WITCHES’ PLANS IN PLACE

IPSWICH promoter Chris Louis says the Witches have made their team plans for 2024 and are ready to challenge for honours once again.

The Foxhall club clinched the Premiership KO Cup this year but missed out on the league title when their 18-point first leg lead was overturned in a dramatic second leg of the Grand Final at Sheffield.

Louis said: “We are looking to announce the team immediately. It is an exciting team and one we will enjoy working with.

“We were settled on it quite quickly by the end of the season and I am sure the fans will be delighted with it.

“It is always good when the competition gets stronger and there is no doubt that the way the league is shaping up this year, I think we will have seven competitive teams. They will be built in some cases quite differently which always adds to the entertainment.

“It is going to be an interesting year, and not limiting the amount of Polish Ekstraliga riders that can come into one team is a bonus.

“It was a restriction put there to try and protect teams particularly in the case of a rain-off in Poland where they would re-arrange for a Thursday, but as a league the Sports Insure Premiership are trying to bring back as many top riders as they can, and over the last season that is the case. We had to look at that and make sure we didn’t restrict ourselves.”