Club need away win to reach play-offs

The Vortex Lakeside Hammers will have to win away to qualify for this year’s Elite League play-offs after defeat at home to Coventry on Saturday.

And in a bid to aid their cause Team GB rider Danny King will be joining the side, subject to BSPA approval.

King will replace Mikkel Bech, who picked up another injury in Denmark on Saturday which has ruled him out of tonight’s scheduled visit to Swindon.

Scott Nicholls was set to deputise for Bech against the Robins, but the meeting has been postponed and will now be staged on September 4.

Bech was only going to be available for the Hammers for their next home meeting on September 1 and promoter Jon Cook said: “My thanks go to Mikkel for a superb debut year wrecked at the finish by niggling injury and clashes with Under-21 and Danish meetings, a couple of which moved after he had joined us.

“His commitment when on track was unquestionable and it’s only availability, or lack of it, that means we have to make this change.”

On adding King to his side, Cook added: “Danny’s an all-out racer and we’ve agreed this is a great trial period for us to look at each other and see if it’s a good fit.

“He’ll be given the track for a day to get used to his new home and with him now being a BSPA asset following the closure of Birmingham we will now have first option on him for the 2015 season as far as Elite racing is concerned.”