Branney has found himself sidelined for the best part of 12 weeks after suffering two heavy falls whilst racing for Berwick.

First of all he broke his wrist, which meant six weeks out. Then on his return, he fell again in his first meeting back, suffering concussion and internal injuries which so far have meant another four weeks out.

"By the time I come back it will probably mean missing the best part of three months of the season," he said, "and when you say it like that it sounds like a long time. In fact, it is a long time, and I am itching to get back racing again, but I know that I have to wait until I am ready. I have to be 100 per cent certain that it is the right moment."
Branney says he felt fine when he made his comeback from his broken wrist.

"I was just easing myself back into the racing again, when I fell in my third ride," he said. "But as I knocked myself out I cannot remember anything about the accident. From what I have been told I know I was on my own and it was my own fault. I spun entering the first bend and went backwards into the fence. When I came round I was in some pain around my back and shoulder and since the incident I have lost count of the number of x-rays I have had.

"There is nothing broken, but there is muscle damage in my back, around the ribs and in my shoulder and the bruising is still coming out.

"I am currently undergoing physiotherapy twice a week. That might be reduced to one this week, but I will have to do some gym work as well."
Branney says he has felt frustrated at sitting around in the middle part of the season, but he has been lucky with his work in that he has managed to get a lift in with his dad and has spent most of the time working on a computer.

"I just want to get back racing again," he said. "It's a long, slow process getting back to fitness again. I am optimistic I will be back, but I was so battered in the first week and I was so down that I know I wouldn't have sounded like that then."

Branney says he 'really misses' his Saturday night trips across to Berwick for his racing and he would love to get back into the team and help them push for an end of season play-off place.

"A few weeks ago it looked like we might not make it," he said, "but with Lee (Complin) and 'Raj' (Michal Rajkowski) picking up their form in recent meetings, we seem to have turned things around a bit."