The Kent Kings will be looking forward to the New Year with the promise of a number of meetings between themselves and their local counterparts.
Two teams will join the Sittingbourne- based club in the sport’s National League and National Trophy in the form of Eastbourne and Rye House. Eastbourne, who race just outside the seaside town of Arlington in East Sussex at one of the oldest speedway circuits in the country have been busy since the end of last season building a team to participate in the club’s first year in UK speedway’s third tier.
Meanwhile, returning from two years in the Premier League, the Rye House Raiders will be looking to use their young side to rejuvenate their club.
There is more news for fans of the Kings too, following an announcement by the Lakeside Hammers, the Elite League team in Essex. The Thurrock- based club had flirted with the idea of entering a team in the third level of the sport in 2015 but settled with planning a series of challenge matches involving their neighbours.
Jon Cook, the Hammers’ co-promoter explained their situation:
“Our ever helpful landlords at Arena Essex have offered us Sunday dates which we intend to utilise for training with both our junior mini track and the main circuit to be open for training for all ages with the day finishing with a National League challenge in the late afternoon. Our plan is to offer our local rivals Eastbourne and Kent some derby action in these slots.”
The Kings ended their season in 2014 with a trip across the Thames to race in the Tunnel trophy against a side from Lakeside styled the Arena Essex Young Hammers and this news may mean that the Young Hammers may attempt to defend their crown against Kent in a two legged challenge in the upcoming year.
Meanwhile, the Eastbourne Eagles have been building their squad with racers already familiar to Kings fans including two of the most popular visiting riders to Central Park last term, Marc Owen and Brendan Johnson.
Owen, who grew up in Eastbourne is a perfect fit for the side who are in the National League for the first time whilst Poole- based Johnson made the trip along the south coast to ride at the home of the Kings several times, both for his 2014 side, the National Trophy-winning Midenhall Fen Tigers and as a guest for several other teams.
Another signing for the Eagles is the UK Beach Racing Champion Danny Warwick who, in 2008 was a rider for the last speedway team in Kent before the Kings took over Central Park but the Eagles’ signing which will be of most interest to Kings fans is that of David Mason.
The one-time Kent Kings’ skipper known as ‘Magic’ is the record points scorer in the National League but found himself reluctantly having to move away from Central Park when the points limit was changed to accommodate the different strengths the team needed.
Len Silver, Kent co-promoter says that the club will welcome Mason on his return and are looking forward to the new season.
“David served us brilliantly during our first two seasons and provided so much invaluable know-how to a range of riders up-and-coming in our ranks. We’re delighted he’s continuing his distinguished career with his home-town club and look forward to seeing him in Eagles’ colours when Eastbourne visit us at Central Park.”
“Having local derbies against Eastbourne and Rye House plus the prospect now of challenge matches with Lakeside is a really exciting prospect for 2015.”
The Kent Kings’ still need three more places in the team to be taken up, as well as the backup ‘number 8’, these are expected to be finalised early in the new year for the 2015 season to begin in March.
Picture supplied by Elizabeth Leslie.