GS550

Best wishes to all at Berwick speedway. Here's hoping better times are just around the corner. Fingers and everything crossed. All the best.

Good heavens, that's an about turn...... so your earlier point that you thought riders "Disgraceful" in not congratulating each other was just made up? You've got me confused now.

I dunno so much Blobby. After all a quid is only worth about 30p these days. And, if my memory serves me correctly, speedway admission prices generally seem to have frozen and stayed flat over the last ten years or so whereas wages and salaries (in the UK economy in general that is) have doubled in that time. So in real terms the speedway admission price has fallen over the last several years..... I can see you're convinced. As to the line-up its a far better line-up than the usual PL serving of a couple of heat leaders, guests of varying quality, the rest made of r/r, a second string and a couple of reserves per side. So anyway, have I convinced you yet?!! Seems to have been a good meeting and congrats to Cook on winning it. Hi there Scotsman, I share your disgust and/or dismay at there being a lack of handshakes and congratulation exchanges between riders these days. However, I regret to say that I've found the biggest culprit to be Cook - I've lost count of the number of times Cook has failed to congratulate an opponent that has beaten him and indeed I've never seen him do it at all, it just doesn't seem to be in his nature - I'm sure you will disagree but I'm sorry that's what I've seen for myself. For me Les Collins was a gentleman and a true sportsman but I've felt for some time that Cook would do well to emulate the conduct of Collins and its in that department that I feel Cook has a long long way to go. As to Lawson not congratulating Cook today, that appears contrary to what's quoted of Richard Lawson on the Glasgow website whereby he appears to sportingly acknowledge Cook, acknowledging how well Cook rode, and giving Cook credit for the manoeuvre to pass him. But yes, sportingly offering an actual handshake or whatever on track - yes there seems to be rather less of it about these days sadly.

If that is true then I don't understand the extreme over reaction by some and the apparent bitter hatred - condoning two fingered offensive gestures in a public place, condoning the shouting of vile expletives and vulgar obscenities in front of children (as also stated on this thread). It doesn't exactly bode well for the sport. I say bring back Les Collins - now there was a guy that conducted himself as a true sportsman that you could respect, have a genuine regard for and look up to regardless of team allegiances and when standards among supporters seemed rather more family friendly and the sport was a joy to be a part of.

If that is true then it seems to me that there are a number of individuals that claim to be Edinburgh "supporters" that surely need to take a long hard look at themselves - condoning two fingered offensive gestures in a public place, condoning the shouting of vile expletives and vulgar obscenities in front of children (as also stated on this thread). This, added to my earlier point about never having seen Cook offer a handshake when he has lost an on track duel, he never seems to have the good grace to do so. It doesn't exactly bode well for the team and the sport they claim to support or supposedly represent. I say bring back Les Collins - now there was a guy that conducted himself as a true sportsman that you could respect, have a genuine regard for and look up to regardless of team allegiances and when standards among supporters were rather more family friendly and the sport was a joy to be a part of.

Yes, Cook is a very talented speedway rider, I absolutely agree. However, in my humble opinion he doesn't do himself any favours by the way he conducts himself. Speedway fans across the sport in general would have more respect and regard for him if he conducted himself more like for example Les Collins when he rode for Edinburgh. Many speedway fans, including those of Glasgow, had a respect and a regard for Les that they don't have for Cook because of the way he conducts himself. I can't remember the last time I saw Cook offer a handshake after a race - especially when Cook has been beaten fair and square. Collins had the good grace to offer his hand after a duel on track - Cook tends to never do so that I've ever seen. He comes across to me as being maybe a bit petulant and immature, and I apologise to any Edinburgh supporter and to the rider himself - I don't mean to be unfair - but in my humble opinion Cook doesn't do himself any favours by the way he behaves. Now you may well say that he isn't there to do favours etc - yes he is there to win races - but after the race is over he should have the good grace to be sportsmanlike and all too often he appears to me to show petulance and immaturity and of being a bad loser and a poor sportsman. Les Collins wasn't like that and that's where I personally had loads of respect and regard for Les Collins that I don't have for Cook. Just my personal opinion.

I must admit that a similar thought crossed my mind re the folk that set the tapes up, although of course its easy to criticise on the sidelines. I did wonder why they seemed to focus on the side that was going up instead of focusing on the side that was sticking. Even when both sides were rising virtually simultaneously they seemed oblivious to the fact that the tapes themselves were far too slack, so much so that when the tapes went up the sides were higher much quicker than the middle which was sagging badly - thus blocking the riders in the middle from gating just that vital fraction which was what held back Morris in Heat 9 - the tapes rose to allow the outside gates away quickly but the middle was sagging badly and inhibitted Morris just that fraction from gating at the same time - hence Morris was only third in that heat as he was blocked for a split second by the tapes rising later in the middle of the track where Morris gated from that heat.

So true. A completely injury free season is probably too much to hope for, let's hop injuries are as few and as light as possible.

By the photos the track doesn't look "waterlogged", looks both raceable and safe to me and certainly not dangerous as some seem to have wrongly inferred, I can't see what the fuss is about.

Hi Blobby, To be honest 2,000 on the first meeting is possible. Couple of things to remember - the opening match of 1988 season at Shawfield attracted something like 8,000 according to an article I read last few weeks in the SS. Secondly, Ashfield had more than 2,000 a few years ago when Glasgow staged the Pairs, ok that was with a few other teams punters as well. And, thirdly, isn't the opening match against the Monarchs - they usually bring a few don't they. Not sure I understand your point about Morris. If Morris is capable of winning races, and you say Edinburgh who are the defending chanps aren't keen on him and he presents a challenge to Edinburgh's title - is that not the whole point anyway, or am I missing something. Anyway, best of luck to all this coming season, let's see some good racing, no injuries at all is maybe too much to hope for so lets hope injuries are as few and as light as possible.