crescent girl

Club's fixture list shows British U-21 at Berwick again -- well done -- on Saturday, April 27th, which would be huge. BSPA list has nothing on 27th, but shows a 'Berwick reserved' date on Tuesday 30th. Hmmmm. Surely Saturday meeting better for all concerned, bigger crowd, better financial return -- be it to club or BSPA.

Speedway GB are probably going to try to launch the big dates in one announcement. The U-21 Final is at Berwick again this year (in April) but isn't on the list issued on BSPA site this morning.

Moving on, news issued a couple of days back by the promotion: "We can confirm that the 2019 season at Shielfield Park will kick off with Press & Practice evening on Friday the 29th of March at 6pm but the real fun begins 24 hours later! Competitive action gets underway with the 2019 Bordernapolis event on Saturday the 30th of March at 7pm! Due to the devastating news that the Workington Comets are unable to take their place in the SGB Championship division in 2019, Bandits management have agreed that the Bordernapolis event will now be included in your 15 match season pass alongside scheduled Championship, KO Cup and Championship Shield matches. Everyone at Berwick Bandits Speedway Club sends their condolences to all involved at Workington Comets Speedway Club. Workington’s unfortunate situation brings home the very real challenges the sport is facing to survive and sustain in the current climate. We hope to one day renew our border rivalry with the 2018 SGB treble Champions but for now all thoughts are with the Promotion, Management, Riders, Mechanics, Fans and sponsors. There has never been a more important time to back your local Speedway club!"

Well, actually, he won't. As early as October, unsure if he'd be in the country in January, he notified the supporters in writing that they should give the seat in the Hall to someone else. Although back in Britain since early December, Dick has not received an invitation to the Dinner.

All coming together, Screm! Another positive blog from uber-fan Sarah on club website too, urging supporters to support the promotion, keep speedway alive in Berwick-on-Tweed.

I don't know, but a quick e-mail to club@berwickbandits.co should get their usual prompt response. Also, anyone who hasn't picked up on the option of the discounts, please remember that tomorrow is the last day of the offer........

Today's blog by the marvellous (I wish I could write as well as he does) George Dodds in "The Dirt Extra" on Bandits' website has opened the question of what it means to "support" the club. Drawing attention to the launch of the Berwick Speedway Supporters Club -- the new, officially-backed organisation with firm views on where funds raised in the name of "supporting" the club should be channeled -- he reminds us how the club has come so dangerously close to closure twice in the past three years and that monies raised in the name of supporting our Bandits should be used for just that -- securing the future of Berwick speedway. Let's get together, let's make it happen!

What other Wednesday tracks?

.....and only FIVE DAYS left to buy them at the bargain-basement offered price, folks!

So how many signatures have you received to date?

Agree 100% Every time the 'big league' gets in trouble, they lure clubs who were running successfully 'up' and put them to the sword.

Garcia and Castagna are both younger than Ben Hopwood

Maybe the supporters club could have a 'cretin of the month' award over the winter months, and help him out?

Nice words from NBJ on rejoining the Bandits: "It’s the first club I’ve ridden for in England where I felt everyone standing together! I was so gutted when I was made aware the club would be up for sale. I felt 100% I’d go back again for next year. Luckily enough Jamie rang me a little while later and told me he would make sure the club runs in 2019 and if I’d be interested in coming back he would be more than happy to sign me again!" "We made a major climb up the table this year, and with pretty much the same team we are capable of climbing even further up! I want to be a part of a winning team and that’s why I choose Berwick again! Even David Howe, my team mate this year will now step in as my mechanic. With an experienced man like him to give me that right advice . I feel more motivated than ever, not only for myself but also to give the club the success it deserves!”

Leon Madsen runs the risk of being caught cheating, of course

Which is the magic of speedway, because we can still recall the absolute fizz, buzz, whatever we got from Trownson's race nearly half a century ago and Warwick's over a decade back -- and others, at other times -- as they did the absolute impossible at Shielfield on summer Saturday nights, long, long ago. Another fifty years? Why not? Let's get behind the club, the promotion and see who they can beat, against all odds..........

Not like in the old days, eh? Peter Collins with Rochdale, Dave Jessup with Eastbourne, John Louis with Ippo and Phil Crump with Crewe, all coming to Shielfield and giving Bandits' raw youngsters of the day a good going-over. But folk piled in to just watch these great riders in action. Then there was the total mis-match of former World Champ Gary Havelock arriving with Redcar and having to go out to wipe the floor with Bandits' fresh-out-the-NL #7 Danny Warwick...... Oh, wait.......

Yeah, he's one of them all right......

To quote Mandy Rice-Davies............

Bloody hell! How thick can you get?

The overspend might have come in part from naively paying full-time staff, and even race-day helpers, for doing work that had traditionally previously been happily undertaken by volunteers.

Only one way to find out.........

Didn't Bomber ride for St Austell in the Amateur/Conference League while he was 15?

Club Facebook page promising a fair bit of news on Sunday - team building and team manager on the agenda among other stuff...

It was 42.5. Ryan came in after Luke Chessell bailed out at a late stage