IT was announced at the Somerset fans’ forum held by the Rebels management at the Oak Tree clubhouse last week that Dickies, the main team sponsors this season are to continue their support of the Rebels for the 2011 campaign.

IT was announced at the Somerset fans’ forum held by the Rebels management at the Oak Tree clubhouse last week that Dickies, the main team sponsors this season are to continue their support of the Rebels for the 2011 campaign.

American-based Dickies were established in 1922 and are the world’s leading supplier of work-wear. With the European offices for Dickies based in Somerset, where they also have two factory outlets, their proximity to the Rebels’ Highbridge track was one of the major factors behind their continuing support for the team, and Mark Saunders, co-promoter for the Somerset Rebels stated that the club is delighted to have Dickies on board for another term.

“Dickies are a global name and it’s a privilege to be connected with such a well established and renowned company. Over the last three years Somerset speedway has built a good working relationship with the company, so that when Maurice Morton, their European sales and marketing director confirmed extension of their sponsorship, everyone involved at the club was overjoyed.”

“As well as the sponsorship of the club, Dickies also provide clothing for the riders, mechanics, and track staff from their product range which enables the club staff to be well turned out at meetings, thus helping to promote the professional image we strive to portray here at Somerset.”

It was also announced that the team would continue to ride in the blue and yellow team kevlars that were introduced for the 2010 season.

“We originally changed from the club’s traditional colours of red and blue to that of yellow and blue as a memorial to Emil Kramer,,” Saunders explained, “and whilst we had originally indicated that we would revert back to the red and blue team colours for 2011, a number of fans have stated that they preferred the new bike cover colours and design, plus as a management team, we felt that we wanted to have more of a lasting team memorial for Emil rather than it being for just for a single season.”

“Additionally we are looking to stage an Emil Kramer memorial meeting during next season, it may even be that we open up our season with such a meeting, though no set decision has been made on this front yet, and it is our intention to put together a line-up befitting of the occasion, with the aim of the meeting to help raise further funds for Emil’s daughter’s trust fund.”