crescent girl

Berwick website announces two signings. Nicki Barratt and Micky Dyer will ride on Friday, alongside guest Stuart Robson, who comes in for Ricky Ashworth. Any news from Rebel-land of their chosen reserve guests?

He is still advertised as being at Edinburgh on Friday for Matty Wethers (well-deserved) Testimonial

Yeah, right. Run the World U-21 Final at lunchtime on a Friday, just to let Rebels' reserves get back to the OTA in time for a (rearranged) PL match? Good one, old-timer. Indeed. You get guests for bother British reserves (up to their averages of course) but only r/r for an Australian.

Or even their mettle Agreed. Rebels should be proud to have their two (British) reserves nominated for the event. The rule-book even allows a "proper" guest for the lower reserve (instead of an NL rider) in this instance. I think the ACU/SCB have honoured the club, rather than be thought to be picking on them.

Easy to say, but as Mike Bowden will currently hold the rights to stage speedway at the Plymouth facility, were the BSPA to just withdraw (or withold) his licence there would be no speedway at Plymouth, and the Devils would join the Wasps in the PL history books. The BSPA cannot just say "Move over Mike, we've got this other guy here who wants to try his luck at your track". To effect any change, Mike will require to sell his promoting rights, lease, etc, etc, to any prospective buyer. Who would themselves have to then prove to the BSPA they were sufficiently qualified, financially secure and experienced in running speedway meetings.

Hmmm, any of your current team guilty of doing that in the past?

James currently rides for the Kumho Kings. Arguably the best rider in the NJL, would easily hold an NL place if clubs would hire a rider from so far north.

Believe the Pairs are based on the aggreate of a club's top three (active) riders from this season only, not the rolling averages. But I'll leave it to the nerds to calculate which three clubs won't be making it to Somerset on that basis.

Ooooh, that's a bit supercilious! Glad I'm not able to go to this one, else you might have had a hefty handbag applied to your ear. (Thanks to later poster who answered my query sensibly)

So what's the line-up tonight, as it ain't August yet?

Does this table take into consideration the difference between 3-point and 2-point home wins, and/or points collected from away defeats? Or is it just the old-fashioned wins v losses?

Mark Jones would be a sensible signing -- he lives in the south-west, doesn't he? But Redcar stated he has retired?

Heffenbrock was named by Germany as their representative in the GP Challenge at Berwick, but replaced at last minute by Marcin Helfer (who has just been signed by Edinburgh) so maybe he's not currently fit to ride?

What's confusing you? Unlike the southern copyists (and we in the north are flattered to be imitated) the NJL is now in the third year of operation, and is indeed running happily, despite a number of rain-offs, like everywhere else. The NJL never starts until June, prefering to concentrate the schedule into the longer, lighter and hopefully warmer evenings. The competitors are Edinburgh, Berwick, Workington and Redcar, following Halifax's withdrawal. I am told the problem on Sunday was between the people running the Dukes and Buxton, outwith the league's control.

Running in two different junior leagues must have been stretching resources. As posted above, BSPA have introduced this year restrictions on who can contest even amateur league racing. Halifax Dukes were very welcome and enthusiastic competitors in the NJL of both 2010 and 2011. Very sad.

I believe the decision to get the polyfoam fence was taken shortly after Alex Edberg's big crash last summer. Having set up their fund-raising (starting with the challenge match with an Edinburgh Select last year) and having ordered the fence they were probably told at that point to apply for FIM status, and that they might get a prestige meeting. Lord knows, it has been a long time coming for a big meeting in the north! On the subject of fences, whatever happened to the air-fence Newcastle were getting from Peterborough as part of a deal over Rene Bach? Genuine question -- speedway needs as many "soft barriers" as it can get.

Absolutely correct. Rico donations at practice, fencefund collection during meeting. Always the schedule. Arranged weeks ago. You don't go changing things at the last minute at a meeting as big as this. Remember the Rico collection was originally scheduled for May 19th, when Ipswich were visiting. Chris Louis was bringing the first supply of Freya's t-shirts. The donations at Saturday's practice were to be an extra, dictated by the BSPA, not Berwick.. Plus the wristbands were still on sale, and raised about £1,000, I believe. The actual Rico collection was always rescheduled for this coming Saturday. But as has been said, don't let sensible organisation for a good cause get in the way of destructive criticism of the Berwick promotion. Like the Popular Front said, what have the Romans done for us........?

What a load of nonsense! What knowledge do a Polish referee and a Danish schoolteacher have about preparing the Shielfield circuit? Nobody took over anything. My guy on the spot tells me the FIM delegates repeatedly assured Ian Rae and his magnificent staff that it was their track, their know-how and their task. The inspection at the Heat 12 interval followed Danny King and Bomber Harris crashing and was a mere formality. Stick to flogging the two-bob watches, please.

Magnificent effort by track staff! FIM people must have been ultra-impressed by the arrangements and size of the crowd. Three or four times the attendance at Lakeside's recent FIM meeting, I understand. The weather? No-one's fault -- schedule a big meeting in mid-June and surely expect a better two days that Friday and Saturday turned out to be. Horrendous downpour at about 4pm for nearly an hour, yet the track still held up. Covering tracks has been suggested for years and years. Berwick have now proved covers make the impossible possible. John Anderson, George Hepburn and Ian Rae, all step forward and take a bow. Racing was poor at first, better as the night wore on. Lee Complin's appearance raised the roof, and despite losing his steel shoe on (I think) the first lap, he still came a solid second. Facundo Albin rattled a few cages. Was it really only his thirteenth professional speedway meeting? All in all, pleased to be able to say "I was there". It will surely not be the last big FIM night at Shielfield Park. OK, sorry folks! Once would have been enough!

Magnificent effort by track staff! FIM people must have been ultra-impressed by the arrangements and size of the crowd. Three or four times the attendance at Lakeside's recent FIM meeting, I understand. The weather? No-one's fault -- schedule a big meeting in mid-June and surely expect a better two days that Friday and Saturday turned out to be. Horrendous downpour at about 4pm for nearly an hour, yet the track still held up. Covering tracks has been suggested for years and years. Berwick have now proved covers make the impossible possible. John Anderson, George Hepburn and Ian Rae, all step forward and take a bow. Racing was poor at first, better as the night wore on. Lee Complin's appearance raised the roof, and despite losing his steel shoe on (I think) the first lap, he still came a solid second. Facundo Albin rattled a few cages. Was it really only his thirteenth professional speedway meeting? All in all, pleased to be able to say "I was there". It will surely not be the last big FIM night at Shielfield Park.

Magnificent effort by track staff! FIM people must have been ultra-impressed by the arrangements and size of the crowd. Three or four times the attendance at Lakeside's recent FIM meeting, I understand. The weather? No-one's fault -- schedule a big meeting in mid-June and surely expect a better two days that Friday and Saturday turned out to be. Horrendous downpour at about 4pm for nearly an hour, yet the track still held up. Covering tracks has been suggested for years and years. Berwick have now proved covers make the impossible possible. John Anderson, George Hepburn and Ian Rae, all step forward and take a bow. Racing was poor at first, better as the night wore on. Lee Complin's appearance raised the roof, and despite losing his steel shoe on (I think) the first lap, he still came a solid second. Facundo Albin rattled a few cages. Was it really only his thirteenth professional speedway meeting? All in all, pleased to be able to say "I was there". It will surely not be the last big FIM night at Shielfield Park.

Magnificent effort by track staff! FIM people must have been ultra-impressed by the arrangements and size of the crowd. Three or four times the attendance at Lakeside's recent FIM meeting, I understand. The weather? No-one's fault -- schedule a big meeting in mid-June and surely expect a better two days that Friday and Saturday turned out to be. Horrendous downpour at about 4pm for nearly an hour, yet the track still held up. Covering tracks has been suggested for years and years. Berwick have now proved covers make the impossible possible. John Anderson, George Hepburn and Ian Rae, all step forward and take a bow. Racing was poor at first, better as the night wore on. Lee Complin's appearance raised the roof, and despite losing his steel shoe on (I think) the first lap, he still came a solid second. Facundo Albin rattled a few cages. Was it really only his thirteenth professional speedway meeting? All in all, pleased to be able to say "I was there". It will surely not be the last big FIM night at Shielfield Park.

Magnificent effort by track staff! FIM people must have been ultra-impressed by the arrangements and size of the crowd. Three or four times the attendance at Lakeside's recent FIM meeting, I understand. The weather? No-one's fault -- schedule a big meeting in mid-June and surely expect a better two days that Friday and Saturday turned out to be. Horrendous downpour at about 4pm for nearly an hour, yet the track still held up. Covering tracks has been suggested for years and years. Berwick have now proved covers make the impossible possible. John Anderson, George Hepburn and Ian Rae, all step forward and take a bow. Racing was poor at first, better as the night wore on. Lee Complin's appearance raised the roof, and despite losing his steel shoe on (I think) the first lap, he still came a solid second. Facundo Albin rattled a few cages. Was it really only his thirteenth professional speedway meeting? All in all, pleased to be able to say " was there". It will surely not be the last big FIM night at Shielfield Park.

Berwick is grey, cold and spasmodically lightly drizzling right now. Track is firm and dry under covers. If it isn't raining heavily at 7pm it'll be on, for sure -- the FIM don't mess around!

BSPA website reports covers have been laid on bends to deflect rainfall onto grass. Even their sternest critics will have to praise the promotion for what is being done at Shielfield Park to stage this meeting.