The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches travel to King’s Lynn to face the Stars at the Adrian Flux Arena on Monday 2^nd June in a Knockout Cup semi-final first leg fixture that starts at 7.30pm.

LINE-UPS

KING’S LYNN: 1. Richard Lawson 6.74 2. Peter Kildemand (G) 6.13 3. Nicolai Klindt © 6.37 4. Chris Harris 6.50 5. Niels Kristian Iversen 6.72 6. Jan Kvěch 6.10 7. Ashton Boughen (RS). Team Manager: Rob Lyon

IPSWICH: 1. Emil Sayfutdinov 9.10 2. R/R for Jason Doyle 9.07 3. Adam Ellis 5.93 4. Tom Brennan 6.86 5. Danny King © 6.24 6. Simon Lambert (G) 5.06 7. Jordan Jenkins (RS). Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

REFEREE: W. Dishington

KNOCKOUT CUP DRAW

QUARTER-FINALS

First Leg: Birmingham 33-57 Leicester. Second Leg: Leicester 46-44 Birmingham

First Leg: King’s Lynn 53-37 Oxford. Second Leg: Oxford 37-53 King’s Lynn

First Leg: Belle Vue 40-50 Ipswich. Second Leg: Ipswich 67-23 Belle Vue

SEMI-FINALS

First Leg: Leicester v Sheffield (June 2). Second Leg: Sheffield v Leicester (June 5)

First Leg: King’s Lynn v Ipswich (June 2). Second Leg: Ipswich v King’s Lynn (June 5)

TICKET NEWS

Tickets are available to purchase on the gate.

THE PREVIEW

The Witches return to action on Monday with a trip to Norfolk in the first leg of the Knockout Cup semi-final against the King’s Lynn Stars.

An injury-hit Ipswich side were beaten last time out by Leicester at Foxhall in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership but this week the focus turns to Knockout Cup action with a place in the final up for grabs.

The Suffolk side remain without Jason Doyle and Dan Thompson for this fixture with Doyle re-aggravating a hip injury in a crash in Poland and Thompson still on the sidelines with a broken scaphoid. Rider replacement is in operation for Doyle at number two whilst Simon Lambert guests for Thompson at number six.

Emil Sayfutdinov moves to number one this month in the averages with Ritchie Hawkins switching captain Danny King to number five on Monday. Despite their injury troubles, the Witches are bidding to make their third consecutive Knockout Cup final this week.

MANAGER’S NOTES

Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches team manager Ritchie Hawkins gives us his pre-match thoughts…

“Everyone has seen that Jason came back and raced last weekend and had another crash. Luckily it wasn’t a massive crash but obviously it has set him back. On reflection he knows he has come back too soon but you can’t fault his commitment and will to race but it has set him back a few weeks. We are pleased he will be at the fixtures with us in the pits and still helping the team. Dan, there is not a lot more to say really, he is undergoing treatment and waiting for the bone to heal.

“Simon is a track expert around King’s Lynn. He has not had a great start to the season considering how well he has been going in the last couple of years, but he thinks he has come through that now and got his head around his machinery issues. It is very difficult to find someone who we believe can come to Lynn without a lot of experience and score big points but with his record in the past at that track, he is capable of beating anyone on his day. You know what you are going to get, 100% commitment and he is more than capable of stirring things up and scoring good points if it clicks.

“We have very limited options with everyone racing apart from Oxford to try and get a guest for Jason for this week. We have put R/R at two because it works a lot better for the other riders. It is maybe a slightly unusual move to go that way but against King’s Lynn it doesn’t matter where R/R is at, it is about making it easier for us and our boys.

“Jordan had another crash, but it is nothing serious and hopefully he comes through Friday at Redcar well and is raring to go on Monday.”

“It is not ideal to have the semi-final whilst we have injuries, but we have got a great side and a side that is more than capable of covering them. We are focused on making our third cup final in three years and it is a competition we really want to win again. Bar one slight blip, as a team we have been exceptional this season and it fills us with confidence to know how good we have been and how capable our whole side is. We are capable of covering the missing riders and making the final if we perform near our capabilities.”

KING’S LYNN STARS

The hosts have struggled to get going in 2025, with their league form seeing them sit sixth with two wins and six defeats to their name. So, the Knockout Cup presents a new opportunity for the Stars and having seen off Oxford in the quarter-final, they find themselves within reach of a final and will fancy their chances against an Ipswich side missing two key riders.

The Stars are without the injured Ben Cook and have booked Peter Kildemand as a guest at number two.

LAST TIME OUT AT THE ADRIAN FLUX ARENA

The Witches last travelled to Norfolk in July of 2024 and the hosts came into the fixture without the injured duo of Benjamin Basso and Nicolai Klindt with rider replacement being used for Basso and Zach Cook in as a guest for Klindt. Lewis Kerr was also a guest for the home team in place of Tobiasz Musielak who had left the club. The Witches had rider replacement for the injured Doyle but were otherwise at full strength. The away side went in front early on, but it was all level again after nine heats of racing. However, Ipswich found another gear to power themselves to the win. Emil Sayfutdinov and Keynan Rew top scored with 13+1.

AWAY DAYS

An adult ticket costs £24, concessions (disabled, 66 and over, students) £22, children (12-15 accompanied by adult) £5 and children under 12 go free. Official programmes cost £3.50. Facilities include free floodlit parking, seated grandstand, covered standing grandstand, restaurant, fully stocked bar and function room, four licenced bar outlets, merchandise stands, toilets and a first aid room. For travel information head here.

For more information about the club head to King’s Lynn’s official website.