'˜Keep calm and carry on' message to Sheffield Tigers speedway aces

After a stunning 59-31 first leg win at Owlerton on Thursday, Stead’s men are favourites and overall victory should be a formality. But the former rider, in his first season in charge, is refusing to take anything for granted as they head to Scotland.

“We’ve just got to keep doing what we’re doing” said Stead. “We are the form team, we were on fire on Thursday and for that reason we don’t have to do anything different. All we have to do is try and treat tonight like any other meeting and hopefully we’ll be fine.

“The atmosphere in the pits is superb and everyone is working for each other.”

Stead was involved in the last two league title wins enjoyed by the club – back in 1999 and 2002.

“They were great times and it would be great for this club to win another league title,” he said. “But we’re still only half-way through the semi, we’ve got a job to do tonight and we have to focus on that and nothing else at this stage.”

Should they finish the job in Scotland they will face Ipswich at Owlerton in the first leg of the Grand Final on Thursday night with the return in Suffolk on Saturday.

It’s hardly ideal for the club to gain maximum exposure for a plum event like that but they’ve been told the stadium is unavailable the following Thursday.

And Stead is reluctant to talk about the Witches at this stage. “I’m not even contemplating Ipswich or the Final until we’ve been to Glasgow and done the job,” he said. “I’m confident but I’ve seen so much happen in this sport down the years so it’s not right to discuss it.”

GLASGOW: Richard Lawson, Dan Bewley, Aaron Summers, Richie Worrall, Nike Lunna, James Sarjeant, Alfie Bowtell.

SHEFFIELD: Josh Grajczonek, Todd Kurtz, Lasse Bjerre, Josh Bates, Kyle Howarth, Jan Graversen, Georgie Wood.