Iwade’s Old Gun site is set to host Kent Eagles final home National Development Trophy fixture as a team this coming Sunday afternoon when the Birmingham Bulls provide the opposition.
Once again factors outside of their control have come to bear and with Workington Comets now set to stage their match against the Berwick Bandits the same day, this denies the Kent outfit the use of heat leader Vinnie Ford. However, the exciting news for the Iwade faithful is that the promotion have engaged the services of no less a persona that Cooper Rushen to deputise in his place.
Rushen has arguably emerged as the sensation for the NDT sector in season 2025 and on three visits to the circuit this year his winning ways have served to grow his band of admirers.
In the Eagles curtain raiser against the Leicester Fox Cubs he arrived as, with every respect, a little known entity as a guest for the opposition but left having won his first competitive 500cc race at a canter, heat one in the process setting a new Iwade track record en-route to a paid 13-point return that saw him beaten by a home rider only one, that being Kent skipper Ben Morley in heat 11.
His next visit saw him sweep all opposition before him, going through the card to win the 500 cc class of the Iwade staging of the British Youth Championship.
More recently, and understandably invoking a painful memory for the Kent faithful was the paid maximum that he recorded for his own club, the King’s Lynn Young Stars, one that contributed to a hefty home defeat for their hosts and in the process securing the National Development Trophy title for the Norfolk outfit, Rushen’s final ride, a 5-1 with guest Jordy Loftus sealing their victory.
Considering the pleasure / pain principle, that particular moment might well have dealt an element of pain, this weekend the overriding emotion for the Iwade patrons will be pleasure of seeing Rushen line up alongside Morley and the remainder of the Eagles and the potential of him piling up the points on their behalf.
Another reason that the Sunday match up will prove a somewhat poignant occasion is that it could prove the final time that a team representing Birmingham lines up for an official fixture.
Founded in 1928 and having seen competitive action and enjoying numerous trophy successes for close on a century, it would prove a heartbreaking conclusion to a brand and a legacy that has endured both good times and bad over such an extended period.
One can only hope that this will not be the case and that there will be a brighter tomorrow for the Brummies / Bulls but with the current Perry Barr circuit now having closed its doors and the site ear marked for housing the signs do not bode well and much hard work will need to be undertaken in securing an alternative home for Birmingham.
So as far as they are concerned it is very much a ‘get it while you still can’ situation because as of Monday, for the time being at least, unfortunately it will be too late.
Certainly, the Bulls collective will be looking to go out with a bang and with the likes of heat leader duo Sam McGurk and Tom Spencer heading up their offensive, few would argue against them possessing the firepower that they could do just that, they will however be missing the talents of Darryl Ritchings who is on Long Track duty and for whom they will utilise the Rider Replacement facility.
The Eagles for their part will be all out to grab the win for themselves as although the Young Stars are over the hills and far away regarding the destiny of the NDT title, the Kent collective will be doing all in their power to wrest the runners up slot for themselves.
Currently Kent lie in fourth place in the five team table (with 5-points from five matches) but a win against the Bulls (which would include the aggregate bonus after the teams drew 44-points apiece back in early July) this would elevate them into second place above the Bulls (currently second themselves with 6-points from seven meetings) and the Plymouth Centurions who are presently in third with 6-points from six fixtures.
Should they manage that the moment will undoubtedly be celebrated but they will remain wholly aware that having got it, there will still be much hard work to be done in order to hold onto it with testing travelling engagements to Plymouth and Leicester still to be undertaken.
On that score, the restaging date for Eagles match against the Centurions following last week’s postponement has now been set for Saturday 27th September.
Their match up at Leicester, which was due for Sunday 21st September, has now been called off, presumably due to Leicester Lions involvement in the forthcoming Premiership Play Offs and a new date is awaited.
Also to put to bed any speculation that Sunday’s meeting is the final one at the Old Gun Site for 2025 this is not the case. While it is the final team event, with the Eagles due to complete their fourth home NDT fixture, there is yet as a further meeting, a special Pairs Event that is eagerly awaited and due to be staged on Sunday 5th October.
This meeting is set to include all teams from both the National Development League and the National Development Trophy and is destined to prove a showpiece event for the sport at that level.
Focusing back on Sunday’s contest, two young lads in the Bulls line up who are worthy of a special round of applause from the Iwade faithful are the Crewe brothers, Joe and Jack who each answered the call to travel down to Devon, albeit fruitlessly in the final reckoning, to guest for the Eagles at Plymouth at a time when their team planning was somewhat akin to a game of whack-a-mole, with injury, non-availability and illness decimating the line up.
Finally, some housekeeping, while the Café will be open as ever for food, this facility on Sunday will operate on a ‘cash only’ basis.
Looking forward to the forthcoming fixture and the final Iwade outing for his charges, Team Manager David Graveling commented, ‘We look forward to seeing everyone on Sunday for our last League meeting of the season. The weather is looking good so there is little more to say than Let’s go Racing’.
Teams: (in alphabetical order)
Kent Eagles: 1. Cooper Rushen (Guest for Vinnie Foord), 2. Rider Replacement (for Nathan Ablitt), 3. Luke Harris, 4. Jacob Clouting, 5. Ben Morley, 6. Kenzie Cossey (Guest for Charlie Wood), 7. Nathan Hargrave.
Birmingham Bulls: 1. Rider Replacement (for Darryl Ritchings), 2. Jack Crewe, 3. Sam McGurk, 4. Senna Summers, 5. Tom Spencer, 6. Joe Crewe, 7. Eli Meadows.