Cradley hit by Ward withdrawal
Aussie sensation Darcy Ward has been pulled out of Cradley's team for the four team tournament.
And the Heathens are the ones to suffer in an embarrassing spat between Ward's team King's Lynn and Swindon, who are staging the match at 7.30pm.
The clubs are not on the best of terms following the protracted transfer of Troy Batchelor from the Stars to the Robins.
Swindon co-promoter Gary Patchett believes Ward's 11th-hour removal by Lynn last night was designed to get one over on his club.
He said: "I could have put money on this happening. This just smacks of petty point scoring. A Swindon rider won't ride at King's Lynn in the future."
The news was conveyed by King's Lynn team manager Rob Lyon, who maintains the club does not want to risk Ward before Saturday's Premier League match at Workington where the Stars could clinch the title.
Lyon said: "We don't want him to be riding in, essentially, a challenge meeting and risking getting injured.
"We want to maximise our chances of winning the league. I am not sure Swindon officially asked us as a promotion whether he would be available to ride.
"If that wasn't the case, then I suspect the reason was they knew what the answer would be."
But Patchett countered by saying that Lynn co-promoter Jonathan Chapman "asked if we would like him to see if Darcy would ride."
He added: "I was told the rider had cleared it. Considering Jonathan Chapman was sat opposite me all day yesterday at a promoters' meeting in Rugby, I would have thought he might have remembered to mention it to me."
Simon Priest, spokesman for the Heathens Speedway Supporters Club said: "I cannot believe King's Lynn would do this."
