LEICESTER have parted company with double-winning captain Scott Nicholls – with a massive vote of thanks for his service to the club.
Nicholls led the Watling JCB Lions to their greatest-ever season in 2019, culminating in a first-ever league title to go alongside their earlier Championship Shield success.
But the seven-time British Champion won’t be returning next year for their defence of the trophies.
Nicholls is a highly respected TV studio analyst on the Grand Prix/Speedway of Nations series, which also runs on Leicester’s regular home race-night of Saturday.
Team boss Stewart Dickson explained: “We feel that Scott’s commitments with BT Sport next season are just too tight to fit our fixtures around.
“We agreed with Scott at the start of this season that we would run the Cubs when he was working with BT, but at times it was a struggle if a meeting was rained-off and needed rescheduling, although of course that was no fault of Scott.
“With uncertainty over how many National League fixtures we would have in 2020, it was in the best interests of both parties to go their separate ways.
“There has been no fall-out whatsoever and we wish our 2019 Championship-winning captain all the best for next season, and we look forward to seeing him back at the Paul Chapman & Sons Arena in the future.
“He has played a massive part in where we are today, and will always go down as the first captain of Leicester to ever lift a league trophy.”
Nicholls, a former top-league title winner with Ipswich and Coventry, joined the Lions for the closing stages of their Premiership campaign of 2018 and stayed to lead the club into what turned out to be a hugely successful new era this year.
He said: “I really enjoyed my time with the Lions, Stewart was a fantastic team manager and I had a brilliant bunch of team-mates too.
“It was not only very enjoyable to win the two medals, but it was also special as I know how much it meant to the club and, most importantly, the fans.
“I’d like to wish them all the best for 2020 and thank-you to everyone that supported me.”
Dickson, meanwhile, says team plans for next season are at an advanced stage, although the club won’t be making any announcements until after the BSPA AGM.
That meeting, where league structures and regulations for 2020 will be rubber-stamped, takes place next week – and the Lions expect to name their first signing the day after it concludes.
Dickson added: “We feel it’s right to wait until the AGM is over, and then we can make team announcements for next season.
“We have been very active and we are sure our supporters will be pleased with what we are trying to put together for the defence of our title.”
