Speedster Kozza Smith plans to ramp up the entertainment for Glasgow Tigers fans – and has promised more of his “stupid” celebrations.
The Australian has admitted he’s yet to find his best form in the red and white this season, but is hoping to kick-start his campaign when the Tigers face five matches in eight days.
Sunday is their first Premier League match of the year at home to Plymouth, before the Sky Sports cameras visit on Tuesday night for the meeting with Sheffield, which will be shown live.
Trips to Ipswich and Peterborough follow – the week being rounded off with a visit to the Peugeot Ashfield Stadium by Scunthorpe.
Crowd Pleaser
Smith, 27 – who’s known for getting off his bike and running through the crowd to dish out high fives after a big performance – believes the busy spell is the ideal chance to get himself, and the Glasgow crowd, going.
He said: “I like to gee the crowd up and get them excited. It’s 15 heats and normally the racing is over pretty quickly, so I try to do as much entertaining as possible.
“I’ve got to show some appreciation – they’re the ones that come and pay through the gates to watch us race. I’ve got to give back a little by winning races and sometimes doing stupid stuff celebrating. Hopefully we get some really good meetings and I can really start mixing it up.
“We want to keep the fans coming back. One of my sponsors that I’ve picked up is in their first season at speedway and I don’t think they’ve missed a match yet – they love it. They take the kids and the kids love it. It’s good to see.
“I’ve heard that there are a few old faces who have come back this season and I hope they keep coming back, that they tell their friends and we keep getting good crowds. Hopefully we can supply the entertainment that keeps them coming back.”
Smith, whose arrival in the UK was delayed in the winter during efforts to secure his visa to race here, added: “I still haven’t finished getting everything done that I’d planned to do, but we’re slowly getting there. I went to Sweden and Belgium and did some meetings there last week.
“I’m trying to keep busy and get on the bike – I need the laps to get up to speed and get my sharpness back. It’s slowly coming and I’m happy with how I’ve started, a nice steady start. But it’s time now for some points to come in.”
Strong Competition
Sunday’s match will see the return to Ashfield of old foe Ryan Fisher, the former Edinburgh No 1, as well as up-and-coming Englishman Kyle Newman.
Sheffield will travel north on Tuesday without their talisman Simon Stead – who, until sustaining serious injuries in a crash at Rye House last month, had been the league’s top rider. A guest will race in his place. However, they do have men in their ranks who enjoy the Ashfield circuit, including former Glasgow rider Andre Compton and Jason Garrity – who’s previously said the Tigers’ track is his favourite in the country.
The club is anticipating big crowds at both matches and fans have been urged to buy tickets in advance via the official website.
Sunday’s match has a 3pm start, access tickets here.
The TV meeting starts at 7.30pm on Tuesday 12th of May under the stadium’s new floodlights.