By Henry Chard
All the details ahead of our Knockout Cup semi-final second leg fixture with Birmingham.
WHEN & WHERE
The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches host the Birmingham Brummies at Foxhall Stadium on Thursday 6th June in a Knockout Cup semi-final second leg fixture. Parade: 7.30pm, first race: 7:45pm.
TEAMS
IPSWICH: 1. Chris Harris (G) 9.36 2. R/R for Dan Thompson 4.46 (RS) 3. Sam Masters (G) 7.50 4. Adam Ellis 5.95 5. Emil Sayfutdinov 9.24 © 6. Keynan Rew 4.15 7. Jordan Jenkins 4.00 8. Freddy Hodder. Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins
BIRMINGHAM: 1. Fredrik Lindgren 8.00 2. R/R for Steve Worrall 6.19 3. Wiktor Lampart 4.63 4. Justin Sedgmen 5.07 5. Tom Brennan 6.64 © 6. Piotr Pawlicki 4.48 7. Leon Flint (RS). Team Manager: Sam Ermolenko
REFEREE: G. Allen
KNOCKOUT CUP DRAW
QUARTER-FINALS
First Leg: Belle Vue 49-41 Sheffield. Second Leg: Sheffield 49–41 Belle Vue – Sheffield win super heat
First Leg: Leicester 42-48 Ipswich. Second Leg: Ipswich 47–43 Leicester
SEMI-FINALS
First Leg: Birmingham 44-46 Ipswich
King’s Lynn vs Sheffield
TICKETS
Tickets are available to buy online (until 7pm on raceday) and on the gate and are priced at £23 for adults and £21 for concessions (65+) & students (21 & under). Tickets for children aged 6-16 are £1 whilst children 5 & under go free. Official programmes are priced at £3.50 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 ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches entertain the Birmingham Brummies at Foxhall on Thursday night in the second leg of their Knockout Cup semi-final tie.
The two sides met at Perry Barr Stadium on Monday in the first leg, and it was the Witches who fought back from behind to pull off a shock win despite having just three of their own riders due to injuries and illness. The Suffolk side hold a two-point lead going into Thursday, knowing that any kind of win or draw will see them progress to the final for the second year in a row as they look to retain the trophy.
It’s mixed news on the injury and illness front for the hosts. Skipper Danny King is not ready to return just yet and Sam Masters guests in his place. With Jason Doyle ruled out for the rest of the season, the management are assessing options of how he can be replaced but for Thursday it is Chris Harris who guests at number one. Dan Thompson is ruled out with illness and rider replacement will be in operation at number two. The positive news comes in the form of Adam Ellis who is back in the side at number four following a dislocated shoulder. Freddy Hodder will be our number eight rider.
FROM THE BOSS
Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches team manager Ritchie Hawkins gives us his pre-match thoughts…
“Despite our injury problems I feel we still have a strong side out on Thursday. We have a couple of guests in that we know can do a really good job at Foxhall and with rider replacement for Dan and the form Keynan has been showing as well as Jordan’s form picking up, we hope we can cover those rides well. It will be great to have Adam back for this and we are hoping it is a success ahead of Saturday’s British Final.
“We have a two-point lead, but they will be coming here to overturn that, and we know how quickly things can change and fall apart in speedway. we have to be focused and make sure we get the win and keep that fighting spirit we have shown so far this season to get ourselves in the position we are in despite some adversity.
“Danny is still undergoing intense physio and the recovery is taking a little longer than we had hoped but he is still trying his very best to be back for the British Final on Saturday and then we will look to see if he can be back with us next week and we all look forward to that but we still need to leave it day by day for his recovery.
“We are still looking at options for Doyley, we are in a great position at the moment and if we can do anything we want to make sure it is the right move but I’m sure as everyone can appreciate it is a difficult task and not one to be rushed. We will look at options and see what we can do, and we will do what is best for Ipswich speedway and do our very best to make us the strongest team out on track.”
THE BRUMMIES
Birmingham’s season is really not going to plan so far, with the club struggling in the league the Knockout Cup represented a new opportunity for them but a shock home defeat to the depleted Witches on Monday leaves them with it all to do in the second leg of this semi-final. The visitors can take positives from their last visit to Foxhall where they ran Ipswich close before being defeated 49-41.
There is a boost for the away team ahead of this fixture with the news that new signing Fredrik Lindgren is clear to make his debut for the club. The world number two who currently sits seventh in the Grand Prix standings comes in and replaces Zach Cook in the side. Rider replacement will be in operation for Steve Worrall who has labyrinthitis.
Digital Media Manager at Ipswich Speedway