Holders Manor have become the fifth different leaders of division one this season after half-time pacesetters Denaby suffered their first home loss of the campaign. We look to be in for one of the closest title battles in the history of the league with results this week leaving the top six in the standings separated by just three points, the pack concertinaing up following away wins for Ramgsate and Cradley Heath. It was the Rams that ended a run of 29 unbeaten in division one for Denaby at their Hellodrome home, the hosts failing to adequately recover from on opening salvo from Ramsgate which saw them take a seven point lead in the fixture, that after they’d gone 5-1 down! Both home reserves failed to finish heat two and would go on to pick up just a point between them all meeting, while in heat three heat leader Ladislav Zgonc (4+1) hit the deck, the Rams winning the re-run of that 5-1. Denaby did actually get their noses back in front by heat ten, however at a single point their lead was a fragile one and Rams back-to-back 4-2’s unravelled things once more, Bojan Kraka (7+2) and Bjorn Maurer (12) winning in turn. Visiting second string Jacob Brady (9+1) picked up his second heat win of the meeting in the penultimate race, with the minor places from Maurer and Brady in the decider earning the Rams a 43-46 success. Cradley meanwhile won at bottom side Altrincham for the second time this season, at 37-53 it was their biggest away win in the top flight ever and their biggest in any competition on the road in over eight years. They went on to beat Don Valley 52-38 at home to extend their winning league run to six.

Three of this years Division Two Cup semi-finalists had been confirmed prior to this weeks final round of fixtures. Sankey secured the fourth spot with a 48-42 home win over Bolsover, with Derek Moody’s SL5 winners of the competition going on to face Group A winners Dumpton in the last four. SL22 winners Brighton meet last years runners-up Buxton in the other knock out tie.

Record three-times winners of the competition, Lye, secured the point they needed to not only qualify for this years semi-finals of the Division Three Cup, but do so as first round Group B victors. A heat 14 5-1 from second string Patrick Shoemaker (12)—who picked up his fourth straight win of the night in the process—and reserve Alex Tilley (7+2) ensured Tim Foster’s Tigers would earn at least a draw at California, and a draw it was, with the hosts going on to take a consolation 5-1 of their own in the last, which saw them earn their first—and only—point of this years first round group stage. Holders Whiteley had already qualified from the section prior to this weeks fixtures, they take on Group A winners London—in what is a repeat match-up of last years final—in the last four, Lye have earned a semi-final tie with Benfleet.

Last years top seven have all qualified for the SL25 World Championship Grand Prix series. The septet safely negotiated their respectively third round ties, with world number eight Shane Goodwin (7) the highest ranked rider to miss out, he’ll begin the series at reserve after finishing ninth in the Don Valley qualifier. Three British riders did make it through to the Grand Prix stage however, Dale Bailey (11), Liam Marlow (8) and Bradley Law (8) all progressing from the second of this weeks ties in Krakow. Hertford’s Dejan Straus (14) was the surprise winner of that from defending three-time defending World Champion Valeri Lach (13), the 34 year old—who joined the Bears from Nottingham earlier in the season—has never ridden in the GP series before and had failed to go beyond the first round of the World Championship in each of the past two seasons. World Number two Waclaw Kozlowski (14) topped the standings at Don Valley, the victory the 12th of the Manor rider’s WSO career.

Birmingham got the week off to a great start when recording a 40-50 victory at Bolsover in their division two clash. What is their club record away success was followed by a disappointing result at Tower Hill however, Craig Dickson’s Lyons dropping their first home point of the campaign with the visit of Tottenham. The visitors snatched a draw in the fixture with a last heat Rami Honkala (12)/Ole Kringen (12+1) 5-1, it is only the second away point scored by the Turnpikes this season, that record leaving them pretty much in no-mans-land, ten points off the promotion places and ten points above the drop zone. Elsewhere in division two Wednesfield extended their winning league run to five with a 43-47 victory at third placed Buxton, they benefiting from the inclusion of Chris Spear (9+5) at reserve, the 33 year old finishing second in all four of the 5-1’s scored by the Wanderers. In division three London recorded their fourth away win of the campaign, they taking a 44-46 victory at Border with a last heat Sanel Tiganj (13+1) winning 4-2.