Ipswich Borough Council and Ipswich Central are inviting the public to a celebratory event on the Town Hall steps on Friday, 31 October at 12:30pm. Fans will have the chance to cheer on the team, hear from the riders and management, and share in the pride of this unforgettable moment for the town.
The Ipswich Witches have made history, lifting the British Speedway ROWE Motor Oil Premiership title for the first time since 1998 after a nail-biting Grand Final victory over the Leicester Lions. The team clinched the championship with a 46-43 win at Foxhall Stadium.
This landmark victory marks the end of a 27-year wait and is a testament to the grit, determination, and passion of the riders, management, and loyal supporters. Team manager Ritchie Hawkins described the night as ‘amazing for everyone involved at the club,’ while captain Danny King, who has been with the Witches since he was 16, called it ‘a dream come true’.
Promoter Chris Louis, who was part of the title-winning side of 1998, said:
“It is great to be honoured by the town once again. For me it has been 27 years but for Ritchie (Hawkins), Danny (King) and the rest of the team it is a new thing but it has been coming for four or five years since we introduced Jason (Doyle) and added Emil (Sayfutdinov) to the team and we have had pretty much the same team over the last couple of years, ironically even with Keynan (Rew) coming back to do the second leg of the final!
“It has been a team effort, and it is a real honour to represent the town, and it showed what it means with the crowd that turned up to the second leg of the final. They came in their thousands and that brought back a lot of memories for me. It was great to see some of the older fans who were maybe around in 1998 bringing children or even grandchildren along with them this time.
“It is a really special feeling for me personally and it is great for the club, fans, staff and sponsors who have stuck by us and helped us towards this title. We are looking forward to meeting the dignitaries at the civic reception and we will get a feel for it, and I am glad to be doing it again!”
Mayor Stefan Long, who was present at the final, said:
“This is a momentous occasion for Ipswich. The Witches have brought joy and pride to our community, and we look forward to celebrating with them and their fans.”