Belle Vue 53 Eastbourne 37
(Aces win 97-83 on aggregate)
BELLE Vue capped a magnificent season by winning the Knockout Cup with a hard-earned victory at Kirkmanshulme Lane last night, writes Richard Frost.
They pulled themselves of the floor after finishing runners up in last week's Elite League play-off to take the silverware that their season so richly deserves.
Fittingly veteran Andy Smith and long-serving Jason Lyons sealed the first KO Cup victory for the Fonestyle UK Aces for 35 years by taking maximum points from the penultimate race.
But it was essentially a team effort in front of another big crowd.
Captain Jason Crump was superb, winning four of his six races and being unbeaten by a visiting rider.
Joe Screen, a member of the team when the Aces last won a trophy, the League championship in 1993, scored 12 and Lyons stormed back after failing to score in his first two outings to take three wins from the next four.
But it was a victory achieved with a few anxious moments in the early stages.
Eastbourne, who started with a two-point lead from the first leg, led 8-4 after two heats but the Aces clawed their way back.
They drew level on aggregate in heat six when Lyons and Simon Stead beat former world champion Nicki Pedersen and the home side led from the next when Crump shepherded young fellow Aussie Rusty Harrison to another maximum.
Character
Team boss Ian Thomas, winning the coveted trophy for the first time in his 35-year career, said: "I'm so pleased for the riders, the fans and, selfishly, for myself because this has been a long time coming.
"The team showed so much character because it was very difficult to come back after last week's disappointment.
"I took a gamble by giving Lyons an extra ride in heat six when he hadn't scored a point but he came out and won it. That's what team managing is all about. Some you win and some you don't."
Lyons, who scored 20 points over the two legs of the final said: "It was looking bad for me after my first two rides. I had to change my bike but the track got better as the night went on and I made some good starts. Our great season demanded that we won something and now we've done it."
BELLE VUE: J Crump 16, J Screen 12, J Lyons 11, S Stead 5, A Smith 5, R Harrison 4.
EASTBOURNE: N Pedersen 11, A Shields 7, D Watt 6, T McGowan 5, O Allen 4, A Moore 4.
Comments
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Well done to the Belle Vue Aces.
I am not a speedway fan but I do spend a lot of time down at the greyhound track and I am really pleased for the Belle Aces in winning this cup.
WELL DONE THE ACES.
Norma Rowley.
Bolton.
When Thomas turned put Lyons in as rider replacement I turned to my wife and annonced we were in trouble as Lyons was no longer capable of beating the likes of Pedersen. "He might do" she said. Well she was right and I was wrong (again) and Jason went unbeaten for the rest of the night beating the revolting Dane twice more for good measure. Knowledge is power!
Well done lads
Congratulations to the Aces on a fantastic achievement after so long in the doldrums.
But for the nonsense of US-style play-offs in a ten-team league, we'd be celebrating a memorable double.
In my view the Aces are worthy winners of that double, having proved themselves the best team in the land over the whole season.
Roll on 2006!
Well done to the brilliant new BV promotion in clinching silverware in their first season. Last night was one of the great nights in the club's history, made all the more so by former clerk of the course Alan Morrey presenting the trophy to JC! Just one minor point in your report though. It's not 35 years since we last won the cup but 30 - and that was long enough! Up the Aces!
Hya on monday night jason kissed me on the cheek in the bar hehe im his no.1 fan!!!!!!!!! xxxxxxxx
Congratulations! To the Aces, and thanks MEN for the coverage of speedway. Aces last won the cup in 1975 by the way, some 30 years ago, not 35.
A tremendous effort and a just reward for the riders and most of all the men with the midas touch - Tony Mole and Ian Thomas. They have restored pride in the Belle Vue Aces and have a professional promotion that is deservedly attracted the crowds. Get down to Kirky Lane - if its good enough for Paul Scholes and Stuart Pearce - then its good enough for you!!
One of the most enjoyable features of this season has been the excellent coverage by the Manchester Evening News. The action pictures really stand out and the reporting has been great.
I would urge newcomers to go along next season. Although don't go if it's beem pouring down as you often won't see much passing. It's a fantastic family occasion as well.
For those that have strayed away in recent years, believe me it's a whole new different 'ball game' with the installation of the new track and promotion.
Unlike the vast majority of our 'ball' sports if your team is losing or it's a one-sided match, you can still enjoy the sheer spectacle and excitement of the actual sport itself.
I'm a fan of all our traditional sports, but the speedway is just something different than versions of the same old fare we get dished up on screen and in print.
The sport is now the most watched on Sky after football and cricket. It really does brighten up and bring to life the pages of the M.E.N. So. heartfelt thanks again to the M.E.N.
samantha@manchesterpaul.net
Well done the aces. I have followed the Aces for a long timeand remember the great riders of the past. Joe Abbot, Eric Langton, Bill Kitchen, Frank Varey, Dent Oliver, Jack Hargreaves. There were many great ones after the above but these names stick as they were the ones that were riding when I started watching Belle Vue.