STEAD: TIGERS THINKING OF TAI

SHEFFIELD boss Simon Stead admits the start of their season has inevitably been overshadowed by news of Tai Woffinden’s crash in Poland.

The Tigers kick off their ROWE Motor Oil Premiership campaign against Birmingham at Owlerton on Thursday, and they will operate rider replacement for Woffinden having been granted a 28-day facility whilst they await further developments.

Stead says his team will come together in a bid to achieve exactly what Woffinden wanted to be a part of in 2025.

Stead said: “It’s been a really, really strange and tough couple of days for everyone in the team, for everyone connected with the club and for the whole of the speedway world as well because he is one of the biggest names and characters we’ve got.

“It goes without saying that he hasn’t been off my mind this week and my thoughts and very best wishes go to Tai and all of his family.

“It does leave a massive hole in our team with everything Tai brings on and off track – but the reality is, our season gets underway on Thursday and if he was here himself, he’d have been firing the lads up and winning would be on his mind.”