JAN Staechmann is on standby to make his Ipswich Evening Star Witches debut in the Sky Bet Elite League meeting at Wolverhampton tonight.The Dane, who rides for Stoke in the Premier League, is a member of the Ipswich squad and he is able to come in and replace a rider who is injured or unavailable for official reasons.

By Elvin King

JAN Staechmann is on standby to make his Ipswich Evening Star Witches debut in the Sky Bet Elite League meeting at Wolverhampton tonight.

The Dane, who rides for Stoke in the Premier League, is a member of the Ipswich squad and he is able to come in and replace a rider who is injured or unavailable for official reasons.

Hull's Garry Stead is the other Ipswich squad member, while 17-year-old Trevor Harding is the replacement when floater Danny Bird is unavailable.

Harding should ride for the Witches tonight as Bird is required by Reading in the Premier League.

And Harding is programmed to come in, but he is riding for King's Lynn in the lower league at Exeter - starting at 11am - and is due to set off to drive around three hours to the midlands after that meeting.

But if he fails to make it because of any knock he might take in the morning, former Grand Prix rider Staechmann will come in.

There is no doubt that Ipswich will be stronger with Staechmann in their side, but they have every faith in Harding and the young Australian is tipped for a big future.

But with two 17-year-olds at reserve - Daniel King is the other - Ipswich will find it difficult to find any bottom punch against a Wolves side who beat Peterborough 53-39 at home last Monday.

Mikeal Max scored a 15-point maximum, while Chris Neath impressed at reserve with a paid 16-point return.

Meanwhile, Ipswich duo Scott Nicholls and Hans Andersen suffered disappointment at the

inaugural Suzuki Elite League Pairs last night.

Swindon Robins made the most of home advantage at Abbey Stadium by beating Belle Vue Aces in the final.

But the Witches pair finished out of the frame after Nicholls failed to complete his opening two heats.

Robins duo Charlie Gjedde and Leigh Adams took the minor honours in the final behind Belle Vue's Jason Crump but the scoring system gave the hosts the title.

Crump, as he had done throughout the competition, was quick out of the gate but team-mate Joe Screen was sluggish and could never get into a position to overtake either Gjedde or Adams.

The teams had met in the group phase, with Belle Vue edging out the home team 5-4, but the scoreline was reversed when it mattered as Swindon marked their return to the big time by winning the title.