STOKE look to kick start their campaign with the visit of last seasons’ league champions Belle Vue Colts in the Travel Plus National League on Saturday at Loomer Road, 7pm.
The A.R. Richards Potters are looking for their first win of the season as they name an unchanged team for the clash wit the Potters needing to be at their very best to defeat and inform Colts side.
The Colts have changed very little from last seasons’ septet with the departure of Dan Bewley to the senior side with the Aces and Glasgow in the Championship they have found a more than adequate replacement in Tom Perry who made the switch to Manchester after finding out that Cradley would not be participating in this year’s National League. Stoke based Jack Smith supports the Colts number 1 with former Potter Danny Phillips coming into replace Kyle Bickley who is on Championship duty for Workington at Berwick. Joe Lawlor who has ridden the Loomer Road circuit well in the past slots into the number 4 race jacket as the Colts management will be looking for a big contribution from the youngster with the Colts using rider replacement to cover for the absence of former Buxton rider Paul Bowen. Kean Dicken who had rides for the Carmarthen Dragons last season and Ben Woodhull who was heroic while guesting for the Potters last year complete the Belle Vue line-up. The Colts won by a single point in the league fixture last year and the Potters will be hoping that history does not repeat itself on Saturday evening.
Potters co-manager Adam Isherwood commented “I’m optimistic that we can get a result against Belle Vue on Saturday. Yes, we took a knock back against Birmingham a fortnight ago in the National Trophy and we had a few gremlins which the lads have worked hard to rectify and it was our first home meeting of the season. We have a good crop of lads here this season and I believe we can put on a good solid display against the Colts. They have some very good riders in their line-up such as Tom Perry and Jack Smith leading them but we feel that Max (Clegg), Rob (Shuttleworth) and Tony (Atkin) are all capable of getting those all-important race wins and get us over the line. Both Joe Alcock and William O’Keefe were down at the track the other day practising and working hard and with the enthusiasm and determination to win that we have within the team and if the supporters will get behind the lads as they always do then I feel we can come away with a great result.”
LINE-UP’S: STOKE: Max Clegg, Paul Burnett, Tony Atkin (Captain), Adam Extance, Rob Shuttleworth, Joe Alcock, William O’Keefe BELLE VUE: Tom Perry, Paul Bowen Rider Replacement, Danny Phillips, Joe Lawlor, Jack Smith (Captain), Kean Dicken, Ben Woodhull
