ON YOUR MARKS…..

Well, here we are….. Season 2025….. On your marks…..

Welcome to the dawn of a new season and hopefully, for us long suffering Bandits fans, it will be one that proves much more fruitful than 2024 did.

Not to say that 2024 was really bad, but we clearly suffered with injury after injury; taking out three of our big scorers at different times — and this was something that we found very difficult to contend with. Will our fortunes ever change?

Well, as I have said, the dawn of the new season is here….. Kevlars are being finalised….. engines being finely tuned….. clutches being cleaned and made nice and shiny…..

And, of course, in the Bandits world we already have things we can chin-wag about…..

First… and I can refer to her as “Bullaz”….. heck, I’ve known her long enough….. we’ve shared the Bullaz bus….. we’ve shared hotel rooms….. we’ve had sleepovers and boozy nights a plenty…..

But now wor Bullaz must become the consummate grown-up professional as she takes a big step up to being co-promoter of our R.E.D. Bandits. Even though she’s a Geordie, Sarah bleeds black and gold for our club and I’ve no doubt that her organisational skills alone will play a truly positive part in helping take our club forward — onward and upward — for many years to come. Ha’way Bullaz!

Today however has provided another talking point, which has to be very concerning for us here, in that Craig Cook has decided to step away from Leicester Lions on the very morning he was due to take part in their press’n’practice launch. Craig has a very well-documented past with mental health issues and he clearly must have a very good reason to step back as late as he has done.

I hope, and I say this as a perfectly compassionate human being, that if he does continue with our Bandits that he can find peace in himself and continue within a sport that has served him well.

Berwick fans can be a fickle bunch, but we are also some of the most fiercely loyal supporters in the country; past words about our track would quickly be forgotten if he’s in black and gold and rattling up the points. Look at how quickly we adopted Ricky Ashworth as one of our own!

A Craig Cook on form and in the right frame of mind is a winner. I wish the best for him no matter what.

The line-ups for all the clubs for the Championship Pairs at Workington on the 5th April was announced today, and should nothing dramatic happen in the meantime, we will go to the tapes with Peter Kildemand and Craig Cook.

I am a very biased fan but honestly, looking at the line-ups on paper, we surely have to start as one of the fancied pairs? Again, I say if nothing dramatic happens….. although, if we don’t have CC then I’m sure Drew will very ably step forward. Either way, at least our season starts very, very soon….

And a quick memo….. Bus to Workington to support our pair still has seats available…… it’s far too long since we followed our team on the road on a regular basis….. if you ain’t booked on it for this meeting…..… why not???

See you all trackside. Very very soon