The second of three consecutive Super Sundays in July for Mildenhall Fen Tigers – proudly sponsored by Manchetts Rescue and Recovery – sees Belle Vue Colts visiting West Row this Sunday, 24th. July. This year’s defence of their hard-won National Development League [NDL] title by the Fen Tigers is all about at this stage, making the top four to get into the championship-deciding end of season Play Offs, so a battle against the side currently in third place is very clearly a must-win fixture.
Malcolm Vasey and Jason Gardner, the hosts’ co-team bosses must feel that between them they’ve run over a whole clowder of black cats, such has been the shocking run of bad luck with injuries their charges have endured. Latest on the missing list through track crash calamities are James Shanes (who suffered a rack of broken ribs and a nasty arm fracture in a high speed accident in Holland last weekend) and Aussie Matt Marson, who crashed out on his West Row comeback last Sunday, dislocating his shoulder in a second bend melee. The irony that both riders were themselves injury replacements for initial squad members already stricken won’t be lost on the Fen Tigers’ management.
For Sunday’s much-win clash with the side from Manchester, the two Team Managers have pulled off a significant coup in their choice of ‘Guest’ to cover for Shanes. Last week’s match against Armadale featured in the Scots’ ranks a virtuoso performance from the experienced Lee Complin – winning one race even in difficult circumstances in the fastest NDL race time of the season. Complin, who has ridden at the top level in a long career including for the senior Belle Vue Aces team comes in against his one time club; with Rider Replacement the option for the missing Marson. Young Jacob Fellows gets a further opportunity as the no. 8 for the Fen Tigers – having made his Mildenhall debut in the defeat by the same opponents in the reverse fixture last Friday.
Belle Vue had two maximum men that evening at the National Speedway Stadium: Jack Smith (their skipper, who’s the son of former three-times British Champion Andy Smith) and Harry McGurk. McGurk has his younger brother in the side too (yes, a third NDL home match running where the Fen Tigers’ opposition field two siblings). Sam McGurk impressed with a fourth place finish in the GB U21 semi final earlier this season at West Row. Both McGurk brothers actually compete in the U19s British Final three days before the match on Sunday (at Redcar Speedway on Thursday) – along with, quite remarkably, four other of their team mates.
These include the recent winner of the European Grasstrack semi final, Jake Mulford – last seen at Mildenhall riding for the previous Kent club; and another one-time Kent Kings man, Nathan Ablitt. Ablitt was of course a member of the Fen Tigers’ triumphant 2021 NDL winning side. The other two Colts are young Geordie, Archie Freeman and 2022-newcomer, Freddy Hodder.
The action gets underway on Sunday 24th. July at 3pm – with gates open at 1.30pm.
