GLASGOW fans can get a first glimpse of new signing Connor Bailey as former captain Chris Harris leads his Somerset side north to face the Tigers tomorrow.
Sixteen-year-old Bailey – nicknamed The Tornado – has been patiently waiting for his chance since arriving in the UK last month, and faces tough opposition in the shape of the Rebels in the SGB Championship.
Alongside Harris, they boast a top three of Nico Covatti – the Italian who shone in the recent Grand Prix qualifier at Ashfield – and Rory Schlein, the former Edinburgh rider who’s been a top performer on these shores for more than a decade.
The club will also host a collection for 15-year-old Sam Norris, who was seriously injured in a crash at the track on Sunday during a round of the British Youth Championship – the Tigers’ thoughts continue to be with him as he receives treatment in hospital.
Manager Cami Brown says he’s keen to get back to team action after a few weeks off, and believes the Rebels will pose the biggest threat yet to his side’s unbeaten home record.
He said: “We’ve been on fire this season and the individual riders have performed superbly in the various other competitions they’ve had since our last match – so we’re going into this one full of confidence.
“Everyone here is excited to see what young Connor can do. He’s put in plenty of laps around the track, so we feel he’ll be ready to take it on come tomorrow night, but we won’t be putting any pressure on him as he finds his feet at this level.
“We know what Bomber Harris is capable of round our place and Nico Covatti is a bit of an Ashfield expert, so we have to maintain the levels we’ve set this season.
“Of course, everyone at the club continues to hope for the best possible outcome for Sam Norris and we’d encourage everyone to put their hands in their pocket to support our collection to support Sam and his family. He will remain in our thoughts throughout tomorrow night and beyond.”
Bailey starts at No 6 with Glasgow No 1 Craig Cook returning to home shale for the first time since he won the GP qualifier against world-class opposition.
The meeting starts at 7.30pm – pre-book tickets here.