Signing No 4: Flyin’ Ryan to jet back in for Scorpions

POPULAR Australian Ryan Douglas will return for his fourth successive season at Scunthorpe’s Eddie Wright Raceway in 2016.

The 22-year-old becomes the fourth name on the Scorpions’ team sheet, following Czech Republic international Zdenek Holub and fellow Aussies Taylor Poole and Alex Davies.

The unfortunate Douglas suffered with injury throughout 2015 and his luck can only improve in 2016.

Scunthorpe promoter Rob Godfrey said: “Last season, Ryan got injured in Australia, we waited, we brought him back and you could see the quality straight away. Then he gets injured again, he comes back, and blow me, he gets injured again!

“It was just bad luck as well. You can’t do anything about being collected on the first bend, as Ryan was at Scunthorpe last season.

“But next year will be Ryan’s year, I think. He can’t possibly have another season of injuries like the last one. Let’s hope he’s got all of his bad luck out of the way in one go.

“He’s on a good average (6.68), there’s massive improvement in him, and I think he’s only going one way now. He is a quality rider who is only going to improve.”

Godfrey also revealed that Ryan will be on the second year of a three-year visa.

“There are no visa problems surrounding Ryan’s return, because we already had the lad on a three-year visa.

“He’s on a three-year contract with Scunthorpe, with a three-year visa attached. Next year is the second of those three years.

“What that means is that Ryan has to attain a seven-point average by the end of that three-year contract.

“But I’m quite confident he will achieve a seven-point average, in fact far in excess of that, this coming year.

“Ryan is so easy to deal with. He hardly ever moans, he lives in Scunny and he’s like a Scunny lad now. Everyone here loves him to bits.

“I am very happy with the way things are going with the team. I knew what we wanted and the way we wanted to go and we are achieving that goal with signings so far.

“There’s more to come from all of the four riders we’ve signed so far.”

SCUNTHORPE SCORPIONS 2016 (with starting average):
Zdenek Holub (7.00)
Ryan Douglas (6.68)
Alex Davies (6.26)
Taylor Poole (6.05)

The Scorpions’ fifth signing will be revealed next Thursday.