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Good on Berwick for managing to find two riders when apparently there aren’t ANY that want to ride in the UK. Maybe it’s just how you ask the question and what you offer?

Ya not wrong but at the end of the day there is only one person who can turn it around... and fair play to him its his way or no way so if it sinks or swims its all on his shoulders... Regards THJ

Aye okay son! Newcastle just exudes negativity right now… the unhappiness of the fans on social media.. the lack of anything official that seems to come from the promotion…. The damaging impact those photos of the track surface from weeks ago will have done… the general chit chat that there will be between riders… wanting to come to a club that has potential to go years into the future… a club that cares about junior development… and it’s been said elsewhere but your race day goes majorly against you getting anyone decent (I mean anyone who has aspirations for Poland) I don’t know anything that goes on behind closed doors but it’s easy to see Brough ain’t the happiest of places! What changed over the years I don’t know… the place used to be bouncing!

The track staff at Glasgow are the best in the country. They knew what their track needed despite pressure from riders, officials and spectators. It needed time to dry out and then graded. It was perfect come five pm. You have days like this in Scotland with the weather. To those that left you missed a good meeting. Speedways biggest enemy is the weather. Hats off to the riders who in nearly all cases were patient and got on with it. The referee deserves credit for he was calm during the whole proceedings. Everyone I have mentioned deserves credit where it due. Well done!

Very sad to hear you have had enough but i understand your feelings.What happened to Grant's ideas of putting fairground rides on and a live band as extra entertainment? Has he just gave up now? Unbelievable how he's in his catering van frying burgers whilst the team on track are in a mess. I really fear for the future of Newcastle Diamonds to finish this season never mind running next season. I respect Rob for taking the club on and in all fairness he had it tough with the mess he was left in and then Covid. I can put up with the team being poor last season as it was hurriedly put together but no excuses for this season. There was more financial backing but he still assembled a team in which most of the fans knew would struggle from day one. You just can't be competitive with lack of heat leaders and too many gambles on riders. I have heard he's tried loads of riders to come but for whatever reason they have refused. The swap of reserves is never going to improve us it's big hitters we need.

The last few pages have woken a few folk up! As I see it, to introduce Jonas Knudsen for the injured Ty Proctor, there had to be two changes. Bandits were over 42.5 in total points this month. Kyle Bickley was just the unlucky domino. Kyle has indeed suffered a sad lack of form at CL level recently, and a rest from CL pressures -- while still at Berwick, skippering the NDL-leading Bullets -- will hopefully recharge his confidence, bringing him back as the rider who just weeks ago was sailing past Craig Cook!. Both Greg Blair and Luke Crang are in their 'thirties, and both have already raced for the Bandits in the current campaign, taking the odd ride in matches they were #8. Nathan Stoneman has raced twice at Shielfield this season, beating Bickley, Blair, Crang and Watson in the process. Given the need to bring in a lower average to balance the new line-up, and the connection with Oxford, his signing makes reasonable sense. I agree that, of the current Bullets, I see Ace Pijper and Mason Watson as the improving youngsters who might be available for bigger things in the future -- but with Leon Flint as a shining example, to brand running an NDL squad as a "waste of time" is absolute nonsense. If you can produce one rider, maybe every two years, from NDL racing to progress up the sport for you, then the job's a winner.

Think Gary Flint is being very diplomatic with Kyle saying he has lost his confidence racing at Championship Level and needs to take a break.He has had 3 Full seasons at reserve in Championship.He is still young but not sure he is not at his level now.Retires from too many race when at the back for me.

Think that excuse is wearing a bit thin Steve because if you don't ask you don't find out... Tero has a Sunday team in Poland but gets over here and if that is an issue like I stated above it might be time to stretch the budget a bit and start paying a bit over the odds making a move to Newcastle financially attractive to these guys or you just stay in the rut... and put up with what you have... Do you try and scramble up the slippery slope or just give in and slide to the bottom.... like the football team with Ashley and Steve Bruce which was going nowhere fast with a stinking reputation it might be time to change direction and I mean radical change not faffing round the edges to try and pull the thing round... Regards THJ

He rides in under 24 league which is mid-week. Has yet to appear for Unia Leszno. And Kenyan Rew looks to be their first choice replacement. So not a problem.

No absolutely not. It's up to the TM to source the best possible rider available. But what hear from some of these teams are these riders will be the lions, monarchs etc of the future. Yet when an opportunity to blood one of the junior side into the main team arises, very rarely seems an opportunity is given. I mean did Leicester really need Edwards at Newcastle yesterday? Prime example where an opportunity could've been given to a younger rider.

Correct me if I'm wrong but to my knowledge only Oxford used their own CL rider to replace a 6/7 who was injured so far this season even as a guest for those clubs with NDL sides. Edinburgh never used an armadale rider to replace sarj. Berwick have signed stoneman over one of their sides. Plymouth signed mcgurck over one of their riders to replace Atkins and used guests who didn't ride for the junior side before signed him. Leicester using Edwards predominantly to replace Rowe rather than promote a cub. Begs the question what's the point?

I remember around just 4 years ago watching him regularly in the Colts alongside Dan Bewley... With the two of them often riding Ht 13 and Ht 15 together... With Bickley more than a match for Bewley and would win his fair share of heats when they rode together.. And as he often outgated Dan, who had to fight his way through from the back, the margin of some victories showed he was more than capable, with Dan not always making any impression gap wise, and race win times between the two were very comparable.. Amazing that Dan is now on such a hugely different career path, in what is a pretty short period of time, especially given the Covid break.. One knocking on the GP Finals door, and the other struggling to hold down a reserve place in Division 2 of the UK.. Hope there is a way back for the kid, but it will take a huge amount of tenacity and resilience to get himself onto the career path that seemed likely for him when rode for the Colts first up..

More chance of Bickley at Armadale.(IMO).(if anywhere)

You know Heeps of stuff…

Believe Jesper is the younger brother

Fair play to Berwick getting rid of Bickley, should have done it sooner

Team manager has got to make sure he fields the best Team possible( within the rules) so he was right to use Edwards.IMO.Had Leicester lost or not gotten the bonus point,he would have taken some stick.(ask Cami)

Also George can gate a lot quicker than Smith & got in the mix.. Smith was way behind going into the 1st bend & looked like a rabbit in the headlight's.. not knowing what to do!

Is Stoneman? Surely the upgrade is getting Knudson?

To me the team need a change in dynamics whether it on paper looks to strengthen us or not. There appears no team spirit and that is being shown on track with less commitment being shown into the first turn. Ty and Kyle wouldn’t be my first choice due to the Brough Park record but I would snap your hand off for both if they could come into our side as the reserve pairing (or push James into that spot)

I feel exactly the same, if you had told me five years ago i would not miss speedway i would never of believed you.Have only been to a handful of meetings since Covid and with the Swindon fiasco coming to a conclusion cannot see myself going on a regular basis again.I might go to the Poole v Glasgow fixture and get along to Oxford and that is it.I still do my speedway memorabilia and keep in touch with the sport daily but the sport has stagnated and surprisingly i do not miss it anymore.I did enjoy the Belle Vue v Ipswich fixture and it did keep me interested so surprised Gemini that you don’t visit Leicester speedway anymore anyway hope you are keeping well.

He's the chairman now!

Haha... nice thought but no... unfortunately the way things were firstly done; then the discussions that followed and then finally the way things were then left; I think that ship has long sailed sadly... Regards THJ

Good to have two GB riders who now go into these meetings being feared by opponents rather than "hoping they can do well", which has been the case for too long in this country when riders reached this level.. They both now seem very comfortable at the "top table" suggesting they both truly now believe that they are "naturally" in their rightful position... Which can only bring further confidence and reward...

Berwick dust only gives a light tan