SITTINBOURNE Crusaders have finally heard some positive news about their future after the club's AGM.

Training will close for two weeks to allow essential maintenance work to be carried out at the Old Gun Site in preparation for the new competitive season.

A club spokesperson said: "We need to carry out some maintenance to the safety fence with around 150 wooden panels to be prepared and put into position. We also need to put in place a new referees’ box, the old one having finally having come to the end of its life. Then there's track works involving lifting and relaying the second bend.

"All of this will cost money and time. The training facilities we provide are extremely popular and provide a vital service to riders – especially during these winter months. They also provide us with the income we need to carry out these works."

The plan is to shut training operations for a fortnight in at the beginning of April and re-open with an exciting series of five Club Championship events through May and June ready to enter a brand new national competition, the Conference Shield, in July.

With the Conference League, which the Crusaders competed in for the first time in nine seasons in 2005, becoming an early season event and missing last year's top three clubs as well as Sittingbourne, most agree that the big event for Speedway’s third division sides will be the Shield.

The July start date allows Sittingbourne to carry out their track works before starting their competitive season. The competition may see the return of some or even all of the currently absent sides,plus the addition of brand new club Plymouth and maybe new teams riding out of Yeovil and Birmingham.