Sponsor boost for Wasps

2:32pm Thursday 10th April 2008

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NEWPORT are celebrating a new team sponsorship deal as they prepare for their first Premier League fixtures of the season.

Wasps promoter Tim Stone has reached agreement with Sean Clements, a sponsor of reserve Jerran Hart, to put the Clements Construction name to the team for the remainder of the campaign - and it is a welcome boost in a sport where all sponsorship and backing is crucial.

Clements said: "I've enjoyed being involved with Jerran, and I've previously sponsored riders such as Chris Louis and Daniel King. Jerran's a good lad and it's nice to be able to help him out.

"I'm not a big company, but I do love my speedway and this is a good opportunity for me to get involved. It was something I fancied doing.

"I'm good friends with Jerran'sfather Steve, through his SJH Roofing company, and with Jerran joining Newport and them not having a team sponsor it's nice to get the chance to have an input there and help them out a bit."

Stone added: "It's very good of Sean to come forward with his backing, and he is very warmly welcomed. He came along to one of our early meetings to watch Jerran and he liked the way we did things here, so it's good to make this arrangement."

Wasps travel to Berwick - scene of one of their greatest nights of last season - on Saturday, and then welcome Birmingham to the Hayley Stadium on Sunday for a meeting which will see children admitted free of charge.

Skipper Tony Atkin will be on the sidelines after breaking his ankle against the Isle of Wight last week, and he is now battling to defy medical opinion that he will need six weeks out.

Atkin hopes to be back within a month.

There is better news, however, on the in-form Nick Simmons who was forced to pull out of Monday's defeat at Reading with a knee injury after a crash in his second ride.

Simmons has been resting the injury this week and his rate of improvement is such that he expects to take his place in both weekend meetings.

He said: "If we had a meeting in the middle of this week I'd probably be struggling to make it, but the extra few days should make the difference.

"I picked up coming out of the fourth bend and hit the fence at the beginning of the straight. Reading still have an air-fence from their Elite League days, but of course I managed to hit the first wooden fence-post on the straight!

"The track doctor said I should rest it for a day or so and go to hospital if it still felt very sore, but fortunately it's feeling a lot better now and I just want to get back quickly because things had been going well for me. I had an okay start to the season, but then I had a great night at the Isle of Wight and managed to carry on from that at home last weekend."