Fen Tiger Thompson

Mark Thompson has been confirmed as Mildenhall's surprise fifth signing for the 2005 campaign in what will astonishingly be his fourth spell at the club.

25 year-old Thompson comes into the team on a grade 9 and will be the team's third heat leader alongside Jon Armstrong and Chris Schramm. It leaves new team manager Wayne Swales just 8 points left with two further places to fill and he expects to announce the sixth signing in a few days.

Orsett-born Thompson first rode for the Fen Tigers under Dingle Brown's regime in his 1996 debut season, returning two years later for a two season spell and was back again a further three years down the line during Graham Drury's takeover in 2002.

Very much a journeyman of third division speedway (once described as 'have bikes, will travel' by Neil Weston in the Mildenhall programme), he has turned out for King's Lynn, Peterborough, Sittingbourne, Eastbourne, Linlithgow, St Austell, Newport, Boston and, last season, Swindon among others in his 9-year career to-date.

Fleeting appearances for Arena Essex in the Premier League never materialised into anything sustained and he began last season with Weymouth until it became apparent that his board-riding attributes weren't best suited to the small circuit and he joined Swindon where he totalled a 7.47 average from 9 fixtures.

The Mildenhall promotion are still working to fix a date for press and practice next month.