LEICESTER are gearing up for the biggest Championship fixtures of the season this weekend.
The Watling JCB Lions face Glasgow home and away in matches which pit together the two outstanding teams in the league so far in 2019.
Lions travel to Ashfield on Friday before hosting the Tigers at the Paul Chapman & Sons Arena on Saturday, and the outcome of the meetings could play a significant part in determining the league leadership ahead of the play-offs.
The two clubs are currently favourites to take the top two places, with the Lions seven points ahead but the Tigers have five matches in hand – having lost for the first time at Newcastle last weekend.
And there is additional spice to the encounters as Lions boss Stewart Dickson spent nearly two decades with the Scottish club, leading them to their last league title in 2011, before quitting in early 2018.
Dickson said: “These are the meetings that everybody has been looking forward to, and although I know there’s the added element of me having been Glasgow owner for 12 years and being there for 17, this is about it being the two top teams going head-to-head.
“Other clubs will be looking for us to take points off each other, but we’ll give it a good go up there even though we’re three riders down from our original one-to-seven.
“That won’t be an excuse if it doesn’t happen for us, and I feel we have decent guests in once again, so we need to continue what we’re doing.
“If we could go there and take a point at least it would be good, it would give us something to build on, and that would then give them a bit of pressure to get something on Saturday.
“There’s no reason why we can’t do well there. Eastbourne got 43 points on Tuesday, Somerset got 42, so it’s by no means beyond us.
“I know the connections, but the bottom line is I’m representing Leicester and I’m not going up there for a social visit. I’ve got my business head on for this one, and it should be a cracker – and I hope both clubs get big crowds for these fixtures.”
The Tigers are at full strength, whilst the Lions continue to track their existing line-up until next week, including rider-replacement for the injured Josh Bates.
Chris Harris, who rode for Glasgow last season, steps in as the guest replacement for Richie Worrall.
GLASGOW: Craig Cook, James Sarjeant, Claus Vissing, Paul Starke, Rasmus Jensen, Kyle Bickley, Connor Bailey.
LEICESTER: Scott Nicholls, Ellis Perks, Josh Bates R/R, Ryan Douglas, Chris Harris, Connor Mountain, Joe Lawlor.
