crescent girl

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.

Promotion have been working at Shielfield all week, both on track and in polishing up an already-smart stadium. Extra turnstiles will be opened on back straight to help get folk in. Coaches will be parked in special auxilliary area behind stadium, not to be taken into main car-park. Huge buzz in area about the meeting now, especially since good piece broadcast on Look North (BBC1) last night at 6.30, with great shots of stadium yesterday, plus bright interview stuff. All we need is the weather to hold up for three short hours on Saturday evening!

Late change by DMSB (German Federation) has 22-year-old Marcel Helfer, who rides for Gustrow, replacing Heffenbrock.

As an observer of your posts from afar, I do have to submit that you are an absolute twit. Ipswich is a great club with a long proud, sixty-year history. The Louis family have been heavily involved in it for more than forty years. Twice (in 1989 and again last year) John Louis has saved the Witches by moving them across from a chaotic and entertainment-lacking "big" league into a much-more-entertaining competition. Both when they visit other circuits and when we visit Foxhall Heath I find the club full value. Your unrelenting campaign of bile and envy against the Louis family is becoming tiresome. Please find a new hobby-horse and ride it off into the sunset. Or better still, the sea.

Maybe Ryan will be in the Grand Prix on his own account by the time the Series reaches America. He begins his GP Challenge campaign this year at Berwick in nine days time.........

Why no Woffinden? I thought he was going to "tape it up and have a go"? His replacement would be nominated by Neil Middleditch, but must surely be Danny King. Who is next to assume a reserve slot -- Ashworth? Indeed, will Complin be fit?

BSPA release (outwith Berwick's control, yes) can be read to infer Berwick is in Scotland -- but its close enough, does it really matter? Mr Buckowski has, I note, been re-instated at Peterborough. They must fancy him a bit, then. It's going to be a pretty good night, if we all relax, stop bickering and enjoy it. Hopefully, the BSPA as promoters will still allow Berwick's track-staff to run the show. They tell me Lakeside was pretty awful, with the fence unwashed and just looking like an "ordinary" meeting. One thing we know is that Shielfield will be ###### and span. Bring it on!

You are comparing an unusual afternoon event in exceptionally hot sunshine, which I expect would require lots of track watering, with an evening meeting run at regular time. Track grading after every four heats will be the norm. Berwick have stated they will have two ambulances and two doctors on the night and have long experience of presenting speedway. There might be a bit of pomp and circumstance by the FIM before and after the twenty heats, but running to time won't be a problem. Indeed, I see the after-meeting party is advertised as being from 9pm until 1.30pm. So they aren't planning a long show, just a good one!

The next Sunday opening will be July 22nd....

Both in Scotland and Australia, he is usually (and affectionately) known by all as Bobby K. You'll find he's a good gater and a really nice guy.

Berwick get nothing from turnstile takings or programmes, etc. All to BSPA. But if it is packed out -- and why shouldn't it be, with a line-up as evenly-matched as this? -- the club will get the benefit of theit track shop, catering and bar proceeds going up. And the prospect of more big events in future. I'm told there will be a small fee to watch the official practice, but this will pass directly to the Lee Richardson Fund. Nice touch.

I'm happy to report that, asking the question last night. I was told they'll be less than that. Berwick have absolutely no say in the matter, but BSPA will keep charges to "someting like" (I couldn't get a firm commitment) £18 and a £4 programme. How does that match the ELRC/ Or Scottish Open?

Surely Ryan Fisher will be nominated. Who else? Ingalls or Wells? Hardly Hamill?

Tai has expressed a real desire to return to the GP circuit (as per his comments on TV last weekend) so it would be expected he will make every effort to ride at Berwick. It is a big track (and now smooth, too) which might not strain his wrist so much. He also doesn't have to win the meeting -- like at a GP, eight or nine point will see him through. If he can't make it, presumably Neil Middleditch will nominate Olly Allen or Danny King to step up, and find another reserve rider.

I am informed by an ultra-reliable source the BSPA today lifted their ban on NJL racing. The league will contine as before, using the official SCB regulations in relation to British-only riders, bringing the NJL into line with the other two competitions. End of story.

To confirm my earlier post: On Saturday night, Alex Harkess, the BSPA chairperson, apparently told the NJL co-ordinatordone. the NJL would be permitted to continue as long as their rules on rider elegibility were brought into line with the other two leagues. Presumably this has been done, or shortly will be. However, I've been told by a friend in the junior/development/amateur/whatsinaname scene at an Anglia track that these rules make absolutely no reference to the age of competitors, So what's all the ageism hassle on here? Let's just get three lower leagues running throughout the country and through them, let's hope for just one lad (or lass) to benefit enough from the discipline of competition to "make it" to a level that will silence even the sternest critic.

Is there a point at which all the sneering begins to look more like petty jealousy (of an improving speedway being awarded an FIM event) than genuine forum discussion?