crescent girl

I'm a little surprised that this item, recently on website and latest e-Newsletter, which seems progressive and a good idea for those with the black-and-gold in their hearts, hasn't attracted the scorn and bile we expect from the usual suspects: Your Bandits are launching a new VIP Club for the coming season, offering members privileged access to pits, infield and other benefits. For an annual membership fee of £20, VIP supporters will be afforded the opportunity to make a pits visit for a few heats during a meeting, and then spend a further couple of races viewing proceedings from the centre-green. Members will also be invited to make the presentation of a VIP award to the night's most-entertaining rider one week, and -- if they have kids who attend matches -- can nominate their young 'uns to be mascots. Further, VIPs will receive a 50% discount of tickets for dances, etc organised by the promotion, on certain nights they will receive a generous discount on merchandise from the Club Shop and on booking hospitality will be granted 10% discount if a full party (30+ visitors) is booked in. To join the VIP Club, contact Lani Rae on 07779-227535.

You sure about that?

Eddie was right. Berwick issued e-newsletters on Dec 1, Dec 6, Dec 23 and Jan 11, every one carrying caveats concerning Jake Allen's signing. These warned: "we are awaiting the outcome of meetings between UK Visas and Immigration and the BSPA", "as we have been careful to highlight, our signing of Jake is subject to approval by the necessary authorities", "while the signing of any non-EU citizen is subject to his getting a visa", "so hopefully this (the visa question) all goes to plan" and "Jake Allen's immigration situation is clouded, with discussions ongoing"

....and we're still here. Proper class!

A formula you spent most of the year slagging off.... Jake Allen is currently the 'best of the rest' -- the leading scorer amoug those Aussie Title contesetants who have yet to race overseas. He is worth the punt, given the alternative would be to use other people's ageing assets. Hopefully on five, but even on seven.

Bollocks! Anyone can receive Berwick's e-Newsletter. Go to their website, enter your e-mail address and click. You go on their list, and receive every issue of the Newsletter from there on in, absolutely free. Quiet in close season, maybe only two or three issues per month, but up to three or four every week of the season. Secretive my pretty backside.........

If Matej Kus is worth £21K, and the asking-price for Aaron Summers is rumoured to be £25K, what would Monarchs expect to get for Cookie?

If he lived in Alnwick instead of France, and wasn't already signed up to ride in the other two leagues, you mean? But the fans are being updated regularly by the Black and Gold Bulletin. If they have the capability of looking at the website, they have the capability of receiving the e-mails. Websites will remain useful tools for fixture-listing, standard info on getting to the stadium and the like, but are really outdated by media such as Facebook and e-newsletters.

Golf clubs?

You are the twit, my forum friend. Nicolas Covatti is Argentine born and bred. He speaks Spanish as his first language. He has an Italian passport by some peculiar device used by many other sportsmen (mainly footballers)to avoid visa requirements. For some reason, Argentinians seem able to acquire EU passports very easily. Facundo Albin, who raced for Sheffield in 2013 had never been out of Argentina in his life until he arrived in the UK to race -- with a Spanish passport! Both Emiliano Sanchez and Carlos Villar raced in the UK on EU passports, too.

Thank the good Lord for that.

Constructive post! If some of us on here did more active volunteering to help the club in small ways......

Theo is on 7.09, Rusty on 6.50, well within required limit. Neither would be bank-busters, even if Tigers have actually bought the bank! Season ticket prices are very competitive by the way, very encouraging after previous seasons.

Cheating is the wrong word. The furore is about Somerset having apparently declared a 1-7 well over the limit. Again.

Think you're reading between the lines there. That report is more about Redcar being gazumped by Glasgow over Kozza after agreeing a deal with the rider than the Matej Kus situation, which is reported fairly.

16.1 Fixtures shall take priority as follows: FIM Speedway Grand Prix, FIM Speedway World Cup, FIM SGP Qualifying Meetings FIM Junior Speedway World Championship Meetings British Championships (Senior, Junior), BSPA Shared and Fee Events Elite League Competitions. Premier League Competitions, National League Competitions 16.1.1 A Rider must be released by a Promotion to take part in a higher priority Meeting. 16.1.1.1 In the case of a Doubling-Up Rider the priority is: 1. Original Fixture List 2. The “owning” Club (ie. is on that Team’s Retained List) 3. If there is no “ownership” then the PL Club has priority

Not at all, my views are unaffected by whosoever chooses, or signs for, the team. One point I'm pleased about - as Ben Barker isn't going to race for Coventry, his Berwick commitments will take precedent over his riding at any of the other EL sides if the original PL fixture-list is maintained. I didn't get your point as Jensen, then Kus, were Bandits' reserves from March until September, through good matches and bad results. I was observing that it was r/r which created Berwick's problems, not who was at reserve.... Go and get the nappies ready.

Jorgensen didn't do an away league match for Berwick. That apart, your point is?

Basically, Bandits strength-in-depth line-up needed seven riders to succeed on the road. Won at Worky, Redcar, Plymouth, Glasgow and Redcar again with regular 1-7. Lost at Newcastle, Edinburgh, Rye House, Sheffield and Peterborough with r/r. Moral: Although injuries are inevitable, avoid signing riders who will miss matches......

Absolutely true.

To be successful away from home, you seem to need one good reserve, not two. Plus a solid team, with at least one middle-order man stepping up with a big score. In 2014: Bandits won at Worky: No 1 scored 7+1, the top scorer rode at 5 and got 12, the reserves scored 1 and 11+1. Bandits won at Plymouth: No 1 scored 8+1, the top scorer rode at 5 and got 10+2, the reserves scored 3 and 13+1. Bandits won at Redcar: No 1 scored 11 (top scorer) the reserves scored 0 and 7+1 Bandits won at Redcar (again): No 1 scored 2+1, top scorer rode at 3 and got 11, reserves scored 4+2 and 12. Bandits won at Glasgow: No 1 scored 9+1, top scorer rode at 3 and got 12+2, reserves scored 2+1 and 8+1. In the KO Cup (draw) at Sheffield, No 1 scored 8+2, top scorer rode at 4 and got 17, reserves scored 0 and 13 (the 13 coming from Thomas Jorgensen!)

Ideal on paper, and certainly a great team man, solid scorer --- but he lives and works in Broxburn, West Lothian. Will your promotion really shell out for a round trip of more than a thousand miles each week?

Just like Greg Hancock is the oldest rider in the Grand Prix..........

OK, just for KevH (but he'll need to sign up for future releases)... NEW SEASON, NEW RIDERS : To end ill-informed speculation on social media, and allow potential club sponsors to step forward, John Anderson and George Hepburn have tonight confirmed the club's intentions for 2015. "We will be running as usual, and in the Premier League" said Anderson. "We have made no secret that sponsorship is needed, but to be fair to those we are talking to on the subject, and to supporters who might be wanting to take up the attractive offers on season tickets as Christmas presents, we feel a statement has to be made, so many stories are flying about" While emphasising that, if the club's financial situation is not improved after 2015, the end of their efforts to maintain the sport in the borders could come to an end, John and George have announced it will be all systems go -- and have released the names of their first three signings! Berwick have moved quickly over the past seven days to tie up three new faces and will be working to tie up the remaining four places for a 2015 team as soon as is feasible. Chairman John stated tonight: “We are announcing initially these three new riders and feel that these captures will excite potential sponsors --- as well as fans of course. We can only reiterate that we need the support of a new main sponsor as well as associate sponsors as announced earlier, but by pushing on with progressive team news we feel this can only encourage folks to support and back the 2015 Bandits” BEN BARKER : The signing of the season! Agreeing terms to become a Bandit in 2015 is Cornishman Ben, a Team GB rider and regular British Final roster-man. At 26, he could be poised for an excellent season, and Bandits are delighted to have agreed with his parent club Coventry Bees for his link-up at Shielfield Park. Ben is heading to Argentina to race down there from mid December into February and will hopefully be fully race-fit when he returns to the UK in preparation for the 2015 season after having his 2014 season curtailed by a shoulder injury. He is a rider loved by the Berwick fans for his all out action style when appearing at Shielfield as a visiting rider and he has produced some big scores in Tweedmouth on his visits. Truro-born Ben is looking forward with optimism to joining Berwick a club, to quote him “ A team I have always wanted to ride for” He comes in on an average of 8.91. George Hepburn added “It is no real secret that we would have liked Ben in our 2014 team but for various reasons it did not work out, but it will come to fruition this season and we are delighted. He comes in on a 8.91 average and we thank Coventry Bees, Mick Horton and Neil Watson for all their assistance. Ben hopes to ride Elite league too and when Berwick meetings allow, matches in the Polish Leagues” THOMAS JORGENSEN : Also coming on board will be 22 year old Danish rider THOMAS JORGENSEN, who joins us from Scunthorpe to fill the gap created by David Bellego (away to Sheffield, as his extensive continental engagements currently require David to be loaned to a midweek circuit). Thomas also wanted a change of home track this coming season and had some very impressive scores on his travels last season. He will also ride regularly again in the Danish top league and Berwick beat off a lot of competition from other Premier League tracks to snap the likeable Danish youngster up. He pushed his average up to 7.09 in 2014 last season and is a rider with undoubted talent who will fill an ‘engine room’ role at Berwick. John said tonight “ Thomas guested for us a couple of times last term and despite illness on one occasion impressed us greatly. His performance for us at Sheffield In the KO Cup really made everyone sit up and take notice” JAKE ALLEN : While the signing of any Australian or non-EU citizen these days has to be tagged as "subject to his getting a visa" 19 year old Jake, from Queensland, Australia is a capture for the club, adding a talented young rider to the Shielfield stable. Jake has made more than a few pundits sit up and take notice this winter, recently finishing second, beaten only a wheel, in the Queensland State Championship two weeks ago -- this ahead of UK-proven riders such as Tyson Nelson, Ryan Douglas and Kozza Smith. Jake Allen has recently performed exceptionally well in the Hefferman Speedway series ‘down under’ and in 2014 won the Darren Winkler Memorial Trophy ahead of a talented line up of riders who race in the UK. The speedway press in his home country have publicly stated “ Jake Allen is the most improved and talented young rider in Queensland this winter” He now goes on to ride in the Australian Championship series as well as the Under 21 championship. Bandits' resident globetrotter Dick Barrie has also commented favourably upon Jake's style, having watched him with interest in Australia earlier this year. John Anderson praised Dennis for getting the deal done, quietly and efficiently as always. Dennis added ”We have now obtained a UKVI Certificate of Sponsorship for Jake as he meets the guidelines of the BSPA (finishing in the top four of his State championship). He seems a very committed and sensible young man, very determined to come and carve a career for himself in the UK and is now going through the process of getting his Visa, so hopefully this all goes to plan". "Remember too he has been in this country before as a 17 year old touring around tracks and from memory won a meeting at Scunthorpe, so he is not totally new to folks, but has improved by leaps and bounds this winter in his homeland” Jake will bring a CMA of 5.00 to the squad, becoming an asset after the required number of matches.

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