LEICESTER launch their bid to reach a third successive ROWE Motor Oil Premiership Grand Final when they host newcomers Northampton on Bank Holiday Monday (7.30pm).
The Watling JCB Lions have already enjoyed a successful start to 2026 by winning the northern section of the KO Cup, leading to a Final against Ipswich later this summer.
Now the task is to accumulate league points, and that begins against the Foxes who are very much a good news story for British Speedway.
They staged their first home meeting in front of a big crowd at the Northampton International Shaleway last Thursday, with some Lions fans making the trip.
The visitors are led by Australian star Jaimon Lidsey, who has plenty of race wins to his name in the early weeks of the season, whilst former Grand Prix man Matej Zagar put in some excellent showings at the Hydroscand Arena, Beaumont Park last year when he was racing for Birmingham.
However, the Foxes do currently have an issue over Niels-Kristian Iversen, who remains sidelined from UK racing as he has been advised not to fly as he continues his recovery from a punctured lung.
With only a ‘reduced facility’ available, Foxes manager Chris Adams had plumped for Justin Sedgmen, who raced for the Lions in 2023, to fill the gap at No.4, but he is now ruled out with a hand injury, and Michael Palm Toft now steps in.
The Lions are able to name a full-strength line-up, including No.1 Ryan Douglas who crashed out of the dramatic home KO Cup win over Sheffield but has since returned to racing in Poland with no ill effects.
It will also be a first appearance this season for Dan Gilkes in the Rising Star berth, after he sat out the KO Cup matches in order to give his knee injury more time to recover.
Lions manager Stewart Dickson said: “We’re delighted to have reached the KO Cup Final, but we can park that now for the time being and focus on getting league points on the board.
“I won’t say this is where the serious stuff starts because every meeting is serious to me, but obviously we have ambitions to challenge again in the league and we want to start with a win.
“We’re very pleased to see Northampton up and running, and I have to say their results in their early away matches were pretty encouraging, so we have to all do our jobs to make sure we get the result.”
Gates open at 6pm for a 7.30pm start, but supporters unable to attend the Hydroscand Arena should note the meeting will be live streamed on Lions TV – passes available from https://www.leicesterlionstv.com/ .
LEICESTER: Ryan Douglas, Dan Thompson, Nick Morris, Kyle Howarth, Sam Masters, Drew Kemp, Dan Gilkes.
NORTHAMPTON: Jaimon Lidsey, Troy Batchelor, Matej Zagar, Michael Palm Toft, Nicolai Klindt, Kye Thomson, Luke Harrison.
