Comets change guest rider for Bandits clash
Last updated 10:29, Sunday, 24 August 2008
WORKINGTON Comets have had to change their guest for the Premier League clash at Berwick Bandits.
Czech Republic star Tomas Topinka of King’s Lynn has gone down with a sickness bug and has had to pull-out of the meeting at Shielfield.
Comets team manager Ian Thomas has booked the American rider Ryan Fisher to take his place against a Bandits side who are unbeaten at home this season.
Thomas said: “Tomas is a total professional. He was ill on Thursday and contacted me first thing on Friday to say he would have to pull out of the booking.
“He didn’t want to leave it until the morning of the meeting and ring me to say he was having problems.
“I appreciate him doing that but it’s something I would expect from him because he is the ultimate professional in his sport.
“We couldn’t have got anyone better for Berwick as a guest than Tomas but I am hoping that Ryan will do us proud. He is on fire at the moment after a steady start to his Edinburgh career and I thought he looked good at Derwent Park last week.
“If he can handle the open spaces of Derwent Park I think he should be able to do the same at Shielfield.”
But Berwick’s team plans have been thrown into disarray, too, as Hungarian star Norbert Magosi has gone home and does not have any plans to return.
Berwick boss, Peter Waite, who has been chasing his eastern bloc star all week said: “Norbert has decided that he must return home this week for purely personal reasons and we wish him well in his future ventures. There’s no malice on either side and we are still very much in good friendly contact, but he has left the club on his own volition.
“Under the circumstances we have applied to the BSPA to be granted a facility to cover his absence for 28 days after which we will have to view options available, but for now we anticipate that the rider replacement rule will be applied, and with a good solid remaining set of riders, we should be able to plug the gap successfully.”
Magosi had been outstanding early in the season riding at reserve for the Bandits and has since settled in well as a second string. Scott Smith, who started the season at number two for the Comets, will be riding at number seven for the Bandits.
The teams at Shielfield are - Berwick Bandits: 1. Adrian Rymel (Captain); 2. Provisional rider replacement for Norbert Magosi - subject to clearance; 3. Michal Makovsky; 4. Paul Clews; 5. Tero Aarnio; 6. Guglielmo Franchetti; 7. Scott Smith.
Comets: 1, Ryan Fisher; 2, Tomi Reima; 3, Kauko Nieminen; 4, Joe Haines; 5, Carl Stoneherwer; 6, Charles Wright; 7, John Branney.
