A season that promised so much and yet failed to deliver ends with Arena Essex hoping to avoid defeat at a Conference League track.

Tomorrow (Saturday) is the second leg of the challenge against Rye House, in which the Premier League side have a six-point advantage from a fortnight ago.

It's not going to be easy for the Hammers because as in the first leg, the Rockets have the use of an Elite League rider in Eastbourne's Brent Werner and two from the Premier.

Reading's Phil Morris again guests for the Hoddesdon-based side, but they'll be no Ray Morton because the Isle of Wight rider recently broke his collarbone.

His place is taken by Hull's Jamie Smith, who apparently is something of a Rye House specialist. He has a Premier League average of 5.21.

Smith is the only change to the one which lost 48-42, while Hammers have all of their "big guns" available and bring in one-time Rocket and former Conference League Arena rider Nathan Morton at reserve.

Because Lee Herne has returned to his native Australia, the other rider at the bottom end is Reading's Chris Schramm.

The meeting will be a foretaste of next season because Rye House have been accepted into the Premier League.

"Everyone at Arena was delighted by that news," said team manager and member of the promoting consortium Peter Thorogood.

"It gives us a local derby which is something we've not had for many years."

There is the possibility of another Premier newcomer next year in the shape of the Somerset Rebels, who are based some ten miles south of Weston-Super-Mare.

Meanwhile former Arena Essex promoter Terry Russell is hoping to gain the necessary planning permission at the existing training facilities at Iwade near Sittingbourne to bring Elite League speedway to Kent.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.