Preview: Scunthorpe v Redcar *meeting rained off*
*PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS MEETING HAS NOW BEEN RAINED OFF*
BIG WEEKEND FOR SCORPIONS, AS THEY AIM FOR CUP FINAL
ATTIS INSURANCE Scunthorpe Scorpions have a golden opportunity this weekend to reach just their second Knockout Cup final at Championship level in their 52-year-old history. They host Redcar Bears at the Eddie Wright Raceway in the first leg of their semi-final tie on Friday (7.30pm), with the second leg at the ECCO Arena in Teesside on Saturday evening.
Scunthorpe and Redcar have previously met three times in 2023. In the BSN Series, Scunthorpe topped their group after narrowly taking the aggregate bonus point against Redcar – with scores of 50-40 to Scunthorpe at the EWR and 49-41 to Redcar at the ECCO Arena. In addition, Scorpions scored a hefty 55-35 victory over Bears in a Cab Direct Championship league match at the Eddie Wright Raceway on June 2.
Scorpions continue to be without Danish ace Michael Palm Toft – who is still around three weeks away from a return from an ankle injury – and Ben Cook will come in as a guest. Last Friday, his younger brother, Zach Cook, scored 8+2 in the 51-39 home victory over Edinburgh.
Scunthorpe promoter Rob Godfrey said: “Friday will be the third time this season that we welcome the Redcar Bears to the Eddie Wright Raceway, but I think it’s fair to say, this is the most significant, given that it’s the semi-final of the Knockout Cup.
“We are as confident as we can be after our previous two results at Scunthorpe against the Bears. But they count for nothing now and we start afresh on Friday evening at 0-0 going into Heat 1, although of course a repeat of the 55-35 scoreline from the league match wouldn’t go amiss!
“It’s not going to be easy, we know that, and both teams have had their problems of late. We’re without Michael Palm Toft due to injury and Redcar – having only just welcomed Erik Riss back into the fold – have now lost reserve Jake Mulford to a broken leg. That’s a real blow for them, although it does add even more interest to Friday’s match – since the Bears have booked Scunthorpe-born Luke Harrison to guest at No 7.
“As a local lad, Luke has always been in our thoughts going forward. In terms of laps at Scunny, Luke maybe hasn’t done as many as people might think, but he’s certainly been around enough to know the track. It’s going to be a good experience for the lad, a cup semi-final as well, and we all want him to do well in his speedway career – just not necessarily in this meeting!
“I think we need to be looking for another 50-plus score from the first leg on Friday to stand us in good stead for the return leg at Redcar on Saturday. It really is going to be a top, top night of speedway – it always is against Redcar at Scunthorpe. I’m sure the fans are going to turn out in numbers to get behind our boys.
“We’ve got a fantastic guest in Ben Cook, who is actually doing both legs for us, because he loves it around Redcar.
“We’re just 30 heats away from a cup final and our riders don’t need any more motivation than that. We just need a bit of luck and for everyone to be on top of their game but if that happens, we should be onto a winner. If it doesn’t, it really could go either way.”
Accompanied children aged 16 and under will be admitted free all season to speedway meetings at the Eddie Wright Raceway.
For those who cannot make it to the Eddie Wright Raceway, Scorpions are live streaming home meetings for just £11.99 at: https://tv.scunthorpe-speedway.com/
ADMISSION PRICES FOR FRIDAY:
Adult: £20.00
Student/OAP: £18.00
Child (0 – 16): Free (must be accompanied by paying adult)
Programme: £1.00
Car Parking now free
Pay on the day at the turnstiles by cash or card.
Expected teams for Friday:
Attis Insurance Scunthorpe Scorpions: 1. Ryan Douglas, 2. Drew Kemp, 3. Simon Lambert (captain), 4. Ben Cook (guest), 5. Jake Allen, 6. Nathan Ablitt, 7. Connor Mountain.
Redcar Bears: 1. Danny King, 2. Danyon Hume, 3. Connor Bailey, 4. Erik Riss, 5. Charles Wright, 6. Jason Edwards, 7. Luke Harrison (guest).
