BERWICK’S speedway Bandits’ next match will be at Glasgow’s Ashfield (on Sunday with tapes going up at 4pm) and even a narrow defeat for the Border boys would offer the team a place in the season-ending Premier Challenge Trophy Final, writes Lawrence Heppell.
“We desperately want to finish this pretty disappointing season - which has been wrecked by injuries and truly awful weather - on a high by giving our fans one last Shielfield party,” said team manager Ian Rae.
“To put it simply, we have to either beat Glasgow – which is no easy task up there – get a draw or even lose by up to 12 points,” he explained. “Do that, and we’ll be in the Trophy Final (against Rye House or just possibly Ipswich) with our leg of that tie taking place in Berwick on Saturday 27th.
“If we get beaten by more than 12 points on Sunday, the place in the Final will go to Redcar Bears, and sadly our home season will be over.”
Glasgow will boost their chances on Sunday with no less than three guest riders in their line-up, while Rae’s Bandits deploy Dutch master Theo Pijper as their No 1 and 21-year-old Ben Reade as a reserve replacement for Danish Bandit Klaus Jacobsen, who has returned to his homeland.
Sunday’s teams will line up:
GLASGOW: 1, Ryan Fisher (guest); 2, Joe Jacobs (guest); 3, Kevin Doolan (guest); 4, rider-replacement (for Henning Bager); 5, James Grieves; 6, James McBain; 7, Charles Wright.
BERWICK BANDITS: 1, Theo Pijper (guest); 2, Micky Dyer; 3, Robin Aspegren; 4, David Bellego; 5, Sebastian Alden; 6, Ben Reade (guest); 7, Nicki Barrett.