IPSWICH Evening Star Witches rider manager Chris Louis today vowed to make it a perfect ten for their main sponsor.The Ipswich Evening Star has agreed to be the main sponsor of town's Elite League speedway club for the tenth season having first joined forces with the Witches in 1999.

Elvin King

IPSWICH Evening Star Witches rider manager Chris Louis today vowed to make it a perfect ten for their main sponsor.

The Ipswich Evening Star has agreed to be the main sponsor of town's Elite League speedway club for the tenth season having first joined forces with the Witches in 1999.

And Louis, who will be in his 20th year with the club and will again captain the side, welcomed the news.

He said: “The Evening Star has sponsored us for a decade now and in that time we have not won a significant trophy.

“It is about time we did, and 2008 is when we hope to repay them for their invaluable help.

“Speedway needs commercial support to survive more and more each year, and we are grateful to the significant input from the Evening Star.

“It is not just what comes in directly, it is also the magnificent coverage we receive taking our cause to a much wider audience.”

Ipswich won the treble in 1998, but apart from reaching the Knock-Out Cup final and league play-off semi-final in 2004 they have not enjoyed particularly good years since.

In 2003 they finished bottom of the table, and last season failed to win a single meeting away from Foxhall Stadium when they ended in the bottom two.

Louis is confident of having a winning 2008 side adding: “Last March you could pick out which clubs would end up in the top four.

“This season it is going to be much more competitive with more away victories and the majority of clubs being in with a real chance of winning the title.”