A revamped Poole Pirates side is inbound to the National Speedway Stadium on Monday July 31, seeking a big performance against Belle Vue as the business end of the season draws near.
Club promoter, Matt Ford, has made several changes in order to bolster the strength of his side following a difficult period of uncharacteristic results; something he hopes is now behind them.
But the Volvo Cars Pirates will arrive in Manchester to face a powerful Rentruck Aces side after their astounding demolition of Wolverhampton live on BT Sports just one week earlier.
The home side will be at full strength and on the hunt for further league points as they bid to hold onto the Premiership’s top spot, knowing their top four rivals are hot on their tail.
Belle Vue boss, Mark Lemon, said: “After last week’s performance, I think it’s fair to say we’re riding high and it was so encouraging to see the commitment of the boys to what was a tough task.
“But there’s still a fair distance between us and the Play Offs so there’s still plenty of opportunities to take advantage of, and Poole’s visit to the NSS on Monday is just one such opportunity.
“They’ve been having a fairly rough time of it lately. Some of the displays we’ve seen are not typical of what we know the Pirates are capable of delivering, and that can make them dangerous.
“We’ve been in that position ourselves and it’s my firm belief that a team that has been struggling should be treated with no less respect than one that has been pulling all the punches.
“Poole have got a point to prove. They want to keep their place in the top four. We want to maintain our facade at home. It’s got all the hallmarks of an epic battle and we can’t wait for it.”
It’s then back on the road to Poole and Somerset, while next Saturday, August 5th, sees the Summer of Speed touch down at Manchester’s National Speedway Stadium.
Featuring the sixth round of the British Youth Championships as its main event, tickets are just £5 for adults while accompanied children under 18 are free, available on the gate only from 6pm.
The event will conclude with a special forum where fans will get to hear from club CEO Adrian Smith and Director of Speedway Mark Lemon.
Words: Hayley Bromley
Images: Ian Charles
BELLE VUE V POOLE – 7:30PM – MONDAY JULY 31
Belle Vue ‘Rentruck’ Aces
Kenneth Bjerre, Steve Worrall, Max Fricke, Rohan Tungate, Craig Cook (C), Dan Bewley, Jack Smith
Team Manager: Mark Lemon
Poole ‘Volvo Cars’ Pirates
Hans Andersen (C), Richie Worrall, Jack Holder, Eddie Kennett, Timo Lahti, Paul Starke, James Shanes
Team Manager: Neil Middleditch
