But Poole won't have a full strength team  definitely no cairns, no bowes, but won't be missed, and probably no lawson 😲 batch has pulled out of the Memorial meeting at worky on Saturday,  so maybe guesting for Poole 🤔

My first meeting was also in 1972. 1973 was my first full season though and Norman was a Pirate again by then, so I remember him well. From the Poole squad that season, we've also lost Christer Lofqvist, Antoni Woryna and Odd Fossengen but most who wore the skull & crossbones that season are still with us thankfully.  

Wonder if he ever settled his several thousand pounds spares bill he owed rather than  telling him he'd burn his house down if he ever asked for the money again.

I think Berwick will be the happier of the 2 teams, but would still fancy Poole to progress if they had a full strength team at Berwick. I'm a bit surprised Poole have stuck with Bowes for so long, normally quick to make changes. 

Unless he was signed off on monday by the medics, surely it becomes a non speedway injury, or illness

I don't think a rider can miss a match due to riding abroad & then not ride abroad, so surely it'd have to count as an injury causing him to miss the Poole match?