Kent SLYDE Kings enter the BB House tonight with a big prize on their minds! No, it’s not a highly unlikely twist to the infamous TV show, but the Sittingbourne-based Speedway side’s visit to the Second City to take on the Birmingham Brummies in the first leg of the National Trophy Final.
With both teams having progressed to the Final with 100% records in qualifying from their respective Regional Groups, the scene is set for one of the most highly anticipated clashes in British Speedway for some time.
Kent limbered up for the challenge in hugely impressive style on Monday evening – the whole septet showing they’re in tip top form with another crushing home victory as they progressed on yet another front: moving into the semis of the National; Knock Out Cup [NKOC]. And there’s no rest for the busy riders, as on Thursday they go to the Isle of Wight in pursuit of Travel Plus National League [TPNL] points as they chase down current leaders and reigning champs, Birmingham.
But on Wednesday the only piece of silverware in Chris Hunt and his men’s minds will be the National Trophy [NT].
And stats suggest this will be an extremely close encounter. Both sides are unbeaten: Birmingham having raced 13 matches this term with 12 wins and one draw. Kent SLYDE Kings’ record is 15 matches – 14 wins and one draw.
And that draw? Well it was, of course, when the two sides met at the Brummies’ Perry Barr home in the TPNL in the first week of May!
That was just the second time the Sittingbourne-based Kings had ridden against Birmingham on the West Midlanders’ home circuit; the previous time was last year in a League encounter when – despite last term having a decidedly disappointing away record (the complete opposite of course is the case in 2016) – the Kings still took the eventual champions to a last heat decider: going down by 47-43.
So there’s no question that Kent have a good record at Perry Barr but a cautionary note in this two-legged Cup Final is that on the Brummies’ only visit so far to the SLYDE Kings’ Central Park home they came away with a victory on the night, so minds will be focussed that every point is vital in the first leg on Wednesday.
For the home side it’s a case of a Tom Tom problem – no, nothing to do with a Sat-Nav (they know the way to success after winning the Championship in their first season in the division last year) – but the injuries which have robbed them of their skipper Tom Perry and rising star Tom Bacon.
Both remain on the sidelines so they’ll be utilising Rider Replacement for Bacon and drafting in Belle Vue Colts’ Matt Williamson as a ‘Guest’ for Perry. Williamson is enjoying an excellent season and much in demand lately as cover under the ‘Guest’ system. He knows Perry Barr well, as last season as a Cradley Heathens rider (the same club he won League & NKOC honours with the previous campaign), Williamson was based at the stadium in Birmingham when the Heathens track-shared with their West Midlands’ neighbours.
Williamson will be one of the three heat leaders in the Brummies’ line up – alongside the hugely talented Zach Wajtknecht, who has now graduated to number one in their TPNL team. The teenager from Bristol is a two-time FIM 125cc Youth Gold Trophy Champion (effectively the Junior World Championship at Longtrack) and a long-time adversary during their schoolboy racing on Grass and Sand across the UK and Europe of Kent’s own James Shanes. Clashes between these two daring young riders are always worth the admission money on its own!
The third heat leader is a rider well known to the Central Park faithful, the popular Darryl Ritchings: a National Trophy winner when with the Isle of Wight (under the stewardship then of current Kings’ boss Chris Hunt) back in 2013.
It’s at reserve though where perhaps the Brummies’ greatest potential threat lies – where Jacks are High! Jack Parkinson-Blackburn has gone straight from being British Youth Champion last year, via the TPNL, to a remarkable fourth-placed finish in this season’s GB Under 21 Championship Final! Meanwhile Jack Smith (who actually made his league debut blast term in Kent colours before injury halted any chance of a Kings’ career) recently lined up alongside Wajtknecht in the GB Under 21 World Cup squad such as been the progress made by this son of former World Finalist, Andy Smith.
Significantly when the Kings’ visited Perry Barr in May, Smith had a decidedly off day failing to score but has bounced back and recorded 23 points in his last two home matches.
Completing the Brummies line-up are former Rye House man, Danyon Hume and at number 8, Stephen Whitehouse.
For the visitors, Luke Clifton goes into the meeting having had an expensive and painful evening against Coventry on Monday: completely wrecking his main bike in an alarming post-race spill after heat 8 and then suffering some real pain to his left leg when a chain broke just as he was setting off for his last race.
For Clifton and team mates though, they go to Perry Barr on the strength of a 15 match unbeaten run: it will be Sweet indeed to make it Sixteen!
The meeting gets underway at 7.30pm at Perry Barr Stadium, Aldridge Rd., Birmingham, B42 2ET.
For Kent SLYDE Kings’ travelling by car, turn off the M6 at junction 7. Follow the A34 towards the city centre for about 3 miles, the fork left at Perry Barr onto the A453 (Aldridge Road). Keep in the far left hand lane, as the entrance to the car park is on the left hand side immediately after the traffic lights. Journey time from the M6 junction is about 15 minutes in clear traffic.
For Kent SLYDE Kings’ travelling by car, turn off the M6 at junction 7. Follow the A34 towards the city centre for about 3 miles, the fork left at Perry Barr onto the A453 (Aldridge Road). Keep in the far left hand lane, as the entrance to the car park is on the left hand side immediately after the traffic lights. Journey time from the M6 junction is about 15 minutes in clear traffic.
The two sides then of course reconvene (with the possibility that Bacon and perhaps Perry too could be back from injury for Birmingham) at Central Park for the second (and deciding leg) on Monday 27th. June – 6.30pm start time.
Image courtesy of Elizabeth Leslie
TAGS: Kent Kings