Lambert last piece in jigsaw for Diamonds

IT DID NOT take long for Newcastle Diamonds’ bosses to decide 30-year-old Simon Lambert was the man they needed to complete their revised line-up for the new campaign.

The Diamonds will get their season under way at Redcar on Friday, March 29.

Vastly-experienced Lambert began his long career in the sport when he signed his first contract on his 15th birthday in 2004 to race for his hometown club Boston Barracudas in the third tier of racing in this country, now known as the National League.

Since graduating to become a regular Championship racer, Lambert has had a number of clubs and is best known for his association with Peterborough Panthers for the past three seasons, helping them to a Knockout Cup and Four Team Championship double in 2017.

Last year, Lambert was captain of a Panthers’ side which reached the semi-finals of the cup and the league play-offs.

However, despite two stunning displays from Lambert – 15 (paid 17) and 16 (paid 17) against Scunthorpe and Lakeside respectively in the home legs – Peterborough exited both.

Diamonds’ co-promoter Martin Phillips said: “Simon is a wellestablished racer with many years’ experience at our level and we reckon he is the right man to fill the vacancy in the team for our 90th anniversary season.”

Lambert jumped at the chance of gaining a team spot when it looked as though he would be spending at least the start of the season on the sidelines.

He said: “It is a new challenge which I am looking forward to.

“As a visiting racer, I have had good and some poor meetings at Newcastle but it is always different when you have the home crowd behind you.

“I am looking forward to meeting everyone soon and to getting some racing for the Diamonds under my belt.”

The revised Newcastle side now reads: Steve Worrall, Thomas Jorgensen, Lasse Bjerre, Matthew Wethers, Simon Lambert, Max Clegg and Danny Phillips.