crescent girl

Oh well, at least there are another five months for this one to go round and round. And round and round. Speedway is a combination of sport, entertainment and business. As is all professional sport, even stuff like darts or snooker. To make the business pay, the promoter is required to provide entertainment. Drama. Intrigue. Twenty heats provide plenty of entertainment, with the points being added up as the evening expands to allow progression on the night and (in GPs) the season-long standings. The semis are a sudden-death drama, and the final allows the punters to file out (or switch off after the programme) after watching the show build to a climax. The best rider didn't win? Tough, come back next time and maybe he will. That's called suspense and maintaining interest in the product. Those who want a straight twenty heats, with a winner declared -- perhaps as early as Heat 17 -- will only see the public drifting, or switching, off after the victory is obvious. Which might be OK for amateur sport, but not the business of professional entertainment. So there.

Maybe be a few sore heads on Sunday morning after the dance, but a refreshing breeze at Duns will clear away the cobwebs! See here: After so much hard work and unforeseen hurdles, the Training Academy team can now confirm the opening date of the Grant Henderson Tankers Speedway Training Academy @ Duns MX! This Sunday the 22nd of October at 11am we will launch the first official session at the brand new facility. To book in please call 07730-691897. Plans are in place to run every Sunday (weather permitting) from 11am to 3pm. Prices are as follows, 250cc and 500cc Riders £40 per session, 125cc and under 250cc Riders £35 per session, Under 125cc Juniors £30. Day License’s are also available by request. Membership information will follow in the coming weeks. A Live Facebook information feed from the Berwick Speedway Training Academy Page can be found @ www.berwickbandits.co with all the information you need to book in and be part of something special! All levels are welcomed and guidance and tuition will be on hand at every session and provided by one of our experienced team consisting of Kevin Doolan, Aaron Summers, Scott Courtney, Tamas Sike and Gary Flint. Special guest instructors will make regular appearances at the venue and we will keep you right up to date with that! Training bikes will be available for hire in the very near future but at present we will only be catering for riders with their own equipment. Let’s go Riding! Feel free to check out the Berwick Speedway Training Academy Page for all of the most up to date information.

From Berwick's Facebook page: ITS TIME! After an unbelievable amount of hard work and unforeseen hurdles, the training academy team can now confirm the opening date of the Grant Henderson Tankers Speedway Training Academy @ Duns MX! This Sunday the 22nd of October at 11am we will launch the first official session at the brand new facility. To book in please call 07730691897. Plans are in place to run every Sunday (weather permitting) from 11am to 3pm. Prices are as follows, 250cc and 500cc Riders £40 per session, 125cc and under 250cc Riders £35 per session, Under 125cc Juniors £30. Day License’s are also available by request. Membership information will follow in the coming weeks. A Live Facebook information feed from the Berwick Speedway Training Academy Page can be found @ www.berwickbandits.co with all the information you need to book in and be part of something special! All levels are welcomed and guidance and tuition will be on hand at every session and provided by one of our experienced team consisting of Kevin Doolan, Aaron Summers, Scott Courtney, Tamas Sike and Gary Flint. Special guest instructors will make regular appearances at the venue and we will keep you right up to date with that! Training bikes will be available for hire in the very near future but at present we will only be catering for riders with their own equipment. Let’s go Riding! Feel free to check out the Berwick Speedway Training Academy Page for all of the most up to date information.

Hmmm. An interesting viewpoint. Doesn't mean the poster is right tho. Or wrong.

They were going to hold it on a neutral track, but it was rained off. The crowd would have been great at Somerset, it always is on that night.

Guests for the guests! What an absolute bustard..........

No-one has raced while a promoter since the British League era began in 1965

When thirty heats are decided by a single point. it is the unexpected flash of brilliance that turns the result around. I saw three this week. Liam Carr passing Mark Riss in Heat 2 at Swindon -- who saw that coming? -- David Bellego going from his customary last to second on one bend in Heat 14 last night and Nick Morris coming around the last turn in Heat 13. What a final! For anyone who doesn't agree with the play-off system, well.........

On which subject, l reckon Zmarzlik's left turn on Lebedevs was about the dirtiest move l've seen in years. Really bad.

Edinburgh riders would only have to attend if ALL the other top riders from the other clubs will be there, no? Can't force Sam and/or Ricky to attend if Lambert, etc, don't........

It'll be Scott Nicholls for Sam Masters, and Lasse Bjerre for the RooBoy. Reserves hardly matter, do they?

Berwick all done and dusted. Hooray for track covers - didn't lose a single home meeting to weather all season!

Covers down?

Yes, it's true enough. There wasn't a fight on track though, just a screw-loose Hawk being stupid. Never knew if it was a real gun, tho.....

Considering the rain that drenched the area throughout Thursday and early Friday morning, the use of track covers certainly saved these two meetings. In the event, the track was in fine condition, even required a little watering between the matches.

That's it, Paulco. Great pub!

We'll be solid, but much might depend on Jye at reserve. Ippo not a place he's dominated previously - but hopefully no problems for the New JE! In pub over the road from the track, been a few spits of rain, but nothing serious. Last away match of the year, couldn't miss it.....

Congratulations to Monarchs promotion for getting onto the covers bandwagon. Other tracks take note!

Yet another instance of the 'lower division' being treated with total disdain by BSPA hierarchy. When Alex Harkess was Chairman, we at least knew that all clubs would be likely to be treated equally, even if we disagreed with some decisions. Since the sport was Bustered, we have seen more and more fine-tuning in favour of the 'big league' The idea of 'Manchester on a Saturday Night' for the biggest event of the season would be wonderful if it was also -- as it used to be -- the last event of the season, with no other clubs racing. Instead, this is set in the final week of the regular Championship season, with four of the five clubs who are still contesting the play-off cut now to be deprived of one or two of their heat-leaders for what could be a vital (and lucrative) last night of the regular term. Plus, when these clubs look around for a suitable guest for their No 1 rider in what is for some a vital fixture, all the possible names are also going to be forced to turn out at Belle Vue. Absolute pish. Plus, an indication that, once again, if changes are not made at the top of the house the sport in Britain will be staged in 2018 for the total benefit of the big boys. NB: If you want to see this sort of event, why not try Glasgow for the CLRC on Sunday 24th? It'll be very much the same riders....

Poole are at Somerset on Friday. That'll be a big one for them....

Absolutely not. Don't confuse incisive professional journalism with amateur efforts on social media.

Ah, but when Billy Smart or Chipperfield bring the circus comes to town, everyone goes to see it!

The league is in effect a 'club' -- say like a golf club -- and can make its own rules. So going to court's a no-no. But agree with original point -- the 'no changes after August 1' regulation which came in with too many Buster-influenced changes for the worse -- using a sledge-hammer on a walnut. It was rushed in to stop late introductions like Hancock at Poole and Tai at Wolves, but failed to realise the damage which would be caused to other clubs. Perhaps it should only have been applied to the post-season play-offs? Whatever, the past two seasons, this current one especially, have been an administrational disaster. Buster's reign will surely be curtailed at the AGM. But who can be persuaded to take over, and steady the ship? Thinks: Toni Frankitti?

A point to ponder on how far club has come. That crowd, perhaps the lowest of the season, would have been considered as being wholly acceptable, very much the norm, in the latter years of wee Peter's regime. With racing of this calibre on a track like that, it is no wonder attendances have held up so well in the face of all the injuries and low league standing.

Maybe Toni Frankitti has done a deal with them?