More to life than speedway

Are we destined never again to wallow in the guilty pleasure of an unencumbered build-up to a speedway season?

After two Covid-blighted campaigns we were looking forward to a traditional 2022 countdown – bigging up the Bandits and Bullets, rubbishing Newcastle and Edinburgh, looking aloofly, but with a well-disguised tinge of envy at the mullah hurled at buying, in Poole’s case, or failing to buy, Glasgow, the league title. Mysteriously Leicester follow a similar business model but manage to avoid the opprobrium hurled towards Possilpark and the southern riviera.

But Vlad proved there is no such thing as a peace-loving dictator and unleashed war on the Ukraine which means that, again, a wary eye is cast on the rest of the world at a time when all things speedway should be front and centre.

Already the speedway GP in Togliatti has been scrapped, Champions League Final switched to Paris and high-ranking Tories scurried to withdraw money from Russian banks just days before assets were frozen.

Government ministers who were quick to tell Marcus Rashford to “stick to football” when he was campaigning against their “tax the poor, wallow in wealth” policies are now demanding sportsmen make a stand against the Red Army buying time as our elected representatives desperately try to airbrush all traces of links with Putin’s influence-buying roubles from their CVs.

Ah British politicians – the best money can buy. The men and women who daily put the con in Conservative, snouts in the trough and hands in the till while not breaking rules they draw up and police themselves.

Equally craven is FIFA’s decision to allow the Russians to continue playing in the World cup qualifiers. True games have to be played in neutral countries – presumably not a neutral countries such as Ukraine – and they can’t sing their national anthem or fly the Russian flag. Well if that doesn’t make Putin ponder what will?

It smacks of tokenism. Clap for carers but don’t give them a wage rise.

Individual governing bodies showed more in the way of cajones with Poland, Czech Republic, Sweden, England and Wales immediately declaring that they will not play Russia at any level for the “foreseeable future”.

Against such an unstable background it’s a bit incongruous to be casting eyes towards the speedway season now peeking over the horizon.

One indication that racing is imminent is what was previously known as the annual Bandits’ staff meeting but since the advent of the Bullets and expansion of the Academy has been rebranded as the Berwick Speedway Staff Meeting.

Noticeably absent at the start of this year’s Black and Gold gathering was Razor who, for as long as anyone can remember, has played a Billy Graham-type role at these gatherings of the good and inspired with a rousing speech urging teamwork, focus, reliability and litter bin emptying.

Rumours swept the room that he had chosen to follow in the footsteps of Hemingway, joined the Abraham Lincoln Battalion and was en route to Donbass as a member of the 2022 International Brigade, tasked with giving Ukraine resistance forces a smooth road to victory and driving a Massey Ferguson with enhanced nuclear capability, alongside Steve Hayward’s division of heavily armoured West End taxis.

Turned out he’d nipped home for a shower after another day of graft at Shielfield.

Along with bossman Jamie C and the renovation, maintenance and general titivation crew, fence panels have been replaced, the storm-damaged junior pits repaired, renovated and improved, walls rebuilt and the place generally made ready press and practice on March 26 and opening night on April 2, a meeting available to a worldwide audience via the British Speedway Network which launches its streaming service that night, one of five live matches on the new channel in April.

While the small but willing band of brothers broke the back of this herculean task there’s rumours of a second call to arms this weekend with fence painters reportedly in great demand. I’m thinking of popping along on Sunday and channelling my inner-Banksy by painting a mural on the panels showing Craig Cook inside Jye Etheridge as they approach the first bend bar to bar. Not sure how it ends though.

On a purely selfish note I’d have to say that 2022 has a bit of the Sod’s Law feel to it.

I mean two teams built to attain and entertain … and the world going to hell in a handcart.

Bomber as Berwick number one just sounds right, Theo’s a reliable friend back where he belongs, Ricky Wells has finally realised that being a Bandit is a better career than being a Bandits’ tormentor and for Ty Proctor Saturday nights are all right for sliding.

Aaron’s retired, NBJ is concentrating on Denmark and there’s a Danni Gapp-sized hole in the side with the Crown Prince looking to keep the family business burgeoning, although in all likelihood only Wooler’s favourite Antipodean is unlikely to be seen on British tracks in the future.

Which leaves the returning trio of Bickley – his first ever second season with a club – local hero Flint and naturalised Twempie Etheridge. A trio with talent to burn and unlimited wiggle room on their averages.

Jye and Kyle start the season as one of the best reserve pairings in the Championship and determined not to end the season in the same position.

Significant progress from any combination of the trio and our reliable top four, reliably producing the contributions that we have come to rely on them for is the recipe for a successful season.

Despite always being wary of prognostication and having been guilty of adumbration on many occasions I do kinda feel that this Bandits team has the potential to make 2022 special. It also looks like a team capable of collecting points away from Shielfield – so often the Achilles heel of promising Berwick sides.

Which is pretty much the same story for the Bullets as they prepare for what looks like an ultra-competitive and entertaining National Development League.

Bullets 2021 was just one success story after another for the new boys on the block but they now face the “difficult second album” season.

However, from one to seven the side has the capability of making huge strides and there is no doubt that a lot of investment has been made in the next level of equipment upgrade. Again their away performances will hold the key to success or failure.

At the very least I expect to see both Berwick sides in the play-offs and challenging for KO Cups. The hope is for more.

The hope is also for world peace.

Because while sport is sport freedom is life.