By Henry Chard

All the details ahead of our Knockout Cup final first leg fixture with Sheffield.

WHEN & WHERE

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches travel to Sheffield to face the Tigers at Owlerton Stadium on Monday 2^nd September in a Knockout Cup final first leg fixture that starts at 7.30pm.

TEAMS

SHEFFIELD: 1. Jack Holder 8.70 2. Kyle Howarth 5.35 © 3. Chris Holder 8.65 4. Josh Pickering 6.61 5. R/R for Tai Woffinden 8.67 6. Jason Edwards 3.52 7. Dan Gilkes (RS). Team Manager: Simon Stead

IPSWICH: 1. Jaimon Lidsey (G) 9.36 2. Keynan Rew 5.43 3. Danny King © 6.48 4. Tom Brennan (G) 9.12 5. Adam Ellis 5.61 6. Jordan Jenkins 3.74 7. Dan Thompson (RS). Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

REFEREE: P. Carrington

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. Second Leg: Ipswich 51-39 Birmingham

First Leg: King’s Lynn 50-40 Sheffield. Second Leg: Sheffield 54-36 King’s Lynn

FINAL

Ipswich vs Sheffield

TICKETS

Tickets are available to purchase on the gate.

THE STORY

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches head to Sheffield on Monday for the first leg of the Knockout Cup final.

The Witches are the current holders of the trophy having beaten the Tigers in last year’s final and the Suffolk side have sailed through to the final again this season winning home and away in both the quarter-final and semi-final.

However, Ipswich go into the final as underdogs and out of form. The club have lost their two star riders to injury in Jason Doyle and Emil Sayfutdinov and have lost their last six fixtures on the bounce. Ritchie Hawkins has secured the services of Jaimon Lidsey to guest at number one whilst Tom Brennan is at number four.

The visitors do welcome back Adam Ellis to the team having recovered from his concussion. The new averages also see Dan Thompson drop to reserve and Keynan Rew back in the main body of the team.

It’s been a tough few weeks for the club but they have performed well at Owlerton in 2024, winning 46-44 and narrowly losing by the same scoreline. A similar result either way would give the Witches confidence heading into the second leg at Foxhall next Thursday as they look to defend their crown.

FROM THE BOSS

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

“Tom is going to come in now and do the rest of the season with us in the cup final and play-offs. I am delighted to have him part of the team and he has done well when he has ridden for us before. He was brilliant on Thursday against us and is a rider who has had another great year of improvement. I know he is excited to finish the season with us.

“Jaimon is someone we have tried to book as a guest throughout the year, but we haven’t been able to. I know he had a tough meeting at Sheffield last week, but he has done well there in the past.

“Sheffield is somewhere we have done well this year by being solid throughout and that is something that we will need to do again on Monday. The meeting is over two legs and I think it is going to be a tight battle throughout.

“With our recent troubles, Sheffield will be clear favourites, but we certainly won’t be giving up the trophy easily.

“We have had a tough few weeks but if anyone is going into the cup final thinking about that then they are in the wrong sport. We have been the best team in the league for the majority of the league and if we want to win trophies we have got to fight hard and that is what we will be doing next week.”

THE TIGERS

Sheffield have enjoyed another strong campaign, and like the Witches find themselves in the play-offs and Knockout Cup final again. The Tigers have had to battle their way through to the final this year, overcoming Belle Vue in a super heat in the quarter final and overturning a 10-point deficit against King’s Lynn in the semi-final. The hosts have suffered just one defeat at home all year, against the Witches.

The home team are without Tai Woffinden and originally were due to be missing Dan Gilkes. Chris Harris was booked to guest for Woffinden before he was declared ineligible having guested for Ipswich earlier in the competition and rider replacement will now be in operation at five. Joe Thompson was the original guest declared for Gilkes but the club then announced that Nathan Ablitt would guest. On Sunday it was then announced that Gilkes would take his place in the line-up.

AWAY DAYS

An adult ticket costs £23, concessions (over 65s & students) £21, kids (up to and including age 17) £1 whilst children under five go free. 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.

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