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Last Updated: Nov 28th, 2010 - 10:22:29 |
The Lakeside Hammers, in proud association with The Royal Navy, Play Off aspirations are now back in their own hands following confirmation from the Speedway Authorities that they will carry the advantage of an extra match over their qualification rivals Coventry with the cut off line of midnight this Thursday holding regardless of the fact that the Bees fixture at Swindon will not have been raced.
The irony of the situation means that the Hammers will now race at Swindon and if they avoid defeat they will qualify for the Play Offs and a likely semi final clash with the Poole Pirates at the Arena-Essex Raceway next Monday, 13th September.
Hammers followers will feel the team still has a mountain to climb to achieve that goal following arguably the Club’s two worst performances of the season in the last week but having won their last three visits to Swindon’s Abbey Stadium in Blunsdon, the team have the advantage of visiting their favourite away venue.
The Hammers Team Manager, Jon Cook, has revealed it was new signing Peter Ljung that left his team mates inspired to give it all guns blazing come Thursday night in the changing rooms immediately after Monday night’s home defeat against Peterborough.
Cook stated: "The mood was pretty gloomy after Monday’s defeat and Lee (Richardson) said that he thought that we were out of the play off race but when I said that our meeting on Thursday at Swindon might count and if we get at least a draw we are through Peter (Ljung) launched into an inspired speech about how we would go there and win our place by right and turn the season on its head. I have to say it wasn’t for the ears of youngsters but it was great stuff and I can assure the fans that even without JD (Jonas Davidsson) and with the BSPA having vetoed our inclusion of a new rider in time for this meeting, despite the SCB regulations clearly allowing it, we will be doing our utmost to restore the pride of the Hammers. We are appealing against the decision to veto us including this new rider in time for the Knockout Cup tie against Eastbourne."
Cook was less animated when asked whether he felt it right that his team should have ridden one more away match than Coventry with both clubs having had meetings rained off matches at Swindon in the past month the Hammers Team Manager commented: "My personal view, for what it’s worth, is that it’s completely wrong and I have every sympathy for Coventry. It’s not as if Coventry have failed to stage a home match."
The other scenario for the Hammers to qualify for the Play Offs involves Coventry ’s home match against League leaders Poole, which also takes place on Thursday. Regardless of the Hammers result at Swindon if Coventry were to only manage a draw or lose against Poole the Hammers would progress. There are then various other permutations involving the results from both of these fixtures: If Coventry were to win by less than six points the Hammers would qualify if they were to lose by six points or less but if Coventry were to win by seven points or more the Hammers would need at least a draw to qualify. Finally, if Coventry were to win by seven points or more and the Hammers were to lose by six points or less both clubs would finish level on 49 League points. In this situation the difference between total race points scored and total race points conceded over the whole League campaign would be taken into consideration and would result in Coventry qualifying by virtue of a better total race points differential.
This all looks like building up into a very interesting evening of Elite League Speedway on Thursday.
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