The Henderson Insurance Scunthorpe Scorpions are set to strengthen their side next week and Benji Compton is the rider who will be making way. 

With new averages set to take effect from the 1st June the club have an extra three points to play with and whilst it was a tough decision to make the promoters, Rob Godfrey and Kenny Smith, had decided that Compton would have to be the rider to make way.  Godfrey described the decision as “gut wrenching” and “truly the hardest decision the club has had to make”

He went on to say “We have to make ourselves as competitive as possible if we are to reach our goal of making the playoffs.  It was really the only decision we could make.  Benji has been the fall guy but this is the nature of Premier League speedway.  You have to get the best out of the points limit and whilst Benji has maintained his average we find we have three points to utilise and someone had to make way.  We hope Benji will continue with the Saints but I can understand why he has pulled out of this weekend’s Scorpions and Saints meetings.”

In Compton’s absence the club will operate rider replacement in the Saints’ meeting at Redcar along with all three Scorpions’ meetings over the weekend, whilst on Monday Jamie Robertson will make his home debut for the Saints.  The club will take Scott Richardson as a number eight to the Premier League meetings and Mike Pickering will fill that role at Redcar tomorrow.

With regards to finding a replacement for Benji Compton in the Scorpions’ line-up the club have until the 3rd June if the rider is to figure in the home meeting against Redcar on 6th June.  Speculation that Ben Powell is about to join the club is certainly wide of the mark and if a replacement still isn’t in place by that time then Scott Richardson will cover until a suitable rider is found.