Scorpions purchase Jake Allen

ATTIS INSURANCE Scunthorpe Scorpions now own the contract of Australian star Jake Allen, after buying his contract from Somerset.

The 26-year-old first appeared in British Speedway in 2016, helping Somerset Rebels to the Premier League championship.

He made his debut for Scunthorpe in August 2017, joining Scorpions on loan as a mid-season replacement for Carl Wilkinson.

Jake also rode for the North Lincolnshire club in 2018 and 2019, establishing himself as one of Scorpions’ leading lights.

He would have ridden for Scunthorpe for the aborted 2020 season, and he was originally part of Scorpions’ line-up for this season, before concerns over Covid-19 restrictions saw him reluctantly pull out of British Speedway in January.

By the time that Jake changed his mind over travelling to the UK, Scorpions had already signed his good friend, Josh MacDonald, as a replacement, and Jake spent the 2021 season at Redcar.

While owning his contract doesn’t guarantee that Jake will ride for Scorpions in 2022, it does significantly shorten the odds.

Scunthorpe promoter Rob Godfrey said: “My thanks go to the Somerset promotion, who gave us first refusal to sign Jake Allen from them.

“Jake signed on the dotted line willingly, because we share a good relationship and he knows that we will never mess him about.

“I’m delighted to have Jake on a full contract. He’s a quality rider, who has done a fantastic job for Scorpions in the past and no doubt will do the same in the future.

“I also want to thank everyone who came to the Eddie Wright Raceway this year to see the Attis Insurance Scunthorpe Scorpions in action. We had good crowds this season, which were above average. I’ve always said we invest every penny raised back into the club and, on this occasion, it’s helped us buy the contract of Jake Allen.”

The good news was delivered to fans last Friday in the clubhouse, following the final home fixture of the season to Leicester.

* ATTIS INSURANCE Scunthorpe Scorpions complete their season with the second leg of their play-off quarter-final tie at Leicester this Saturday (October 9). Scorpions are still missing Thomas Jorgensen, Tero Aarnio and Theo Pijper, and the result is expected to be a formality after Lions won the first leg at the Eddie Wright Raceway by 54-36.

PIC by Ian Rispin.