The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
Grand final repeat to start the new season
Peterborough Panthers will start the defence of their Premership title at Belle Vue, the team they beat in an exciting Grand Final in 2021.
The opening 2022 Premiership fixture sends Panthers to Manchester on Monday, May 2.
They then travel to Sheffield on May 5 before a first home meeting against King’s Lynn Stars on Monday, May 9.
There are just six teams in the Premiership again this year, but a League Cup competition has been re-introduced with Panthers in a three-team group alongside Ipswich and King’s Lynn.
A League Cup meeting with Ipswich on Monday, April 4, is the first competitive matchup of the year for Panthers.
The fixture list also shows three home meetings in August which is a welcome boost for the club with availability of the Showground sometimes an issue at that time of year.
Club owner Keith Chapman said: “The fixture list looks great and we’re really looking forward to the summer. It’s great to have those dates at home in August and we really want to spread the word and see a younger generation of supporters coming to the Showground.
“Speedway is such a great family sport so this is a great opportunity for parents and grandparents to bring the younger members of the family.”
PANTHERS FIXTURES 2022 League Cup
APRIL
4, IPSWICH (h), 14 Ipswich (a), 18 KING’S Lynn (h), 21 King’s Lynn (a).
Premiership
MAY
2 Belle Vue (a), 5 Sheffield (a), 9 BELLE VUE (h), 30 King’s Lynn (a).
JUNE
2 WOLVERHAMPTON (h), 6 Wolverhampton (a), 13 SHEFFIELD (h), 20 IPSWICH (h), 23 Ipswich (a).
JULY
4 KING’S LYNN (h), 11 WOLVERHAMPTON (h), 14 Sheffield (a), 25 Belle Vue (a).
AUGUST
8 Wolverhampton (a), 11 BELLE VUE (h), 15 SHEFFIELD (h), 25 KING’S LYNN (h).
SEPTEMBER
1 King’s Lynn (a), 5 IPSWICH (h), 8 Ipswich (a).
The opening meeting of • the season, the Ben Fund Bonanza on Sunday March 27, has added three more riders to the field. Ipswich man Danny King, Wolverhampton’s Sam Masters and Belle Vue’s exPanther Charles Wright will line up alongside Panthers stars Nicholls, Jordan Palin and Ulrich Ostergaard.
Panthers star Scott •
Nicholls has welcomed the news of Belle Vue once again hosting the British Final.
The National Speedway Stadium will stage the showpiece event on Monday, August 1 and it is again expected to be broadcast live on Eurosport.
It’s a track Nicholls has made clear isn’t suited to him – he had one season there as a Belle Vue rider in 2016.
Nicholls said: “It’s always good to see the big events at the better race tracks in the country and you can’t get any better than the National Speedway stadium. I’d never had a good British Final there until last season when I just missed out on a place in the final as track conditions caught me out after a rain shower.
“To be honest my performance in the play-off final for Peterborough will mean nothing come the British Final this season. I will take confidence from the meeting but it won’t be a big factor on the night. I will go in to the meeting trying to do my best and beat the other 15 riders on the night.”