crescent girl

I think everyone wants Liam, and Stefan Farnaby, and whoever else Gary Flint and Colin Easton produce through a vibrant junior scene, in Bandits' colours in the fullness of time. One day, a locally-based, young and exciting team -- marvellous! But we also seem to have a public hungry (too hungry?) for success, and seemingly voting with their feet when it is not forthcoming. Rock and a hard place for the promotion. Long term? Inexpensive National League racing, but still putting on top-class events once or twice a year? Queens Park and Hampden Park come to mind.

Absolutely correct. All the North American sports (the biggest, most-financially-viable leagues in the world) have play-offs, and teams there have long admitted their income is doubled in the post-season. Even soccer has play-offs in the Scottish and English leagues now. The old idea of a straightforward winner went out the window years ago. A couple of years back there were no PL play-offs, Glasgow had the title won by early August and their crowds dropped (perhaps creating their well-publicised financial worries of that winter) for the remaining, by-then-meaningless matches.

Sky Sports confirm Kelvin Tatum will indeed be up on the third bend on August 12th

They didn't agree to sixteen rain-offs though.

Edinburgh (+19), Somerset (+13) and Berwick (+12) are absolutely nailed-on to qualify. Scunthorpe, Peterborough and Workington are all on +4, Ipswich are +1. The other six clubs are all in the minus column.

Since you've asked: The clue is in the phrase "shared events". The profit -- if any -- is pooled, and divided among the member-clubs at the end of term. Probably not equally, as I'd imagine the EL clubs get bigger cheques than PL, and NL even less. But in theory, each year's profit -- if any -- is divided amoung the clubs, and they start again next year with nothing in the kitty.

Will they not just use Stevie -- who would know?

Can't see that being the case. His friend and former team manager at Birmingham isn't the best-loved chap at Glasgow, is he?

After a disastrous couple of months, with only ONE home Saturday PL fixture reaching a 15-heat conclusion since Ipswich's visit on May 17th (ten weeks ago) Berwick will surely get their Shielfield season back on track this Saturday with a new month bringing a visit from the always-entertaining Tigers and their ever-resiliant travelling fans. Weather woes must be crippling the Bandits financially, yet on-track performances (other than at Armadale) are their best for years, proving the wisdom of constructing such a solid squad. The Tigers' fans have their bright young things (Thomsen, Berge and Lykke) to savour, and with Berwick coming to the meeting after two matches on the road at Ipswich and Scunthorpe will be hoping that something can be taken from the night. NB: At the time of writing, Berwick have already lost FIFTEEN fixtures (five home, ten away) to the weather with three months of the season still to go. Costing the promotion thousands of unrecoverable pounds. Who'd be a speedway promoter?

When the Bandits have their own seven riders on track (as they will on Thursday) they can be dependably solid. They have already scored 49 at Workington, 52 at Plymouth, 50 at Redcar and 52 at Glasgow, collecting 4-point away wins each time. With seven matches in hand, Berwick are just four points below Ipswich in this morning's PL table, and seem nailed-on for a top-six finishing place, probably above the Witches in the finishing order. Downside is that I don't think the Bandits have achieved any kind of result on Foxhall Heath since a draw there in 1990. Should be good!

Saturday, August 2nd is definately Berwick v Glasgow Tigers.

Well, Mr Panther, at least Rye House fans know they have a dependable promoter, aren't likely to go bust (yet again) or call meetings off without valid explantations. Clubs' on-track fortunes wax and wane, but at the end of the day, it's the ability to open up each week, each year......

Berwick are always happy to check out a young French lad!

Yeah, well the rest of speedway hasn't discovered why Peterborough screwed Edinburgh's fans with that sodding "health and safety" excuse...... What goes around......

A note to wobbly memories about the (excellent) Sky meeting at Berwick last season. "Nigel and Kelvin" most certainly didn't make anything of it at all, as the presenters were Nigel and Chris. Who did indeed do a great job. Mr Tatum didn't make a return to Berwick, and we will have to await August 12th to find out if he'll be on hand this time around.

Where?

Don't think you'll be too disappointed. Accentuate the positives -- Doolan's going really well, Steen Jensen will deliver at Armadale and Rusty coming to us off the back of 14+1 on Sunday afternoon.

plus a kiss for the presenter?

Suspect you mean 2nd para? (Proof reading is impotent)

Stan Flashman lives!

Good question. Apart from putting up extra posters, and having extra catering for the bigger attendances, nothing! Presentation is more or less the same, although Sky Sports might ask for changes. The earlier suggestion that there are wholesale changes for the bigger meetings doesn't really stack up.

According to club's press release, Ulrich Ostergaard is on stand-by to guest for Bandits if Claus Vissing fails a fitness test.

From Berwick's e-Newsletter last night: There are several massive sporting evening taking place in Glasgow next Sunday (27th), with over 200,000 extra people expected to flood the city to watch the Commonwealth Games mens' and womens' marathons running through the city streets, several cycling medals being decided at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, wee Mo Farah running in his chosen event at Hampden Park, the rugby sevens taking place at Ibrox --- and, of course, your New Holland Bandits are racing at Ashfield! Quite seriously, the city will be jumping on Sunday, with road closures galore and traffic congestion where they remain open! The Tigers' meeting will start at 3pm and we suggest anyone and everyone heading to cheer on our boys leaves quite bit of extra time for their Sunday afternoon out in the Scottish sunshine.

With the quick rearrangement of the cup-tie for Wednesday, there has been no time to book out the hospitality lounge to any corporate businesses -- so supporters are invited to book up as single, double (or more) customers for the famous Shielfield Park buffet'n'booze hospitality! Wednesday night only -- for a rock-bottom price of just £29 per head, you'll get admission to the meeting, a free programme, the usual sumptious buffet meal and free drinks -- plus the captivating infield visit during racing! But obviously, you'll need to be quick -- at that price, places within the lounge will sell out pretty fast. Call Lani Rae right now and reserve your place or places. Call 07779-227535 or e-mail lani@berwickbandits.co This offer is open to Edinburgh supporters too, of course -- no narrow-minded discrimination here!

As asked on another thread: "Aren't Berwick to be allowed to service their supporter-base with a bright electronic newsletter two or three times per week, without every nuance contained in these bright offerings being clinically picked apart in a search for imagined inaccuracies?"