As the National Development League [NDL] enters its final few weeks of the 2023 Speedway season, an injury has led to a deadline-busting team change for title & cup-chasing Mildenhall DJS Fen Tigers – proudly sponsored by Manchetts Rescue and Recovery.
Cambs-based Josh Warren took a nasty knock in the Fen Tigers’ last home match vs. Leicester, right at the beginning of August and the 23-year-old has finally had to admit defeat in his fight to regain fitness to contribute to the closing stanza of the Suffolk club’s season. With the deadline for team changes this week, the DJS Fen Tigers’ boss Jason Gardner has moved positively to bring in the experienced Sam Woolley to replace Warren in Mildenhall’s declared 1 to 7 for the closing NDL matches and the upcoming Knock-Out Cup [KOC] Final.
Also 23 years of age, Woolley has ridden for his home county club Buxton Hitmen and for the Belle Vue Colts in the NDL and for last season and for the opening half of this campaign plied his racing trade with the Kent Royals – having a particularly good 2022 season where he upped his average and scored an impressive paid nine points for the Iwade-based club when they visited West Row in the KOC. Recently finding himself out of favour at Kent, this move revitalises the Derbyshire-based rider’s season.
Gardner commented,
“It’s very tough on Josh [Warren] and on the team that we are losing him for what remains of this season – just when he was getting right back to top form. But all who saw that high-speed crash against Leicester earlier this month can’t be surprised to hear that it's going to take longer to get back to racing fitness. The whole club wishes Josh the very best for his recovery and thank him for his great efforts for the team this season.
“We were aware that Sam [Woolley] was available to sign as a replacement and of course we did use him at reserve in our away match at his old club Kent the Sunday before last. I’m delighted that we’ve formalised the position now and all welcome Sam, who comes in on a 3.00 points average, to the Fen Tigers ranks.”
The position fixtures-wise has been clarified a bit more with two of the remaining NDL matches now confirmed. The most important new calendar date for the Fen Tigers’ faithful is that the last regular home NDL fixture of this campaign is on SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 10TH. vs. WORKINGTON COMETS – the usual 4pm start time applies (gates open at 2.30pm).
Having already won away at the Cumbrian club’s track, this presents Gardner’s charges with a great opportunity to get their Play Off hopes back on track with three points, to lift them up from their current 4th. place in the NDL table.
Later that same week, the DJS Fen Tigers travel north of the border to Armadale in West Lothian to take on Edinburgh, looking for a further three points – that fixture is on Friday September 15th.
Gardner commented,
“It’s been hugely frustrating of course that we’ve had such a long break since our last home meeting and it’s also a case of needing to bounce back after those two matches in August ended in very close defeats (home to Leicester and away at Kent). We know that nothing but six points from our two matches coming up will do if we are to go to reigning champs, Leicester on a date still, very frustratingly, to be set by the East Midlands club for a real showdown. A big crowd providing that special West Row effect on the 10th. against league newcomers Workington will be just what we need”.