PETER Kildemand has admitted that he wished he was returning to Swindon under better circumstances after being confirmed as Darcy Ward’s replacement for the rest of the season.

Ward returned to the UK yesterday to be at a hospital in Dorset, close to his UK base with Poole Pirates chief Neil Middleditch, but, with a long period of rehabilitation expected, Swindon Robins have had to move to find his substitute.

Kildemand, who returned to the Robins earlier in the season as a temporary stand-in for then number one rider Adrian Miedzinski, has stepped into the breach for a second time this campaign.

Robins team boss Alun Rossiter had tried to get the Dane, who recently won his home Grand Prix, back for last night’s 51-39 Elite League victory over Leicester Lions but Kildemand was unable to make it fit into his schedule.

Now with only Grand Prix left to compete in, Kildemand has the time to ride for Swindon and hopes to play a big part in their push for the play-offs.

“I want to help Swindon out but it is not nice circumstances to be coming in to do that,” he told the Adver.

“I heard about Darcy’s crash pretty much just after the meeting and it sounded really bad.

“I spent a couple of hours that night and I really couldn’t stop thinking about it.

“Of course it highlights how dangerous the sport is, but if you start thinking about it too much then I don’t think it is a good thing.

“It is that fear you have and you don’t have to think too much about it.

“We just have to pray for Darcy and hope for the best for him.

“Darcy was the man of the moment and now he is not going to be there, so it is going to be a strange feeling for Swindon.

“I can’t make it this week, I am still riding in Denmark, but I am going to look at the next couple of weeks and see what we are going to do.

“Hopefully Swindon make the play-offs and then I can be there for that as well.”

AN ONLINE fund has been set up in the wake of Ward’s accident last weekend.

The Darcy Ward Foundation has already raised more than £1,800 despite only going live yesterday.

To donate to the fund, visit https://pledgie.com/campaigns/30061.