MEETING PREVIEW: Failure against struggling Bears is not an option

Anders Thomsen in action for Panthers last season.

And promoter Ged Rathbone insists failure is not an option on the biggest night of Peterborough’s season so far.

Rathbone acknowledges that success against the next-to-bottom Bears is absolutely vital if Peterborough are to put their faltering Premier League play-off challenge back on track.

And he has called for a combined effort from bosses, riders and supporters to make that happen on a night when the Panthers team begins to change shape.

Popular Danish star Anders Thomsen begins his second spell as a Peterborough rider while Danny Halsey steps into the number seven berth as the club’s new mandatory Brit.

Rathbone said: “It is a huge night and a meeting we simply have to win.

“We’ve been in the play-off places throughout the season, but we now find ourselves in a position where we could slip out of the top six if we don’t up our game.

“That’s the reason we decided to make changes as we are not going to just sit back and potentially risk not being in the play-offs.

“Hopefully the arrivals of Anders and Danny can give us the boost we need with more signings then coming into effect after this meeting.

“Our recent form hasn’t been good and neither has our home form in 2016, but hopefully we can begin to put both things right with a good performance and the win we desperately need.

“We all need to turn up with our ‘A’ game and we also need the fans to do what they do best - that’s get behind the boys and create a cracking atmosphere.

“Redcar will be no pushovers though and anyone who thinks otherwise will be mistaken. They might be having a tough season, but they have plenty of guys who can ride the Showground well.”

Outgoing duo Nikolaj Busk Jakobsen and Ashley Morris make farewell Peterborough appearances tonight. They are then due to replaced by major signing Kenneth Bjerre and former Elite League title-winner Richard Hall for the remainder of the season.

TEAMS

PETERBOROUGH ‘T BALFE CONSTRUCTION’ PANTHERS: Craig Cook, Danny Halsey, Zdenek Holub, Nikolaj Busk Jakobsen, Ashley Morris, Ulrich Ostergaard, Anders Thomsen.

REDCAR: Jonas B. Andersen, David Bellego, Lasse Bjerre, Tobias Busch, Jye Etheridge, Lee Payne, Hugh Skidmore.