STEVIE Lyle is not concerned about having to go to Hull as he welcomes the latest addition to the English Premier League.

The Hull Pirates were announced over the weekend as the 10th team to compete in the same division as the Swindon Wildcats next season, to replace the Elite League Hull Stingrays, who were folded last week by owner Bobby McEwan.

The team were unveiled by Shane Smith, who has owned and run the Sheffield Steeldogs for the last five seasons, and Wildcats head coach Lyle believes they will help make the league even more competitive.

“I think it is great for the league to have ten teams again,” he said.

“Last year, because there were only nine teams, we had a couple of games against English National League teams and to be honest it was a bit of a waste of time for both sides because there was really only one outcome every game.

“It would have been better if it had happened earlier for the Hull Pirates themselves, because 99 per cent of players are already contracted to various clubs.

“I think they are going to struggle as a result of that, but I hope that I am proved wrong.

“I don’t know what players are available up that way, and in Scotland, so it will interesting to see what team they put together.

“It is a nice big rink and with the guys we have in the team, especially the imports, it should suit our style.”

The addition of the Pirates will mean two round trips of more than 400 miles and almost eight hours for both the players and fans next season.

Lyle is not concerned about the extra miles, but hopes that the people responsible for putting together next season’s fixtures might try and include some double-headers to cut down the travel.

“It will add on a couple of extra miles but I am no stranger to sitting on a bus for three or four hours, but I am sure it will be a shock for some of the other guys,” added Lyle.

“Everyone will have to do it and I am sure I will sit down with Steve Nell when the fixtures come out and make sure they suit us.

“My kind of thinking is that it would be nice to do one or two double headers, whether it be Manchester on the Saturday and Sheffield on the Sunday, or Sheffield on the Saturday and Hull on the Sunday, just to ease the travel on the guys.”