crescent girl

Berwick have made several advances with Council planners in recent seasons, getting extra midweek allowances for Sky meeting last year and some backlogged fixtures running in midweek. But absolutely "never on a Sunday". I understand an approach was indeed made to a senior official last night for "very exceptional" permission to run today. They said no. You think? Planning restrictions at Berwick have always been severe, and after an abuse of the absolute Sunday embargo by a previous promoter, any repeat Sunday staging could very well result in the track being closed! You would want this?

E-newsletter tonight confirms new line-up for June: Vissing, Jensen, Doolan, Wethers, Bellego, Carr & Kus. Also discloses away match at Redcar is fixed for July 10th (Ooops, sorry!)

Monday. But it won't be rained off. Not on a Sunday in Berwick. It would be Monday. But it will be on!

Berwick e-newsletter tonight says the match at Owlerton (weather permitting, of course) on June 26th is now almost certain to be changed to KO Cup-tie, with PL match held over until early September.

Well, the ones who also support Celtic will be well-versed in paranoia...........

Berwick's e-newsletter tonight tells us Josh G is still hoping to race (he sees a specialist tomorrow) but Roland Benko is out. Former Bandit Norbert Magosi will step in for Hungary. No reason to believe Magic hasn't recovered. He'll be there!

Absolute crap, Victor! Both teams were warmed up and changed for 7pm, and with rain easing both captains and referee looked at the track and voted to start at 7.20. Berwick won the toss. All this was announced to crowd. At 7.18, after rain had eased for about 15 minutes and things were looking OK, there was a further sudden heavy downpour and the referee -- not Berwick or Workington -- called it off. He then stood out on the grass while the announcement was made, to make clear it was his decision. To blame the home promotion is just not right. To expect any speedway club, anywhere, to refund cash when you have your readmission tickets for any meeting for the next two seasons is a bit naive, as the "no money back" policy has been in operation for sixty-odd years! Or is it just Berwick you want to put the blame on?

Tut, tut! ......, go to www.berwickbandits.co and insert your e-mail address in the box on the front page!

In Berwick's e-newsletter last night, Dennis McCleary was waxing forth about the frustrations and complications caused by having had ten matches postponed in the first two months of the season. Average for an eight-month season is apparently four or five.

Never a waste of time, travelling to watch the Mightys, Shadders. Safe journey for you, B4E and little Kevin David Matej Matthew Claus Liam Steen.......

Interesting hint in Bandits' e-newsletter late last night about Tomas Suchanek.

Sincerely hope so! You didn't mention the play-offs. Berwick v Scunny has been rearranged for Saturday, September 6th

No need to apologise. When is little Kevin David Matej Matthew Claus Steen Liam Ellis-Shadders due to be with us, anyway?

Nice one, Screm.

FIM appoint their own sub-contractor to take all TV pictures. This will not be the excellent GRT Media, who are the usual Berwick provider. It is believed (by Berwick) there won't be any live streaming, but there may be a late decision on this made in Geneva. Whatever, the question is totally out of Berwick's hands.

Not exactly so. Practice is for 1 hour, from 12-30. Stadium will be open to public (there will be some form of donation) between 11.45/2pm

Last night was the cut-off point for next month's averages, and yes, Claus Vissing will be No 1 for June, at least. Steen Jensen's average won't change on June 1st like the others as he hasn't completed 4 away matches, which he won't do until (weather permitting, Bandits haven't had too many sunny Thursdays this year) after Redcar next week -- his average would change on June 5th. What his average will be then, I have no idea! Maybe someone can work it out. Bonus points don't count, and I'm not sure about Heat 15 appearances. If he moves up, the thought of any of the top five moving down is mouth-watering.

Well, there you go -- a worthwhile mission for you and your pals! Get a group together, agree a small weekly donation and ensure it goes to riders on Berwick's books such as Liam Carr and Stefan Farnaby. Sometimes the bigger scorers get the bigger hand-outs, when the strugglers need it more.

Luke Crang is Newcastle's chosen guest, and Aaron Fox is expected to be riding.

Berwick's e-newsletter people really excelling themselves today: IT'S MAGIC! No sooner had we checked (and indeed double-checked) all the official e-mails and notifications from the FIM, BSPA and PZM this morning, and promptly issued your Black & Gold Bulletin this afternoon -- indeed exactly seventeen minutes after it hit your in-box -- we had word that the PZM wanted to change their minds about their nominations for our GP Challenge! A little bit later on, yes -- with fulsome apologies from all concerned, came the news from Poland. Januz Kolodziej is out -- he'll now ride in a different round -- and 2011 World U-21 Champion (and runner-up in 2010 and 2012) MACIEJ JANOWSKI is in! Now, with apologies to Mr Kolodziej, that's a swap we'll take every day of the week! Maciej (he gets called Magic, although that isn't how his name is properly pronounced) Janowski is quite simply a probable future World Champion. Racing with distinction in Poland for Sparta Wroclaw and here in the UK for Poole Pirates (alongside his countryman and fellow Berwick contestant Przemyslaw Pawlicki) young Maciej has already had a sniff at a couple of Grands Prix as a track reserve, and must be immediately rated as one of the favourites for the top step of our podium on June 7th. The complete line-up, in riding order, for the meeting will now be: 1. Chris Harris (UK) 2. Jason Doyle (Australia) 3. Mathieu Tressarrieu (France) 4. Roland Benko (Hungary) 5. Tobias Kroner (Germany) 6. Kenneth Bjerre (Denmark) 7. Josh Grajczonek (Australia) 8. Maciej Janowski (Poland) 9. Linus Stundstroem (Sweden) 10. Tomas Suchanek (Czech Republic) 11. Matej Kus (Czech Republic) 12. Hans Andersen (Denmark) 13. Daniel Gappmaier (Austria) 14. Przemyslaw Pawlicki (Poland) 15. Theo Pipjer (France) 16. Craig Cook (UK) 17. Richard Lawson (UK) 18. Lewis Bridger (UK).

According to my Berwick sources (OK, the club's excellent e-newsletter) Matej Kus will be riding on June 7th, as Slovenia have failed to nominate a rider, and the Czech Republic picked up that nomination. Excellent for Matej, who is in fine form, and for local publicity and support. In addition, we now know that Hungary will be tracking 19-year-old Roland Benko (currently racing for Plymouth) with the final part of our jigsaw being the mystery man -- Austria's Daniel Gappmaier, from Sankt Martin, near Salzburg.

Berwick e-newsletter tonight confirms Hans Andersen and Kenneth Bjerre named as Danish contestants.

Thanks. Now sorted.

Yes, date wrong. Sorry -- can someone tell me how to change a topic title?

From today's Berwick e-newsletter: After the disappointment caused by last Saturday's unavoidable washout, we are hoping for brighter and better things this week, with your full-strength Bandits' squad aiming to maintain their 100% Premier League record against the Ipswich Witches, a team with some impressive recent Shielfield performanes on their CV. It will be intriguing to see the clash of two of the world's brightest prospects when American starlet Gino Manzares faces our own David Bellego in heats 1 and 8. Both youngsters are their nations' qualifiers for the World U-21 Championship (each had to wriggle through a run-off at his respective qualifying round) and at 21, both are going for the title in their final year of elegibility. Two bright young things. Let's see what happens -- tapes up, as ever, at 7pm.