The Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches’ Sports Insure Premiership play-off semi-final first leg fixture against Belle Vue on Monday 18th September has been postponed due to ‘forecasted substantial rainfall during the race time period’ with a decision made on Monday afternoon.
The fixture has been re-arranged for 25th September, and the 21st September fixture against the Aces at Foxhall now becomes the first leg.
A statement on Belle Vue’s website read as below.
“UNFORTUNATELY, Belle Vue Speedway, in conjunction with British Speedway media partners Warner Brothers Discovery, has taken the regrettable decision to postpone today’s Sports Insure Premiership League Play-Off Semi-final fixture against Ipswich Witches due forecasted substantial rainfall during the race time period.
The club has given every chance and opportunity for this to change, however we have unfortunately seen no improvements in the forecast.
Supporters who have pre-booked tickets have a number of options available to them, which are listed under our Abandonment Policy that can be viewed here:
The re-stage date will be next Monday 25th September 7:30pm
If you purchased Race Day Hospitality for 18th September, your booking will been automatically rolled over to the re-staging date Monday 25th September .
If you are unable to attend the new meeting date on the Monday 25th, please get in touch with the club at info@bellevue-speedway.com to request a refund.”
Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches ace, Emil Sayfutdinov says his team not only deserve to be in the Sports Insure Premiership play-offs, but they must do everything they can to reach the final and secure another trophy.
The Witches head into tonight’s semi-final, first leg play-off clash at Belle Vue still on a high after their resounding victory in the Knockout Cup final against Sheffield Tigers on Thursday night.
That piece of silverware – the first team trophy at Foxhall for 25 years – has given the side a big shot of confidence ahead of the clash with the Aces – the second leg of which is at Foxhall on Thursday.
However, injury to star Aussie ace, Jason Doyle, after an horrendous track crash in Denmark at the weekend has rather dampened things for the Suffolk side. Although they will be doing their utmost to keep things tight in Manchester.
“We deserve to be in the play-offs and fighting for the final,” Sayfutdinov, who has proved an inspired signing for the Witches in 2023, said.
“Now we need to get into the final. We must try everything to be in that final. Of course, we must respect the other teams, Belle Vue, Wolverhampton, Sheffield. But we showed on Thursday what a strong performance we can put on.”
The Witches face a tough test ahead of Thursday night’s second leg at home, against an Aces side who finished top of the pile in the Sports Insure Premiership regular season – 10 points ahead of fourth-placed Witches.
Not that Sayfutdinov is just thinking about keeping the score close.
“I don’t think we need to lose at Belle Vue, we must try and win,” he said. “It won’t be easy of course, but it’s the play-offs, we must give everything. That must be our thought.
“Belle Vue is a normal track for me, like a European track. It’s a great track for racing, I like it.
“It will be interesting to see how it all works out.”
Sayfutdinov, along with Doyle, have led the team through what has turned out to be an historic season for the club. Yet, Sayfutdinov knows the pair of them have not done it alone.
“Me and Jason have done well, yes, but there are all the other riders in the team doing their jobs,” he said.
“Ipswich is about the whole team. I have just tried to do my best for Ipswich since I have arrived.”
Looking back on what was a superb night at Foxhall on Thursday in front of a bumper crowd – another one is expected this Thursday for the second leg – Sayfutdinov knows the importance the fans play on such occasions.
“Last Thursday it was a great night for us and especially the fans,” he added.
“It was an amazing feeling being with them all and it made it a great night together. I’m really enjoying this year.
“But now, we must try and win another trophy.”
BELLE VUE ACES v IPSWICH WITCHES, Sports Insure Premiership play-off, first leg, Monday, September 18, 7.30pm
All the details ahead of our Sports Insure Premiership play-off semi-final first leg fixture with Belle Vue.
WHEN & WHERE
The Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches travel to Manchester to face Belle Vue at the National Speedway Stadium on Monday 18th September in a Sports Insure Premiership play-off semi-final first leg fixture that starts at 7.30pm.
First Leg: Belle Vue vs Ipswich. Second Leg: Ipswich vs Belle Vue (21st Sep)
First Leg: Wolverhampton vs Sheffield (25th Sep). Second Leg: Sheffield vs Wolverhampton (28th Sep)
TICKETS
Tickets can be purchased on the gate and online in advance here.
THE STORY
The Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches travel to the National Speedway Stadium to take on the Belle Vue Aces in the first leg of their Sports Insure Premiership play-off semi-final tie.
The Witches snuck into the play-offs at the death after a superb run of form towards the end of the season saw them go into the top four as Leicester failed to get the point they needed in their final fixture. Ipswich certainly have momentum having won seven of their last eight in the league and they head to Manchester to take on the reigning champions and league phase winners Belle Vue full of confidence, having lifted the Knockout Cup last Thursday in front of their home fans at Foxhall.
The Suffolk side have lost all four meetings against the high-flying Aces this season but were only defeated by eight points on their last visit to the National Speedway Stadium which will give Ritchie Hawkins encouragement that his side can get themselves in a good position before facing Belle Vue at Foxhall for the deciding leg.
Chris Harris guests for Jason Doyle after the Australian crashed heavily at the Danish Grand Prix on Saturday. Jack Smith guests for the injured Dan Thompson in the Rising Star position and has plenty of experience at the National Speedway Stadium having raced many laps there for the Belle Vue Colts in the NDL.
FROM THE BOSS
Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches team manager Ritchie Hawkins gives us his pre-match thoughts…
“We go to Belle Vue on Monday in a fixture that we know is going to be massively tough. We go there full of confidence and buzzing from our Knockout Cup victory. We are in great form and there is probably never a better time for us to go there as a team. Belle Vue have been the outstanding team in the league, and they are the reigning champions and have been the best team so far. We are going to need to be at the top of our game but over the two legs if we perform as we can do, we can win, cause a shock and knock them out.
“We are back to being the underdogs. I think after the first leg at Sheffield in the Knockout Cup we came into the second leg as favourites. But we are back to being underdogs now but out of the four teams maybe we are looking the strongest that could maybe stop Belle Vue. Let’s go all out for it, we have nothing to lose, we already have a trophy in the cabinet, so let’s go there and put on a show. We have done well there the last two times we have gone there but we haven’t managed to do it for 15 heats. Let’s do it for 30 heats now and take them on.
“After his awful crash on Saturday at the GP, it is great news that Doyley has nothing broken but as I’m sure anyone will have seen it will understand, he is feeling pretty second hand after one hell of a whack. He is not in a fit enough position to race at Belle Vue and Chris Harris comes in as a guest. We all know Bomber very well and you know what you are getting and I’m sure he will do a great job.
“We have Jack Smith at number seven, and he is very happy to be making an appearance in the Sports Insure Premiership. He knows the place very well and is capable of scoring points around there at number seven.”
THE ACES
The 2022 champions are looking to retain their title and have certainly shown they mean business this season, having won the league phase comfortably. Belle Vue have lost just once on home shale this season back in March and go into the play-offs as favourites to lift the trophy again.
The hosts are without the injured Charles Wright and will be using rider replacement at number four in his absence. The likes of Brady Kurtz, Tom Brennan and Norick Blödorn were all part of last year’s title winning side and with the additions of Grand Prix rider Dan Bewley and Jaimon Lidsey this year, they are a formidable outfit. However, they will be without Blödorn on Monday due to an injury sustained in the SGP2 in Denmark with Ben Cook guesting at reserve.
AWAY DAYS
Ticket prices can be found here and official programmes cost £3.50. For more information about your visit to the National Speedway Stadium, head here.
Pike Air– They provide comprehensive cover for your air conditioning, refrigeration, heat pump and ventilation systems.
Collier & Catchpole – Collier & Catchpole is an independent builders’ merchant with roots in East Anglia going back almost 200 years with well-stocked yards in Colchester, Lawford and Ipswich. To find your nearest branch, type in Collier & Catchpole into Google Maps. The Collier team is friendly, helpful and ready to source the right products to get the job done and is committed to maintaining a fleet of the latest generation lorries and c
First Leg: Ipswich 57-33 Peterborough. Second Leg: Peterborough 48-42 Ipswich
First Leg: Sheffield 54-36 Wolverhampton. Second Leg: Wolverhampton 52-38 Sheffield
FINAL
First Leg: Sheffield 48-42 Ipswich.Second Leg: Ipswich 55-35 Sheffield
THE STORY
The Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches were crowned 2023 Knockout Cup champions on Thursday night at Foxhall after defeating the Sheffield Tigers.
The South Yorkshire outfit brought a six-point lead to Suffolk, having won 48-42 at Owlerton in the first leg on Monday. Joe Thompson guested once again for injured brother Dan in the Rising Star position for Ipswich whilst Max Fricke and Kyle Newman were in again for injured Sheffield duo Tai Woffinden and Claus Vissing. The hosts edged ahead early on in the meeting and levelled the aggregate scores after seven races as it looked like the tie might go all the way to a last-heat decider. However, the Witches went up a gear in the second half of the meeting and raced to a convincing win in front of a big, vocal Foxhall crowd as Knockout Cup glory was celebrated for the first time since 1998. Emil Sayfutdinov top scored with 13+1.
Fricke won a shared heat one before an action-packed heat two. Keynan Rew and Joe Thompson made the gate, but Newman passed Thompson for second as the Ipswich guest battled hard to keep Jason Edwards behind him. Disaster then struck for Newman as he packed up on the final bend to gift the hosts a 5-1, greeted by a huge roar from the home fans. Skipper Danny King was a clear winner in a shared heat three and Jason Doyle followed suit in heat four leaving Ipswich 14-10 up on the night and just two points behind on aggregate.
Heat five was an absolute cracker. King and Erik Riss made the gate, but King locked up on the second bend of the opening lap and did well to stay on the bike but found himself at the back with plenty of work to do. Fricke managed to get past Riss to hit the front on the final lap but at the same time King showed great speed to pass Kyle Howarth for third and a big swoop on the final turn saw him pass his teammate Riss and almost catch Fricke at the front, all of which resulted in a 3-3. Sayfutdinov and Danyon Hume led heat six, but Hume couldn’t hang on and fell meaning another share of the points. Doyle was a comfortable winner again in heat seven and with Rew third, it was a 4-2 that levelled the aggregate score. Hume took the chequered flag in heat eight, but Thompson was beaten to a point by Howarth, making it 27-21 and all square on aggregate.
The home team then went ahead in the tie as King blasted to victory and Riss finished third for a 4-2. Heat 10 saw Sayfutdinov and Hume hit the front, but Hume was picked off by Chris Holder and Josh Pickering, resulting in a 3-3. Doyle coasted to another three points in a shared heat 11 and Ipswich then piled the pressure on the Tigers in heat 12 as King and Rew banged in a maximum after Holder had retired at the start of the race with machinery issues. That 5-1 made it 42-30 on the night, with the hosts now six up on aggregate.
Knockout Cup glory was all but confirmed after heat 13 as Doyle and Sayfutdinov roared to a maximum as the celebrations began at Foxhall. It was mathematically confirmed in heat 14 as Rew won in an Ipswich 4-2. The Witches added another 4-2 to the score in heat 15 as Sayfutdinov finished the night in style to secure a 20-point victory which was more than enough to secure the trophy as fans piled onto the centre green to celebrate a historic night for the club.
REACTION FROM THE BOSS
Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches team manager Ritchie Hawkins reflects on Thursday’s win against Sheffield.
“A brilliant night and a great team performance. I thought the track was superb tonight, perfect for us. We have had a lot of different variations that we have experimented with and tried different setups, but I think it suited us down to the ground tonight. The boys have got used to the grip and used it to our advantage and I thought it was a superb performance all round.
“We know Sheffield are a good team, they are in the cup final and the play-offs. Tonight, we stepped up more than them, if they all click together, they are a solid team but today we all clicked and contributed, and it was deserved. Out of the six fixtures in this cup run we have done very well and been solid throughout this competition and deserved to win it. It is nice to get the monkey off the back and nice to win a final and the boys did it in great style.
“This season is 10 years since I agreed to come back and ride for a month just to help Chris (Louis) out whilst he got sorted. 10 years later I am still here, and it has been 10 years of working very hard. Look, the main goal is to win the play-offs, let’s be honest. However, the Knockout Cup is a massive achievement and we have got one more step to go. We are going to work very hard next week but to get a cup win will give the team a massive confidence boost as well and we will keep this good feeling going into Monday.
“At Ipswich we have got a great following and 90% are a very knowledgeable crowd. They were out in force tonight and to celebrate with them at the end was superb because they come here every week, we have good attendances even when we are struggling, and we were struggling in the middle of this season. They stuck with us, and we were still getting decent crowds, so to give a trophy to them is what it is all about. I am delighted for them, and they have waited a long time for that, I hope everyone had a great night and that there is more to come.”
PIKE AIR & COLLIER & CATCHPOLE RIDERS OF THE NIGHT
Amongst the celebrations, there were no official riders of the night from the meeting sponsors, but we’ll give it to club stalwart King who led from the front and captained his side to victory on a special night.
WHAT IT MEANS
Ipswich are Knockout Cup champions for the first time since 1998 after seeing off the Tigers over two legs. Attentions now turn to the Sports Insure Premiership play-offs with both clubs involved.
UP NEXT
The Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches travel to Manchester on Monday 18th September to take on the Belle Vue Aces at the National Speedway Stadium in the first leg of a Sports Insure Premiership play-off semi-final tie. Tickets can be purchased on the gate and in advance here.
Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches captain Danny King has said Foxhall fans can be the ‘extra man’ in the Knockout Cup final second leg against Sheffield Tigers on Thursday night, 7.30pm start.
The Witches trail the South Yorkshire side 42-48 after Monday night’s first leg at Owlerton, King leading the way in the Ipswich score charts with 10 points. The meeting is finely balanced.
There is still much to do for the home side to pick up a major team trophy for the first time in 25 years. However, the cup is up for winning and King says the fans can play a big part in helping the team achieve it.
“Our fans have been superb all season. They always are,” King said. “And they can play a huge part on Thursday.
“They have supported us in numbers this summer, even though things haven’t always gone the team’s way.
“But the riders notice the cheers and support. Some of the noise we have had at Foxhall this season has been fantastic. I hope they come out in their numbers again and be our extra man.
“As a team we want to win the cup as much for them as for ourselves.”
The Witches head into the meeting trying to overturn a six-point deficit against a Sheffield side who, like the Witches, have reached the end-of-season play-offs in the Sports Insure Premiership which begin next week.
Skipper King knows there is still much to do for cup victory, though.
“We must be confident, but we also know it is not going to be easy,” he said.
“There are 15 races, things may swing one way, then the next. But we are riding well, and we must keep focused on the job in hand.”
The Witches have beaten the Tigers twice already at Foxhall this season, once by four points, once by 12.
Sheffield include Grand Prix star Max Fricke as a guest for the injured Tai Woffinden and former world champion Chris Holder in their side. Their battles with the Witches top men, Emil Sayfutdinov and Jason Doyle are sure to be special.
Witches promoter Chris Louis said: “It’s still so tight, but I have total belief in the team. They were superb at Sheffield on Monday.
“We’ve been through a lot this year as a group, but we have always stuck together. Now, here we are, in a cup final and a play-off semi-final against Belle Vue next Thursday. This is what we wanted to be part of come the season’s end, now we must grab our opportunities.”
IPSWICH WITCHES v SHEFFIELD TIGERS, Knockout Cup final second leg, Foxhall Stadium, 7.30pm, Thursday, September 14.
All the details ahead of our Knockout Cup final second leg fixture with Sheffield.
WHEN & WHERE
The Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches host the Sheffield Tigers at Foxhall Stadium on Thursday 14th September in a Knockout Cup final second leg fixture that starts at 7.30pm.
MEETING SPONSORS
Pike Air– They provide comprehensive cover for your air conditioning, refrigeration, heat pump and ventilation systems.
Collier & Catchpole – Collier & Catchpole is an independent builders’ merchant with roots in East Anglia going back almost 200 years with well-stocked yards in Colchester, Lawford and Ipswich. To find your nearest branch, type in Collier & Catchpole into Google Maps. The Collier team is friendly, helpful and ready to source the right products to get the job done and is committed to maintaining a fleet of the latest generation lorries and cranes. Enhanced buying power is achieved through joining forces with other independent merchants across the UK. Their reputation for service underpins everything we do.
First Leg: Ipswich 57-33 Peterborough. Second Leg: Peterborough 48-42 Ipswich
First Leg: Sheffield 54-36 Wolverhampton. Second Leg: Wolverhampton 52-38 Sheffield
FINAL
First Leg: Sheffield 48-42 Ipswich
TICKETS
Tickets are available to buy online (until 7pm on raceday) and on the gate and are priced at £22 for adults and £20 for concessions (65+). Children 16 and under go free. Official programmes are priced at £3 and are available at the stadium. Car parking is free for all supporters. Debit and credit card payments are accepted. Turnstiles open at 6.40pm.
THE STORY
The Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches have a six-point deficit to overturn in the second leg of the Knockout Cup final on Thursday at Foxhall.
Ipswich travelled to South Yorkshire on Monday for the first leg and went down to a 48-42 defeat after a pulsating meeting at Owlerton. The result has set up things nicely for the deciding leg in Suffolk and Ritchie Hawkins’ side will be confident of overturning that margin on their home track and lifting the trophy in front of their home fans.
The Witches have beaten Sheffield on both of their visits to Foxhall this season, 47-43 and 51-39. The hosts are still without injured Rising Star rider Dan Thompson with twin brother Joe once again guesting in his place on Thursday at number seven. Danyon Hume moves to number two with Erik Riss at four. It’s set to be a big night at Foxhall, with Ipswich looking to lift the Knockout Cup for the first time since 1998.
FROM THE BOSS
Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches team manager Ritchie Hawkins gives us his pre-match thoughts…
“It is a massive meeting; the biggest one we have had for a couple of years at Foxhall. I’m sure everyone will come out and support us. We are six points down and we need everyone to back us, and it is going to be another exciting meeting like the first leg was. It is two very good teams going head-to-head and we want to be the ones at the end of the night who are victorious. All of the support will only benefit us.
“Joe came back in on Monday and did well, he was right in the mix, and he is back in again on Thursday. I know there has been a lot of talk of who we can and can’t use, so to clear that up, we can use anyone that is on the Rising Star list that isn’t in a named one to seven in another team and certainly around Ipswich, Joe is by far the best option.
“I think everyone is confident that we are capable of overturning it, but we are six points down against a very good team that are capable of coming to Ipswich and winning. I would prefer to be six points up than six points down so we will need a massive effort, like we have shown over the last two months to get ourselves to this point where we are going for a cup and the league. We are going to need all of that effort and determination we have shown if we are going to win the Knockout Cup on Thursday.
“It is massively important we have a big crowd backing us and I have raced myself in front of some big crowds at Foxhall and when the place gets buzzing, it gives the riders a boost. We have all worked so hard to get us to this stage and it would be a great reward for them to see a massive crowd and a boost going into the meeting.”
THE TIGERS
Sheffield have picked up five wins away from home in all competitions this season and come to Foxhall knowing that they can afford to lose by less than six points to become Knockout Cup champions. The Tigers would have hoped to be bringing a bigger lead to Suffolk for the second leg but will be looking to lift another trophy at Foxhall, having won the Championship title there in 2017.
The hosts are still without triple world champion Tai Woffinden due to a hand injury, and it will be Max Fricke who guests at number one again as he did on Monday at Owlerton. Claus Vissing is also missing again with injury, and it will be Kyle Newman coming in as a guest again at reserve.
First Leg: Ipswich 57-33 Peterborough. Second Leg: Peterborough 48-42 Ipswich
First Leg: Sheffield 54-36 Wolverhampton. Second Leg: Wolverhampton 52-38 Sheffield
FINAL
First Leg: Sheffield 48–42 Ipswich. Second Leg: Ipswich v Sheffield (14 Sep)
THE STORY
The Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches have a six-point deficit to overturn after a narrow defeat at Sheffield on Monday night in the first leg of the Knockout Cup final.
The visitors were without injured Rising Star rider Dan Thompson with his brother Joe guesting in his place. The hosts were missing Tai Woffinden and Claus Vissing through injury as Max Fricke and Kyle Newman deputised. The Suffolk side started strongly and were four points to the good early on, but the Tigers responded in some style and quickly turned the tie in their favour with five consecutive heat advantages to give them an eight-point lead. Ipswich battled hard in the latter part of the meeting to reduce the margin of defeat and leave the tie finely poised for the deciding leg at Foxhall on Thursday. Danny King top scored with 10.
Erik Riss won heat one from the gate and Emil Sayfutdinov momentarily got himself into second on the last lap but was beaten by Kyle Howarth on the run to the line as the visitors had to settle for a 2-4. Keynan Rew took victory in heat two, but it ended in a 3-3 as Joe Thompson couldn’t hold off Jason Edwards for third and was passed on the last lap. King led heat three but couldn’t keep Chris Holder behind him as the Tigers levelled with a heat advantage. The Witches went back in front in heat four as Rew took another win with Jason Doyle backing him up for a maximum to make it 10-14.
It was all square again after heat five as Sheffield hit a 5-1 and the home team then went ahead in heat six with rain falling as Howarth kept Doyle at bay to take the chequered flag in a 4-2. The heat advantages kept on coming for the Tigers as they recorded another 4-2 in heat seven. Heat eight was stopped as the visitors gated on a 1-5 as Howarth jumped the start and he received a warning but there was a nasty crash on the first turn of the re-run as Howarth and Riss got tangled and hit the fence. All four were called back for another go and it looked like being a 5-1 to the home team but Riss capitalised on a mistake from Edwards to split the Tigers pair, leaving the overall score 27-21.
Heat nine was stopped as Rew went into the air fence hard after trying to round Josh Pickering for a point on the third turn and he was excluded. The Tigers notched another 4-2 in the re-run, but skipper King stemmed the tide in heat 10 with a brilliant ride as he dived up the inside of Howarth at the end of the second lap to win a shared race. Sayfutdinov found his form in heat 11 with a convincing win with Riss picking up a point for a 2-4. Captain King produced the goods again in heat 12 as he held off Holder to pick up another three points in a 3-3 that left the score 39-33.
Tobiasz Musielak was a clear winner in heat 13 and was joined early on by Fricke but both Sayfutdinov and Doyle worked hard to relegate the Sheffield guest to the back for a 3-3 in a superb battle behind Musielak with all three riders swapping positions. The hosts gated on a 5-1 in heat 14 with Pickering and Newman at the front but Danyon Hume overtook Newman to limit the damage to a 4-2. Sayfutdinov won the final race of the night with Doyle third for a heat advantage to the away side, meaning a six-point defeat for Ipswich heading into the deciding home leg on Thursday.
REACTION FROM THE BOSS
Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches team manager Ritchie Hawkins reflects on Monday’s defeat at Sheffield.
“I was really pleased with the boys; we got a bit beat up with Erik and Keynan having crashes and we could have let it fall away but we stuck in there and come away six points down. At the halfway stage, six points isn’t drastic and is certainly something we are confident in overturning.
“Danny did really well and carried on his good form and stepped it up with an important ride in heat 12. It was great to see Erik bounce back from a disappointing meeting last time out and then he bounced back tonight, picking himself up from the deck and showing great mental strength to carry on and score some vital points.
“Erik and Keynan are both sore, Keynan is suffering more than Erik at the moment, and I am sure they will be sore in the morning. We are confident they will be ok for Thursday, but we will know more in the morning.
“I think it was a meeting that provided everything which a cup final should. Nobody moaned about the rain, and everyone carried on and racing like that in the rain was brilliant to see. It leaves things evenly poised and exciting going into Thursday.”
RIDER OF THE NIGHT
Captain King led from the front and top scored with 10, including two crucial race wins.
WHAT IT MEANS
Sheffield take a six-point lead into the second leg at Foxhall on Thursday where the winner of this year’s Knockout Cup will be decided.
UP NEXT
The Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches host the Sheffield Tigers at Foxhall Stadium on Thursday 14th September in the Knockout Cup final second leg. Tickets can be purchased online in advance here and on the gate.
All the details ahead of our Knockout Cup final first legfixture with Sheffield.
WHEN & WHERE
The Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches travel to Sheffield to face the Tigers at Owlerton Stadium on Monday 11th September in a Knockout Cup final first leg fixture that starts at 7.30pm.
First Leg: Ipswich 57-33 Peterborough. Second Leg: Peterborough 48-42 Ipswich
First Leg: Sheffield 54-36 Wolverhampton. Second Leg: Wolverhampton 52-38 Sheffield
FINAL
Sheffield v Ipswich
TICKETS
Tickets are available on the gate.
THE STORY
The Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches make the trip to Sheffield on Monday for the first leg of the Knockout Cup final. The Witches have seen off Leicester and Peterborough to reach the final and go into the occasion in fine form having won seven of their last nine meetings in all competitions, a run that saw them qualify for the Sports Insure Premiership play-offs. The Suffolk side have lost 51-39 on both of their visits to South Yorkshire this season and will be keen to come back to Foxhall on Thursday for the second leg with a smaller deficit to chase, if not a lead to defend.
Former Witch Joe Thompson comes back into the side as a guest for his injured brother Dan in the Rising Star position whilst Erik Riss moves to number two with Danyon Hume at number four. Emil Sayfutdinov has scored a 14+1 paid maximum and 16+1 on his two visits to Owlerton and has certainly taken a liking to the track.
FROM THE BOSS
Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches team manager Ritchie Hawkins gives us his pre-match thoughts…
“We have done very well to get into the final, we have ridden very well, and we are in great form. We have got to go there looking to win the meeting. At the moment, the way we are riding, we are going very well away from home, and I don’t see why we should go into any meeting not looking to win it. We have been there twice this year and put ourselves in good positions but not taken advantage of it. The two Sheffield meetings, we should have done better but now we come into it in a lot better form and in a better position to push on and improve on past results.
“We need a rider at number seven and Joe has come back in. After he left, he got injured pretty quickly but since he has come back from that and moved to Poole, he seems to have really kicked on and is getting some great scores in the Championship. It is great to see him come back and do really well and I’m pleased to offer him the opportunity to come back in and I’m sure he will do a good job.
“We are excited to be in the final and have the opportunity to win the cup and that is what we are focused on. That is what you race all season for, to get into these meetings, that is why you race and what you want. We want to bring the cup back to Ipswich and with the team we have got this year if we walk away without any trophies that would be a massive, missed opportunity, so it is a great shot to win a cup this season.”
THE TIGERS
Sheffield have beaten King’s Lynn and Wolverhampton to get to this stage and have a taste for success in the cup, having won last year’s League Cup before the Knockout Cup was re-introduced for 2023. The Tigers have a strong record at home with just one defeat at Owlerton this season and the club will also be eyeing up the double, having qualified for the Sports Insure Premiership play-offs as well.
The hosts are without triple world champion Tai Woffinden after he suffered a hand injury in the British Grand Prix. Woffinden came in for the injured Jack Holder in August and it will be Max Fricke who guests at number one on Monday. Sheffield also made two further changes going into the business end of the season with 2012 world champion Chris Holder replacing Adam Ellis and Claus Vissing taking Lewis Kerr’s spot. However, Vissing is absent due to injury for the first leg with Kyle Newman coming in as a guest. Jason Edwards is their Rising Star having been brought in for the injured Dan Gilkes.
AWAY DAYS
An adult ticket costs £22, concessions £20 and children (aged 17 and under) £1. Official programmes cost £3. 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.
Our Sports Insure Premiership play-off semi-final fixtures against the Belle Vue Aces have been confirmed.
The first leg will take place at the National Speedway Stadium on Monday 18th September. The second leg will be at Foxhall Stadium on Thursday 21st September.
