Eagles want Dean Barker to ride in the British final after his illness prevented him from competing.

Jon Cook, boss of the Sussex club, has lodged an appeal with the British Speedway Promoters' Association asking for Barker to be reinstated to the championship after he was forced to miss this week's semi-finals.

England international Barker should have ridden at Wolverhampton on Monday and Sheffield last night but was too ill to take part in the first semi-final. Cook said: "He has been in great form this season and would have qualified easily. We believe there is a good case for him to be seeded to the final."

Barker had to pull out midway through both of Eastbourne's matches last weekend at home to Oxford and away to Poole. The doctor at Poole gave him a certificate, but Barker still travelled to Wolverhampton the next day for the British semi-final.

Barker admitted he did feel like riding. He said: "I've got some fluid on one of my lungs and possibly a bit of pneumonia, which makes it difficult to breathe when I am racing. I can't get enough air into my lungs."

The Eagles' star finished fourth in the British final three years ago and went on to qualify for the Overseas Final and the Inter-Continental final of the world championship. The trail will go cold for Barker this time, however, unless the powers that be decide to give him a reprieve and allow him to ride at Coventry on May 20.

Team-mates Martin Dugard, Joe Screen and Paul Hurry have already been seeded to the British final on the strength of their performances last year. They will be joined by two more riders with Eastbourne connections, Gary Havelock and Lee Richardson among the competitors. Barker, however, did not finish high enough in the averages last season to get an automatic spot.