When the Starza align

7 September 7pm: NDLRC Series Stars of Tomorrow, powered by Terry Straughan Builders

Over the years we have been keen to give youth its fling here at Berwick. Young Australia, Young Sweden, Young Czechoslovakia and Young Scotland are among those to have done battle with Young England and Young Great Britain but nothing matches the harum scarem Stars of Tomorrow – first staged here in 1970.

The event has, due to the inexperience of many of those taking part, an unpredictability often missing from league racing with thrills – and spills – invariably playing a part in who takes home the silverware.

A prime example was the 1978 staging which gave those of us who couldn’t afford to hop aboard the supporters’ coach and follow the first team on an epic – and wildly fruitless – southern tour the chance to watch some speedway at Shielfield.

While the “professionals” were losing 51-27 at Peterborough, 59-19 at Canterbury, 54-24 at Rye House and 41-37 at Milton Keynes in the space of five nights, the future was on show in the Borders with an impressive mix of local juniors and overseas wannabees.

Wayne Brown would probably have been one of the favourites for the title but he was part of the first team tour and in his absence Rob Grant – the senior version – won the meeting with 13 points.

In those days Granty adopted the classic long tracking style of head down and throttle open down the Shielfield straights but it is fair to say that his glory days would come on the confined spaces of Berrington Lough.

While Rob deserved his victory, pipping New Zealander Mark Dekok by a point – for two of the contenders that July evening, Rhodesian Denzil Kent, and Australian David Foot, it really was a case of what might have been.

Their woes began as early as heat one when Foot hit the deck in the original staging and was excluded, Kent sliding off as he tried to go round eventual race winner Mike Caroline.

Kent’s night got worse as he ploughed through the tapes in his second outing and you could have forgiven him for packing up and calling it a night. Instead he was unbeatable in the only three races he completed.

Foot recovered quicker, also winning three races in a row and went into heat 20 one point adrift of Grant. Outright victory or a run-off for first place were both within his grasp only for disaster to strike yet again as he suffered a mechanical catastrophe and failed to beat the two-minute warning, handing the home man the title.

At times it was mayhem with falls, tape breaking, re-runs and Aussie Mick McCoy suffering that strangely late-70s speedway fate of being excluded when his silencer fell off during a race.

We even had our own version of last man standing as heat three saw Paisley duo Bill Logan and Tony Hall excluded and Tim Nichol hitting the deck leaving Brian Clark to claim the three points.

And spare a thought for Caroline, unbeaten in his first three rides – including victory over Grant – only for his bike to grind to a halt in his fourth and then fail to score on borrowed machinery in his final outing.

Many of those on view that night were members of their respective Scottish Junior League teams which was giving opportunities to a whole raft of northern and Scottish riders who would go on to form the backbone of their teams over the next few years.

Grant and Caroline were soon joining Brown in the Bandits’ first team while Kent would enjoy some productive years with Canterbury and in his homeland.

In October that year the Bandits’ pair were part of an Allthread Scottish Junior League Select – also including Ian Darling, Gus Bowman, Charlie McKinna, Mike Sanderson and Barry Simpson – which was pipped 42-36 by the Trackstar Anglia Junior League side led by Nigel Sparshott and Andy Buck. The young guns had an even bigger crowd to impress that Sunday afternoon, the challenge forming part of an Inter-League three team tournament which saw the Bandits take on First Division opposition from Belle Vue and Sheffield.

Perhaps one of the most important Stars of Tomorrow took place in 1993.

Following our “eventful” 1991 first division adventure and a financially crippling return to the lower league in front of dwindling crowds the following year, Berrington Lough was quiet in 1993 until local businessman Mike Hope decided to test the water with a couple of open licence meetings featuring juniors.

The Rose took on The Thistle in the first of those before the Stars of Tomorrow took centre stage. Hope saw enough coming through the Ancroft turnstiles and entered the Bandits in the newly-formed British League Division three – a forerunner of the National League – in 1994 before engineering our return to Shielfield Park in 1996.

You could go as far as saying that the Starza saved Berwick speedway at a time when it threatened to become little more than a historical footnote.

So as we prepare for an event first staged in 1970 – winner Jimmy Gallacher being joined on the podium by Mick Beaton and Frank Auffret – we can look back on an event with a great history and forward to an exciting future for many of the hopefuls.

The latest instalment, on 7 September, is the third in the NDLRC Series which so far seen British under-21 champion Sam Hagon triumph at Poole ahead of Jake Mulford, Joe Thompson and Vinnie Foord and finish fourth at Leicester, a meeting won by Thompson from 15-year-old wonderkid William Cairns with Foord third.

Each NDL side will nominate two riders for the Berwick Stars of Tomorrow round, powered by Terry Straughan Builders, with four wildcards selected by Jamie Courtney and Steve Dews completing the field.

Heat sponsorship is available for £100, contact club@berwickspeedway.com, and tickets are available priced £12 Buy tickets Saturday admission will be £14.

PICTURES: DOUG BOOTH/JOHN SOMERVILLE COLLECTION