Cooking up a classic

Truth be told ever since the first sod was trimmed off the hallowed turf which over the years has played host to the great and good of Scottish football – and the odd out of control Aussie and cartwheeling Dane – one question has been on the tip of my – and I suspect many others too – tongue.

Well two actually.

How fast will Cookie go around the new Shielfield and, after the events of 2019, will he be in front?

Well the waiting is almost over because just after 7pm on Saturday night we’ll find the answer to both questions.

Heat one. In white Craig Cook. Red Nicolaj Busk Jacobsen, blue Dani Gappmaier.

The new one-two in a shuffled Bandits pack. A pairing which scored a rather well received 5-1 over the great man, riding as a tactical substitute, in the Championship Shield clash between the sides.

Heat 11. In white Craig Cook. Red Jye Etheridge. Bandits’ new skipper. Last time they met it was rather exciting, got the crowd going until its rather abrupt ending. Followed by good old-fashioned session of handbags involving an irate team manager, urbane referee, rather agitated mascot, a couple of miffed sponsors and, most unlikely of all, a centre green presenter trying to bring calm to the situation.

Back when it looked like a 2020 season would happen we posted pictures of the new-look circuit which caught the attention of Glasgow’s, and arguably the Championship’s, number one. “Plenty of room for a divebomb Jye,” he posted.

Then Covid intervened and we never got the chance to find out.

What we did discover is that Dan Bewley rather liked what he found on British Under-21 Final night. But to get the track fit for racing after heavy afternoon rain the big blade had scraped most of the surface shale away.

Shielfield may have been noticeably shorter each lap but Dan’s fastest four was still one tenth of a second slower than Craig’s August 2015 sprint.

Coincidentally CC was the fastest man around Shielfield in 2019 – 64.5 seconds, one-tenth slower than Chris Harris on Championship opening night this season.

Now people who know about these things tell me that Shielfield is at its fastest when the straights are grippy.

So far this season we have, somewhat against the norm, been blessed with hot, dry weather on race days. Those who have taken the coping with Covid advice and turned up a little earlier than normal will testify that there has been no shortage of water applied to the track pre-meeting.

Indeed there was even the somewhat surreal sight of the track actually steaming in the red-hot sun a couple of hours before Scunthorpe’s visit. But by race time there has been a tendency towards dryness, despite the best efforts of Son of Billy.

In speedway as in life speed alone is not enough to ensure happiness and, or, fulfilment. Sometimes slower is better, especially when one of more other is able to join the fun.

Track records tend to involve someone disappearing into the distance and is rarely the result of a good on-track scrap. Real excitement comes when there’s handlebars being bashed and every inch of shale fought over.

Redcar certainly showed us that it’s worth screwing it on right until the flag on the new Shielfield. There were glimpses that the Bandits were starting to read the new lines created by the extra space.

And when better for all the theory to be put into practice than the visit of Glasgow who may not be our nearest but, for much of the last 40 years, have certainly been our dearest rivals.

Some are rather jealous of their financial muscle, disparaging of the nouveau glory seekers who have called for more heads to roll over the past five years than at any time since the heyday of Madame Guillotine. Some even brand themselves the “Manchester United of speedway”. Unfortunately for them so far it’s been the Manchester United that couldn’t buy a First Division title from 1967 to 1992 rather than the Sir Alex trophy-laden glory years.

One KO Cup – skippered by Aaron Summers as it happens. Always near, never quite getting there.

However, while some Tiggers spark opprobrium the vast majority are more like old friends. Not actually known by name or even to talk to but familiar faces.

Whenever a sporting club finds itself with a sudden injection of wealth and the accompanying high profile and expectation a time-honoured opposition taunt is: “Where were you when you were you (and I paraphrase here) significantly less successful than of the here and now?

The answer for a huge proportion of the Tigers Army who will no doubt once again gather on the back straight ready to mob Helen’s Ducket bar on a regular basis will be: “Watching the Tigers get gubbed at Berwick/Newcastle/Workington/Redcar”.

Because, rather like the Bandits own band of dedicated followers, most Glasgow fans have followed their team through more thin than thick but still managed to create a memorable atmosphere and put a huge dent in the alcohol, pie and Snickers stocks along the way.

It’s not just about Cookie, Jye or Dani G – although it would be fair to say that anyone in front of any of the three on Saturday will be riding hard and fast.

It’s about Aaron looking for a return to form against his old team, another ex-Tiger Kyle Bickley and Kent’s Dan Gilkes – guesting for European under-19 semi-finalist Leon Flint – against Jack Smith; Wor Danes – Busk and new boy Andersen – against the McNorses of Jensen and Ostergaard, Americans, Aussies, buying your ticket – still the only way to get in – being part of what will be one of the biggest crowds of the season, a glorious weather forecast.

Surely it couldn’t be as good as the second stanza of Super Saturday 2019?

You know what?

It just could be.