CHRIS Mills is calling for young domestic talent to be given a fair crack of the whip after claiming foreign riders were receiving preferential treatment from British promoters.

Buccaneers’ spearhead also wonders if this country’s speedway chiefs are more interested in discovering the next Darcy Ward, who is Pirates’ teenage Aussie star, rather than bringing on their own crop of youngsters.

Mills, who leads Bournemouth Castle Cover against Buxton at Poole in the third-tier tonight (7.30pm), said: “The National League is a great league. You’ve got a lot of good British riders in it.

“But it’s no good staying in the third-tier when you can’t progress. The foreign riders are stopping British riders being as good as them.

“Foreign riders are riding in two or three international leagues. If British speedway promoters can’t see that, there’s something wrong.”

Mills, 27, has tasted Elite experience with Oxford, Reading and Lakeside and had plenty of second-tier run-outs with King’s Lynn, Sheffield, Somerset and the old Racers.

But he still hasn’t been offered a Premier berth this term.

Mills was speaking to the Echo after telling King’s Lynn’s programme: “I wonder if they think they are going to find the next Darcy Ward or something.

“Something needs to be done to help encourage younger British riders.”

Bournemouth seek revenge tonight, having lost 50-43 at Buxton last month.

Buccaneers: Mills, Mason, M Baseby, Howarth, Halsey, A Baseby, Resch.

Buxton: Cook, Branford, Wright, Morris, Allott, Dallaway, Garrity.