With the Rye House Silver Ski Rockets team virtually in place for the
2009 season and only the number 7 slot to be formally confirmed, the
fans of the Hoddesdon team are the first in the country to be aware of
the riders they are to support in the new season.

The final piece of the jig saw depends on the pre season form of  Andrew Silver, star of the sport some 16 years ago. Now at the age of 41 he is as enthusiastic as ever and he has been getting himself  physically fit to race and is in the midst of a heavy training programme, aided by a top cycling star.

The final decision about his inclusion in the team will take place at the
pre-season practice in early March when he will have to prove to the
management that he is worthy of a place.

Andrew is likely to join with Harlow born Luke Bowen as they travel
together to one or two Northern tracks for heavy practice sessions early
in the New Year. The hope is that, as they are likely to ride at numbers
6 and 7, a good understanding will emerge between them to ensure good results in heat 2 of every match.

Meanwhile most of the rest of the team are preparing for their Winter
ski trip, in fact Tommy Allen intends to spend at least 6 weeks in the
mountains skiing with the clients of Silver Ski Holidays, the team
sponsors. There he is hoping to make friends with the two new boys in
the side, the “Blond Bombshell” Linus Sundstrom, and teenage whizz
kid, Joe Haines, both skiing for the first time. Linus is due to arrive in
Hoddesdon in mid December so that he can set up his UK workshop
where he will store and maintain the three machines he will use when
riding for the Rockets. The 18 year old Swede will be joined initially
by his father who is keen to make sure that his son is properly
organised for his first year in the UK.

Advising the “Blond Bombshell” has been his fellow countryman, Stefan
Ekberg, who was seriously injured at the end of the 2008 season in a
crash at Kings Lynn. The good news is that the back injuries he sustained are now showing rapid signs of improvement and he is now able to walk gently without the aid of a stick. In fact he intends to join Len Silver and Hazal Naylor, the Rye House promoters, together with his wife, Jenny, and their three daughters for Christmas in the Alps. “ I don't expect to get on skis”, he told Len “but I'll make sure that the kids learn to ski so that I can join them as soon as my legs will let me”.

Astonishingly he has already made up his mind to race again as soon as he is fit which is good news for the Rockets, although, of course, he will not be ready for the opening of the season.

The opening of the new racing calender at Hoddesdon will be slightly
unusual in 2009. With the official season only allowed to get under way
on Sunday 15th March, the Rye House team will be in action at home
on that day when they meet Birmingham in a Premier Trophy match.

Then things will revert to normal Saturday racing on the 21st March.
“ Had I not used Sunday for my opening meeting, it would have meant
that I would have lost a week of the season, and with  league commitments for both the Rockets and the Kart Cobras, I have too many fixtures to complete to consider starting so late.” said promoter, Len Silver.”

The Brummies will be very strong opponents to test us to the limit” he
continued, “they have signed the newest Australian sensation, Richard
Sweetman as well as keeping Jason Lyons as their spearhead, while
Adam Roynon will almost certainly be  back as well. As we have drawn
Birmingham in the KO Cup, this opening fixture will be doubly interesting
to both sets of fans, watching how each team fares against the other.”

While all the riders get prepared, work at the Rye House Stadium gets
under way with various improvements. First of these is the completion
of the new referees' box, especially prepared for the FIM under 21
Qualifying Round due there on May 17th. But fans needs have not been
forgotten and the beginning of a large seating improvement has already
started, using seats purchased from the Walthamstow Stadium after it's
closure earlier in the year. “The installation will take a considerable time
as we do a little each week and only part of the final programme will be in place for our opening fixture” said Len Silver, “ but fans will certainly
see the difference when they arrive”.