Sheffield Tigers: Club being up for sale 'will have no impact on track'

Despite injury and form concerns going into the event, Tigers delivered on the big stage once again, missing out by just one point to Somerset – who they face at Owlerton this Sunday (5.30).

But with the club being put up for sale last week, Stead believes it was just the boost everyone needed and insists it’s important to remain focussed on bringing more success to the Steel city.

“Whatever’s going on with the club behind the scene doesn’t need to impact on what happens on track,” Stead said.

“The management and the promotion are still behind everything in the short term and right now that’s what matters most.

“There are no problems or issues internally whatsoever – they’re just looking to move the club forward and there’s no better way to do that than being able to offer a successful team to potential new buyers.

“Sheffield has had many glory days over the years and as people know by now it’s a club that will always be very close to my heart.

“It’s my club at the end of the day; I’ve had many great memories as a rider and we’ve been through a lot in my two-and-a-bit years as team manager.

“The club has enjoyed plenty of success though and the plan in the immediate future is to add to that.

“Sunday was a massive result for us; of course we were a bit disappointed to miss out because I thought we were actually good enough to win the meeting.

“And we proved that by actually being ahead in the Final along the way.

“But we just faded a little in the last couple of races but fair play to Danny (King), who had that leg problem from Scunthorpe on Friday don’t forget, he went out and won a stormer to earn us that second place.

“With one or two things were seemingly going against us in the build-up, people had started to write us off and weren’t giving us much chance of getting through the qualifiers.

“But the boys showed their mettle to dig deep and chip away once again.

“I really do feel we can use that meeting and result as a bit of a motivational factor going forward into some big fixtures coming up.”