WORLD champion-elect Jason Crump returns to Foxhall Stadium tonight, as the Manchester outfit look to drag Ipswich into the relegation mire.Crump, despite saying he wasn't going to ride in England in 2009, has changed his mind, and leads the Aces in a battle to avoid the drop and in a meeting Ipswich can't afford to lose.

Mike Bacon

WORLD champion-elect Jason Crump returns to Foxhall Stadium tonight, as the Manchester outfit look to drag Ipswich into the relegation mire.

Crump, despite saying he wasn't going to ride in England in 2009, has changed his mind, and leads the Aces in a battle to avoid the drop and in a meeting Ipswich can't afford to lose.

The play-offs are still mathematically possible for the Suffolk side, but the odds of them doing that are nowhere near as great as them finishing bottom of the pile come the middle of the month.

That could lead to a home and away relegation play-off for the Suffolk side, which although could be a money-spinner were it King's Lynn, would be an embarrassment for a team who had grander ideas than that at the start of the campaign.

A full quota of points tonight, then, is a must, but with Crump in the Aces side it is going to be tough for the home side.

After last night's rain-off in Manchester, Ipswich and Belle Vue enjoy the first of three League clashes this evening and a swing of results for either side could condemn the other to that relegation play-off. Eastbourne's draw at Coventry on Monday was an unwelcome surprise for both the Witches and Aces, the Eagles leapfrogging above the Suffolk side.

Robert Miskowiak slots into the No.1 position tonight for Ipswich in September, the Pole having amazingly increased his average by more than two points since his return to the side.

Scott Nicholls rides at five and both he and Miskowiak will hope to get a victory or two over Crump.

The Aces have signed rising Aussie star Richard Sweetman and he will go straight into their side tonight.

The 19-year-old from New South Wales, who races for Premier League title-chasers Birmingham, has been signed by the Aces as one of their two riders who are permitted to double up between the two competitions.

Sweetman had been a target for Aces team boss Chris Morton earlier in the season but he was unavailable at that time.

Belle Vue pushed the Witches close a couple of weeks ago at Foxhall - and that was without Crump - so a close meeting can be expected.

Ipswich: R Miskowiak, R/R, T Batchelor, D King, S Nicholls, D Stachyra, C Wilkinson

Belle Vue: J Crump, J Wright, P Hougaard, L Tomicek, K Kasprzak, R Sweetman, H Bager.

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