Peterborough Panthers skipper wants revenge for his brutal sacking

​Harris led the Lionsm, who only returned to the top-flight this season, into the top four, but he was brutally axed as they made several team changes for the title run-in.

But the moves have backfired and since ‘Bomber’ left Beaumont Leys their form has collapsed – and they are now on the brink of missing out on the top four.

They are currently fifth in the table, but only need one point from Thursday night’s visit to the East of England Showground (7.30pm) to leapfrog Ipswich and join champions Belle Vue, Wolverhampton and Sheffield in the title deciders.

Leicester will scrape in even if Panthers make it three Premiership home wins in a row as long as they lose by 23 points or less in the fight for the aggregate score bonus point.

Harris, who captained the Lions until his sacking and is now Panthers skipper, isn’t in any mood to make it easy for his former teammates.

Harris said: “I’ll feel no sympathy if they miss out. I’m not concerned what they or any other teams are doing now, I’m only interested in Peterborough.

“I want to send them home with zero points. Every point counts. We want to win and I want Panthers to get as many points as possible.

“We want the win and the bonus point to make sure we don’t end up with the wooden spoon.

“That’s what I am going to say to the boys when we are on our track walk and in the changing room before the meeting.”

Panthers climbed off the bottom above local rivals King’s Lynn on Monday night, picking up three points against Sheffield while the Stars were left pointless after losing at home to Ipswich.

Harris added: “Obviously we know Leicester need to make sure they get the bonus point, but we have to send them home having missed out on the play-offs.

“I was looking forward to racing in the play-offs with Leicester.

“It’s the first time I have been dropped from a team and it was not a nice experience. I always try to make sure I am doing my job and I think I was, but they wanted to make changes. Looking at their results since, I don’t think the changes they made have improved them.

“From what I heard they wanted to make another change a couple of weeks later to bring in a Grand Prix rider, but he decided not to come so they ended up with the team they have got.”

Certainly the Lions have had a major dip of form since axing the three times British Champion and former Grand Prix regular.

When they made their surprise switch – they released Harris and another former Panther in Australian Troy Batchelor to bring in Peterborough’s then skipper Richie Worrall and ex-British Champion Craig Cook – they had lost only three of their first 15 matches and since then they have lost six out of eight.

And Panthers’ form has also turned around with three wins from five after losing all, but two of their previous 18 in all competitions.

Harris added: “My first team talk was that we must make it difficult for all the teams chasing the play-offs.

“I said we have to make sure we win at home and to give our fans something to remember and if we could upset the play-off hopefuls, that would be a bonus.”

Former World champion Artem Laguta has been passed fit to race tonight.

​Laguta had to withdraw from his last race in Monday’s demolition of Sheffield after a crash involving his captain Chris ‘Bomber’ Harris, but he will be back in action at number one tonight.

Harris admitted: “I ran over Artem’s ankle when he was riding for King’s Lynn and I was at Leicester earlier this season and I caught his ankle again on Monday.

“It’s not very often I crash with the same person twice in the same season and part of the reason I did it this time was my carburettor popped off in the middle of the turn and sent me straight into him.

“Artem jokingly asked me not to do it any more!”

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