Oliver Allen admits he feared a hostile reception from Eastbourne Eagles fans who once showed him the red card.

But, as the Eagles' latest signing prepares to take on Arena-Essex at Arlington tomorrow night, he declared: "They've made me so welcome, I feel like I've been here all season."

Allen became a target for Arlington's famously partisan fans after he was involved in a horrific smash with Steen Jensen when Eastbourne raced against Swindon last season.

When organisers at last year's Brighton Bonanza came up with the gimic of giving fans their own red and yellow cards with which to help referees make decisions, it was perhaps little surprise Allen was first to see red.

But there was no hint of a hangover from that when the 23-year-old from Norwich made his Eagles debut in last Saturday's thrilling home win over leaders Belle Vue.

Allen helped his own cause by winning his first race for the club, sharing a 5-1 with Andrew Moore.

He settled in quickly and will hoping to make further progress as Eagles continue their skybet Elite League play-off push against the lowly Hammers.

Allen said: "I've always enjoyed riding at Eastbourne as an away rider.

"What happened last year was in the back of my mind but I always think if the crowd boos an away rider you must be doing a good job. It has really never bothered me.

"I wasn't sure how the crowd would react but they made me feel really welcome.

"Eastbourne have a reputation for being very good to their home riders.

"From the outside looking in, it has always seemed to be a close knit unit.

"Now I've come into the team and realised that's exactly how it is. The crowd have made me feel brilliant.

"I really needed a change. Maybe I should have done it at the start of the year."

Allen insists he can improve on last Saturday's effort. He added: "My engine felt really good in the first race but it was getting slower and slower as the race went on.

"I wasn't sure whether to go on it on my second ride but it started to seize up on the second or third lap.

"I managed to milk it as much as I could and get the third place but my second bike was not suited to the track.

"It was a shame. I would have liked to have finished the meeting the way I started it "But I'm happy. I know that when I have the motor I plan to use here I can do a good job, as I did in the first race."

Eagles will be expected to score a seventh successive home win tomorrow.

They will have to do it without Nicki Pedersen, who is on Grand Prix duty in Poland, but Peterborough's Peter Karlsson is expected to be a decent replacement.

The 35-year-old Swede tends to enjoy Arlington and, thanks to speedway's sometimes bewildering guest-replacement system, has been at the track twice in recent weeks with different clubs.

He picked up 16 points from six rides for Peterborough, with Pedersen the only man to beat him.

Then he found himself leading Wolverhampton's challenge at Eastbourne, taking 13 points from six rides and beating Mark Loram, the Eagles' guest that night, in a run-off for the bonus point.

Karlsson is among the hosts tomorrow and Loram with the visitors, which might seem a bit confusing.

Eagles boss Jon Cook, though, does not expect there to be any confusion over the final result.

He said: "We have to win our home matches. If we can't beat Arena-Essex we will have to ask serious questions of ourselves."