By Paul Baker - Dorset Echo

If Speedway get the green light from the planners to run at Weymouth this season, fans favourite Tom Brown is hoping not to be involved. Not that the Welsh Wizard has anything against the club, far from it. Last season's Wildcats Team Rider of the Year says he's ready for a move up the speedway ladder and is hoping to land a Premier League spot for 2006.

The Stoke asset explained: "I had a belting year at Weymouth last season and really enjoyed myself. Winning the Conference Fours and the Knockout Cup was fantastic an the fans down there are amazing the very best. But my main hope for the summer was, and still is, to get fixed up in the Premier League. I feel I have served a good apprenticeship and I'm ready for the step up. Sometimes you have to take the plunge and go for it and I feel that given the chance of a run in the Premier, I can defiantly score the points. It's frustrating to be this close to the start of the season and not have been offered a team place anywhere. I can see a number of riders missing out all together and maybe it's a positive thing that there are more riders than team places available. But I feel that I have worked really hard since a bad back injury three years ago and I desire a chance. Things went really well for me at Weymouth and so I just hope somebody will look at my recent record and give me a go in the Premier.

Brown says he's identified possible openings at Stoke and have always ridden well there. I'm hopeful of sneaking into their side and they could always use me in their Conference set up as well. " Berwick is a neat track that I like riding on and while the travelling is an issue, it would be worth it for a Premier place. I'm not sure whether Newport would consider having me back although it's on my doorstep - basically we'll just have to see what happens in the next couple of weeks. At this stage I'm not ruling anything out. Obviously I'd love to go Premier but I'm not saying it would be a waste of time going back in the Conference. Things are a bit up in the air with the planning at Weymouth with no guarantee they'll be running. But if they are then who knows? Like I've always said, I had a great year there in 2005 and I wouldn't rule out a return. but it's only January so there's a bit of time yet and I'm sure it will all fall into place."