Leicester Lions withdraw 2010 speedway plans

Sam Ermolenko was due to take the reins of the Lions

Leicester have scrapped plans to end a 26-year absence in the British speedway leagues this season.

Former world champion Sam Ermolenko was due to lead the Lions in the Premier League but problems with the Beaumont Sports Complex have put that on hold.

The complex was having problems pulling together the speedway, football and cycling arms of their plans.

They are still confident of having a speedway team in 2011 and plan to stage representative meetings this season.

A statement from the Leicester Speedway Supporters Club read: "We fully appreciate the many difficulties and delays that Leicester Speedway Ltd have faced in bringing this project to fruition in time for next March.

We've waited 27 years so far so one more isn't going to make a huge difference

Leicester Speedway Supporters Club statement

"We take the positive view that no longer working to what has proved to be an impossible deadline now allows the Leicester Speedway promoters the opportunity to put together a much more competitive team for that eventual return - something which would have been very difficult at this late stage of the day for 2010.

"All the top riders are getting signed up to other clubs very quickly and Leicester needed to be further down the line at this stage of the year in order to negotiate contracts with some of the league's top stars.

"We've waited 27 years so far so one more isn't going to make a huge difference."