GRANT AND MACKLIN BOLSTER BOSTON

The Boston team will take on a slightly different look for their trip to South Wales tomorrow (Friday) when they face the Newport Mavericks in a Conference League match.

With Peter Boast instructing at Brands Hatch, a long-standing arrangement, and with Darren Smith also unavailable because of work commitments, the Barracuda-Braves are delighted to announce the double signings of Rob Grant junior on loan from Berwick and Paul MackIm on loan from Stoke.

Team manager Malcolm Vasey commented: “These both came out of the blue and I had been pondering what to do especially when Ricky Scarboro asked to return on loan to King’s Lynn, leaving us down on manpower.

“Peter Waite of Berwick offered to loan us Rob and I was very pleased to be able to accept.

“Then Paul MackIm contacted me to say that he was feeling ready to return to racing after a second-half accident at Hull a couple of months ago.

“Dave Tattum has readily agreed to the loan arrangement and they will both come into the side at Newport.

“Rob is anxious to get his career going again after a short period on the sidelines and everyone has seen what he is capable of. He has enormous potential and will boost our top end strength immensely.

“Paul has always interested me since I believe that no-one has yet seen the best of him. He is a courageous rider who has had one or two false starts to his career and a lot of misfortune with injuries but I believe he has plenty to offer and he may well prove to be a surprise packet back at Conference League level.”

The enigmatic Dean Garrod is also recalled for the trip to South Wales after waiting for an opportunity to re-stake

his claim for a regular team

place. Meanwhile, Boston chairman

Stephen Lambert has had further discussions with the club’s planning advisor following the news that a further hearing of the application to build a track in Boston will take place in September.

“We believe that the Borough Council are dealing with this matter meticulously and we are very hopeful that Boston will get its speedway team back this time,” he said.

“We have thousands of signatures and letters of support and public feeling for our project is enormous.

“I know that’s not everything and it’s votes that count when the application is heard, but surely the members will see us for what we are. That is a sporting organisation that we want the town to be proud of, just as we are proud to be associated with Boston.

“The benefits are clear for all to see, let’s just hope that they give us a chance.

“We believe that the highways aspects of the plan are now okay and the racing lasts just two or three hours per year. Can that be bad?” he said.