crescent girl

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?

Announced on Saturday that the referee will be from Poland. This is going to be a right little League of Nations!

0 warning points As I have posted a short while ago on a similar topic on the General Discussions part of this Forum: I heard this had happened and spoke to Dick Barrie on Saturday night at Berwick after the meeting. He told me he had spoken with the BSPA Chairman literally ten minutes before I approached him, and Mr Harkess had assured him if the NJL changed their rules to be the same as the new junior leagues in the south the ban would be lifted. Dick explained Mr Harkess agreed on the NJL continuing with three riders in the teams but insisted that they fall into line on who can ride. He told me this would therefore happen, to ensure the NJL could continue. If their word is their bond, it looks like all is well again.

Ooops! Tried post to answer, but hit the wrong key! To continue, I asked this question at Berwick two weeks ago, and the official reply was that it won't be ticketed, but that the Berwick promotion have no control over pricing or admissions. The event is an FIM meeting, being promoted by the BSPA on behalf of the SCB! In effect, it is a 'shared event' like the PLRC is at Sheffield. The Berwick promotion don't set the price nor do they get to keep the money! Which some might think makes their energetic efforts to promote the event all-the-more commendable.

I don't know about the other two, but Poole had to change their track -- about twenty years ago -- because of the age-old problem of the football club wanting a bigger pitch with permanent corners. This naturally took place in the spccer club's close season -- that is, the speedway season. Of course. As I remember, the Pirates closed down for about three weeks in May or June.

Should we not be grateful there is an FIM event coming to the north, rather than complaining about press releases and the announcers? The BSPA -- or maybe SCB -- have put one of the (very few) allocations at a club which, God knows, has improved just about everything at it over the past few years. When -- are where -- else in the north would we see a meeting of this stature. Lighten up and support the sport.

This is very encouraging. Are you going to enter a team in the NJL, like Northside have done?

Berwick website has named Linus Sundstrom as Swedish representative and Matej Kus for the Czech Republic. Leaving representatives from Russia, Poland, Holland, Denmark and the two Yanks to be named. This is getting very tasty!