Around the Premier League Tracks 2008
.
Saturday, 8 March
.
.
The first match of the season was at Berwick where the Bandits took on Newcastle in the first leg of the Tyne Tweed Trophy.



Tyne Tweed Trophy (first leg): Berwick 43, Newcastle 46.


Berwick have yet to sign their seventh rider so recruited Stan Burza to make up the numbers for this match. Newcastle paraded newcomers Ben Powell, Jason King and Jaimie Robertson.

On a wet, greasy track it was perhaps ironic that Berwick, the only Premier League team still to complete their line up for the new season, should host the first match of 2008. A close and entertaining match it turned out too with the lead changing hands on several occasions with incidents a plenty as both sets of riders brushed off the cobwebs while trying to come to terms with the slippery surface.

Adrian Rymel became the season’s first race winner as Berwick took a two point advantage from the opening heat but Newcastle hit back with a 1-5 in the reserves race to reverse the advantage. Another Berwick 4-2, thanks to a Burza win, in heat 3 tied things up again but the Diamonds restored their two point lead with a 2-4 in heat 4 as George Stancl registered the first of his race wins. The score was 11-13 at this point.

A succession of 4-2s saw Berwick draw level again in heat 5 then the Bandits took the lead again in heat 6 with yet another 4-2 courtesy of a Rymel win over Stancl. They increased it to four points after Michal Makovsky had chased down and passed Josef Franc on the third lap of heat 7 with Norbert Magosi scoring the odd point ahead of Jason King but it was all square again after a Diamonds 1-5 in heat 8. Franchetti and McKinna made a mess of the second bend allowing Powell through with Stoddart passing McKinna to follow his partner home for the maximum. The score now stood at 24-24.

There were only two finishers to heat 9 after Jaimie Robertson and Stan Burza collided on the opening bend causing both riders to grind to a halt. George Stancl took advantage to win the race from Tero Aarnio for a 2-3 to put the visitors one point ahead and they stretched the lead to three with a 2-4 in heat 10. Heat 11 produced the only 3-3 of the match by virtue of a Makovsky win then Newcastle increased their lead to five points with another 2-4 in a race won by Josef Franc. The score was now 33-38.

Berwick clawed two points back with a 4-2 in heat 13. Makovsky shot from the tapes to win from Stancl while Rymel picked up third as Henry clouted the fence on the second bend and slipped to the back then Berwick found themselves back in front after scoring a 5-1 from heat 14. The race was awarded after Sean Stoddart fell on the third lap with Stan Burza and Norbert Magosi taking the points to lead by one point with one race to go. There was no happy ending for the Bandits though as Makovsky and Burza fluffed the gate in heat 15 leaving Franc and Stancl to sail off for a 1-5 to give the Diamonds victory.

Scorers: For Berwick – Michal Makovsky 12 (5), Adrian Rymel 9 (4), Stan Burza 9 (5), Tero Aarnio 6 (4), Norbert Magosi 3+1 (4), Guglielmo Franchetti 2 (4), Adam McKinna 2 (4).

For Newcastle – George Stancl 12+1 (5), Josef Franc 11 (5), Sean Stoddart 5+2 (4), Christian Henry 5+1 (4), Ben Powell 5 (4), Jason King 4 (4), Jaimie Robertson 4 (4).