Pinny

Not a bad side I think Kurtz at reserve will prove a masterstroke, he had a very good 2011 with Newport and although his average dropped in 2012 he was at #2 all season in a struggling side.

I reckon the double points tactical rule has done the sport absolutely no favors at all.

Same scenario as at Newport in our last few seasons. Ashworth, Smith, Aspegren, Bellego, Wethers, Edberg and Barrett looks a decent team that wont come cheap just as our 2012 named team of Gjedde, Lanham, Gathercole, Aspegren, Mellgren, Kurtz and Jones. As I have said before, you cannot write to the press begging for more people through the gate or sponsorship or threat with closure. I would be stunned if none of the other Bandits riders are making other arrangements now for team places or making inquiries, although theres not many spaces left. Aspegren in particular after his 2012 club shut down on the eve of the new season! I dont even recall Steve Mallett threatening to shut down in between signing the 1-7 and actually closing down... threatening to close once the side is all signed up leaving them with little options of a ride elsewhere IF the club shuts is very unprofessional. As Backless has said on here countless times, those Berwick press releases are absolutely awful... I know football is a much bigger sport than speedway but can you imagine a football press release being like some of Berwicks? I remember the signing of Bager was quoted as being the signing of the PL season, an international superstar being signed in Magosi, Swedens next big super Swede in Benny Johansson etc... not to mention that shocking one about Gjedde and the bonfire in 2011! Berwick have a decent-ish side lined up and now its signed, I think their best bet would be to get out and advertise, plaster posters all over the North East, try getting some tv coverage, offer decent deals for entrance fees (sure I read it has been done already, well done) and generally just promote the place and see how things are after a few meetings... they have the biggest meeting on the GB calender after the Cardiff GP in the ben fund, use this as a massive promotion for the Bandits too. It's not my money so really I am only posting my opinion BUT I think pulling out now is a silly move. Not only will it see seven riders without clubs but also it leave the promotion out of pocket (I dont believe they are entitled to get their £40,000 bond back once they've declared to ride in the next season but maybe wrong?) and will give the Andersons a bad name around Berwick like it has done to the Mallett's in Newport. Also what about the fans who have bought season tickets or paid sponsorship money, do they get that back? Berwick really should have learnt that getting the begging bowl out and pleading with fans and sponsors to the local press wont work. One thing I did wonder when Newport closed was would a meeting where riders raced for free of worked? I mean it could of been possible... fans turned up in numbers for the Air fence meetings in the EL where the riders raced for nothing whilst the fans paid normal prices to get in so the promotions could purchase the air fences. If it could be proved Berwick are in need of say, £10k to keep them afloat for the season, could something be done? May sound silly but worth a think although once one club does it I imagine every club will be looking for excuses to do it! That said, good luck to Berwick and I hope to see them see out the season at least.

This team will struggle. Stead was a better rider when he last raced PL than he is now IMO. Sure he will get 8 with ease but will struggle to get 9 unless he is dominant at home like Wilson was. I can't see him being untouchable around Sheffield personally. Albin is struggling in his homeland if you check out the Argentina scores, theres about 3 or 4 other local lads beating him . That said I dont recall Carlos Villar being thought of very much until he banged some scores in for Berwick so you never know.

Rob grant in the pl? Good lord!

I'd expect him to get snapped up quickly... on decent kit he would make a mockery of a 4.9 average without a doubt

Can anyone send me a stream link via pm please, cheers

Just about!

Nah, think this is actually Cockle. The guy who has done absolutely sod all in over a decade in speedway!

Correct Shawn the closure of Newport Speedway is as much Tim Stones fault as it is the Malletts he ran the place so far into the ground

Can only praise Berwick for their price... thats a cracking deal.

Kurtz will be a fantastic signing once permitted to ride.

Have Newport ever had big crowds? Well up until about 2003, yes! During the Wasps first five years or so they probably had the best following in the PL, ask the likes of Reading, Exeter and Swindon fans what the travelling support was like when the Wasps were in town!

And as i have said, just because he lives local and doesnt require much travel pay it doesnt mean he is cheap!! Comparing him with cook is ridiculous. Cook is the top rider in the league. Comparing him with riders between 6.5 and 7.00 is a better idea. You can be sure other clubs were sniffing around Lanham on a figure of 6.92. As i have stated numerous times, having been aware of what he was being paid during his time at Newport, unless hes taken a big pay cut then Lanham is far from a cheap rider. Id wager that hes on a better deal than some 8 pointers. Your constant claims that Lanham is a cheap option are pathetic and wrong but most can see that.

I base my "imagine" on the fact it is very rare a speedway rider takes a substancial pay cut. So what if Lanham is pally with the Louis family? Calling a rider a "cheap option" because they live local shows a complete lack of knowledge. Maybe Ward was a cheap option for Lynn in 2009 as he lived in the stadium grounds in a caravan? I used to defend you when most others slated you and thought your views were correct even if a bit extreme at times but these last few posts of yours really do leave me wondering if you have much knowledge of the speedway world.

Except Aspegren's figure is a rolling one and he actually averaged almost a point higher than that for Berwick alone in 2012. Barretts sub 4 figure is purely on his 2012 form and Edbergs is also a pretty accurate figure. Barrett with a full season may well improve well on his figure but I am afraid after well over a season, Edbergs average is a true reflection, even given his injuries. I seen him at Newport when he gated ahead of Ithink Gjedde and was all over the shop for four laps, many said then that he looked an accident waiting to happen and as much as we hate injuries in our sport, that has been proved right.

Not my business to say really but am going to anyway... The Malletts had a few good points as well as bad points at Newport and one good point was that they paid their riders good money, hence why after years of seeing the likes of Rajkowski, Collins, Vedel, Nick Simmons to name a few lining up as NUMBER 1 for Newport during the Tim Stone era we suddenly seen the likes of Doyle, Gjedde and Lanham lining up as number 1, riders who would never dream of riding at Newport before the Malletts were on the scene. Although this ultimately could of been the downfall of the club amongst other things! Unless Lanham has taken a big pay cut then I would imagine he is on a pretty good deal at Ipswich.

Grow up you clown If it wasnt for fans paying to watch then these riders wouldnt have a job. Paying in excess of 15 quid for 15 races the fans have every right to complain

A poor mans richard hall

And? This means he rides for peanuts per point does it?

Not sure we will ever know the real reasons behind the fall out. Heard so many things its unreal. Dont see how anyone can make a mockery of being paid per point though... if he is on, say, £80 a point. He turns up and bangs in a 15 point max, thats £1200. And a fully deserved £1200. If he turns up and scores 2, thats only £160. The one thing about being paid per point is you get paid what you deserve. You find more riders extracting the urine out of clubs when their on fixed guarantees no matter what they score, yet regulary post returns between 2 and 4 points for a so called number 1. I refuse to believe Charlie signed for Berwick with the sole intention of dropping his average. He was on an attractive average anyway, cant remember what but certainly sub 9 and he was highly linked with a move to Newport prior to signing for Berwick, he was at a few meetings in 2010 at the end of the season and its no secret Steve Mallett almost done a deal with him. Mallett decided to go elsewhere with his team building. For Gjedde to purposely lower his average to join Newport would of meant Mallett building a side with the intention of bombing a rider out at the first opportunity which wasnt the case. To sign Gjedde, along with Doyle and Sedgmen, he had to sack almost half of his side. No, something went wrong with Gjedde and Berwick after he had ridden his first meeting for them. Thats one thing that is certain.

Know what you mean as we had Frampton at Newport averaging about 6.5 and averaging about 5.5 for Coventry in the EL at the same time. Did Gjedde visit Berwicks stadium prior to signing? He hadnt rode PL for years before his return in 2011, it maybe that he forgot about the brick wall or assumed it wouldnt be there anymore... who knows. Could be a number of reasons. I had heard his departure was due to certains things that were agreed not being honoured but that was terrace talk and probably nonsense. He certainly had no problem at Berwick in 2012 scoring double figures there. But I know the Newport promotion were extremely worried and narked off at the same time with the personal threats issued to Charlie and the way the Berwick management done absolutely nothing to prevent their fans from stopping the threats was appauling... certainly in other sports clubs have been fined for similar behavior by the fans. Lanham cheap?! I'd have a rethink mate.

His 30 meetings for Newport last season made him the best ever rider to wear a Wasps jacket... we've had Watson, Iversen, Smart, Henriksson but Gjedde was a class above them and was by far the most dominant rider I have seen at Newport. Some of the passes he made on visiting heatleaders were out of this world. Some promotions just couldn't get the best out of him he was the same when he returned to the sport in around 2000 for Reading in the PL their fans couldnt stand him half the time as he appeared to not be trying, moved to Swindon the year after and was one of the top riders in the league. Can understand why Berwick fans are a bit peeved off with him but the personal abuse and threats he received were bang out of order he still posted some very good scores for the Bandits. A superb rider and a big loss to the PL if indeed he has retired.

Heard Gjedde has packed in. Huge shame.

Risager challenging for the number 1 spot?! Haha has Louis been smoking drugs?