If the Warriors management had made a resolution to have their starting seven in place by New Year, then the wish has come true as it can be revealed today that Tom Woolley is the final piece in the 2020 jig-saw.
Woolley has been a regular visitor to the Island during the Bishop / Widman era, a willing participant in various open meetings as well as a proven race winner in league action at Smallbrook.
Following the sad closure of Buxton speedway at the end of 2018 (where he was club captain), Woolley was left without a ride at the start of 2019, eventually securing a reserve berth at higher league Redcar and contributing to the Tees side team having a very rewarding year at Championship level. He comes south to join the Warriors as third heat leader on a 6.69 average carried over from Buxton days and brings experience of all the tracks in the National League which is sure to prove invaluable over the course of the season.
Tom Woolley said, “Last year I only got into proper racing mid-season. Going to Redcar and stepping up was always going to be a tough ask and I learned a lot. Realistically a return to them was unlikely, almost as unlikely me riding on the Island full time, however you only have to look around and see how many riders haven’t got a team so when I got the call, I had a chat with my family and decided to go for it. The Warriors can offer a full programme of regular weekly racing, I’ve always been treated well down there, and the club have a great reputation so I’ve accepted their offer and have an exciting season to look forward to”.
With his full team now in place, Warriors’ co-promoter Barry Bishop said, “I’m delighted Tom has agreed to join us. He has proved himself in this division and is competitive, reliable and importantly tough to pass when in position. He’s also a very likeable young man and will blend in well with our ethos and aspirations.
I do like the look of our side. We have experience, youthful enthusiasm and a solidity that should stand us in good stead. We have riders capable of improvement which, if achieved, should put us in contention for the major awards. Of course, lady luck will no doubt play her part, but we can look forward positively to more successful, fun filled nights for all ages.
As we welcome Tom, we must also bid farewell to Georgie Wood, Chris Widman and Danno Verge. Chris has decided to take a step back from speedway for the time being. The ever increasing demands on his time from his successful butchery business have really forced the decision. He has been one of our most popular and dedicated riders, he deserves huge thanks and I’m sure we’ll see him on the Island from time to time.
In Danno’s case we just couldn’t find available riders to form a competitive team that accommodates him on his average. It’s not the first time we have been affected by the annual team building average and it makes it is so difficult to tell one of our terrace favourites that they are not in our plans. I truly hope that he can get fixed up in the short term and needless to say he will always be welcome at any time”.