Riders going through pain barrier, says Graham Drury

Drury is hoping to welcome Jake Anderson and Chris Kerr back to his team soon

Birmingham Brummies team manager Graham Drury says Jake Anderson and Chris Kerr are making remarkable efforts to regain fitness as quickly as possible.

Both were hurt in the Brummies' home defeat by Edinburgh on 12 May.

"Jake Anderson was in horrific pain a week ago but is talking about riding on Friday," said Drury.

"Chris Kerr [broken leg] is going to Ipswich to have some special oxygen treatment, hopefully that will speed up the process."

Anderson sustained arm and shoulder injuries but could be back in action only nine days after his crash, at Scunthorpe on Friday, while it is hoped that Kerr will return to racing within six weeks of breaking his leg.

"They are speedway riders and they go through the pain barrier to get fit again," said Drury.

"They only earn money when they're racing motorcycles. They're hard men, otherwise they wouldn't be speedway riders.

"I think maybe I've got sympathy with them having been a rider myself and having injuries.

"When you go to see the doctor and he says you've done your knee and you'll be out for six weeks, the mental framework says 'well, if you say six weeks, I'm going to make that three weeks'.

"So I know what they go through, they've got my admiration. It's a difficult and hard profession, and they know they are going to take knocks.

"But they must realise, and I'm sure they do, that when they take these knocks, they've got to prove to people that they can come back faster than the average man in the street."

The Brummies moved back to second in the Premier League with a 52-40 home win over Scunthorpe on Wednesday.

They took a long time to gain control of a closely-fought meeting, but Jason Lyons, Aaron Summers, Steve Johnston and Justin Sedgmen all returned double-figure scores.

BIRMINGHAM 52: Jason Lyons 14, Aaron Summers 12, Steve Johnston 11+1, Justin Sedgmen 10+3, Richard Sweetman 4, Tom Perry 1, Chris Kerr R/R.

SCUNTHORPE 40: David Howe 11, Tero Aarnio 10+1, Carl Wilkinson 6+1, Magnus Karlsson 6, Jerran Hart 5, Simon Lambert 2+2, Joel Parsons R/R.