Pain's no barrier for Davey (From Bournemouth Echo)

Pain's no barrier for Davey

7:00am Friday 4th July 2008 in

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PIRATES star Davey Watt has revealed he would love to remember what it's like to be fully fit as he continually rides through the pain barrier.

The Australian ace admits he has been suffering from a long running problem with his neck that also gives him headaches.

But he's stressed he doesn't want to use his niggling injury woe as an excuse for not piling up more points for Poole Castle Cover.

Watt, who lines up for Pirates at Coventry in the Elite League tonight (8pm), said: "Fifteen months ago I had a big crash at Eastbourne and I'm still getting physio and taking tablets for that.

"When I had a crash in Sweden earlier this season, it brought that all back.

"I landed on my backside and my back and neck were quite bad as well.

"In hindsight I shouldn't have ridden because my back and neck are still very sore and I still have headaches.

"I don't want to use them as excuses though. I like winning races but I'm not 100 per cent fit. I don't want to blame a bad race here and there on that.

"It is affecting my back, but I feel I should be able to overcome that.

"At the end of the day, I just need to get on with the job, but I would love to remember what is fully fit.

"It's my neck, the muscles around my neck give me headaches. It's not really great.

"Mornings are pretty hard and I'm always stretching even when I've just finished meetings.

"I'm always stretching my neck muscles when I'm travelling to meetings as well."

Asked how he felt when he was actually racing, Watt said: "It's not 100 per cent. I feel it and I'm always sore.

"But when you are riding you concentrate hard, put it to the back of your mind and do the job.

"Sometimes it's tough because on a bumpy track you can feel it, but that's not an excuse.

"I think I'm riding okay. I've just been struggling with bikes.

"It's been the same in all three countries (Watt also rides in Sweden and Poland).

"I feel I've been riding as hard as I can but it makes it difficult when things haven't been going your way.

"It's just a shame I haven't been scoring the points I should have. But I'm putting all that behind me and moving forward."

Pirates, who have already lost 48-45 and 58-32 in the league and Craven Shield at Brandon this season respectively, are at full strength tonight.

Bees are without injured Chris Harris and Billy Janniro, while Rory Schlein and Simon Stead are at Motala, Sweden, for practice before tomorrow's Grand Prix semi-final qualifier.

They use rider replacement for Harris and bring in Piotr Swiderski, Fredrik Lindgren and Tai Woffinden as guests.

Coventry: 1 Rider replacement for Chris Harris, 2 (guest) Tai Woffinden, 3 (guest) Fredrik Lindgren, 4 Oliver Allen, 5 (guest) Piotr Swiderski, 6 Stanislaw Burza, 7 Andreas Messing.

Pirates: 1 Chris Holder, 2 Magnus Zetterstrom, 3 Davey Watt, 4 Adam Skornicki, 5 Bjarne Pedersen, 6 Freddie Eriksson, 7 Daniel Davidsson.