SHEFFIELD Speedway are delighted to welcome one of the club’s all-time greats back to the city this week.

Classy Californian Shawn Moran, who retired 17-years ago, will be at Owlerton for an evening with supporters this Wednesday night in the Panorama Room.

And copies of his brand new life story DVD will also be on sale for ‘Shooey’ to sign on the night.

The following evening he will be the club’s guest of honour at the Premier League clash with high flying Workington.

Moran admits he is excited about his return to the steel city – but a little nervous too!

He said: “It’s been 17 long years since I was last in Britain and I’ve not been back since I quit at Sheffield soon after the start of the 1994 season.

“I still have big regrets about doing that and the way my career ended, because I sure didn’t mean it to end that way. I should really have stopped riding at Belle Vue at the end of ’93 but I took a complete break from racing that winter and thought I would still be feeling OK when the new season started.

“But as soon as I got back on a bike for Sheffield I knew I’d made the wrong decision. I was just frightened of getting hurt and deliberately missed the gate because I didn’t want to be involved on turn one. I don’t know why, it was just something that came over me.

“I felt bad when I phoned Neil Machin to say I couldn’t ride anymore – and yes, I felt I’d let down him and the Sheffield supporters, who were always right behind me.

“I met quite a lot of Tigers supporters when they bought my new DVD at Cardiff on Saturday and they all gave me a great reception and were very friendly. Apart from the end part, I loved my time at Sheffield and I’ve been looking forward to going back there for so long now.”

Tickets for the ‘evening with Shawn Moran’ are available on the door for just £5 and it starts at 8pm.