The wet Easter weather has had further repercussions on the Highbridge-based Somerset Rebels as Wednesday night’s planned SGB Premiership match has been called off.
With Rye House Rockets on the launchpad for the Rebels 2018 home season, “take-off” has been aborted due to flooded fields and access routes at The Oaktree.
With further rainfall scheduled, the Rebels promotion made the early call to postpone the visit of the Hertfordshire side, a decision that comes hot on the heels of the double postponement of their planned Good Friday knockout cup action.
A dejected Debbie Hancock told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “It is extremely disappointing that we find ourselves having to call off another meeting. Our season hasn’t got going yet.”
“We lost our Practice session last Wednesday because of the weather and then were washed out again on Friday. The amount of rain that hit us over the Easter break has been incredible and the fields that we use for car-parking are under water.”
“We owe a duty of care to our public and with conditions the way they are we really had no alternative.”
She added: “It is not just Somerset that has been hard hit though as there has been an unprecedented number of rain-offs recorded already this season. It is something like two-thirds of the planned meetings have not been able to go ahead.”
“On the positive side though we are being forecasted to have a mini heat-wave in the next week or so and we will be keeping everything crossed that the weather gods deliver on that message!”
Conditions have ample time to improve at the Highbridge venue as the Rebels will now open their season on Wednesday 18th April with the visit of Leicester Lions in the SGB Premiership.
It was against the Lions that the Rebels had their only team action this season, in a keenly fought out challenge fixture at Leicester a week ago.
The Somerset Rebels compete in the SGB Premiership, British speedway’s top division, and race from March to October at the Oak Tree Arena, Bristol Road, Edithmead, near Highbridge.
