The Wightlink Islanders, who went into last night's Premier League match at Berwick without Polish No.1 Kryzsztof Stojanowski, have now lost the services of second string Paul Fry following a horror smash in heat 7 of last night's match at the Border circuit.

With the Islanders leading 19-17 after the opening six races, "The Fryer" and home reserve Scott Smith and their machines locked together going into the first bend of heat 7 with both men hammering through the safety fence. Smith's bike used fence debris as a ramp and flew into crowd hitting two members of the public and first aiders and the track paramedic raced to the scene from their position on the centre green.

Two further ambulances were immediately summoned to the stadium to augment the one already there and for the personnel on board to see to the injured spectators who were ferried to the local hospital thankfully, we are told, having sustained injuries that are apparently not regarded as serious, one having sustained a broken collarbone and another cuts and bruises.

Smith was able to return to the pits area unaided but Fry was assisted back there by two of his Wightlink Islanders team mates and the latest update we have from team manager Dave Croucher is that Paul would seemingly have broken two toes on his right foot, possibly has sustained right knee ligament damage, has various cuts and bruises too and is pretty much battered around as is Smith.

"The Fryer" decided immediately to head home to the West Country and will go to hospital once he's back in home territory. The police arrived at the stadium and decided that the best course of action would be to abandon the meeting at that stage, especially as there is a 9.30pm curfew, and the match will now have to be re-staged later in the season.

Obviously this was a very nasty incident, one that is thankfully very, very rare indeed within this sport of ours and everybody connected with the Wightlink Islanders wishes all those injured in it a swift and full recovery from their respective injuries.

MATCH DETAILS:

Berwick Bandits 17 Wightlink Islanders 19

MEETING ABANDONED - Result does NOT stand and match will be re-staged later in the season.

ONTO GLASGOW HOPING FOR BETTER FORTUNE...

Albeit now bereft of both Kryzsztof Stojanowski AND Paul Fry, the Wightlink Islanders now move onto Glasgow later today for their scheduled Premier League match there. As they are missing two riders, the remaining team members can share "Stoj's" rides between them whilst Fry can be replaced by a guest under the rules and the Wightlink Islanders management moved quickly to secure the services of Berwick's 24 years old Finnish star Tero Aarnio to replace him for today's match.