The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches travel to Sheffield to face the Tigers at Owlerton Stadium on Thursday 25th September in a ROWE Motor Oil Premiership R2 fixture that starts at 7.30pm.
LINE-UPS
SHEFFIELD: 1. Jack Holder 9.32 2. Leon Flint (RS) 6.57 3. Chris Holder 7.31 4. R/R or Nick Morris 6.13 5. Josh Pickering © 8.04 6. Anders Rowe 5.68 7. Jye Etheridge 3.00. Team Manager: Simon Stead
IPSWICH: 1. Emil Sayfutdinov 8.34 2. Danny King © 6.95 3. Jason Doyle 7.76 4. Dan Thompson 6.06 5. Tom Brennan 7.28 6. Adam Ellis 6.02 7. Jason Edwards (RS). Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins
REFEREE: W. Dishington
ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP TABLE
| Team | Meetings | Points |
| Ipswich | 23 | 43 |
| Sheffield | 23 | 40 |
| Leicester | 23 | 39 |
| Belle Vue | 24 | 37 |
| King’s Lynn | 24 | 30 |
| Oxford | 23 | 11 |
| Birmingham | 24 | 6 |
PLAY-OFFS
SEMI-FINALS:
1st Leg: Belle Vue 48-42 Ipswich, 2nd Leg: Ipswich 59-31 Belle Vue
1st Leg: Sheffield 46-43 Leicester, 2nd Leg: Leicester 47-43 Sheffield
FINAL
1st Leg: Leicester vs Ipswich (6th Oct), 2nd Leg: Ipswich vs Leicester (9th Oct)
TICKET NEWS
Tickets are available to purchase on the gate.
THE PREVIEW
The Witches race their final away fixture of the regular ROWE Motor Oil Premiership campaign on Thursday at Sheffield.
The two previous attempts at running the fixture were postponed due to the weather meaning the meeting is now being run mid Play-Off campaign with very little riding on the result. With a win, Sheffield can finish top of the table on points difference which will be scant consolation after they exited the Play-Offs on Monday at Leicester. Whilst for the Witches, the focus is on the Play-Off final against Leicester in a couple of weeks.
The Tigers won 47-43 in Suffolk earlier this month and on Ipswich’s last visit to South Yorkshire in May it went to the wire as Sheffield claimed a 46-44 win.
MANAGER’S NOTES
Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches team manager Ritchie Hawkins gives us his pre-match thoughts…
“It will be a strange meeting for both clubs and everyone involved. After the massive disappointment on Monday for Sheffield and coming so close to the Grand Final, I’m sure they might not be full of enthusiasm to race again now in a league meeting that has no bearing on anything. It will be tough for them but a great opportunity to thank their fans and say their farewells for the year. It is good for them to have that opportunity. They have had another good season and have been brilliantly supported again.
“From our point of view, it is a nothing meeting for us as well. We know we have got a massive final in just over a week that we are completely focused on and have been all season. It is a tough one but one we have to do and we are just looking forward to being together as a team and it is a good chance to be out on track and break up the long break we have had from our semi-final to the final, which has happened to us before and is not ideal for us to be apart for so long before the biggest meeting in the country.
“Sheffield is a track you have to approach with full commitment, it is fast and has lots of dirt on it and if you are not committed you can get in trouble. For us, our main objective is to come through it with no injuries, but it is a difficult situation as it is not the sort of place you can take easy. If you do, that is more dangerous, it is a predicament. We are a team of racers who want to race but we need to find the right balance there and do nothing stupid. There is no pressure on the boys, that comes in 10 days after it and in other meetings they are competing in and maybe it will be good for them to race with no stress on the meeting.”
SHEFFIELD TIGERS
Sheffield’s season ultimately ended on Monday night as they lost their Play-Off semi-final tie against Leicester by one point on aggregate. Thursday night gives them a chance to finish on a high in front of their home fans and finish top of the table and the Tigers are strong on their home patch and have only been beaten once at Owlerton by Leicester.
A late call on Nick Morris will be made after he crashed out in the home leg of their Play-Off tie against Leicester. Should he not be fit, rider replacement will be in operation at number four.
LAST TIME OUT IN SHEFFIELD
The Witches last travelled to Sheffield in May of this season. Ipswich went into the fixture with a 100% record in the league whilst the Tigers were looking to preserve their unbeaten home record and there was never more than four points between the two sides throughout the contest. Ipswich held a two-point lead heading into the final race of the night after a heat 14 maximum, but the home team responded in the final heat with a 5-1 to snatch victory. Jason Doyle top scored with 10+1.
AWAY DAYS
An adult ticket costs £25, concessions (over 65s & students) £23, juniors (aged 12-17) £5 whilst children aged 11 under cost £1. Official programmes cost £4. All the stadium is open except the back straight which remains closed for safety reasons. There is seating in the Panorama Room, which also boasts a restaurant and bar overlooking the track. There is a fast-food bar, and the Panorama Room Restaurant also offers a ‘Speedway Special’ carvery with a choice of meats. The Panorama Room Restaurant has large bar with ideal viewing facilities in addition to the carvery. Reserve your table now by calling Owlerton Stadium on 01142 343074. For travel information head here.
For more information about the club head to Sheffield’s official website.
Press Officer at Ipswich Speedway