KING'S Lynn have announced their resignation from the National League.
The Young Stars team has been withdrawn from the third tier by the Norfolk promotion, who are unable to track a full team because of a spate of injuries and retirements. Lynn lost Kyle Hughes before the start of the season, then saw Danny Phillips ruled out by serious injuries following a crash at Mildenhall on May 7. Now Josh Bailey has elected to take time out of the sport as he bids to regain full fitness following a badly broken collar-bone, which leaves the Young Stars unable to put a competitive team on track. Lynn have completed five National League fixtures so far, but in a club statement, declared that "with a lack of available options for replacements, despite numerous enquiries, the club have reluctantly come to the conclusion that they cannot see out the season in the third tier.""¨ Co-promoter Dale Allitt (pictured) said: "It was an incredibly difficult decision, although really things have been tough ever since Kyle retired before the season had even started."¨ "That put us on the back foot as we weren't able to secure a new No. 1 along with Josh, and although Scott (Campos) agreed to do the first month of the season we always knew it was going to be hard."¨ "We were confident of bringing in someone to fill the gap, albeit maybe not an eight or nine-point rider, but then things got worse with Danny's injury, which was terrible for him and for both ourselves and Newcastle."¨ "That dealt us a real hammer blow, especially as it was in Scott's first meeting in charge, so then we were basically down to Josh, rider replacement and a guest, and although massive efforts have been made to bring riders in, we weren't able to do so."¨ "I won't lie, some of it was down to finance, we were outbid on a couple of riders who were available, and a couple of others who we spoke to just didn't want to ride for anything like what we were willing to pay."¨ "Then last night I spoke to Josh, who informed me of his decision to take time out. He broke his collar-bone quite badly last August, and the plate only came out ten days before the season started."¨ "He crashed again on Wednesday in the Premiership match against Rye House and immediately felt a lot of pain. He's been struggling with movement since he had the plate out, and at the moment he doesn't feel able to commit to race properly."¨ "That left us as a Young Stars team with basically Ryan Kinsley as our No. 1 rider at 3.62, and after much consideration we feel pulling out is the only option we can take."¨ "We've had to think not only about ourselves but also about the league as a whole, which maybe in recent times people haven't done."¨ "We don't want to go to other clubs with a massively weakened team. It's not good business for them, people don't turn up to watch, and they end up paying a great deal of money out."¨ "It also completely destroys what you're trying to build at the club, because you can't put 15-year-old kids out without leadership."¨ "It's very disappointing that we've got to tell the riders we have left that there isn't an opportunity to race National League at King's Lynn any more this year, but we will endeavour to get those guys fixed up elsewhere and also continue to give them track time."¨ "We were trying to get through things, but after all the setbacks it's just become impossible.""¨ Allitt added: "It's very disappointing and upsetting on a personal level. I've been involved in the National League through Boston and then King's Lynn Young Stars for over a decade, and I never envisaged or wanted to see our team go in this manner. "¨ "I've informed the management committee and it's important to stress the decision was made in conjunction with the NL co-ordinator Peter Morrish, who has reluctantly accepted our resignation from the league, so our results will be expunged, although the riders who have new averages will keep those."¨ "Hopefully it's not the end for King's Lynn in the National League, but I do think the league will need to change. We are the first but I don't think we will be the last, I think teams are on the edge at the moment for the reasons that we are."¨ "The National League has probably become a victim of its own success over recent times, because of its evolution. "I just hope that after all the good that has been done over the years, the league doesn't lose that ethic of bringing young kids through."¨ "That would be a shame for British Speedway, because we need our British riders now more than ever because of the changes around the world in speedway.""¨