HANS Andersen has revealed how he almost failed to make it for Panthers’ Bank Holiday meetings with Belle Vue last month.
Andersen, a club legend at the Showground, was in Poland the day before the back-to-back meetings with the Aces and had to plot a way to Manchester for a midday start.
And with travel rules in place it wasn’t a simple process – and he was close to missing out completely.
He said: “I had a very interesting journey! The thing is, even though I had an early meeting in Poland, there were no flights from Poland into England on Sunday.
“Even on Monday I couldn’t get any flights that would get me into Manchester in time for the first meeting.
“Then suddenly a flight popped up in Denmark – so I went back to Denmark after the meeting in Poland, I got home at 3.20am that morning and at 4.30am I left for the airport again!
“So I had 45 minutes in my own bed, and then I had an hour on the plane to Frankfurt because as well at the moment with the Corona situation there are no direct flights either.
“So I flew to Germany, sat around in Frankfurt for an hour and a half, and then I had another hour’s sleep on the plane to Manchester.
“I got in at 10.30am and then I was literally into the shop to get a bit of water, plus a coffee of course which I needed to wake up, and straight to the track, into my suit and off for Heat 1!”
Panthers are back in action tonight when they head to injury hit Ipswich before returning to home shale next Monday, June 14, against in-form Wolverhampton.
They beat rivals King’s Lynn on Monday night and head into the meetings in good heart.
Talented teenager Jordan Palin showed good signs with 4+1, his highest tally in Panthers colours on Monday.
“It was a great performance,” said boss Rob Lyon.
“It really was a great reaction to the disappointment of last Monday here and it was a real true team performance at that as well.
“From 1-7, everyone chipped in with some great points, topped off by the skipper getting a paid maximum.
“That rounded the night off superbly for us and there was plenty we can take from tonight into the next meeting and into the rest of the season.”