blackandgold

I am just back from a stint abroad, so trying to catch up. I see no sponsorship yet, I am a bit bewildered as to what the mansgement at Berwick speedways understanding of sponsorship is . It does appear to me that they are in a loss situation and can only run if they get someone to bail them out in the form of a sponsorship deal. This is what I do for a living, the company I am employed with promote large companies and arrange sponsorship deals on their behalf. I will keep this simple. Tha basis of any deal is how much the company can gain financially, the accepted criteria is the return will be ten times the investment. In other words invest a million pound the return will be ten million

It would be nice if Berwick were tobe in the top four, realistically probably be about 8th. Top 4 Someret,Leicester,Newcastle, Ipswich. Followed by Redcar,Workington,Edinburgh,Berwick. Wooden spoon Glasgow or Sheffield

It is more than obvious that messers Big eddie and WJM do not like Taffy. A note gentlemen, and I use that title caustiously. It was Taffy that convinced me to return to speedway this season,when I came back to live in Berwick, he also convinced one of my neighbours to go aswell. I bring my two boys and my neighbour comes along with his daughter sometimes our wives come with us. This week I have clients from work coming up for the weekend, we are bringing them to speedway, six adults and three childrenn, who all want a programme, chips and a can of coke. I havn't noticed Taffy (Tourettes if Iam not mistaken) posting a great deal , however I only know about this season. I fear you two posters do more damage to Berwick Speedway than you realise, especially WJM. You both certainly would put me off. So I will thank Taffy for introducing me back to speedway, my kids

Going to paint the toilet roll holders That must be the reason why the crowds are the best they have ever been.

e Every one missing the polnt as usual, 10yrs ago the guy was potential, at Berwick a very entertaining 2nd string. Around Berwick a heat leader, away very much a 2nd string. Someone named the tracks he was good around 2 or 3 aint there anymore Birmingham is now Elite, the last time Lee rode there he scored 1 or2 polnts. He nearly got there,so what I nearly won the lottery, I am still saving up to go to speedway on a Sat night

He probably would have been replaced at Berwick next season hopefully by Robin Aspergren. Still wish him luck in his retirement, was really good around Berwick , not so good on many away tracks.

Poor,poor meeting, with a very poor crowd, which it has been for most of this season. The aast two meetings the track preperation had been a lot better,but last night, my feeling was, it had slipped back to that familiar gate and go track, the outside becoming very loose, hence the amount of riders coming off looking for a way around on the outside line. The decision in the reduced entrance fee really does not make sound financial sense, the idea that the decline in the gate is due to a shortage of money is solely the problem is a nonsense. I fear the main problem started with an unbalanced team at the beginning of the season, combined with bad track preperation for most of season resulted in the fan base becoming disengaged with the support. Whatever the break even crowd is, probably about 700, if you reduce the entry fee by one third then the crowd has to increase by a third to around 900 and they must be paying fans. I doubt that the excersise has worked as the increased crowd has been achieved by under 16s getting in free, resulting in a decrease of income at the gate by one third. in essence the paying crowd remains the same but they pay less and the club is further out of pocket. If I put together a financial package together like this for my employers, I fear I would soon be in the ranks of the unemployed. My advice to the promotion is have a chat to someone who understands finances.

I dont know what the crowd was like, a lot of empty seats in the main stand, so probably a normal attendance. For once in a long while I enjoyed the meeting, some good racing with some passing, at last as it has been a while. I am really glad they scraped alot of that loose shale off the outside, which was the primary cause of no passing.It took the promotion long enough for it to realise how badly they were preparing the track, so well done, a tad late, but better than nothing. Remember to keep it that way.

was wondering that myself, after witnessing some of the recent decisions, I just put it down to bad management.

Well well, what a shafting, 3 paid maxiimums for Redcar, could have been 4 if Kus had not fallen and been excluded. However you cannot blame the Berwick team, as only the 2 reserves and a 2nd string were in attendance. The only conclusion for me is because of the poor choice of guests, this was also apparent last Saturday night against Edinburgh. I belive the track was very slick tonight, this was Berwicks downfalll. Again this was Berwicks downfall on Saturday, racing on a slick track, with a team of riders who cannot gate. Berwick had no control of the track conditions tonight, however they do at home, why then, the persistance in producing a track that is slick on the inside and loose on the outside. After heat 4 there is little shale on the inside line, it has joined the rest of the loose shale on the outside, this has the effect of no grip on the inside, and if you go to the outside it is so loose you will come off. The result is, a gate and go track, with just one racing line. If the promotion prepare a track like this for the meeting against Newsatle, expect another shafting, as those guys can gate.

You are quite right about Chris Schramm, he is one of those journeymen that always give 100%. Well done to The Bandits, a good win against a injury and machinery ravaged team, something Berwick is well aware of. With only one of the original Bandits riding, one wonders where they would be in the league if they had got their line up right at the begining of the season. Perhaps this new line up will help put a stop to an obvious depleting crowd on a Saturday night. As John Anderson said, the poor crowds this season have been worrying, if he can he nreeds to stick with most of this line up. Alden, Dyer,Aspergren and Bellego must be top of the list.

I don't know where the club have been promoting the meeting on Wednesday, I have seen absolutely nothing advertising the meeting or the special offers anywhere in the Berwick area. The only promotion I have come accross is within the circle of fans, who surely will be in attendance anyway. It does appear the promotion is preaching to the converted instead ofthose who no longer attend, or looking for new converts. With the exception of the Workington meeting all of the recent meetings have had a very low attendance.