Ipswich Witches to celebrate historic title win at town centre event on Friday

Why it matters: The public celebration offers residents the chance to share in a historic sporting moment for the town, as the Witches ended a 27-year wait for the British Speedway ROWE Motor Oil Premiership title.

The details: Ipswich Borough Council and Ipswich Central are hosting the event on the Cornhill, where fans can cheer on the team, hear from riders and management, and celebrate the championship victory.

The team clinched the title with a thrilling 46-43 win over Leicester Lions at Foxhall Stadium last week, securing a 93-86 aggregate victory across the two-leg Grand Final.

What they're saying: Mayor Stefan Long, who attended the final and was also present when the Witches won the title in 1998, when he was just nine years old, said: "This is a momentous occasion for Ipswich. The Witches have brought joy and pride to our community, and we look forward to celebrating with them and their fans."

Lee Walker, CEO of Ipswich Central, said, “It’s absolutely right that Ipswich recognises the amazing achievements of the Ipswich Witches – a team that has a proud place in Ipswich‘s sporting history, its present and its future, and I am delighted to see their outstanding recent success rightly celebrated by the town.

"I would encourage anyone and everyone to come down, support them and enjoy the town centre.”

The big picture: This marks the club's 11th major trophy since they were founded in 1950 and its first Premiership title since 1998. It follows their Knockout Cup victory against Sheffield Tigers two years ago.

The outcome was only decided in the final heat of last Monday's match, with former world champion Jason Doyle top scoring for the Witches with 10 points. Emil Sayfutdinov contributed 9+2 points to his 11 from the first leg, while guest rider Keynan Rew added 7+1 after Adam Ellis was injured in a crash during the Leicester match.

The bottom line: After nearly three decades of waiting, Ipswich's speedway champions are coming to the town centre to celebrate with the community that has supported them through the years.