crescent girl

Second meeting of the year between two of the top NDL sides, with a place in the final against Mildenhall the prize. Second half will be another six-heat NJL mini-match, this time being Berwick Academy v Tees-side Tigers. Twenty-one races for a tenner! GHT Bullets: 1 Kyle Bickley (capt), 2 Mason Watson, 3 Ace Pijper, 4 Greg Blair, 5 Luke Crang, 6 Kieran Douglas, 7 Ben Rathbone Lion Cubs: 1 Dan Thompson, 2 Mickie Simpson, 3 Connor Coles, 4 Tom Spencer, 5 Joe Thompson (capt), 6 Vinnie Foord, 7 Max Perry. All Adults/Concessions/OAP £10, Accompanied juniors (12-15) £3, Accompanied children (under 12) £1. Car parking free. To encourage purchase of tickets online, the promotion are offering FREE ENTRY to all under-16s accompanying an adult who has bought their ticket online. Online tickets are the club's recommended way to enjoy speedway at Shielfield Park. It's quick and easy, you get your money straight back in the event of a cancellation and the administration is much less of a burden on an already hard-working and committed volunteer staff. Book at www.berwickspeedway.com/tickets Cash turnstiles will be open as usual, but any children entering at that point will require to be paid for. NJL teams: Academy: 1 Callum Foy, 2 Owen Booth, 3 Stene Pijper, 4 Liam Morris Tigers: 1 Edward Davison, 2 Laylen Richardson, 3 Dan McTear, 4 Logan Ferry

According to Berwick's media briefing today, the teams will line-up: Poole: Danny King, Zach Cook, Steve Worrall, Ben Cook, Richard Lawson, Drew Kemp, Nathan Ablitt. Bandits: Chris Harris, Theo Pijper, Jye Etheridge, Ricky Wells. Leon Flint, Jonas Knudsen, Nathan Stoneman. First time Bandits have been able to put their contracted 1-7 on track since late April!

That's the case.

To clarify the team news as of this morning...... Berwick will have Paul Starke at No 1, in place of Craig Cook, who had been listed in place of Chris Harris. Scunthorpe will have Broc Nicol at No 4 in place of Jake Allen Scunthorpe will be using r/r for Tero Aarnio -- all team-mates may take a ride. Once again, the promotion are offering free admission to all accompanied children (up to 15) who arrive with customers who book their tickets online. Adults £17, Concession/OAP/Students £13, accompanied Juniors (12-15) £5 -- free if booked online -- Under 12 £1 -- free if booked online. Online bookings from: https://www.berwickspeedway.com/tickets

Yeah, the plot thins..... A bit.

Where do you get 8-10 metres from? Two metres, more like....

If the BSPL (chairman R.Godfrey) say no facility against Scunthorpe on Saturday, so be it. Have to use someone not in any club's 1-7. Paul Starke?

You were there, were you?

In fact, there is a formula. While Newcastle's team points are expunged (great word!) from the records, the riders' averages are maintained. This is true for the ex-Diamonds going elsewhere and riders who have raced in Newcastle matches. I believe there might be post-season adjustments, but for the rest of the year, no-one's averages will be affected by the removal of Newcastle team results.

Isn't Sarj back on Friday? (Edit: No he isn't, despite being named in originally-submitted Monarchs' line-up) Also, Ricky Wells will be doing his Scott Nicholls impersonation at #1 for Oxford tomorrow.

Of course not! Edinburgh Monarchs are the easiest example to give.....

Saturday sees the debut of new Bandits Jonas Knudsen and Nathan Stoneman, eagerly awaited by fans who watched Knudsen practising after last week's NDL fixture. Chris Harris has been called to FIM duty again, representing the ACU in Denmark at a Euro Grass Track event. As was planned earlier in the month when Bomber would have missed the cup-tie against Redcar (had it taken place) Craig Cook will ride at No 1 for the home side. Jye Etheridge returns to action as well, and Berwick are able to track a seven-man side for the first time in several weeks. FTS Bandits: 1 Craig Cook (guest), 2 Theo Pijper, 3 Jye Etheridge, 4 Ricky Wells, 5 Leon Flint (capt), 6 Jonas Knudsen, 7 Nathan Stoneman Attis Scorpions: 1 Ryan Douglas, 2 Simon Lambert (capt), 3 Zaine Kennedy, 4 Jake Allen, 5 Tero Aarnio, 6 Connor Coles, 7 Jordan Palin Following the success enjoyed by the "Kids Go Free" deal for customers who book their tickets online, the special deal will be continued this week. Adults £17, Concession/OAP/Students £13, accompanied Juniors (12-15) £5 -- free if booked online -- Under 12 £1 -- free if booked online. Online bookings from: https://www.berwickspeedway.com/tickets

One thing to note is the rule preventing anyone riding in three leagues has very suddenly dropped out the book. Devils could bring back Drew Kemp if they wanted -- or quite a few others would now fit.....

The rule (013.3 for pedants) has been quietly amended..... The previous book had 013.3 including the words "riders in a Premier 1-7 are ineligible to compete in the NDL" This season's rule-book has had these words removed. How convenient.

As was the case last year, when Leon Flint was required to immediately leave Berwick Bullets when announced by Wolves. Hard luck on Fen Tigers, who had a good weekend to lift five league points, but now must seek to replace Jason -- but isn't this what the NDL's all about it?

School holidays in God's Nation are from June 27 until Aug 16

The best option for who? At the end of the day, this -- and every other meeting -- has to attract a paying turnstile attendance to pay its way, and hopefully turn a profit. If we start designing meetings to run for streaming, rather than the live audience, we wont last long as a public sporting entertaiment.

He had four sessions, each running different lines and presumably with bike set up changing. By his last 'heat' he was looking extremely good - but as said above, you can never quite be sure when a rider is out on his own. Nice lad, too.....

Team manager last night was Alex Harkess....

The NDL has an excellent rule -- "any eligible rider in the NDL can only guest twice at the same track during a season" That would be for home or away teams.

Actually, the rule is clear enough. A missing NDL rider from 2-5 in the order should only be replaced by R/R. But the dispensation comes because Shanes is representing the ACU in an FIM competition (book actually says 'speedway' without mentioning long-tracking) allowing a choice between R/R and a guest.

This tie will now be raced on Saturday, July 16th 7pm start.

Well, as so many people claim "there are no riders available" -- fans of Berwick, Oxford and Birmingham need not react, their clubs have proved there are -- when I see the great Benny J still doing what he does best (nul points!) for Vargana this week, maybe some of the clubs who need riders should check him out? Can't agree he's "instantly forgettable" by the way. No-one at Shielfield will ever forget Benny!

Vargarna's #7 might be a name for the future?

Berwick's Greg Blair gets a run-out at Armadale on Friday, filling in for James Shanes....