All set for Pairs shot
Peter Kildemand and Nick Morris will fly the R.E.D Bandits, powered by…
Howe returns with topping Scorpions
Former Bandits hero David Howe brings his high-flying Scunthorpe Scorpions to Shielfield Park on Saturday looking to end the night on top of the league.
Howe ended a two-year retirement to join the Bandits in 2017, part of a reshuffle which also saw Jye Etheridge and Nick Morris coming into the side which had made a slow, injury-hampered start to the campaign.
After two fine seasons in the Borders, Howe retired to become a full-time mechanic to then Bandits number one Nikolaj Busk Jakobsen. These days he wields the spanners for Leicester number one and former Scunthorpe legend Ryan Douglas, adding the team manager role at the Eddie Wright Raceway two years’ ago.
As in the days of Douglas, the Scorpions have a dominant number one home and away in the shape of Josh Pickering. But the Aussie, who has been a double figure scorer on his last six completed visits to Shielfield, will shoulder an even bigger burden on Saturday.
With three fixtures taking place and Luke Harrison one of four British teenagers looking to qualify for the European under-19 championship, options – as when the R.E.D Bandits, powered by STS lost 31-59 in Lincolnshire – for replacement options are limited.
Alfie Bowtell, surprisingly without a Championship club this season after a run of steady scoring years primarily with Plymouth, guests in place of the former Bandits’ Academy racer while rider-replacement operates for the injured Dan Gilkes who has moved into the main body of the team during his absence. He is a team-mate of Jack Smith at Buxton this season.
| Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | Ag | Pt |
| Poole Pirates | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 160 | 110 | 1 | 7 |
| Scunthorpe Scorpions | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 286 | 254 | 0 | 7 |
| Glasgow Tigers | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 266 | 274 | 0 | 6 |
| Edinburgh Monarchs | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 188 | 172 | 0 | 5 |
| Plymouth Gladiators | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 135 | 133 | 0 | 4 |
| Workington Comets | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 220 | 228 | 0 | 4 |
| Oxford Cheetahs | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 169 | 191 | 0 | 2 |
| Berwick Bandits | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 77 | 103 | 0 | 2 |
| Redcar Bears | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 117 | 153 | 0 | 0 |
Gilkes was signed to replace Simon Lambert, scoring eight on debut against the Bandits. Scores of paid ten at Plymouth and eight in the home win over Glasgow suggested it was a sound switch only for the 24-year-old to suffer yet another of the injuries which have blighted his promising career in the win at Redcar.
On the other side of the pits, the Bandits will be looking for more points from their middle order despite getting the win against Glasgow in thrilling fashion last Saturday.
Jordan Jenkins – who bids for a place in the British Final at Leicester on Sunday – set himself a high bar with a 13-point return on debut against the Tigers while Nick Morris will be hoping to avoid the mechanical gremlins that followed him on Saturday.
With the cup semi-final against Poole to be decided next week the Bandits will be looking not only to extend their unblemished home record in 2026 but also go to Wimborne Road on the back of a solid performance.
For Howe and the Scorpions it is a tough end to a challenging weekend which includes a visit to Glasgow, 49-41 victors at Oxford last night, tomorrow night.
Tickets for Saturday are on sale here or you can pay cash on the gates, which open at 6pm. Accompanied under-16s are free.
Don’t forget to check out our Facebook and Instagram pages for a chance to win a coveted Golden Ticket – entry for two and the opportunity to watch racing from the centre green on Saturday.
Bandits: Peter Kildemand, Jye Etheridge, Victor Palovaara, Lasse Fredriksen, Nick Morris, Jack Smith, Jordan Jenkins
Scorpions: Josh Pickering, Connor Mountain, Alfie Bowtell, Dan Gilkes R/R, Michael Palm Toft, Ryan Ingram, Nathan Ablitt
Pictures: Keith Hamblin
