The Somerset Rebels open the campaign tomorrow (Fri) against the Plymouth Devils.

WITH the new speedway season now underway, the Cases Somerset Rebels open their campaign tomorrow (Fri) with the visit of local rivals the Plymouth Devils.

This will be the first leg of their Air-Fence Challenge matches, the return fixture being at Plymouth’s St Boniface Arena the following night.

For Somerset fans, Friday’s meeting will be the first opportunity to see their new-look septet in competitive action, though newly installed number one, Nick Morris, will be missing from the line-up as his Elite League duties with Swindon take precedent.

The Rebels have made a late change to their team line-up for the new speedway season, with Nick Morris coming back into the starting septet in place of Ty Proctor.

Morris was a member of last season’s successful Somerset team and was originally announced as being retained by the Somerset promotion for 2014, only to be subsequently released in December.

The Rebels were further hit in early February with news that their number one from last year, Jason Doyle, would not be returning to the club due to visa issues.

Somerset subsequently signed Ty Proctor as Doyle’s replacement. But, as Somerset team manager and co-promoter Garry May explained, a change in Morris’ circumstances paved the way for his surprise return to Somerset colours.

May said: “When I originally released Nick from our proposed team for 2014 towards the end of last year, the deciding factor was the number of Somerset matches he would have missed due to other potential riding commitments.

“But I was recently advised that a change in those commitments had freed up his schedule to the extent that he could be accommodated back within the Somerset line-up.”