StevePark

The weather here on Tyneside at 10.25am is sunny, although showers are forecast for later on, but it should stay fine for the meeting itself. Hope to see loads of people there, to see what should be a cracking meeting.

Leigh Lanham has been confirmed as the final rider for Sundays meeting (5.30pm start).

Unfortunately both Kenneth Bjerre and Krzysztof Kasprzsak have had to withdraw - due to their Polish League clubs' re-arrangement of fixtures that had been rained off earlier in the season. Travis McGowan comes into the field to replace one of them - with the other replacement announced shortly.

Last two riders have been announced on the Newcastle Website - Rory Schlein and James Wright.

Updates are now available on update site

At the last one (70th Anniversary - won by James Grieves) every living ex-Newcastle rider was invited to the meeting.

That wouldn't be difficult!! I wish I could make it down for this, but finances are not at their best at the moment, otherwise I would have been there. Good luck for your special night, Bjarne.

7 Diamonds? There aren't 7 Diamonds fit is there? We will just have to see who is in it (and how many) when we get there.

1) I remember him getting a 21 point full max at brough!! 2) is it 'OUR' grader, or does it belong to the Doggie people?

I hope you don't think that I was getting at you or Rick, I wasn't. I just thought that you would have the line up and you could have enlightened us, obviously this wasn't the case. Again, apologies if you thought I was getting at yourselves, I really wasn't, you have done a fantastic job in 2008 and long may it continue for years to come.

I am afraid I have to agree with you on this one. If Graeme or Ricky are reading this, is there any chance of telling us the riders in this meeting, as I am sure the match magazine will have 'gone to the printers' by now, or are we going to be doing a lot of writing filling in the blanks tomorrow?

Sorry, but I presume that should read 'NOW' and George IS riding? Think a few Newcastle fans will be heading North of the Border to support another former Diamond who's career has been cut tragically short, now that their meeting is off againt Scunthorpe.

About time!! It's only been 29 days since the Pairs. If you have paid the postage already, does this mean that they are paying for your fuel or do they get a refund of some kind seeing as they are not being posted now?

Because it gets voted on at the annual conference every year and the Southern teams always out-vote the Northern teams and the 'old' qualifying rounds are no more, unfortunately.

Congratulations to Sean 'Pingu' Stoddart, also to the 2 worky riders, Joe Haines and Charles Wright. Bad luck on Andrew Tully, but he still might get into the Final as he has qualified as reserve.