The Kent TouchTec Kings finally get to launch their Speedway GB Championship [SGBC] campaign up in Glasgow this evening (Friday 21st. May), visiting the iconic Ashfield Stadium home of the highly-rated Tigers’ side.
It’s a set of firsts for the Kent club: their first match in the second tier of British Speedway; a first ever match against Glasgow, one of the UK’s most long-standing clubs; it’s a first ever match in Scotland for the Kings; a very ever Championship fixture behind closed doors and the first league match to be available for pay per view as a live streaming.
And for four of Chris Hunt’s charges it’ll be their Kings’ debut: skipper, seven times British Champion Scott Nicholls, Aussie international Cameron Heeps, Paul Starke and Tom Bacon. Of the others in the Kings’ declared septet for 2021, two are missing from the trip north of the border. Daniel Gilkes is heading across the Continent to ride on Saturday in the European Under 19 Championship at Nagyhalasz in Hungary. Filling the ‘Rising Stars’ 1* slot in the TouchTec Kings’ reserve berth instead of Gilkes will be Jake Mulford for whom this will be a second tier debut.
Meanwhile Paul Hurry has had to withdraw at the last minute having suffered a nasty, debilitating reaction to the Covid vaccination. The Kent management hope to be able to utilise the Rider Replacement facility for the stricken Hurry. The side is completed by the returning Ben Morley, the club’s record points scorer who rejoins the Kings after five years away.
Their hosts went very close to Championship glory in 2019 and are many pundits’ tips to go one better this campaign. They are led by former Grand Prix rider, ex-British Champion and Team GB international Craig Cook – with an international look to their side with two Americans (2009 national champion Ricky Wells and Broc Nichol), two Danes (former League Riders’ Championship winner Ulrich Ostergaard and Sam Jensen) and Australian Justin Sedgmen.
With no Kent fans able to travel, there’s consolation in that supporters do have a unique opportunity to enjoy the action from their own living rooms via the PPV live streaming, Details of how to access this are on the following link:
Teams [in alphabetical order]:
Glasgow Tigers: Craig Cook; Sam Jensen; Broc Nichol; Ulrich Ostergaard; Justin Sedgmen; Jack Smith; Ricky Wells
Kent TouchTec Kings: Tom Bacon; Cameron Heeps; Ben Morley; Jake Mulford; Scott Nicholls; Paul Starke; R/R for Paul Hurry (tbc)