For the two sides from either side of the Kent/Sussex border, it’s a relatively quick (as quick as the close season would allow) reprise of their titanic scraps of last term – the Eagles who are based at Arlington just outside the East Sussex seaside town having got the better of the SLYDE-sponsored Kings in the Travel Plus Tours National League [TPTNL] championship play offs last October.
Chris Hunt, the Kings’ Team manager and now Co-Promoter is confident that the disappointments of last season (and indeed the year before when the Eagles had beaten his charges at the identical stage in the end of season Play Offs) will be put way behind them this time,
“We have put together a side with a strong emphasis on youth and under the experienced leadership of the best number one and captain in the business, Luke Bowen I’m confident we can improve as we progress through the season and this time not come up short in the Play Offs. That’s a long way off of course as we open up this weekend and I’m looking to see the team gel together and start to put together the performances needed to reach those levels”.
Certainly the home form was impressive in 2017 – the Kings ruling the roost at their Central Park Stadium home with a 100% record in TPNL matches, so an expectant Bank Holiday crowd will be looking for a winning start over the weekend.
Following the visit of the Eagles for that local Derby on the first Bank Holiday of the long weekend, there’s afternoon action again on Easter Monday with Birmingham the visitors in the first stanza of another two-legged challenge – start time on the Monday is at the slightly later time of 3.30pm.
The Brummies have been fierce rivals of the Kent club also over the past three years (in two of those years, the Second City-siders taking the TPNL title) and there’s a change to the visitors’ management for 2018, with the Kent Kings’ original skipper from 2013 David Mason now out of the saddle and into the ‘Board Room’ as the club owner of the West Midlanders.
Fans turned up in large numbers to meet their returning heroes and welcome the new youngsters on board at the Kent club’s Practice Day on Sunday (25/3) – with the on track action being held at neighbouring Sittingbourne Speedway Club’s Iwade Training Circuit. It was a hugely encouraging day out there on the track, as Hunt’s Co-Promoter and ‘Mr. Kent Speedway’ himself, Len Silver enthused as he gave his traditional pre-season address to a packed Fans’ Forum back at Central Park in the evening,
“It was so encouraging to see Nathan Stoneman who of course had seen his 2017 season end prematurely with a nasty leg injury, back on a bike and back to full fitness. He installed his new, German-tuned, engine before the start, then showed just how fast it is. Our youngest King, Anders Rowe has had such a growth spurt over the winter many of the fans didn’t recognise him at first. His speed and control have, matured also and amazingly still only 15, if he rides in the meetings as he did at Iwade on Sunday, well, he will be a major force for us.”
Silver admitted the ‘reserve’ berths (no’s 6 & 7 in the line-up) had been a significant cause of consideration over the winter,
“Alex had started with us last year and got such a lot of experience during a very busy first ever TPNL campaign for the teenager. Our job has been to get the two of them (Jacob and Alex) up to speed as quickly as possible and to see them on Sunday taking on board and listening intently to the advice being given by our skipper Luke and the now experienced beyond his own teenaged years, Jack Thomas was excellent to see and, by the end of the day, the improvement to them both was quite remarkable. “
And there was a pleasant surprise at how well the third new signing was going also,
“It was no surprise to see Luke and Jack both looking very powerful and obviously ready to continue where they left off in 2017, but it was a surprise to witness Taylor Hampshire, also mounted on his new engine looking as fast as both of them”.
The success all round left the veteran promoter in a bullish mood,
“After today, I can tell you that Chris and I are very, very confident that we have a team here which can win the League. The four challenge matches coming up – home and away against such quality opposition as Eastbourne and Birmingham will test our mettle and we are all looking forward to the challenges ahead”.
The two home Speedway meetings at Central Park Stadium in Sittingbourne are:
Easter Monday April 2nd. Vs Birmingham (Easter Cup first leg) 3.30pm start time (gates open at 2.00pm)
Picture supplied by Elizabeth Leslie.