Witches get legal backing for appeal

Elvin King

IPSWICH Evening Star Witches will have full legal backing when they present their case at a special ACU appeal over Swindon's use of Joel Parsons as a guest in an Elite League speedway meeting at Foxhall Stadium last April.

Horey Money, the son of former Ipswich MP Ernle, has been working for the club in this capacity, and Witches rider/manager Chris Louis said:

“We will have full legal representation at the hearing.

“This is as far as it can go and we are waiting to hear a date. The ACU held a meeting yesterday so we hope to hear soon.”

Louis revealed that originally Ipswich were happy to have the meeting re-staged, but he now says: “We tried to do things in a sporting manner.

“Now it is too late to fit in an extra fixture, and we are now looking for the Swindon win to be erased from the records with the reduction of Parsons' seven points.

“We are sure we have right on our side.”

Swindon 'won' 50-43 and Ipswich's original appeal was turned down, and an expected reversal of the decision will heap considerable embarrassment on to the British speedway hierarchy.

Meanwhile, Ipswich's bid to shoe-horn Australian rider Rory Schlein into their team as a replacement for long-term injury casualty Louis looks like it has hit a snag.

It will most probably prove only a temporary one, but is set to delay any signing until after tomorrow (THUR) night's home Elite League meeting against Belle Vue.

Peterborough are delaying re-declaring their new one-to-seven, and this is understandable as they ride Coventry tomorrow and will not want Hans Andersen to switch from them to the Bees before then.

Once Andersen's move to Brandon has been confirmed, Schlein is set to be released so that he can ride for a Witches club who targeted him last winter.

His capture would considerably improve Ipswich's play-off chances.