Kent Kings Speedway club have announced the opponents for their 2015 season opener at Central Park.

Visiting the circuit in Sittingbourne for a National Trophy match will be division newcomers, the Eastbourne Eagles. The opening meeting is on Easter Monday, April 6th. with a 3pm start time; and with a packed season ahead, courtesy of participation in an enlarged National League, the Knock-out Cup, the revamped National Trophy and the prospect of qualification later on for a new Gold Cup competition, there’s no starting this term with a Challenge match, it’s straight into full competitive action.

And a local derby against the Eagles, who are based at one of British Speedway’s longest running and most iconic venues at Arlington Stadium just outside of the Sussex seaside town of Eastbourne, is about as competitive as one can get: reviving long-held rivalries between teams from Kent and Sussex.

Kent Co-promoter Len Silver is delighted that the Eagles are landing in the Kings’ back yard for this Easter spectacular,

“Meetings between teams from Kent like the old Canterbury and Crayford sides and those from Eastbourne were known back in the ‘70s and ‘80s as being high octane affairs with much local pride at stake. It’s very appropriate that at Easter weekend this most famous of local derbies on the Speedway calendar is literally resurrected now that Eastbourne have joined the National League.”

The National Trophy in 2015 will feature four clubs, the Central Park-based Kings, Eastbourne, the holders from the Suffolk Fens, Mildenhall and from just north of London, the Hoddesdon-based Rye House Raiders.

The competition promises some excellent local derby action and Eastbourne’s visit on Easter Monday will see a significant ‘homecoming’, some well-known faces as well as some riders new to the Central Park circuit.

Leading the Eagles as their number one is Kent Kings’ original captain from the early days of 2013 and last year’s record-breaking vice-captain, David Mason. ‘Magic’ as he’s known is finally wearing the colours of his home town club and also a home grown Sussex lad finally wearing the Eagles race jacket is Marc Owen.

Recognised by many as one of the most exciting visitors to Kent’s Sittingbourne Greyhound Track-based racing circuit last term, Owen is also many observers’ tip to graduate to being one of the league’s top men in 2015.

Owen’s clashes with the Kings’ new teenaged starlet James Shanes promises to be an exceptional opening day highlight. A rider new to Central Park but well-known to longer-established Speedway fans in the Sittingbourne area is Danny Warwick: the reigning British Beach Racing champion rode back in the mid-noughties for the Iwade-based Crusaders side.

The full National League (including Trophy and KOC) fixtures are expected to be published later this week.