STEFAN ANDERSSON has left Eastbourne Eagles to sign for Elite League speedway rivals Kings Lynn.

Andersson, who is 27, joined Eagles in 1994, rising to the No. 1 spot and being hailed as a future world championship contender.

He was a member of the Eastbourne team which won the league in 1995 and was in the cup-winning team of 1994 and again two years ago.

Andersson also won the Nordic title in 1995, but he had a disappointing season last year and at one time was relegated to a reserve berth in the team.

Andersson's departure from Arlington means that Eagles will line up next season without a Swedish rider for the first time since 1991.

Eastbourne had already announced that they had parted company with Grand Prix star Stefan Danno, their longest serving rider.

The club will retain Andersson's registration while he rides for Kings Lynn. Said Eastbourne promoter Jon Cook: "Stefan has not been transferred. He has gone on loan to Kings Lynn."

Kings Lynn are rebuilding their team after doing an about-turn and deciding to stay in the Elite League. They originally said they were quitting the top flight.

They have also signed world champion Tony Rickardsson from Ipswich, while Andersson will be joined at Kings Lynn by another former Eastbourne rider, Darren Grayling.

Meanwhile, Eagles have added Australian Brent Collyer to their squad for the new season, which opens at Arlington on March 27.

Collyer made five appearances for Eastbourne in 1996 but failed to make any impression except on various safety fences around the country.

Said Cook: "He was a raw talent in those days, and he has come on in leaps and bounds since then and has been riding in the Australian international series against some of the top riders in the world."

The signing of Collyer, following Martin Dugard, David Norris, Dean Barker and Seemond Stephens, means Eastbourne have now filled five of their seven team places.

Among the possible candidates to complete the team are Toni Kasper, the Czech Republic international who rode a handful of matches for Eagles last year, and Alan Mogridge, who quit the sport at the end of the 1997 season but wants to return.

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