IPSWICH Evening Star Witches promoter John Louis today admitted it will be hard to find a replacement for number one rider Mark Loram.“We scoured the world looking for a top flight rider for six months - and didn't find one,” said Louis.

By Elvin King

IPSWICH Evening Star Witches promoter John Louis today admitted it will be hard to find a replacement for number one rider Mark Loram.

“We scoured the world looking for a top flight rider for six months - and didn't find one,” said Louis. “Now we have got to start again. This is the last thing we wanted.”

Already likely to be a difficult year for Ipswich, Loram's loss for the campaign with a broken bone in his left thigh will only heighten their problems.

Jason Gillingham, the chief paramedic on duty at Foxhall last night: said: “Mark was conscious the whole time.

“We needed time on the track to put his left leg in traction and we gave him morphine to relieve the pain.

“By the time he got to hospital he was in good spirits.”

Jim Lynch, the Reading team manager, said: “It was the right decision by the referee to exclude Zdenek Simota for causing the crash, but it was an accident and there was a coming together before both riders went hurtling into the fence.”