Arena Essex are facing up to the reality of double-headers as they battle to clear a backlog of fixtures.

The Hammers were due to take on Elite League team Ipswich Witches in the British League Cup at Purfleet on Friday night, but the meeting was called off after heavy rain.

The postponement was the third in the last four home meetings to have fallen foul of the weather.

And promoter Ronnie Russell and his staff are now juggling the fixture list in a bid to reschedule the trio.

Russell is worried about the lost revenue and losing spectators as a result of the cancellations.

"Once we arrive on a race day and start work, we have to pay the full cost of hiring the circuit," he said.

"I felt that with the quality of the racing and the way the team was performing, we were beginning to convince people that we meant business this season and our attendances were beginning to improve.

"I've met quite a few people who had just began to return to follow the club, but who knows whether they will continue?

"It's very easy for people to get out of the habit and I do have concerns in whether we will succeed in maintaining their re-discovered interest."

Published Tuesday, May 20, 2003

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