The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
Star man to miss crunch League Cup tie in King’s Lynn
Peterborough Panthers are without Michael Palm Toft for what has become a crunch League Cup contest at King’s Lynn tonight (Thursday).
The Dane crashed out of Panthers’ surprise home defeat to the Stars on Monday, which has put the Norfolk side in the driving seat for the group
Palm Toft suffered concussion when he fell heavily on the entry to the back straight. He had just moved inside Stars man Richie Worrall but then hit Stars rider Richard Lawson’s rear wheel, leading to the resulting accident.
Concussion protocols mean Palm Toft must sit out for nine days, but assuming there are no further ill effects, he should be fit for Panthers’ Premiership opener at Belle Vue on May 2.
In his absence, the riderreplacement facility will be in operation meaning Palm Toft’s rides will be shared amongst his colleagues.
Better news is the return of impressive new reserve Benjamin Basso, who missed Monday’s meeting due to Under 21 commitments.
And regular team manager Rob Lyon is back at the helm after returning from a prebooked trip abroad which coincided with the home match, where co-promoter and former boss Carl Johnson stood in.
Johnson said: “I know Rob was looking in on Monday and keeping in touch, and hopefully there will be some more fireworks at King’s Lynn!
“I actually enjoyed being back in the pressure-cooker. It was good to be back involved, although obviously we wanted things to go a bit smoother.
“We had a look at the options to replace Michael and we felt this one was best.The boys go well there so hopefully we’ll be able to turn things around.”
Panthers won on both of their visits to the Adrian Flux Arena last season with an emphatic 54-36 triumph in July, followed by a much tighter 4644 triumph in mid-August – although Palm Toft scored 11+4 in that meeting, so his absence is clearly a major blow.
KING’S LYNN: Niels-Kristian Iversen, Thomas Jorgensen, Josh Pickering, Lewis Kerr, Richard Lawson, Richie Worrall, Jack Thomas.
PANTHERS: Michael Palm Toft R/R, Scott Nicholls, Ulrich Ostergaard, Hans Andersen, Chris Harris, Benjamin Basso, Jordan Palin.
Peterborough Panthers have paid tribute to Nigel Pearson after the writer and broadcaster’s sudden passing lastweek at the age of 52.
Nigel was a giant of sports media, working in speedway, darts and football. His final domestic speedway commentary was the Panthers’ Premiership title triumph against Belle Vue last October.
He had covered Panthers for the Peterborough Telegraph for the last two seasons.
Panthers operations manager Dale Allitt said: “I think I can speak for most people when I say numb, sadness and deep sorrow are the feelings I have. Nige was the sort of guy who could always put a smile on your face even in the darkest of times. His passion for all the sports he was involved with was infectious. He loved his job.”