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Diamond Edition - ENHANCED
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TITLE JOY FOR REDS ‘Under-pressure’ Sheffield in win double Maximum points were required, and maximum points were achieved. Sheffield City Reds’ number one Jason Binley spoke of the game plan going into the final round’s of league fixtures, it was simple “we need two wins, we will get them.” You could have forgiven the GP leader for having other things on his mind going into the Reds visit to Hove Bears, but he was as determined as the rest of the septet as they set about getting the first set of three points on offer in the final run-in. His fellow ten point man Craig Binks (11+1) set the tone for the night when racing to a 5-1 in heat one with Mathew Oates (6+1), Sheffield straight away into a lead they would hold all evening. A couple of wins from Jan Hesby (11) and surprise success for reserve Stuart Whittaker (6+2) in heat six when Binley (10) was excluded kept the Bears at bay in the early stages, but it was a 5-1 double in heats 12 and 13 that really ended the homes sides hopes of victory. Heat leader Ron Brooks’ (1) torrid night continued in the former with unsung heroes Hesby and Whittaker taking the maximum points, they then handed over the baton to the partnership that are accustomed to the limelight—Binks and Binley—the leagues top two racking up yet another 5-1 in heat 13 to ensured Sheffield would be top going into the final day. Their pursuers B’ham City Slickers meanwhile were keeping the pressure on at Newcastle, win number four in a row returned in the league on Tyneside with the help of a double figure haul from Oliver Burley (12+1), the top two would still be separated by a point with just the final meetings remaining. With the title contenders at home on the final day it was hard to see anything but victories for both, to Sheffield’s obvious joy that was the outcome, however each opponent made the hosts work for the points. B’ham had to wait until the final heat to seal their win over Brookwood (47-43), only then could they watch the final heats of Sheffield’s meet with Newcastle. The prayers in the Midlands were left unanswered, again a Binks/Binley 5-1 in heat 13 all but sealed the championship clinching points, Patrick Antonsson’s (11) win a heat later did, and the Reds could celebrate their first title success.
TODAY: Shorts In between helping Sheffield to a third trophy this season Jason Binley managed to wrap up his second world title in Poland, the Krakow round of the GP series may have seen him finish with his lowest score of the campaign—just eight points—but his previous successes had ensured that would be more than enough to see him successfully defend his crown. The meeting was won by Jiri Necas (12), the Prague rider’s experience of the European League track helping him to victory over British based Craig Binks (11) and Pila’s Igor Tibilov (11). Binks failed to make it a English 1-2 when losing a minor podium position race-off with Tibilov, who as a result of his victory claimed a third runners-up spot of the series. The Russian, rumoured to be seeking to ride for a UK located club next season, also finished as runner-up in the series, his points total five behind that of Binley, but one ahead of his Sheffield team mate, Binks.
Sheffield quickly followed them when winning the league two days later, but B’ham City Slickers became the first club to have won ever major competition trophy when they competed a two point aggregate win over Coventry in the KOC final this week. A 49-41 home win in the second leg may have suggested the tie ended on a knife edge, but the truth is the score-line flattered the visitors who scored a 5-1 in the final heat when in mattered not. Brett Garner’s (12+1) third win of the night a heat earlier had started the home fans celebrations, the trophy secured then, but B’ham had previously taken the aggregate lead as early as heat five, when Garner headed home team Vince Birkett (9+1) for a second of five Slickers 5-1’s in the contest. Coventry’s fight back lacked consistency and B’ham were the deserved winners of the trophy.
After nine successive season’s in the top flight Tibthorpe Ravens will race in division two next season after their battle against the drop ended with defeat at local rivals Beverley. The Hellcats climbed out of the bottom three as a result of that win and Hove’s defeat against Sheffield. Despite their eighth place finish Hove will remain in the top flight due to the demise of seventh place Newcastle.
The final promotion place in division two went the way of York Vipers, they holding off the late challenge of Nottingham with a final day 51-39 win over Chiseldon. Boston were confirmed champions of the division after a comprehensive 59-31 win over Workington. Border had already wrapped up the division three title but it was a close finish in the race for the other two promotion places in the division, in the end the two sides—Warley Warriors and Ramsgate Robins—who started the week in them ended it there, despite Westcliff’s final day win at Exmouth, in the end only points difference preventing the Wizards snatching third spot.
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