CHRIS Louis today slammed speedway referee Dale Entwistle for failing to use any common sense in last night's Elite League 47-43 defeat by Reading at Foxhall Stadium.

By Elvin King

CHRIS Louis today slammed speedway referee Dale Entwistle for failing to use any common sense in last night's Elite League 47-43 defeat by Reading at Foxhall Stadium.

While Mark Loram, his team-mate and long-time friend, was lying in agony with a broken left thigh, Evening Star Witches' skipper and rider/manager Louis was being fined by the meeting official after failing to place a mat under his third machine.

Mr Entwistle took offence to what he termed abusive language from Louis' pit crew.

Loram will be out of action for a year after a horrific crash coming out of the second bend of his first

competitive race of the season.

Close to a dozen fence panels were sent flying by the impact of his high- speed heat one crash with Reading rider Zdenek Simota.

While Loram was treated for 20 minutes and given morphine to reduce his intense pain, Louis was being asked to put an environmental mat under a third bike he intended to use after the main meeting was over.

Louis said: “The referee considered that he was the subject of abusive

language from my pit crew.

“In my opinion he acted like an idiot.

“How a man like that can sleep at night I do not know.

“It did not take a lot of common sense to realise we had more things on our mind than a mat and we had put one in place.

“I will appeal against the fine.”

Louis has known Loram since they were youth grass-track exponents and they started in the same Hackney speedway team in 1988.

Louis, like the rest of his team mates, is gutted at the loss of their mainstay.

“I have never known Mark so keen,” said Louis.

“He had done more gym work than before and then he rides just two

competitive bends before his season is over.

“Zdenek Simota may have found some extra grip, but he went right across Mark and gave him no space.

“Officially, we can only use a guest for a certain period, but if there is no one out there I will be asking the BSPA to give us the facility for the while year.”

Mr Entwistle said: “Chris Louis was not using an environmental mat that is laid down in the rules.

“When I went to look a second time I was on the receiving end of abusive language from his pit crew.”