LEICESTER bid to make it four wins from four in the battle of the big cats at Sheffield tonight.
The BSN cameras are in South Yorkshire as the Lions warm up for next week’s Knockout Cup final full of confidence after relatively comfortable victors of the Tigers on home shale in both their ROWE Motor Oil Premiership clashes this season.
But THE result of 2025 so far was Leicester’s two-point semi-final win at Owlerton last month which secured their first top tier KO Cup final for 50 years, the Lions roaring into a 12-point lead after five races and holding on despite a hard Tigers’ fightback
The visitors are also hot favourites to take the aggregate point, going into the meeting holding a 22-point lead from the round one fixture raced in the east Midlands in June.
However, Sheffield are determined to avenge the cup setback, their only home defeat of 2025, and the return from injury of Rising Star Leon Flint, who missed the semi-final, helped them restrict Leicester to a six-point victory at the Hydroscand Arena on Monday night.
Lions’ boss Stewart Dickson calls on former Leicester man Richard Lawson – who scored double figures in south Yorkshire with King’s Lynn earlier in the season – rather than continuing to operate rider replacement for the injured Luke Becker.
He explained: “I think rider replacement is taking its toll on the riders a little bit, so I’m going to use Richard at number two.
“We certainly should be capable of getting the aggregate point. We are 22 points up so if we don’t we need our backsides kicked!”
His opposite number Simon Stead conceded: “22 points is a big ask – but anything can happen in speedway!
“First and foremost we want to keep our 100 per cent home league record intact and add two match points to our tally.
“Leicester are the only team to win here this year and we want to set the record straight.”
Tonight’s live broadcast, which begins at 7pm, tapes-up 7.30pm, is included in BSN’s Premiership Pass and Total Season Pass packages or can be purchased on a pay-to-view basis here
Sheffield: Jack Holder, Anders Rowe, Josh Pickering, Lewis Kerr, Chris Holder, Justin Sedgmen, Leon Flint.
Leicester: Max Fricke, Richard Lawson, Ryan Douglas, Kyle Howarth, Sam Masters, Drew Kemp, Joe Thompson.
Words by George Dodds.
Images by Taylor Lanning.