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1 hour ago, Bandit59 said:

Really never heard that would make a difference 

Yep, hopeful to be able to take a metre off the inside on all the bends, best chance they have now that the football team are in the lowland league

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1 hour ago, allthegearbutnaeidea said:

Yep, hopeful to be able to take a metre off the inside on all the bends, best chance they have now that the football team are in the lowland league

Certainly not looking good for the football club. I wouldn't be suprised on their current trajectory - if they dropped out of the (LL).

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7 hours ago, Robinh88 said:

Certainly not looking good for the football club. I wouldn't be suprised on their current trajectory - if they dropped out of the (LL).

You can't be relegated from of the Lowland League . I don't see what difference it makes what League they're in the pitch dimensions will still have be much the same 

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1 hour ago, DSC67 said:

You can't be relegated from of the Lowland League . I don't see what difference it makes what League they're in the pitch dimensions will still have be much the same 

Berwick Rangers pitch is a full size pitch, so there is scope for making it smaller and still be within SFA rules.  I doubt if they would make it smaller as the cost would be too much for a small club, and be of no benefit to themselves.  

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1 hour ago, DSC67 said:

You can't be relegated from of the Lowland League . I don't see what difference it makes what League they're in the pitch dimensions will still have be much the same 

If you actually look at the touchline markings this season you might have noticed that the football pitch was considerably narrower at the start of the season - probably about three-quarters of a metre. I was told from a vaguely reliable source that it is now the absolute minimum width allowable. Football teams cannot change the dimensions of their playing area during the season.  If you look at most modern football stadia these days the areas outside the actual white lines are almost always artificial turf. Presumably if the cost was not prohibitive that could be employed at Shielfield too allowing the track to be widened up to the actual white lines. All that would be needed was the desire of Rangers to allow it happen and, presumably, the Bandits to pay for it. 

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4 hours ago, DSC67 said:

You can't be relegated from of the Lowland League . I don't see what difference it makes what League they're in the pitch dimensions will still have be much the same 

Yes, you can; its a real possibility too within in the next few years.

Edited by Cloggy

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You really can't knock the good speedway folk in Berwick, I've been to Shielfield Park just once or twice, I forget exactly.  The Bandits (hopefully) come to the tapes each season, (hopefully) survive and compete in each season and the sport survives in a town with a relatively small population (120,000?).  Berrington Lough didn't really work for a variety of reasons but the Bandits do what they are able, ground-sharing with Berwick FC, in what really is their spiritual home anyway, did what they needed to be granted an 'FIM ticket' and staged some FIM events.  'It is what it is', as they say, the track being slotted around the footie pitch so space is inevitably tight and unless the footie club are willing, or even able, to shave a few feet off the pitch things will stay as they are.  At Hull, Boulevard the track around Hull FC's pitch measured 415yds / 379m and the pitch was apparently the minimum width, yet at Hull, Craven Park the track around Hull KR's pitch (and also originally inside a dog track) measured 379 yds / 346m.  Go figure.  Bit of a shame as while losing even a metre or off any playing area wouldn't change things much so I'm told (my knowlege and interest in footie & rugby is nil) it would make a great difference to any speedway track.

Someone mentioned artificial turf outside the touchline and there needs to be this 'border' not only to keep linesmen off the track (!) but also to help prevent flying shale landing on the pitch, particularly on the home straight off gate 1, and especially when it's wet.  Unless one of the stands is demolished, really don't see Berwick FC going for that why should they, and local residents wouldn't be too impressed either, the only solution I can see to alter the track would be to widen the straights into the 2m 'safety zone' and build a high mesh fence on top of the safety fence, smiliar to what they have at Scunny to prevent errant stock cars joining the crowd, which Brewick FC /  BSPA / SCB / FiM almost certainly wouldn't agree to.  So 'it (still) is what it is' in all likelyhood but either way, very good luck to the Bandits....

[Sorry if this appears twice, text editor issues.]

Edited by martinmauger
spelling

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1 hour ago, martinmauger said:

You really can't knock the good speedway folk in Berwick, I've been to Shielfield Park just once or twice, I forget exactly.  The Bandits (hopefully) come to the tapes each season, (hopefully) survive and compete each season and the sport survives in a town with a relatively small population (120,000?). 

If only!!! Population 12,050 at the last census ... around 35,000 if you throw a  30-mile radius north, south and west . Biggest problems is that population is relatively lowly paid and largely in hourly/seasonal work which means their disposable income is limited and not guaranteed. There are few national companies and those that are here have little or no interest in backing professional sport in the town.  Shielfield has always been fast and tight - it used to be considerably longer - but one of the problems is that a lot of riders are beaten before they arrive - or just can't be bothered to try if they miss the gate. Sheffield, Leicester, Craig Cook, Stevie Worrall, Ben Barker have all shown this year that it is possible to both race and pass here - Rory Schlein, Edinburgh and many others have shown that they either haven't got the ability or can't be bothered to compete.   

Edited by George Dodds

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40 minutes ago, George Dodds said:

If only!!! Population 12,050 at the last census ... around 35,000 if you throw a  30-mile radius north, south and west . Biggest problems is that population is relatively lowly paid and largely in hourly/seasonal work which means their disposable income is limited and not guaranteed. There are few national companies and those that are here have little or no interest in backing professional sport in the town.  Shielfield has always been fast and tight - it used to be considerably longer - but one of the problems is that a lot of riders are beaten before they arrive - or just can't be bothered to try if they miss the gate. Sheffield, Leicester, Craig Cook, Stevie Worrall, Ben Barker have all shown this year that it is possible to both race and pass here - Rory Schlein, Edinburgh and many others have shown that they either haven't got the ability or can't be bothered to compete.   

12,050 population is only for Berwick upon Tweed, does not include Tweedmouth, Spittal and East Ord.  When combined population is 16,500 approx, catchment area ax far down as Seahouses is approx 26,000, does not include Eastern Borders, estimated both combined 37,000.

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A neighbourly-ish 37,000 or so pop. then, even more impressive in drawing a viable speedway crowd.  The track is defo better these days (post 1997?) when the bends were widened to the max and also banked....

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11 minutes ago, martinmauger said:

A neighbourly-ish 37,000 or so pop. then, even more impressive in drawing a viable speedway crowd.  The track is defo better these days (post 1997?) when the bends were widened to the max and also banked....

Unfortunately, for whatever reason, the racing definitely isn't!

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26 minutes ago, Catch Me If You Can said:

Yes, sure Whitehill were relegated from Lowland at end last season

So, where do Whitehill play now? 

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