Wolves forced to ride with four regulars missing
Wolverhampton head to Sheffield tonight – but are forced to travel with a heavily patched-up team.
The Parrys International Wolves will be without four of their regular riders in Sam Masters, Rory Schlein, Steve Worrall and Ryan Douglas, with Chris Harris, Danny King, Jake Allen and Stefan Nielsen the guest replacements.
Team manager Peter Adams explained: “This is World Cup week and historically that has been a shut down with no league meetings anywhere and that’s why there was never anything scheduled at Monmore for this Monday.
“In anticipation of this, three of our riders asked us a long time ago now for permission to take a break this week and we agreed.
“But very recently, the BSPL (British Speedway Promoters Ltd) have held some meetings to try and sort out this fixture backlog and this Sheffield v Wolves match is one of them.
“Sheffield say they have no dates available whatsoever for us other than July 24 and the BSPL are insistent that we race there on that date.
“Naturally, we can’t backtrack on promises made to our riders who have collectively shelled out thousands of pounds in good faith.
“Particularly Sam though, because he needs to take his family out of the UK to comply with visa requirements involving his partner.
“So Sheffield and the BSPL are well aware of the position and the SCB (Speedway Control Bureau) have granted a facility to cover Sam’s absence.
“There’s no facility available for Ryan Douglas or Steve Worrall though who are simply on holiday.
“Rory is injured so the facility for him is automatic.
“I’m sure Sheffield wouldn’t want to entertain a patched-up Wolves team, on an off-race night with a changeable weather forecast but in the absence of any other dates then they, and we, have absolutely got no other choice.
“We’ve replaced those absences the best we could given the circumstances. It’s difficult when you’ve got riders like Worrall and Douglas who are good around Sheffield and you’re restricted to replacements with an average only three-quarters of theirs.
“So you’re looking at riders with less than a five point average to replace those two.
“We can’t pretend we’ve covered them with like-for-like replacements but in the other two positions, I expect big things from King and Bomber.
“Hopefully both of our reserves can come to the party as well so we can at least make the fixture competitive.”
Sheffield are without Adam Ellis who is on World Cup duty with Great Britain as well as injured No.2 Lewis Kerr.
Sheffield: Jack Holder, Justin Sedgmen, Josh Pickering, Adam Ellis R/R, Tobiasz Musielak, Kyle Howarth, Dan Gilkes.
Wolverhampton: Chris Harris, Stefan Nielsen, Luke Becker, Jake Allen, Danny King, Zach Cook, Leon Flint.
