SHEFFIELD stalwart Kyle Howarth is back once again in 2023 - and has committed an even longer-term future to the club.
The Tru Plant Tigers' skipper has not only signed up for a seventh straight season in South Yorkshire, but club bosses have also moved to purchase his contract from the British Speedway Promoters' Ltd.
Howarth, who won the second division with Sheffield in 2017 as well as the Premiership League Cup this year, has become a firm fans' favourite since arriving at Owlerton.
And co-promoter Damien Bates says purchasing Howarth's contract is something they have been keen to do for a while.
"You can't go wrong with Kyle," Bates said.
"He's a fully committed rider with a great attitude, he's fantastic to watch around Sheffield, he's a good team man both on and off the track and he's hugely popular with our supporters.
"He's part of the furniture at Sheffield now and it's hard to imagine a Sheffield side without him in it.
"We've been looking at adding him to our assets list for a couple of years now, but for one reason or another it hasn't happened.
"But investing in assets is vital for any club's future and so it made sense to get a firmer hold of someone like Kyle.
"He had what I'd say was another solid enough season in the Premiership in 2022.
"Having said that, I still think there's even more to come from him.
"The way the team is being built, I actually think it will help Kyle over the course of the season and I think we'll get even more out of him in 2023."
