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Last Updated: Nov 28th, 2010 - 10:22:29 |
The Wightlink Islanders are gearing up at pace for the forthcoming speedway season and most of this year's squad were again practising hard at the Wave105 stadium last night (Tuesday) in the company of a fair number of other riders including Coventry's Elite League star Edward Kennett and Polish international Seb Ulamek.
But they'll be taking time out from their pre-season on-track preparations in three days time for this Saturday all of this year's Islanders squad, barring skipper Nick Simmons, will be going along to the Ryde Arena Ice Rink to cheer on their good buddies, the Wightlink Raiders ice hockey team, to victory over the Chelmsford Chieftans in a match that gets underway at 6pm.
Speedway riders undoubtedly feel completely at ease hurtling around highspeed circuits up and down the country on 500cc highly tuned, fixed gear motorbikes with no brakes, but trying to get them to put on a pair of ice skates and venture out onto the ice would be a completely different matter!
No unless any of them pluck up the courage to do so on Saturday, they'll content themselves with joining the Raiders' regular supporters in cheering on the professional Ice Hockey stars to victory over their Essex opponents and taking along a couple of speedway bikes for those attending to look over plus being free to answer any questions concerning the sport of speedway and their own forthcoming exciting season ahead.
"We're delighted to have been invited along to Saturday's match," said Islanders' joint boss Kevin Shepherd, "in what is very much part of a reciprocal arrangement with the Ice hockey club with whom we have a very good frienship and, of course, both of our clubs benefit immensely from sponsorship from Wightlink ferries.
"All the lads are looking forward to Saturday and as well as it being what team managers in all team sports might describe as a good 'bonding exercise,' we are very keen indeed to do all we can to 'spread the word' concerning our club.
"With the season's start fast approaching, we very much want to do all we can to encourage even more people to join our happy band of existing fans on a regular basis in the months ahead and Saturday's event is just the first of what we hope will be several initiatives we'll be undertaking in that direction both on the island itself and on the mainland."
FINGERS CROSSED FOR NICK
As we revealed last week, skipper Nick Simmons goes into his local hospital on Monday for minor corrective surgery on his long-standing shoulder injury and naturally we are all hoping that he'll be fit for the start of the season.
"It still remains to be seen if Nick will have recovered sufficiently from surgery in time to be fit to ride in the Easter Monday home challenge match against the touring American Dream Team," said promoter Chris Hunt, "but doctors have told him it might be possible if all goes well and he's told us he very much intends to be there riding if he gets his way!"
PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT?
The final open pre-season practice session takes place at the Wave105 Stadium this coming Tuesday getting underway and once again fans and more than welcome to come along and watch free of charge. Riders will take to the track from 7.30pm onwards.
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