Team Websites for News and More Detailed Match Reports:
Glasgow Tigers Website (Official)
Glasgow Tigers Website (Unofficial)

Live Updates for a Current or Recent match: Live Speedway Updates
Discussion on Matches and Other Speedway Issues: Speedway Forum

Glasgow Tigers v Kings Lynn Stars
KO Cup (SF), 10 September 2006
Ashfield Stadium, Glasgow

Glasgow 45
1Danny Bird33320 ..110
2David McAllanR01.. ..10
3Lee Dicken001*1*. ..22
4Kauko Nieminen3121*. ..71
5Shane Parker3331*3 ..131
6Robert Ksiezak30302 2.100
7James Cockle1Fx0.. ..10
Kings Lynn 45
1Kevin Doolan23202 ..90
2Troy Bachelor1*2*21*. ..63
3Trevor Harding1*1*23. ..72
4Daniel Nermark2203. ..70
5Tomas Topinka22331* ..111
6Chris MillsFx0... ..00
7John Oliver21*1*1*0 0.53

* = BP. ^ = TR . ! = TS (15m Handicap). # = TR (Points Not Doubled). & = TS (Points Not Doubled, 15m Handicap).

Both Glasgow and King’s Lynn were at full strength for this eagerly awaited Cup semi-final.

This was King’s Lynn’s fourth match in five days and they were hoping to make it four wins out of four. Glasgow were anxious to build a sizeable lead to take to Saddlebow Road for the second leg, particularly since they had gone down to a big defeat there in the league. As it turned out it was an excellent match finishing with honours even. There was never much between the sides with no fewer than 12 of the 15 heats being shared. Glasgow managed two 4-2s balanced by King’s Lynn’s solitary 1-5.

Danny Bird won the opening race and it looked good for Glasgow when David McAllan passed Troy Batchelor on the opening lap. However McAllan lost his chain on lap 3 and the race was shared. In the reserves race Chris Mills fell on the first bend and was excluded from the rerun won by Robert Ksiezak from John Oliver. The 4-2 gave the Tigers a two point lead. Mills banged his head and was examined by the medics but no decision was made on whether he would be able to take any further part in the meeting. Heat 3 won by Kauko Nieminen was shared then the crowd were treated to a brilliant race between Shane Parker and Tomas Topinka in heat 4 before it was brought to a premature end when James Cockle fell behind them and was excluded from the rerun. Shane Parker gated to win the rerun for another shared race and the score was then 13-11.

King’s Lynn then turned the lead around with a 1-5 in heat 5 when Kevin Doolan and Troy Batchelor showed Kauko Nieminen a clean pair of heels from the gate to put the Stars two points ahead. Bird and Parker won heats 6 and 7 but Glasgow could take no advantage as the visitors packed the minor places on both occasions. In heat 8 Robert Ksiezak produced his second heat win but again it was only for a shared race. Glasgow had produced seven of the eight race winners yet trailed by two points as the score read 23-25.

In heat 9 Tomas Topinka broke the run of home winners by passing Nieminen for a fine win but Lee Dicken redressed the balance behind by passing John Oliver who was now taking all of Chris Mills’ rides as well as his own. This led to another shared race. In heat 10 Glasgow squared the match. Daniel Nermark clouted the first bend fence at speed and the race was rerun with all four back. Nermark almost did the same again in the rerun and lost ground being tailed off at the back. Danny Bird won the heat from Trevor Harding and David McAllan took the opportunity of Nermark’s error to score his only point of the match. The 4-2 took the score to 30-30 after which all the races were shared. Parker won heat 11 from Doolan and Batchelor while, in heat 12, Trevor Harding won from Ksiezak and Mills who took his place in this race but was withdrawn afterwards on medical advice. The score was now 36-36.

Glasgow were now looking for their customary big finish to give them a lead for the second leg but it just didn’t happen! Tomas Topinka rode a brilliant opening two bends in heat 13 to pass both Bird and Parker for a fine race win and shared heat then Nieminen who usually wins heat 14 was beaten into third place by Daniel Nermark and Robert Ksiezak. In the last race Shane Parker passed Kevin Doolan to win the heat but Doolan and Topinka shared the points as Danny Bird was tailed off at the back.

Match Report by Merlin