Tonight, Luke Chessell informed the club that he has decided to stand down from his position in the team with immediate effect. Whilst this came as a shock to everyone, it has been clear to see that Chessell has struggled so far this season and has not quite been on the pace.
Chessell came back to the sport after a year out following a major injury, where at one point he was told that part of his leg would have to be amputated. Whilst he has been gaining confidence and making progress each week, he feels that he needs more laps under his belt before being able to properly compete at Championship level.
When contacted for comment, Chessell said: “I’ve decided to step away as I do not want to let anyone at the club down, especially my team mates.
“Everyone knows we are really strong at home and the team can probably get by with me not scoring well there, especially with how well Kyle is going, however away matches are likely to be much closer and at this stage I don’t want to potentially be the difference between whether the team wins or loses.
“I have unfinished business in the sport and I will be working extremely hard to get myself where I need to be. I am confident I can get back to being the rider I was in 2016, and that is what I plan to work towards. I just need some more time on the bike, but I don’t want that to be at the expense of Glasgow and my team mates.
“I was only ever planning to do National League this year, but when the call came from Glasgow in the winter, it was an offer I couldn’t refuse, though in hindsight it would have been better to only do National League before considering the Championship.
“I’d love to ride for Glasgow again in the future, as the fans, owners and management have been great and have been hugely supportive of me and my situation.”
It is likely that Chessell will now receive a ban from the BSPA for withholding his services.
Glasgow’s Team Manager, Cami Brown, had this to say on the situation: “We’re really sorry to see Luke go, as he’s a cracking lad and gets on really well with the rest of the boys.
“Since his first meeting Luke has been getting a bit quicker, but still seems to be suffering from a lack of confidence, which is hardly surprising given the injury and layoff he’s coming back from.
“Everyone at the club would love to see Luke back in Tigers colours one day, and we wish him well for the future.”
Glasgow have secured the services of Edinburgh reserve, Luke Ruddick, for tomorrow night’s away fixture against Newcastle Diamonds.