Guarding the Border

Looking back to what’s ahead

So what’s actually on the line this weekend when an old favourite takes centre stage again?

First raced for in 1970, the Bandits and Workington Comets have since clashed for the Border Trophy a further 11 times with the current tally 8-4 in Berwick’s favour.

That first match-up was also opening night at Derwent Park on 3 April 1970, the Bandits spoiling the Cumbrian launch party by winning 39-37. They would become the first holders of the trophy although by the time the second leg was held on 3 October the Comets had won both league clashes between the sides.

Workington couldn’t make it three in a season though as a Maury Robinson maximum gave Berwick a four-point victory on the night and they became the first holders by six points on aggregate.

The Comets’ first aggregate victory came at the third attempt, Kym Amudsen’s 14+1 setting up a big first leg lead and Workington closed it out by drawing the second leg.

Fog caused the abandonment of the 1974 first leg at Shielfield after just one heat and the clubs had met in the league in Cumbria and over two legs in the Knockout Cup before September saw the meeting at Shielfield Park count for both league points and as the Border Trophy second leg.

Mitch Graham, later to be a Shielfield Park track record holder, produced four immaculate rides to seal the win for Workington, reserve Steve Lawson adding one point to the cause.

So far, all the meetings have taken place at either Shielfield or Derwent Park, our spell in the Northumbrian countryside at Berrington Lough coinciding with the Comets’ thankfully temporary demise in the 1980s.

We were back in Tweedmouth by the time of Workington and the Border Trophy’s second coming in 1999 but severe weather meant that the second leg was never raced, the Bandits regaining the silverware the following year. The teams regularly in league and trophy competitions but just one more Border Trophy clash. As a result we all thought it was up to the Comets to bring the cup with them this weekend after taking it in comprehensive style by winning both legs.

But the original trophy, pictured above, resurfaced in circumstances which would have had even Poirot scratching  his head. It turns out it has spent the last few decades in the loft of lifetime Bandits supporter Ewan Thompson’s – in circumstances that are a mystery even to our veteran turnstile operator.

It’s faithfully engraved with the winners up until 1980 and was presumably missing in action when the series was intermittently resurrected following Workington’s return to the speedway fold at the turn of the Millenium.

With apologies to Kenneth Wolstenholme: It’s not much bigger than the Jules Rimet Trophy, definitely not made of solid gold but whoever holds it aloft on Sunday can say they are champions of the Borders!

Tickets are on sale now, £18, from berwickspeedway.com/tickets

Pictures courtesy John Somerville Collection

Results courtesy of Gavin Renton/Dennis McCleary: 1970 Workington 37, Berwick 39; Berwick 41, Workington 37, Berwick win 80-74. 1971: Workington 45, Berwick 33; Berwick 50, Workington 28 , Berwick win 83-73. 1972: Workington 55, Berwick 23; Berwick 39, Workington 39, Workington win 94-62. 1973: Workington 45, Berwick 33; Berwick 47, Workington 31, Berwick win 80-76. 1974: Workington 55, Berwick 23; Berwick 43, Workington 35, Workington win 90-66. 1975: Workington 47, Berwick 31; Berwick 51, Workington 27, Berwick win 82-74. 1976: Berwick 32, Workington 46; Workington 55, Berwick 23, Workington win 101-55. 1977: Workington 50, Berwick 28; Berwick 47, Workington 47-31, Workington win 81-75. 1978: Workington 34, Berwick 44; Berwick 57, Workington 21,  Berwick win 101-55). 1979: Workington 41, Berwick 35; Berwick 48, Workington 29, Berwick win 83-70. 1980: Berwick 53, Workington 25; Workington 38, Berwick 40, Berwick win 93-63. 1999: Workington 50, Berwick 50-40. 2000: Workington 51, Berwick 39; Berwick 62, Workington 28, Berwick win 101-79. 2018: Workington 59, Berwick 31, Berwick 43, Workington 47, Workington win 106-74 on aggregate.