PREVIEW: This is it – the Big One!
MONARCH Oxford Cheetahs face arch-rivals Poole Pirates in the first leg of the Grand Final of the Cab Direct Championship play-offs at Oxford Stadium on Wednesday evening at 7.30pm.
Cheetahs will be looking for a positive result in the first leg, prior to the second and concluding leg at Wimborne Road in Dorset on Friday (7.30pm). The aggregate winners will become the Cab Direct Championship league champions for 2024.
Poole came top of the regular Championship table on 34 points (out of a maximum 40), while Oxford were four points behind in second place on 30 points. Both teams won both legs of their semi-finals, with Cheetahs seeing off a stern challenge from third-placed Scunthorpe.
Monarch Cheetahs won both their regular Cab Direct Championship meetings against Pirates. At Sandy Lane, it went down to a Super Heat, with Sam Masters and Scott Nicholls taking a 7-2 after 15 standard races finished as a 45-45 draw. At Wimborne Road, Cheetahs smashed Pirates’ 42-match unbeaten home record with a 49-41 victory. Cheetahs put in a great all-around team performance at Poole, with Luke Killeen top scoring with 11+3 from reserve and fellow teenager Ashton Boughen defeating Poole No 1 Richard Lawson around his own track. It was Oxford’s first win at Poole in a standard 15-heat meeting in 25 years.
Poole Pirates and Oxford Cheetahs are two of the biggest names in speedway. Pirates have more league titles than any other British team.
While Oxford Speedway have won eight league championships, none of them have been at second tier level, so Cheetahs could create their own slice of history. Cheetahs won have five top-flight titles (1964, 1985, 1986, 1989 and 2001), while Oxford have also won three third-tier championships (1950, 2005 and 2023).
While Oxford Chargers won the National League last season, Oxford have not picked up major silverware at either of the two senior levels since the 2005 Craven Shield.
Cheetahs track an identical team to the one that beat Scunthorpe in the semi-final, with Heat 14 hero Dan Gilkes again coming in for the injured Jordan Jenkins, while Oxford Charger Jody Scott covers for the injured Adam Roynon at reserve.
Poole’s Ben Cook is ruled out of both legs with concussion. But Pirates have brought in two former British Champions in the shape of Danny King at Oxford and Chris Harris at Poole.
Oxford team manager Peter Schroeck said: “It’s hugely appropriate that Poole are our opponents in the play-off final – and the two teams will meet again in the Knockout Cup final as well in the coming weeks. Two famous sides from the south of England with a huge amount of history both individually as clubs and also with a keen rivalry between them.
“The play-off final is going to be a huge occasion and one I hope that everyone enjoys. To me, this season is a huge success already in what we’ve achieved in running three sides. That was a massive commitment from Jamie (Courtney) and Kevin (Boothby) and many thought it could not be done. But we pulled it off, as evidenced last week, when Jamie announced that we were planning to run three sides again in 2025.
“I don’t need to do everything to motivate the riders for the play-off final – they are professional riders. I just need to keep them focused and calm and having fun and enjoying the occasion, while approaching the meeting as they would any other week.”
Tickets on sale on the Oxford Speedway website at https://oxfordspeedway.club/tickets/
Admission is available at the early bird price of £20 for all adults, which increases to £22 on Race Day. All under-16s go free. A reminder that Oxford Speedway is online ticket sales only – tickets remain on sale on the website until the start-time of the meeting.
Season Passes are NOT valid on Wednesday or for the remainder of the season. The passes did not include progression in any competition and all 28 meetings (12 Spires, 11 Cheetahs and 5 Chargers) covered by the Ultimate Pass have all taken place.
Teams for first leg at Oxford on Wednesday:
Monarch Oxford Cheetahs: Sam Masters, Cameron Heeps, Ashton Boughen, Dan Gilkes (G), Scott Nicholls (C), Luke Killeen, Jody Scott.
Poole Wessex Marine Pirates: Richard Lawson, Sam Hagon, Danny King (G), Zach Cook (C), Tom Brennan, Tobias Thomsen, Vinnie Foord.
(PHOTO: Steve Edmunds)