Ipswich Tru7 Group Witches icon Scott Nicholls admits having three Kevins at Foxhall has caused confusion ahead of their home clash with Northampton on Thursday.
Danish reserve Kevin Juhl Pedersen joined the Witches last month, replacing luckless Swedish star Philip Hellstrom-Bangs, who was unable to find his best form in the Rowe Motor Premiership after serving a suspension in early May, which was closely followed by a period of illness.
A stellar guest appearance away to Northampton on June 29, which saw Juhl Pedersen score a match-winning six paid seven points against the Foxes, convinced Witches bosses to bring him into the side full-time.
But that posed considerable problems at a club that already boasts two Kevins – with team manager Paul Hurry and long-time friend Nicholls both nicknaming each other Kevin for decades.
Nicholls explained: “It goes back to our grasstrack days. Stupidly, he kept calling me Kevin and I kept calling him Kevin, so we call each other Kevin, which just confuses everyone.
“When a genuine Kevin came into the team, we were thinking, ‘Oh no! This has really gone wrong.’
“It has been agreed that the real Kevin is not allowed to be called Kevin, even though it’s his birth name.
“There are already two Kevins in the team with me and Kevin, the team manager. In the group chat, it was agreed that he’s now Shotgun Larry, so the fans can now get used to Shotgun or Shotgun Larry.
“He has a double-barrelled last name, so it was either Shotgun or Twelve Bore. Shotgun won on that. Then we thought he has got floppy hair, so Larry kind of suits. That’s his new name.”
All joking aside, Nicholls has been impressed with Juhl Pedersen’s dedication to the Ipswich cause as the club pushes for the play-offs.
He said: “Kevin has come in and has been a breath of fresh air. He is certainly putting the effort in. He has put some points on the board, and that’s good to see. He will have gone to all of the tracks blind, but you can’t knock his effort.
“He has a positive attitude, he’s determined, I am pleased to have him in the team, and hopefully he can give us that extra bit of support at reserve.”
The Witches track a full-strength side for their showdown with the Foxes, with Richard Lawson replacing Tom Brennan at No.1, the double FIM Speedway of Nations world champion switching to No.4, skipper Danny King pairing with him at No.3 and Nicholls moving to No.2.
Northampton heads to Foxhall bolstered by the signing of former Witches favourite Adam Ellis and Aussie SGP2 star Mitch McDiarmid, who doubles up with Oxford.
Advance tickets for the Northampton showdown are still available online HERE, with cash accepted at turnstiles and card payments available at the entrance to the right.
For those fans who can’t make it to Foxhall, racing can be streamed live on WitchesTV HERE.
STARTING LINE-UP
IPSWICH TRU7 GROUP WITCHES: 1. Richard Lawson, 2. Scott Nicholls, 3. Danny King (captain), 4. Tom Brennan, 5. Tobiasz Musielak, 6. Kevin Juhl Pedersen, 7. Jason Edwards.
NORTHAMPTON FOXES: 1. Niels Kristian Iversen, 2. Kye Thomson, 3. Nicolai Klindt (captain), 4. Adam Ellis, 5. Jaimon Lidsey, 6. Mitch McDiarmid, 7. Luke Harrison.