FOXES MANAGER EXCITED
NORTHAMPTON Foxes team manager Chris Adams is relishing the challenge of the exciting new Premiership speedway project which is now less than a fortnight away.
Former Birmingham boss Adams will take charge of the newly formed side, and he made a site visit to the Brafield venue on Thursday where work continues with the circuit being adapted to accommodate bikes as well as the existing stock car use.
The opening home meeting is at the end of the month on Thursday April 30 when the Foxes host Ipswich – but they will be going into competitive action before then.
There are away matches in the Knockout Cup scheduled for King’s Lynn on Monday April 20 and Ipswich on Thursday April 23, leading up to the big Brafield launch.
Adams, who was manager of the Brummies last year in what was their final season before Perry Barr was closed for redevelopment, says he’s delighted to be taking up the role with the Foxes.
He said: “I knew I wanted to be part of this new venture. I do feel Northampton coming in is very exciting, and it could be a game-changer for British speedway.
“We all know it’s a bit last-minute, but I’d encourage everyone to get behind it. So many tracks closing and others already gone, but here we have a new track and a new club. That can’t be bad for speedway, can it?
“We’ve had to find some riders, and although everybody looks at the list of riders who don’t have a club, there are quite a few other factors.
“I feel the seven riders that we’ve put together can be a competitive team. There’s not one of those seven riders that doesn’t want to win, I can tell you that.
“There are lots of things that have to go on behind the scenes for everything to click into place, but I think we have a team that compete with the others in the league, and there’s no reason why we can’t make the play-offs and make a bit of a success of it.”
Foxes are keeping in contact with Danish star Niels-Kristian Iversen, who suffered a heavy crash at King’s Lynn in mid-March, ironically in the Testimonial meeting of team-mate Nicolai Klindt.
Iversen suffered concussion and a punctured lung in the accident, but he is expected to return to action later this month.
The club also plan to stage a media launch prior to their opening home meeting, with details to be confirmed when track work is complete.