NEWPORT Speedway boss Steve Mallett has hailed a bumper crowd at Sunday’s Welsh Open Championship but has pleaded with fans to back the Wasps.

Just over 1,000 fans headed to Queensway Meadows to watch American ace Ryan Fisher lift the trophy.

The Welsh Open provides an annual shot in the arm financially for speedway in the city but bigger turnouts are needed for the bread and butter of the Premier League.

Scunthorpe visit this Saturday (tapes-up 7pm) and Mallett is hoping that the Wasps are backed by another sizeable crowd.

“The Welsh Open was a fantastic event and we had fans from Scotland, America and a bus load of Germans,” said the owner.

“It was a really good crowd and I just wish we had the same for Wasps meetings. We need the fans to come out in force.

“Times are tough economically but we need the consistent backing of our fans for the sport to survive in Newport.

“The future is okay for the moment but the crowd levels are still below what we need for survival.

“We are desperate for consistent support and need the fans coming through the gates if we are to keep going in the long term.”

A poor start to the season means that the 13th-placed Wasps are not where they would like to be in the Premier League table.

However, Mallett believes there is a feel-good factor at Queensway Meadows despite their lowly status – as was shown by a crushing win against Glasgow last time out.

He said: “We’ve got a really good team at the moment with the likes of Jason Doyle and Charlie Gjedde - it’s a dream team really and I hope that the old fans will come back.

“We may not be doing too well in the table but I know that Newport is seen as a good club to ride for.

“That is down to the improvements we have made in recent years – the surface is always marked highly by the referees and riders love it here.

“We have done as much as we can for the club and if the fans want the sport to stay in Newport then we need them to come down because there is some quality speedway to watch.”