Arena Essex have completed their team line-up for next season with the signing of David Mason to fill one of the two reserve berths.

Mason, 23, is no stranger to the Purfleet Raceway having ridden for the Hammers in 1997 when he obtained an average of 4.07 having ridden 36 matches and scored 148 points.

The Crawley born rider was not retained for the following season but after indifferent spells with Newport and Stoke, he returned to the Hammers at the end of that season.

Once again Mason did not figure in their plans for last season and joined Swindon although he lost his place with the Wiltshire club.

He then joined the re-formed Rye House club in the Conference League and was sufficiently impressive that Arena team manager Peter Thorogood invited Mason to join the Hammers towards the end of the campaign to bolster the struggling reserve slot.

The rider, though, was concerned that his machinery was not good enough to allow him to perform to the required level and declined the offer preferring to continue his racing with Rye House in the lower league.

The new promoting consortium at Arena are hopeful that Mason can at last display the standards that made him the outstanding prospect in the Conference when he first started racing in 1996.

The season for the Hammers begins on Friday, March 31 with a challenge match against Isle of Wight.

The season's official fixtures commence with the Premier Trophy matches and the complete Arena fixtures for the season are:

Home matches (which start at 8pm):

Friday, April 7, Reading (PT); Friday, April 14, Isle of Wight (PT); Friday, April 21, Swindon (PT); Friday, April 28, Newport (PT); Friday, May 5, Exeter (PT); Friday, May 12, Stoke (PT); Friday, May 19 (open); Friday, May 26 (no meeting); Saturday, May 27, Edinburgh (PL); Friday, June 2, Berwick (PL); Friday, June 9, Edinburgh (KOC 1); Friday, June 16, Isle of Wight (PL); Friday, June 23 (no meeting); Friday, June 30, Swindon (PL); Friday, July 7, Workington (PL); Friday, July 14 (KOC 2 Workington/Newport); Friday, July 21, Reading (PL); Friday, July 28, Exeter (PL); Friday, August 4, Sheffield (PL); Friday, August 11 (reserved KOC S/F); Friday, August 18, Glasgow (PL); Friday, August 25, Stoke (PL); Friday, September 1, Newcastle (PL); Friday, September 8, Newport (PL).

Away matches:

Sunday, April 2, Newport (PT); Monday, April 3, Exeter (PT); Monday, April 10, Reading (PT); Thursday, April 13, Swindon (PT); Tuesday, May 2, Isle of Wight (PT); Saturday, May 5, Stoke (PT); Tuesday, June 6, Isle of Wight (PL); Saturday, June 10, Edinburgh (KOC); Sunday, June 11, Glasgow (PL); Sunday, June 18, Swindon (PL); Thursday, June 22, Sheffield (PL); Friday, June 23, Edinburgh (PL); Saturd ay, June 24, Berwick (PL); Monday, July 3, Exeter (PL); Sunday, July 9, *Newport (KOC); Saturday, July 15 *Workington (KOC); Sunday, July 30, Stoke (PL); Monday, July 31, Reading (PL); Sunday, August 6, Newport (PL); Saturday, August 19, Workington (PL); Sunday, August 20, Newcastle (PL).

All other Fridays in September and October are reserved for end of season play-offs. (all fixtures are subject to alteration.)

(Key: PT = Premier Trophy; PL = Premier League; KOC = Premier League Knockout Cup; * = fixture dependent on beating Edinburgh in Round One).

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