Rob Lyon is a winner.
He’s arguably the finest boss in King’s Lynn history and led the Stars to Premier League trebles in 2006 and 2009.
He almost clinched an elusive top-flight title in 2018. Sadly for Lynn fans, he finally achieved that feat in 2021 – but at Peterborough.
He’s seen plenty over the years in speedway and has cursed plenty of bad luck at club and international level as the man in charge of Great Britain.
But even he has been amazed by two results last week that has left him within touching distance of arguably his finest success yet.
Monday’s league triumph over Ipswich was a real shock given the firepower of the Witches and the fact that the Stars were understrength and eight points behind at one point.
After the meeting Lyon said “I’m still struggling to get my head around it really” as Jan Kvech and Nicolai Klindt rammed in huge scores to upset many people’s favourites for the title.
He added: “What a fantastic performance, and it will go down in the annals of history for King’s Lynn as one of the most backs-to-the-wall performance we’ve ever had.
“As a team, I was really proud of the boys. There’s always a local rivalry with Ipswich, and it’s always been like that, so to get three victories over them at home is a nice feeling for the fans and the club.”
Many were worried that Ipswich would get their revenge a few days later during the Knockout Cup semi-final second leg in Suffolk. Yet Lynn, still competing with six men having to use rider-replacement for Niels-Kristian Iversen, dug in to show the same fighting spirit that they had at the Adrian Flux Arena three days earlier.
They held their nerve to grind out a 45-45 draw and secure a six-point aggregate victory to set up Monday’s home KO Cup final first-leg clash against Leicester Lions. The return is three days later.
“We knew it would be a tough meeting obviously, but all six riders were tremendous, and we’re delighted to get through,” said Lyon.
“The riders knew what was at stake and they fought for every point. You’re always conscious that one race is around the corner that could change it easily, and there were certain races where I thought Ipswich may well get a heat advantage, but the boys just dug in and rode their hearts out.
“It’s tremendous, and it’s credit to the boys. They fought really hard and they’ve shown a lot of fighting spirit over the last few weeks.
“At Ipswich it was no different, so hats off to them, they deserved it. We’ve shown what we can do as a team, and they are responding so well.”
Lynn’s last major success was 16 years ago. If Lyon ends that wait, he should be given the keys to the town.
We all remember that first time we smelt the heady mix of shale and methanol.
It’s why so many people get hooked on speedway; one of the thrilling and most raw forms of motorsport around. And even if you don’t get to an oval every week, it’s a taste of live sport that sees you going back for years to come.
It was great to be back at the Adrian Flux Arena last Monday with my colleagues from Maze for a brilliant work night out.
Positioned rather kindly in the stadium sponsor’s box, it was great to view the racing from up high. Yet it was when I took some colleagues down to ground level that things really got turned up a notch.
As a long-term second-bend spectator, I now enjoy taking the odd race in down the back straight to just feel the sheer speed of the bikes as they roar past. And once again, it did not disappoint.
Taking in the open-mouthed reactions of some of my work pals as the riders came flying past was wonderful to see. You could witness the magic hitting them for the first time.
Many remarked they’ll be back before the season is out and are likely to bring partners or friends and that can only be a good thing.
It’s not the cheapest night out given how much live sport you actually see – around 15-20 minutes – but it’s worth every penny for the way it makes you feel.
Speedway really has to be seen to be believed.
There have been some incredible boxers over the years.
On Saturday, Oleksandr Usyk removed the doubts of the few that felt he didn’t belong along that elite list.
In his 24th professional bout, a stunning fifth-round left hook floored Daniel Dubois at Wembley to see the Ukrainian become undisputed heavyweight champion for the second time. Only Muhammad Ali has reigned undisputed in the heavyweight division on two occasions.
Ali will forever be seen as the actual greatest by almost all and sundry, but Usyk’s name deserves to be uttered among the small list of other all-time greats that have mastered their craft in the squared circle.
He’s beaten three of his biggest rivals – Dubois, Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury – twice and had to vacate a title along the way to squeeze in a rematch.
A 100% pro record with 15 knockouts is a phenomenal record and while the heavyweight scene is perhaps not as healthy, or as deep, as it used to be, you can only beat who is opposite you on the canvas.
Let’s not forget that Usyk has tasted Olympic glory and success at cruiserweight before stepping up to the biggest league.
At 38, the world champion can’t have too many more big bouts left. Perhaps Joseph Parker is the final name to see off? Will he even be around if one of the young guns like Moses Itauma turns early-career promise into long-held results and goes for the top prizes that the sport has to offer?
Dubois on the other hand has plenty of options as he looks to rebuild his career following the defeat. He, like many, will also be hoping Usyk hangs up his gloves sooner rather than later.
