Douglas is a lifelong speedway fan

Douglas took over the promotion of the speedway outfit in 2007 and is hoping the side can build on last season's fifth place finish in the Elite League.

He told BBC Essex: "I think it's going to be a big season for the Hammers.

"We need to be in the play-offs, we need to give the fans a lot of things to cheer about to help spread the word about speedway in this area."

He added: "I think we exceeded expectations last year. I think the fans are looking forward towards a big season."

We've tried to set the club up with a more professional approach commercially Stuart Douglas

The life-long speedway fan, who grew up watching the Rayleigh Rockets, took over the reigns with co-promoter Jon Cook just over a year ago.

With one season now under his belt, he is now looking to push forward with the momentum gained last season.

He said: "Last year we had to scramble to put a team together, we had to scramble to get the promotion working. It was all very last-minute.

"We've had a bit more time this year, we're a lot more professional in our outlook.

"I'm going to encourage our riders to stay fit, stay healthy, try to do fewer air miles if they can. It's really crucial that we avoid injuries this year."

Douglas wants his side to avoid costly injuries

Away from the on-track action, Douglas is also working hard on increasing the profile of the Lakeside Hammers with the local community, businesses and media.

He explains: "At the end of the day it is a business. Speedway clubs can't survive on the generosity of one person's profits.

"So we've tried to set the club up with a more professional approach commercially.

"It's very hard attracting money from businesses, but we're making pretty good progress - we could always do with more.

"The more input we get from the fans, local businesses and the local media, the bigger this club will become."