and the Fours as well as making it through to the semi-finals of the Play-Offs, and so the team can look back on the season with justifiable pride.”Meanwhile Swindon brought down the curtain on the Abbey Stadium - their home since 1949 - with a successful Farewell meeting.The Robins are moving into a new stadium in 2016 and paid tribute to many of their club legends, whilst a present-day match saw them defeat an Elite League Select side 43-35 with guest Sam Masters scoring 11 for the home side - a total matched by Chris Harris for the Select.Masters then won the final race at the stadium as he took the honours in the Final of a second-half programme showcasing new Jawa machinery developed by former World Champion Sam Ermolenko.
(SPEEDWAY 2)
LEON Flint was crowned British 150cc Champion at Swindon on Sunday.The meeting took place on the inner training-track at the Abbey Stadium ahead of the venue’s last-ever meeting, and the Final also saw Flint clock the quickest time of the event.He defeated Jordan Edwards, Sam Stead and Jordan Palin to take the title, Flint and Edwards having tied on 11 points in the qualifying races.GB Youth boss Neil Vatcher said: “The track on the centre green of the main Swindon circuit was superbly prepared, which included a new starting gate and green light system along with hay bales around the outside of the track instead of an air fence.“This British Final was a credit to all involved from the riders, Swindon promotion and track staff, and also the SCB Referee Graham Reeve who all did a great job.“Our thanks also to the British Speedway Public who came out in vast numbers to watch this Final, in what was again the biggest attendance to watch a British Youth Final, and a number of those supporters approached me afterwards to say what a bright future British speedway has.“This concludes the British Youth season, and what a great season it was. Many congratulations to the four British Champions - Jack Parkinson 500cc, Tom Brennan 250cc, Leon Flint 150cc and Joe Thompson 125cc - with a promise of plenty of more exciting times to come in 2016.”
(SPEEDWAY 3 - MONDAY PREVIEW)
WOLVERHAMPTON will bring the curtain down on their 2015 campaign as they host their traditional Recycled Aggregate Services Olympique on Monday.The 20 heat handicap event, which is the longest-running individual meeting in British speedway, was swiftly re-arranged after being postponed due to rain last Tuesday. The likes of Chris Harris, Scott Nicholls and Nick Morris will be joined by four of the 2015 Wolves side in the form of five-time winner Freddie Lindgren, Jacob Thorssell, Ricky Wells and Josh Bates.Wells said: “You always want to go out on a high with a good meeting, so hopefully I can do that on Monday. “I like the Olympique format, I grew up racing in America with the handicap system so it’s something that brings back plenty of memories and it's a lot of fun.”
(FIXTURES)
MONDAY OCTOBER 12:RECYCLED AGGREGATE SERVICES OLYMPIQUE: Wolverhampton 7.30
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 14:NATIONAL LEAGUE KO CUP S/F 2nd leg: Cradley v King’s Lynn 7.30
FRIDAY OCTOBER 16:PREMIER LEAGUE GRAND FINAL 1st leg: Glasgow v Edinburgh 7.30
