topsoil

Brilliant news that the club has been chosen for Sky again. Hopefully they will continue the recent trend of clubs which have hosted meetings and try their best to get as big a crowd as possibles there. I've said before that in an ideal world I would like to see all Sky meetings heavily discounted or even free for fans to try and pack stadiums for the cameras. Obviously this represents a big financial risk, but if you can attract a meeting sponsor(s) to meet the shortfall, then give those sponsors maximum exposure in front of the TV cameras and big crowd in return, it would do wonders for the image of the sport. Great news for the club though.

As long as he's given time to settle in. Long way from home, never seen Berwick track before, let alone ride on it. Hopefully he will get in as much after match practice as possible. Fans will probably need to show some patience, something some Berwick fans are not noted for. I like the fact that he has moved lock, stock to Berwick. Hopefully he will be able to get in contact with some local businesses for sponsorship. Always helps when you are in and around the area I think. And if he shows potential he could even be an asset for (hopefully) next season.

Not so much ran out of steam, more came up against Edinburgh who were a far better team and a place where we never go well at. Last season was almost a perfect storm for Berwick, a largely over-achieving team.

Reasoned proposals, reasoned responses, is this really the Berwick thread? :-) Good to get some background

Sounds like a bad one. Also sounds like he'll be out for a while. Here's to the recovery.

To be honest, no. None of us have the experience of being promoters, therefore none of us know the real difficulty in running a club. It's easy to come on here and have a whinge, but I would imagine the promoters have looked into a lot of possibilities. It's not an ideal situation, but unfortunately it is the state of modern speedway that so many teams rely on guests and r/r. No short term solution, plenty of long term ones. But patience is not in abundance amongst Berwick fans. You only need to see the drop in attendance levels after home defeats earlier this season.

Times are getting so desperate I would even consider a move for Jason Bunyan I can see there being a lot of restless natives on here come Saturday, as I really cannot see any new additions being made before then. Could well be guests for both Ben and Claus, looking at the accident last night. Given the financial restrictions and dearth of riders there's not much out there.

Amusing that almost universal agreement on here that a) the joker should be scrapped and the reserve should be available for next year. Chances of either happening? Really enjoyed this World Cup, for me it's speedway at it's highest level, I think the intensity and commitment levels go up a notch, even from the GPs. Just a pity about Russia (I know there were some genuine reasons for unavailability, injuries can't be helped) but I can't help thinking they would add so much to the competition with a full strength team.

Just a couple of thoughts following the meeting tonight:- I wonder if all those who said on this forum that Tai should never ride for Britain again after the Pairs still feel this way? Hopefully the authorities will take heed from the performances over the two meetings and realise that entry into the airs and a couple of Test matches each season will benefit British riders to be exposed to this level of competition. I still hate the joker rule. Even though Britain gained from it tonight, I would still get rid of it. I've seen it affect the outcome of too many meetings. We have a genuine world class talent in Tai. Please BSPA look after him, he is our biggest asset and used and promoted correctly he could really raise the profile of the sport in this country, even if it is just at GP level. Two decent performances by Britain. I'm not getting carried away about tonight, Britain got close to Poland due to a joker and the absence of Hampel. But it's certainly something to build on. Lets not waste the chance.

Excellent result. Solid scoring all the way down and another brilliant night for TJ dropping only one point. Proving to be an inspired signing.

The type of fixture Berwick are expected to take something from, therefore I will go for a Redcar win 49-41.

You field your strongest team available, age is irrelevant. If you want to "give them a try" do it during Test Matches (need to organise some first) or the Pairs events (if the BSPA ever allows us to enter). You don't experiment at major competitions.

Reducing teams to six men would help, but I wouldn't reduce the number of heats, I'm sure there are formulas out there for 15 heats with six men teams. To try and introduce more British riders into the sport I would then add a rule that every team must have a junior team of sorts. The MDL and NJL are excellent starting places for young riders. I would expand that nationwide. A meeting with 15 heats and 6 junior races, 21 in total is a decent night entertainment. Even add a couple of "second half racing" if you like, giving riders a chance to try out equipment or give riders who are struggling more track time. As long as there are no long hold-ups for injuries there should be no reason why you can't fit that into two hours or so.

For me it was a really good meeting, close to the end, with really committed riding. Overall just a good advert. Can't fault the British riders, you got the impression they gave their all, Harris making starts was a personal highlight for me. Certainly no lack of effort. If they are not good enough, they are not good enough, can't help that. The best four riders were chosen, it's not as if there are a deep pool of riders out there who can compete at this level. I would stick with the same four for the race-off. Personally, I would like to see Britain race a couple of Test Matches, just to expose riders like Danny King and Robert Lambert to this sort of competition. Tai and Bomber race in GPs so they are used to it. I can't help but thinking a couple of Test Matches would do the riders a lot of benefit, especially a couple of meeting abroad. I know fine well this is never going to happen, but I honestly think it would be of more benefit to drop two or maybe four Elite League fixtures and fit in four Test Matches instead, If the BSPA did it correctly, they could surely make money out of it. Get TV coverage, promote it like hell so they get a big crowd, even try and get a sponsor, much like Sunbrite back in the day. That money could then be spread out amongst the clubs and fund a World Cup campaign. But the chances of that happening, somewhere between nil and never.

That was what I was trying to get across. My point was all that all that is written on here is the good races that took place, but as usual it was in amongst some pretty ordinary stuff, but you only seem to remember the good parts. I can remember some cracking races out there as well. One between Rob Grant and Martin Dixon springs to mind where they knocked seven shades out of each other for four laps and shook hands and were joking and laughing all the way through the warm down lap.

According to the programme I have from 1992 he was listed as a promoter and manager. As to the mystery duo, I'm otherwise in the dark. I was young and naïve back in those days, I didn't have much idea what was going on behind the scenes. On another note, on Youtube there is a link to an entire Berwick v Ellesmere Port meeting at Berrington Lough, round about 1985 time. The racing is actually quite dire, which just goes to show that those who wax lyrical about the place do so with rose tinted glasses. As with any other circuit, there would be some good racing amongst some mediocre. The racing would certainly be closer than Shielfield, simply because the track was smaller. But better? Matter of opinion I suppose.

Okay so one of them must be Terry Lindon, according to an old programme scan I have looked out the other promoter towards the end was Dave Younghusband. Getting warm? or miles off?

Who is this "flimm and flamm" and "hold it and doddle"? excuse the ignorance

Welcome to speedway

I know, that's why i said in an ideal world. Wouldn't happen unless we can find our version of the Facennas.

In an ideal world Berwick would find Berrington Lough Mark II, then they could design their own track (Somerset replica please), wouldn't be faced with any curfews and could pretty much design the stadium to suit their own needs. unfortunately, there is nowhere suitable in the town (certainly none that I can think of) and any chance of getting planning application would be somewhere between no chance and never. As has been said before, any venue out in the country would struggle to attract supporters. Apart from anything else, it would also costs an arm and leg to set up, unless you could somehow sell the naming rights or something like that.

Total lack of investment in youth speedway Total lack of investment in stadium facilities, very few teams own their own stadium Too many meetings called off too early, too many meeting called off due to bad track preparation (last years ELRC) Too much money wasted on expensive foreign riders, who then fail to turn up for meetings Too many times fans have been let down (the Warsaw GP the latest example) Total lack of investment in track equipment / covers. Many of the tracks had to be given an ultimatum to install air fences Entertainment at meetings hasn't moved on from the 70s, failure to move with the times on a grand scale There's a start This is a very difficult one. Firstly there isn't a great deal of riders out there. Ideally the club would bring in a replacement for Vissing but there are dangers. It's okay to bring in a new "asset" but invariably these riders need time to bed in. That means for a while these riders don't ride to their average. And it has been proved before a lot of Berwick fans don't have the patience to wait for riders to settle in. You only need to look at the numbers staying away after losses to Edinburgh and Glasgow earlier this season as proof. And a repeat of this could be disastrous financially.

Small town outside Edinburgh, the east coast mainline railway line runs though it. The name usually gets a giggle from passengers who have never heard of it before. From what I can remember it was a run down old greyhound track. All that remains these days is the steel structure of a grandstand in the middle of a field. From what i can remember it was a very run down old greyhound track.

You see the grandstand at Wallyford on the railway to Edinburgh, just a half built steel construction in the middle of a field, looks bizarre.

Since when have speedway riders been sensible? LOL