crescent girl

No question, he's been out practising after the match. Obvious replacement for the so-unlucky Branford.

Yes, Georgie is having a good go, attacking the track - as are the other six. Problem being Sheffield's heat-leaders are very good, very dialled in.

For all conspiracy theorists, both Havvy and Flintie are on duty tonight.....

I think he means on Thursday....

So, if it were a night of tremendous, cut and thrust racing (maybe like Tuesday in Sweden) with the -- admittedly underdog --Bandits battling for every point, but in the end going down, guns blazing, to the powerful Witches, you wouldn't turn out to see the show? Just because you feel they won't win. Arse.

OK..... And your available alternatives would be.....?

Bandits certainly have the best guest. Glasgow No 1, plus also No 1 in Premiership..

Seeking independence, are you?

Aussies have Brady K and Jack H available, both are U-21, so Lemo can fiddle his troops to still have a good reserve, or maybe leave Max F there, put replacement straight in for Doyley. Which is more in line with the regulations a good few pages back, no?

Well, you signed him!

Track covered up? C'mon, don't get me going.....

Another four weeks from now?

Not after Saturday, he ain't.......

So this is meaningless -- you can't fit him in?

It may be (I don't know) that FIM have a lighter regime for concussion victims than SCB. Certainly Nick could not resume racing under SCB regulations until nine days after Peterboro acident.

Once again, Berwick can show the way forward. After a series of unacceptable delays while waiting for a county ambulance, or even while the paramedic eas assessing an injury, Berwick have for the past two or three years had two ambulances and two paramedics at every meeting. And no more long delays....

Concussion means a 9-day sit-down, which is frustrating but understandable. This means Nick will miss the WTC for Australia at King's Lynn (had he been selected), Bandits' matches at home tomorrow, at Scunthorpe on Sunday and at Newcastle next Sunday. Also Swindon's home match with Wolves on Thursday next week. He would be available to return at Edinburgh on Friday 7th.

Nothing wrong with Alfie Bowtell. Raced his socks off for Bandits last week at Ippo for 2+2. Great attitude in the pits, too.

A bit unfair. Steve W is the Good Twin.

No you haven't. Ince a line-up is declared, the riders keep their places. If there is a guest, or r/r has to be introduced, they go into that slot

It wasnt so bad. Bandits were never going to win, but kept the Witches honest. Danny King in a class of his own and a pleasure to watch. Alfie Bowtell and Ben Morley applied themselves and did what the guys they were replacing might have been expected to. The big loss was Lewis Bridger. On that CMA he's impossible to properly replace. But the weather was gorgeous, the racing (often for the minor points) was close and anyone saying it wasn't must have a strange agenda.

I suspect you read the man from Wooler's post wrongly. Berwick's wish was to have this rained-off meeting restaged later in the season (Nick Morris was always going to be at Swindon tonight) rather than this evening. However, having reluctantly agreed to return on this date, they will of course honour their commitment, that would always happen. As luck has it, since accepting the date they've lost Bridger and Payne through injury, Howe and Etheridge have also been sidelined -- but are back now -- and Gappmaier (rather impressively) qualified through the GP system. But to say they agreed the date 'not knowing if their riders were available' is incorrect. No club knows when their riders might get injured. It is a shame to read posters saying they won't attend. It is a beautiful day, there's speedway on tonight and every prospect of some good races, be they in Heat 2 or Heat 15. Have a night out at the skids -- get over yourselves! Who knows what might occur? If we don't go, we'll never find out, never see it happen.

Berwick have never covered the track more than 24 hours before a match, usually it is on the Saturday morning if daytime rainfall is forecast.

Yes, three years ago -- when Berwick had completely different covers -- that was perhaps true. That was then, this is now. Different covering system, and each time it gets done it gets easier. Twelve people, about an hour and they are laid. Always plenty of helpers to lift them before the meeting starts, which then maybe takes 20 minutes or so.

Dave, Dave.... That's just not true. The current covers at Berwick were first used for a match against Redcar in April 2016, and again before another meeting, maybe two more, last season. This year, the Berwick promotion have saved SEVEN meetings more or less directly through the use of the same covers. To add to other posts on the subject, track covers cost about 50% of the cost of raining off ONE meeting. Now, I agree that other tracks aren't suited to being covered, and stadium access -- and availability of man-power -- might be a problem elsewhere. But problems are there to be sorted. I cannot believe other promotions have so far not investigated why Berwick have been so successful in this matter.