glycerol

ANOTHER CUT-PRICE BARGAIN NIGHT AT THE NEXT SATURDAY SKID-SHOw Following the success of Wednesday night’s bargain promotion (highlighted by a big on-track win over Plymouth Devils) Berwick’s speedway Bandits - sponsored by A & J Scott Ltd of Wooperton - will again slash admission prices (£10 all adults, all accompanied U-16 children FREE) for their big local derby clash with Edinburgh Monarchs Saturday, September 1st. With a Northern Junior League mini-match following the Premier League action, there are 19 races on the menu for September 1st, and with racing being followed by a giant Hog Roast in the pits area – to be attended by the riders of both teams - the evening has all the makings of a great, yet not-too-expensive Saturday Night Out! Club director John Anderson has made clear his reason for issuing this invitation to citizens of Berwick and surrounding areas, plus of course the travelling speedway supporters of Edinburgh Monarchs. “We have to encourage people to come along and have an enjoyable family night out,” he stated at the weekend. “We are in the entertainment business, and we want to attract people who will make a Saturday night out at Shielfield their summer hobby. “This cut-price promotion of a local derby match seemed a good place to set out our stall – and I am urging everyone to come along, to tell their friends and neighbours about the cut-price deal and to encourage folk to give it a try. “If we get another positive response, prices can be lowered in future – we aren’t here to make a fortune, and any increase in regular attendance will be passed back to the public. “Berwick has had a speedway show on Summer Saturday nights for over forty years, and we are hoping to encourage a turn-out to let us help the club plan to keep it going for at least forty more!” Admission prices are ONLY 10 for all adults with children under 16 being admitted FREE as long as they accompanied by an adult. Entry to the Hog Roast in the pits will be FREE to members of Bandits Supporters Club (BSC), and only £5 to other adults, £3 to children.

JUNE 16th: THE LATEST INCLUDING DETAILS OF PRACTICE SESSION The field for the GP Challenge qualification event on June 16th – now less than three weeks away, is now known -- an intriguing mixture of established world-class names and almost-unknown quantities! Unfortunately, Wolverhampton’s Tai Woffinden has been forced to withdraw after sustaining a broken wrist, but his place will be taken by World Team Cup rider and Birmingham captain Danny King – who is the younger brother of Berwick favourite Jason King! In riding order, the international stars will line up: 1. Sam Masters (Australia), 2. Emiliano Sanchez (Argentina), 3. Krysztof Buckowski (Poland), 4. Chris ‘Bomber’ Harris (UK), 5.Guglielmo Franchetti (Italy), 6. Christian Hefenbrock (Germany), 7. Henry van der Steen (Netherlands), 8. Kenneth Hansen (Denmark), 9. Ryan Fisher (USA), 10.Matej Kus (Czech Republic), 11. Tero Aarnio (Finland), 12. Davey Watt (Australia), 13. Danny King (UK), 14. Linus Sundstrom (Sweden), 15. Facundo Albin (Argentina), 16. Kenny Ingalls (USA) The reserves on hand will be Lee Complin (who will now be first reserve) and a further British rider who will be nominated by GB Team Manager Neil Middleditch this weekend. If either (or both) should be called into action before the start, there is every possibility they could actually qualify from the event! Admission prices for June 16th – set by the BSPA, not Berwick Speedway will be pegged to a very reasonable (for such a high-quality event) £18 (adults), £12 (concession), £5 (children 5-16 years), and children under 5 free. A special souvenir programme (£4) will be produced by the BSPA. Full details of the Official Meeting Practice – to which the public will be admitted – have now been confirmed. Practice will take place between 11.30am and 1.30pm on Saturday 16th. Admission will be by a minimum donation of £2 (which will be entirely donated to the Lee Richardson Fund, aiding the family and dependants of the former British GP rider who tragically lost his life in a track crash in Poland last month). The Track Shop will be open during Practice, and spectators will be able to purchase Ceilidh tickets (see below) at this time. Gates wlll open at 11am. After Practice ends at 1.30pm, the stadium will be closed again until the turnstiles open at 5pm for the main event. AFTER THE BIG NIGHT: This will be a long, light night. After racing, a Ceilidh is being staged in the Black & Gold to welcome the international visitors. Remaining tickets will be on sale at the event from the Track Shop for just £6 – while they last! All money raised will be presented to the club’s Fence Fund. Please note admission to the entire Black and Gold hostelry will be by ticket only. The club has booked out both the bar and function suite. New Holland Agriculture are to be the event’s main sponsors, which yet another example of how this particular event has caught major companies’ attention – a very big international organisation backing a very big international event.

update The field for the GP Challenge qualification event on June 16th – now just three short weeks away, is becoming an intriguing mixture of established world-class names and almost-unknown quantities! The Danish representative will be 24-year-old Kenneth Kruse Hansen, who most-recently raced in the UK for Wolverhampton Wolves. Poland are sending Krysztof Buczkowski, who raced in the Elite League last year with Peterborough Panthers and Henry van der Steen has been nominated to represent The Netherlands. A late change has seen the Russian Federation withdrawing their rider (are they still at war with Berwick?) and the FIM extending that invitation to Italy instead. Their rider will be former Bandit Gino Franchetti, thus giving local fans two former Bandits to cheer for – Tero Aarnio being the Finnish representative. Only the two representatives of the USA have now still to be announced. Previously nominated by their nations are Chris Harris and Tai Woffinden (UK), Davey Watt and Sam Masters (Australia, Christian Hefenbrock (Germany), Facundo Albin and Emiliano Sanchez (Argentina), Linus Sundstrom (Sweden) and Matej Kus from the Czech Republic. AFTER THE BIG NIGHT: As the meeting is about as close to midsummer as you can get, this will be a long, light night. After racing, a Ceilidh will be staged in the Black & Gold to welcome the international visitors. Tickets will be on sale on Saturday in the Track Shop for just £6 – while they last! All money raised will be presented to the club’s Fence Fund. Please take note that admission to the entire Black and Gold hostelry will be by ticket only. The club has booked out both the bar and function suite. New Holland Agriculture are to be the event’s main sponsors, which yet another example of how this particular event has caught major companies’ attention – a very big international organisation backing a very big international event. A number of other sponsorship and hospitality prospects are naturally disappearing like the hottest of hotcakes – to enquire about any remaining heat, rider or further VIP packages, contact Julie Newton

The worldwide New Holland Agriculture organisation is proud to be linked again with speedway at Berwick, having been named as the primary meeting sponsors of the FIM/BSPA Grand Prix Qualifying Event, featuring world-class riders from a dozen nations. “Simply put, this means we have a worldwide concern – New Holland Agriculture have more than 3,000 dealerships in more than 160 countries – back a world-class qualifying event,” said a Berwick spokesman last week. “New Holland Agriculture sponsored our Bordernapolis event lat year, and the deal clearly worked for them, as now they’ve stepped up to put their name against our very first FIM event.” The continued climb of Shielfield Park toward being one of the UK’s premier speedway venues will be taken to a new level on Saturday, June 16th, with the FIM Speedway World Championship Grand Prix Qualification Meeting QR3 Event, featuring world-class riders from a dozen nations. “Berwick have shown many other clubs the way forward in recent years,” stated a BSPA spokesperson. “They have the first polyfoam fence in their League, a greatly-improved racing surface, a well-respected standard of meeting presentation and – following recent inspection – full FIM approval to stage international events of this nature.” Two more names have been revealed by the FIM authorities for our FIM GP Challenge qualifier on Saturday June 16th – just seven weeks away! From Sweden comes the brilliant 21-year-old Linus Sundstrom from Peterborough Panthers, who is surely destined to be his nation’s ‘next big thing’ –- and he’ll be joined in the line-up by a real Berwick expert in Matej Kus from the Czech Republic – who filed a superb 15-point maximum performance on his last visit to Shielfield Park. Already nominated for the ‘biggest speedway event ever staged at Berwick’ are Davey Watt and reigning PL Riders’ Champion Sam Masters of Australia and popular British stars Chris ‘Bomber’ Harris and Tai Woffinden. Finland will send Tero Aarnio and Argentina have named teenage sensation Facundo Albin alongside Emiliano Sanchez. The German representative will be Christian Hefenbrock. Nominated UK reserves for the meeting are Olly Allen and Danny King (brother of Bandits’ Jason). Still awaited are the names of the riders coming from Poland, Denmark, Russia and Holland, plus two from the USA. Sponsorship prospects for this event are naturally disappearing like the hottest of hotcakes – the main meeting will be backed by New Holland Agriculture, a truly global brand who have 3,000 dealerships in 160 countries – but anyone wanting to grab a heat, rider or hospitality package should contact the club’s Commercial Manager Julie Newton

The continued climb of Shielfield Park toward being one of the UK’s premier speedway venues will be taken to a new level on Saturday, June 16th, with the FIM/BSPA Grand Prix Qualifying Event, featuring world-class riders from a dozen nations. “Berwick have shown many other clubs the way forward in recent years,” stated a BSPA spokesperson. “They have the first polyfoam fence in their League, a greatly-improved racing surface, a well-respected standard of meeting presentation and – following recent inspection – full FIM approval to stage international events of this nature”. While a ‘normal’ event would have a couple of local lads on stand-by, the importance of this ‘biggest ever’ meeting can be emphasised by Team GB manager Neil Middleditch having named Danny King (brother of Bandit Jason) and a man who certainly knows the best way around Shielfield in Olly Allen as his nominated reserves for the event. Already nominated for the ‘biggest speedway event ever staged at Berwick’ are Davey Watt and Sam Masters of Australia and British stars Chris ‘Bomber’ Harris and Tai Woffinden. Finland will send Tero ‘The Hero’ Aarnio and Argentina have named teenage sensation Facundo Albin alongside Emiliano Sanchez. The German representative will be Christian Hefenbrock. Sponsorship prospects for this event are naturally disappearing like the hottest of hotcakes – to grab a heat, rider or hospitality package, contact Julie Newton on 07840-998845 at the earliest opportunity. Still to come are the names of the riders from Poland, Denmark, Sweden, Russia, Holland, the Czech Republic and two from the USA. The event is the most-prestigious ever presented at Shielfield Park, and local groups are already taking full advantage by investing in fence advertising and taking up the limited availability of Heat, Rider and Hospitality packages. To ‘get in on the act’ before it is too late, prospective sponsors and/or advertisers should contact the club’s Commercial Manager Julie Newton (Julie@berwickbandtis.co)

JUNE 16th: THE BIGGEST NIGHT (SO FAR) IN BERWICK SPEEDWAY HISTORY! The progress of Shielfield Park as one of the UK’s premier speedway venues will be taken to a new level on Saturday, June 16th, with the FIM/BSPA Grand Prix Qualifying Event, featuring world-class riders from a dozen nations. “Berwick have shown many other clubs the way forward in recent years” stated a BSPA spokesperson. “They have the first polyfoam fence in their League, a greatly-improved racing surface, a well-respected standard of meeting presentation and – following recent inspection – full FIM approval to stage international events of this nature”. Riders already nominated (by their national federations) include Chris ‘Bomber’ Harris and Tai Woffinden (UK), Davey Watt and Sam Masters (Australia, Tero Aarnio (Finland), Christian Hefenbrock (Germany) and Argentineans Facundo Albin and Emiliano Sanchez. Nominations are awaited from the USA (2 riders), Sweden, Russia, Holland, Poland, Denmark and the Czech Republic.

Two more names confirmed for this event are the Brit pairing of Chris "Bomber" Harris and Tai Woffinden and we hear that Mark Lemon, as Aussie team manager, is carefully considering which two stars to pick from his WTC squad for the meeting... And then we've still got two Yanks, and a Russian, A Dane, A Swede, a Dutchman, a Czech and a Pole to come!

News just in on Argentina's second nomination for this meeting..... take a bow Mr. Facundo Albin!

A little info on this .... the first confirmed nominations by their Federations for the proposed Berwick meeting are Christian Heffenbrock and Emiliano Sanchez Fourteen to come, being 2 x Aussies, 2 x Brits, 2 x Americans, another Argentinian and one each from Poland, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Holland and Russia. Interesting stuff.

Claus Vissing was injured at Sheffield on Thursday night and cannot take his place in the Bordernapolis on Saturday,,, BUT Newcastle's Claes Nedermark has agreed to take the booking at late notice.... WELCOME CLAES!

From the official Bandits' website ALEX EDBERG UPDATE - Diagnosis - He Will Make Full Recovery! Posted: 5th July 2011 by News Bandit The Berwick Bandits are a club rejoicing this morning with every new piece of news to come out about their injured Swede Alex Edberg simply getting better and better. On Saturday night the 20-year-old was involved in a freak high-speed and shocking crash which saw him fire at top speed into the fourth bend fencing, and subsequently whisked off to Wansbeck Hospital with the management left fearing the worst. But miracles really do happen – even in speedway – and this morning there are a good many smiles around North Northumberland. Edberg was transferred to Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary yesterday, Monday, where he underwent surgery to fix up his collarbone break and the chipped bone at the base of his back. Whilst general visitors are to be discouraged until Thursday - or maybe Friday, team manager Ian Rae was granted a special dispensation to see his stricken new star yesterday evening, and he was a delighted man when he reported back saying: “It’s great to say Alex’s doctors have said his surgery has been a complete success!” “He has full movement in all his limbs. His collarbone has been plated and pinned and his back has been fixed up. His broken ribs will heal in time and his punctured lung has re-inflated and basically put itself right and his cuts and lacerations to his forehead are certainly no problem at all. “All indications are saying he will be fully and completely fit in around 12 weeks, but has been advised to keep off the bikes for a further three months. But – he’s already told me, with his father in full support that he wants to get on with training in mid-winter and rejoin the Bandits in March 2012! That’s bowled me over – what an amazing lad! He loved being a Bandit and wants to get back as soon as he can with us! “Considering what we all saw on Saturday and what we secretly feared, well, to be standing here now, just two days later, and seeing and hearing what we are is stunning. It is unbelievable – and so very, very pleasing!” Alex will naturally be at the R.V.I. for a few weeks and should anyone wish to send cards and messages of good wishes, the place to send them is: WARD 22 - 23 CLAREMONT WING, ROYAL VICTORIA INFIRMARY, QUEEN VICTORIA ROAD, NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, NE1 4LP. Then all we need to do is count the days ‘till the exciting Swede dons the Black and Gold colours once more.

From the official Berwick Website The Berwick Bandits management were able to breathe a sigh of relief in the early hours of Sunday morning as the initial reports on the condition of injured Swede Alex Edberg started to come out from Ashington’s Wansbeck Hospital. Having clipped the rear wheel of an opponent at Shielfield Park on Saturday night Alex was sent careering into and through the fourth bend fence receiving head and chest injuries that necessitated a rapid response ambulance ride through Northumberland to get him vital treatment. Come 1am the news, whilst still revealing multiple injuries for the young Bandit, was a whole lot better than initially feared. In the 1am bulletin it was revealed that Alex was fully awake and chatting freely with his doctors in a perfectly lucid manner and has full memories of the Heat Eight crash as well as his earlier one in the opening race. He has a broken collar bone and may have a chipped bone at the base of his back and cracked ribs. His arms and legs are moving perfectly and it would seem that his punctured lung is already re-inflating itself naturally. So all is looking well tonight and no further news is expected in the near future as all connected with Berwick Speedway again extend their best wishes to Alex on his recovery.

In case anyone is interested, former Bandit Ian Paterson's Speedway Museum is open this Saturday (Feb 26th) from 10am until 4pm - longer than usual -- and the only Saturday of the year it'll be open.

LATE NEWS OF BORDERNAPOLIS CHANGE OF LINE UP. Unfortunately Tero Aarnio, even though Scunthorpe have made their exit from the Young Shield, cannot make the Bordernapolis 2010 at Berwick (7.00pm) on Saturday ---- BUT Coming into his place in top Aussie from Birmingham - JASON LYONS! Not a bad swap !!!

Berwick speedway boss John Anderson is currently in the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, recovering from a cardiac double by-pass operation -- but yesterday he was surprising pulled back into the shale-shifting world! “My phone went off beside me, and it turned out to be Polish rider Tomasz Piszcz on the line -- from his home in Lublin! “I know Tomasz quite well, and he was calling me – he didn’t know I was in here -- to ask if there was any chance of his coming over and racing in Saturday’s Bordernapolis!” Unfortunately for the enthusiastic little Pole, John had to tell him the event was already over-subscribed, but assured him Berwick will always be pleased to see him again at any time – maybe next time? As previously reported, the club are awaiting news of the Scunthorpe/Workington semi-final tonight (Friday) to find out which club’s riders will be at the Bordernapolis on Saturday. “We will see either David Howe and Tero Aarnio of Scunthorpe or Chris Schramm and Peter Kildemand from Workington – whichever club loses out, their guys will be here!” said Berwick manager Ian Rae. The amended line is confirmed as: Aaron Summers (Birmingham & Australia), Lee Complin (Berwick & England), Rory Schlein (Peterborough & Australia), Magnus Karlsson (Scunthorpe & England), Borys Miturski (Poland), Ty Proctor (Wolverhampton & Australia, Grzegorz Strózyk (Berwick & Poland), Ryan Fisher (Edinburgh & USA), Paul Clews (Berwick & England), Tero Aarnio (Scunthorpe & Finland) OR Peter Kildemand (Workington & Denmark), James Wright (Belle Vue & England), Nicklas Porsing (Denmark), Joe Haines (Redcar & England), Travis McGowan (Glasgow & Australia), David Howe (Scunthorpe & England) OR Chris Schramm (Workington & England), Shane Parker (Somerset & Australia), plus reserves Tamas Sike (Hungary) and Greg Blair (Scotland).. The event is sponsored for 2010 by the Cornhill Village Shop and Coffee Shop, which is operated by former Bandits’ co-owner Lynda Waite and her family. The winners’ awards on Saturday will be presented by Lynda and her sister Julie Jones.