crescent girl

Tomorrow (28th) is the last day for changes. 31St is the date such changes take effect.

Fine for us in the north, or in the deep south for travelling - but not for clubs 'in the middle! Also (mark my words) the southern clubs would get all the big names.....

For league fixtures, it is September 19th (already put back from 12th, because of so many postponements) For team changes to a 1-7 it is August 28th (this Sunday) effective Wednesday 31st.

AN ACADEMY EVENING With no racing at Shielfield next Saturday (September 3rd) we will be hosting a fund-raising evening to allow progress in creating our Speedway Academy at Duns to be maintained. This will be in the Black and Gold from 7pm. Scott Courtney and Gary Flint, the prime movers in the Academy project, will be launching and explaining a range of sponsorship packages, explain the finer details about the projected completion of phase 2 and from there look towards the exciting phase 3 which will see the shale going down and the creation of the safety-fence and pits area. This would be a good time to give the BSPA credit for their assistance with the Academy. Simply, we wouldn't have been in a position to commit to the project as soon as we have without their help. The BSPA, so-often maligned, gave us a total of £5,000 -- being £2,500 grant and a further loan of the same amount. Already, that £5,000 has been committed to the mammoth project of levelling the land and installing land drainage. "It was crucial that we had a laser-levelled base for the installation of our track" explained Scott. "We are effectively perched on the side of a big hill!" "We completed phase 1 primarily down to the financial help of the BSPA and for that we are very grateful". "Also, without the marvellous help of Jewsons at Tweedside Estate we wouldn't be so far along, that's for sure!" "They have sponsored us for the use of a mini-digger, which was used to establish a track drainage system that we feel will be very effective all year round. We need to emphasise this help from Jewsons, as machinery has been very difficult to come by thus far". "Now we're well into phase 2 of the 3-phase project. This consists of track drainage, supplying and installation of fence posts, laying of our access road and the first step towards establishing the first layer of our track base, We are well on with the track drainage and our access road is due for installation this week". "Flintie and I are working closely with former Edinburgh skipper Derek Sneddon, one-time Bandit Tamas Sike and Glasgow skipper Aaron Summers on all aspects of this wonderful project, ensuring we can build a facility that will cater for every rider's needs -- from absolute grass-roots beginners to professional riders that need practice time". Gary Flint added that the "Academy Evening" in the Black and Gold on September 3rd is primarily to announce and fully explain the availability of sponsorship packages. "Everything is in place with drainage and sub-base ready, we now really want to organise a cash-flow to augment the BSPA money". "It should be a pretty good night, apart from fund-raising we'll have the usual pie'n'pea suppers, maybe a quiz, some speedway-related chatter and patter and hopefully a few off-duty riders in attendance". (So said the e-Newsletter yesterday)

Somerset at Workington, as VFTTB has explained. We are already racing that night against Rye House. Let's turn it round: What is wrong with Mon 5th September?

Berwick v Somerset will be restaged on Monday, September 5th at 7.30pm.

It won't be very high -- nothing like Perry or Carr. Maybe 3.5 at most.

As per today's e-Newsletter: Scott Courtney: "We have an exciting weekend ahead of us, Workington at home in the second leg of the Border Trophy should be pretty good". "We need to claw back those 15 points -- but if our performance on Sky Sports against the Comets is anything to go by we are capable of achieving that, and getting our hands on the Trophy!" "Unfortunately, Theo has to miss out on Saturday, as he'll be in Finland, racing in the Long-Track Grand Prix at Forssa". "Because of the Border Trophy being outside regular PL rules, Workington have allowed me to bring in a guest for the match, which is great. So I've invited Scunthorpe's young Aussie Ryan Douglas to step into Theo's clogs on Saturday. He certainly won't let us down". Workington will be without reserve Matt Williamson on Saturday, as he has been released to race in the NL Pairs at King's Lynn, and they will bring in Mitchell Davey as their guest. Both missing riders will return for the league fixture on Sunday. With a fairly full evening in prospect -- the SRBF collection and a six-heat NJL mini-match, plus several presentations at the interval will add to proceedings -- it is hoped to start the parade spot on 6.50pm, with the tapes going up at sevon o'clock sharp. Season ticket-holders are reminded that their tickets do not cover this Border Trophy match. Declared line-ups on Saturday night: Bandits: 1. Kevin, 2. Dawid, 3. Ryan Douglas (guest), 4. Matty, 5. TJ, 6. Dany, 7. Liam. Comets: 1. Ricky Wells, 2. Mason Campton, 3. Kenneth Hansen, 4. Rasmus Jensen, 5. Claus Vissing, 6. Adam Roynon, 7. Mitchell Davey (guest).

It is correct that Romano Hummel has been 'protected' as a Berwick asset for twelve months by the BSPA, but also correct that the Dutch federation appear anxious to keep him away from speedway in favour of long- and grass-tracking. Oh well.

Track covers are not a miracle cure-all. When there is rain on the day of a meeting, but forecast to clear by evening, they work -- two meetings have been staged this season which would not otherwise have gone ahead. 100% success rate. Yesterday's meeting faced a terrible forecast for the afternoon and evening, plus a football match, and was not a situation for covers to be deployed.

"a date which will live in infamy" (FDR)

Yes, no chance of racing tonight, with horrendous afternoon and evening forecast. Correct decision to save a four-figure sum by early call-off. Rearanged date to be announced.

BSPA have alternative raceday officially listed as Saturdays at 7pm.

Home rider? No further action --- like Sam's assault on Bjerre. None of the local officials "will have seen anything" and any case reported to SCB by the referee will fall because of lack of witnesses. Away riders who act like this (Hall, Tungate) get one-month suspensions, however. Everybody sees those incidents!

Ricky Wells for Josh, Victor Pavlova for Jake, Rob Shuttleworth for Zach and r/r for Charlie Chuckles. Plus three real Rebels.

I have to agree. Maybe won't solve the problem every time, but.... Berwick have used their covers twice in 2016 with 100% success rate. Both times the meeting referee reported to SCB that match could not have proceeded without the covers having been deployed.

Newsletter was certainly correct to qualify line-ups as 'anticipated' --- Somerset are much-changed from what might have been expected. Berwick's release to media this morning tells that the teams will be: Bandits: 1. Kevin Doolan (captain), 2. Dawid Stachyra, 3. Theo Pijper, 4. Matty Wethers, 5. Thomas Jorgensen, 6. Dany Gappmaier, 7.Liam Carr. Rebels: 1. Josh Grajczonek (captain), 2. Charles Wright (r/r), 3. Michael Palm-Toft (guest), 4. Paul Starke, 5. Rohan Tungate, 6. Bradley Wilson-Dean, 7. Dan Bewley (guest). Which is better than they're getting up at Edinburgh, where the Rebels don't even have Grajczonek!

Peterborough have -- obviously -- a habit of pulling out surprising performances at Shielfield Park, as their undefeated-in-18-years run testifies. But every streak must come to an end -- is tonight the night?

Don't let the Glasgow folk hear you praising Edinburgh, it isn't allowed! I'd strongly recommend getting train into Edinburgh -- it swings all through August, packed with tourists (hardly any locals!) until the small hours.

No Germans at Berwick, mate...

No changes for weekend, it would seem. Standard Panthers' line-up announced on Berwick match thread.

As reported in Bandits' e-Newsletter, the Panthers are very much a bogey team for Berwick, who haven't registered a win against Peterborough, home or away, since 1998. To quote: LET'S BEAT THE HOODOO! As we have been telling you, Peterborough's Panthers haven't lost to Berwick's Bandits this century! That's home or away --- and this Saturday night, it is time for your Olympus Marquees Bandits to beat their bogey team. "I'm told we haven't managed a win over Peterborough since 1998 -- which is quite ridiculous" said John Anderson. "Eighteen years is quite long enough and I'm certainly hoping to see the Bandits combining to get the better of the Panthers this week". With Craig Cook and Ulrich Oestergaard leading their attack however, Peterborough are nobody's idea of easy meat, and this week's meeting has all the hallmarks of a real classic encounter. "We have an improving team again, with Dawid Stachyra and Dany Gappmaier gaining in confidence every meeting" said John. "Also, Liam Carr must currently be going as well as any No 7 in Britain -- it isn't going to be easy, but with everyone getting behind the team, I'm really and truly hoping we can beat these Panthers at last, and this most unwelcome hoodoo can at last be forgotten about!" The last time Berwick did get the best of a Panthers squad (on September 26th, 1998) it is interesting to remember how the scoring went. Both clubs deployed rider-replacement, for Scott Robson and Glenn Cunningham respectively: Bandits (48): James Grieves 14, David Meldrum 13+1, David Walsh 11+1, Peter Scully 4+2, Wesley Waite 3+1 and Martin Dixon 3. Panthers (42): Nigel Sadler 16, Brett Woodifield 8, David Howe 7+3, Phillipe Berge 6+3, Oliver Allen 3+1, Simon Stead 2. So, will the Gypsy Ged's curse be broken on Saturday? The guys who will make it happen (or not) are expected to be: Bandits: 1. Kevin Doolan, 2. Dawid Stachyra, 3. Theo Pijper, 4. Matty Wethers, 5. Thomas Jorgensen, 6. Dany Gappmaier, 7. Liam Carr. Panthers: 1. 1. Craig Cook, 2. Emil Grondal, 3. Tom Perry, 4. Nikolaj B Jakobsen, 5. Ulrich Oestergaard, 6. Ashley Morris, 7. Zdenek Holub.

How about Ipswich?

I think Worky's away form will eventually see them slip out of the top six. Amazed to realise Edinburgh now fractionally ahead of Glasgow in +/- and could be runners-up in the table with the advantage of being seeded in play-offs. All in all, it is getting interesting.....

A good performance tonight, team working well together, pulling Devils' lead back to four points and holding them over the dreaded last three races. Some very good races, with Matty Wethers very much involved in most of them. A good match to watch.