Leon Flint

We now have a mountain to climb.

Chris Harris and Leon Flint have carried the side over the past few weeks.

It's totally out of character and form that they both had an off night.

Our guests Tate Ziki and Ange Grimmett did a fantastic job and we must thank them for their efforts.

A tactical substitute win for Josh Pickering kept the Scorpions in it, but at another maximum, this time from Thompson and Kevin Ewell-Pedersen in Heat 9, gave the Tigers a 10-point cushion.

With the bonus point still up for grabs, which would decide who finished second in the league, Leon Flint's win to end Pickering's unbeaten run in Heat 15 proved pivotal.

Thompson getting third to take the aggregate victory.

Brown said We got the result we wanted but only by the skin of our teeth really.

I was pleased that it was Leon Flint who beat Josh Pickering to seal the win and second place in the league table.

To finish second in the league is impressive really considering we lost one of our top riders and we've had two guests for the last two months.

That was a win against all odds, really having to go without our captain, Chris Harris, who had travel complications getting to France for his World Long Track Championship meeting.

So that was the British final then, and well done to all those who made the podium.

Of course, Leon Flint, the other rider as well in the top three, and he too was part of the Great Britain set-up.

And as we mentioned just before, a different line-up, and I know that there's been a lot of people whinging about, is this the best that we can do in British Speedway? And I think, yes, it is at this moment in time.

Obviously, we are at the start of the season.

Both of those now not in for consideration.

So you look at the lineup, you've got Robert Lambert, you've got Charles Wright, former British champion, just finished second in the British championship.

Leon Flint is a former under-21 champion.

All of the riders selected have won a British championship at some level, and they are the top riders in our country at the moment, the ones that were available and fit.