Peterborough Panthers have made Lewis Blackbird their fourth confirmed signing for the 2014 Premier League season.

Peterborough Panthers have made Lewis Blackbird their fourth confirmed signing for the 2014 Premier League season.

The 26-year-old locally-based rider will be following in the family tradition as his uncles Mark and Paul both rode for the club, and his father Carl also competed in the sport.

Lewis achieved an average of just under five in his first full Premier League season in 2013, which he started at Leicester before switching to Scunthorpe after the early weeks. He was also a major part of Dudley’s trophy-laden season at National League level, having achieved a similar feat with Mildenhall the previous year.

Blackbird will start in the main body of the Panthers team and has also secured a top-flight berth with Eastbourne as part of the recent draft process for reserves.

He said: “I’ve turned down a few other clubs because I had my heart set on coming to Peterborough, so it is great that everything has worked out.

“Being in the main body of a Premier League side is a new thing for me, but I’m confident I can handle it.”

Blackbird joins Ryan Fisher, Lasse Bjerre and Ulrich Ostergaard as confirmed starters for 2014 with further news expected in the near future.