Injured Lynn Stars rider was prepared to risk further injury

King’s Lynn Stars team boss Dale Allitt revealed that injured speedway rider Michael Palm Toft was prepared to risk further damaging his broken wrist in a bid in to rescue his side’s cup final hopes.

Lynn desperately needed the scoring potential of the Dane in the second leg and in his absence ended up losing by 16 points overall against Somerset in the Knockout Cup following Thursday’s return clash at the Adrian Flux Arena.

Allitt said about the Tru Plant Stars reserve: “To be fair to Michael – and he wouldn’t like me saying this – but people need to know about his commitment.

“He was going to cut his cast off to ride tonight but he’d been told if he jarred it or he crashed he’d need an operation. It was my call. I said you’re not doing that; you can’t do that."

With star Norfolk-based rider Robert Lambert indicating a return to Lynn next year is his first choice, Allitt said that after taking a post-season break himself he would ponder his own situation.

Allitt added: “I need to go away and think. It was hard to come back after last year (when Allitt sat out half a season due to ill-health and Lynn finished second from bottom).

“I wanted to prove a point to me and to everyone else exactly where we’d be. I think I’ve done that. It’s hard to say but I wouldn’t want to be anywhere but here. My heart is in the club but there is a lot of thinking to do.

“Robert and I have a really close bond. He’s spoken about that over the course of the year and I think Robert and I will be working a little bit closer together, hopefully, next year.

“He’s enjoyed this year. We’ve turned some very dark days into some very positive days. I don’t want to say anything final. We need to sit down and have a few chats.

“I go on holiday in a couple of weeks but I know Buster (owner Keith Chapman) is keen to sort things out.”

Allitt paid tribute to his team, saying: “Even when we knew we lost the title versus Poole we got a 5-1 in Heat 15. Even when we lost the cup tonight we got back and got the draw, which we never looked like doing.

“That shows tremendous heart. It’s so easy to go into a hole and disappear but they stood up to be counted.”