Birmingham Brummies manager Laurence Rogers believes the signing of reigning British Champion Adam Ellis will be key for the side’s playoff push in 2022.
New signing Adam Ellis back in Brummies colours at Perry Barr Stadium. (Credit: Jeff Davies)
Ellis completes the SGB Championship team’s line-up for the upcoming campaign as the seventh and final rider through the doors.
The 26-year-old adds much-needed experience to the Brummies following a disappointing end to last year’s campaign, missing out on the playoffs by just one point.
Rogers is confident his arrival could be a deciding factor for the team’s ambitions going into the new season.
He said: “It’s massive to get the British champion. When he drove in with his Birmingham kit on, the faces of some of the fans were like ‘oh my goodness me, it’s Adam’.
“He’s looking forward to it as well because he loves Birmingham, he loves being a Brummie so it’s a big plus for us to have a rider of his calibre in our side.
“We did a lot of work to promote the club as well but having a good team like this surely will bring people through the turnstiles.”
His arrival comes after a difficult time for the club both on and off the track. The departure of previous owners Peter and David Mason resulted in serious uncertainty around the club’s future at the back end of last year, with a new consortium now in control ahead of a new era for the Brummies.
Rogers has since brought in the likes of Stefan Nielsen as well as old faces Josh Auty and Clauss Vissing. The manager believes the returning pros are raring to go after lengthy spells away from the track.
He added: “Josh is coming back having missed out on a lot of last season and with a determination to get back up in the two divisions and same with Clauss, Clauss missed last year. He’s got the bit between his teeth, he’s number one and he wants to hold on to that number one race jacket.”
Both James Shanes and Ashley Morris are the only two remaining riders from last year, with Morris taking up the captain’s role for 2022.
The Brummies have also brought in hot prospect James Pearson as part of the senior setup. The 16-year-old has been excited by his performances in pre-season practice but refuses to put pressure on the new man ahead of a long, first season at senior level speedway.
Rogers said: “He’s soaking it up already. He mixed together with the rest of the boys superbly at Press and Practice.
“There’s no pressure on him at all, he’s a prospect for the future, he’ll just get himself where he needs to be bit by bit but he’s an exciting element. He looked very good at practice as well so fingers crossed he hits it running with some points.”
The Brummies will prepare to pick up their first league points of the season with an away trip to Berwick on Saturday April 2.