StevePark

So, We beat Glasgow at home..... who then go and win at Edinburgh.... We go to Ipswich and win there...... who then go to Peterborough and win..... And that's without the Diamonds having a full team...... Can't wait for Sunday.....

Great win for the Diamonds. Hopefully the 'kick start' to our season. Half decent close racing too. One thing I'll have a moan about though is, why, after a 20-odd minute delay at the start of the meeting due to the tapes malfunctioning, then another repair to the tapes at heat 3 and four re-runs before heat 7, was it necessary to have an interval? I know there wasn't many of us visiting fans there last night, but the ones that were there had a 5 and a half hour drive home (not helped by various road closures/diversions).

Teams here on Ipswich website: http://www.ipswichwitches.co/index.php/news-centre/965-thursday-night-racing-resumes

At Brough Park in the 70's it was Rider of the Night (3 heats - winners and quickest runner-up through to the final), Reserves Race and Stadium Scurry (which often involved the Reserves and/or "second-halfers") which often had 5 riders in it (Red, Blue, White, Yellow/Black, Green). The Rider of the Night also had the visiting Silver Helmet Challenger rider in it, so that he didn't have to travel all the way for just the Silver Helmet Match Races! We had 6 man teams in 1997 (that year only). For some bizarre reason the home side were numbered 1-6 and the away team 7-12!!!

I'm travelling down for his one (I must be mad) to support the boys. Hopefully see a cracking meeting, with loads of overtaking and close racing.

So - that one meeting is representative of a few years of racing held at Berrington Lough? What it does do is it goes to show that that one particular meeting was dire for racing. The same could be said for every other track in the history of the sport.

Despite the fact this is the Berwick 2015 thread, I will add my ever-lasting memory of Berrington Lough - the night the Generator failed and they decided to try and put some cars onto the Centre Green and have them put their headlights on to light up the track! Not many volunteered if I remember corectly!!

Stomach problem, apparently.

And the alternative is?

The rakers at Brough are the flag marshals, so "lack of volunteers" shouldn't enter in to it (at least it doesn't at Newcastle!)

Armando Castagna and Mattia Carpanese are other possibilities in the recent era.

Newcastle have them and after every race rake the dirt from the outside towards the inner line (time allowing).

Hopes to be back after this weekend now: http://www.newcastlediamonds.co/news/article.asp?id=100406

Planning permission, I'd guess. A new planning permission application would be needed.

So, it's okay for them to go out on (what they believe) is an unsafe track, taking the even bigger risk of getting injured (or, God forbid, worse), just because SKY say so? I think we've had enough injuries this season without unnecessarily adding to them, don't you? Also, don't forget, it was the home team that thought the conditions were unsafe, so they were hardly playing "silly sods" by blaming the oppositions track!

I don't think anyone should be fined. They keep banging on that "riders safety is of paramount importance" when clearly that isn't the case (when SKY are in town it seems). If a team believe that the track/conditions are too dangerous, then it should be their prerogative they don't ride.

All being well, Anton will return on Friday at Scunthorpe for the KOC match. That's pretty much a spot on post.

So, those who want to see changes, who would you drop and who would you bring in?

Newcastle will also have a stand-in team manager. Newcastle need a big win to go through to the Semi Finals.

Copied and pasted form Comets Website: Kenneth Hansen has been struggling with his injury since crashing out in his third ride at Workington on Monday afternoon when he injured his inner left thigh and banged his ribs. He bravely tried to ride in Sweden tonight but had to pull out after four rides as he was struggling quite badly so he will not be fit to race at Armadale tomorrow. He should have and would have taken 6 rides in the meeting. This is a translated extract from the Valsarna Speedway report from tonights meeting "What happened? The home team had a seemingly safe lead when it was two heats remaining. 43-35 was status. When did Kenneth Hansen, who drove revbensskadad whole match that it was time to throw in the towel. He got no air and the blackened for my eyes. "It was dangerous to drive on, notes Mike Lackey. He was replaced by reserve Dennis Jonsson. But Jablonski came to start. It was supposed to take three points in the final two heats. It would fix itself. But speedway is a speedway. " Make of that what you will!

Lewi scheduled to ride for King's Lynn on Thursday, so I hope no reaction from that would mean he'll be back for us at the Oak Tree Arena.

Australia or Berwick ? Hard choice!

Err..... you are talking about the track, aren't you Dave?

Met Office site says "Overcast 12 noon till 3" then "Cloudy" for the rest of the evening. Temp round 12 degrees. BBC site says "Thick Cloud till 4" then "cloudy" for the rest of the evening. Temp 13/14 degrees.