Friday October 06, 2023
PETERBOROUGH will say an emotional goodbye to their home of 53 years in the Farewell to the Showground meeting on Saturday (7pm start).

One of the most iconic venues in the sport is to close as the site is subject to planning applications for future development, leaving Panthers with nowhere to race in 2024.

The club have taken the decision to stage a full-scale Farewell Meeting, rather than sign off at their final league match as was originally intended, in order to do proper justice to the event and not race their last meeting at short notice.

Over half a century of memories have been made at the venue, which is renowned as one of the UK’s very best racetracks and has seen World Champions compete, and success and prestige brought to the city.

Panthers were top-flight champions in 1999, 2006 and most recently in 2021, with three of the riders from that line-up – Chris Harris, Scott Nicholls and Michael Palm Toft – competing on Saturday along with Niels-Kristian Iversen who was part of the ’06 team.

The hope of everyone involved is that the club’s absence from competition will be a short one, at a time where venues around the country have come under threat, and been closed, not due to any lack of viability of the sport but because of other plans for the stadiums.

Panthers themselves have continued to command a consistent loyal fanbase regardless of league position, and several crowds in the post-Covid era – including during the title charge of 2021, and then in the latter stages of the current campaign – have been at their highest for years.

Sadly that comes to an end, however temporarily, after Saturday’s meeting which features a full 20-heat individual event followed by a Grand Final, along with several special guests and names from the past being in attendance.

Gates open at 5pm with the parade getting underway at 7pm, whilst during the interval there will be a race on-track for the children, and a wheelie competition for the riders.

After the Final – which will be called by legendary announcer Edwin Overland – and the presentations, supporters will be invited on-track to take a final lap of the famous Showground circuit.

Normal admission prices apply, and although season tickets are not valid for this event, season ticket holders will receive their usual parking inside the stadium.

LINE-UP: Tom Brennan, Ben Cook, Ryan Douglas, Leon Flint, Chris Harris, Niels-Kristian Iversen, Jordan Jenkins, Lewis Kerr, Danny King, Simon Lambert, Richard Lawson, Connor Mountain, Scott Nicholls, Michael Palm Toft, Steve Worrall, Paul Starke. Reserve: Ashton Boughen.