Howe signs on for Wolves
David Howe has signed again for Wolves, wants to spend the rest of his Elite League career at Monmore – and pledged to continue helping out the club's young riders, despite missing out on the captaincy.
David Howe has signed again for Wolves, wants to spend the rest of his Elite League career at Monmore – and pledged to continue helping out the club's young riders, despite missing out on the captaincy.
The 25-year-old put pen to paper at club sponsor Parrys International's open day yesterday when the holiday coach form launched its 2008 brochure.
Howe, who won the fans' Rider of the Year accolade for 2007, becomes the penultimate piece in this year's team jigsaw, with club owner Chris Van Straaten expecting to tie up the final, seventh signing within the next few days.
Howe spent just five minutes in negotiation with Van Straaten at Parrys' Cheslyn Hay base before signing on the dotted line
"It's never been an issue," he said immediately afterwards. "I think that's because I'm so easy to deal with!
"I never really wanted to ride for any club other than Wolverhampton.
"I said at the end of last season, rules and form going my way, that I wanted to spend the rest of my top flight career at Wolverhampton. So it was never really a problem.
"He wanted me to come back, I wanted to come back, and the way the rules went meant that I could come back – so I am very happy."
Howe was tipped by some fans as a likely captain this year but that responsibility has fallen on club number one Freddie Lindgren, currently campaigning down under in the Australian Championship.
Van Straaten did not want to add extra pressure on Howe.
"I would have taken the job," said Howe. "But it really makes no difference whatsoever to me. The only thing now is I'm not going to be called the captain, I won't be tossing the coin.
"I will be exactly the same with anyone as I would have been before. Especially over the last few years I've always enjoyed being in a team environment more than individual meetings.
"I enjoyed helping William (Lawson) last year and Kenneth (Hansen), when they came down to me. So it makes no difference whether I've got the captain's armband. I'll just be the same anyway."
Assuming the seventh rider is no older than Howe, he will be the club's elder statesman – he turns 26 on March 1 before the tapes go up later that month. "It's a bit scary – I never thought I'd be the oldest man in the team!" he said.
"I am what I am. At whatever level of my career, if I can help someone like Kenneth or Nicolai Klindt at Wolverhampton then I will. I've never been one to withhold information to myself – if I can help the team, I will do."
Howe, after a miserable 2006 on loan at Oxford, revitalised his career back at Monmore with his parent club last year and has made more consistency in his away form this year's major target.
There's an even bigger incentive to shine on his travels – his bonus.
"We always try to have some kind of bonus in Wolverhampton contracts as an incentive," said Van Straaten.
"He has volunteered that his bonus is dependant on his away scores. I think that speaks volumes for the man, that he has volunteered that.
"That wasn't me, that came from him. I think that sums up what he is to Wolverhampton speedway."
