Team Websites for News and More Detailed Match Reports:
Glasgow Tigers Website (Official)
Glasgow Tigers Website (Unofficial)
Live Updates for a Current or Recent match: Live Speedway Updates
Discussion on Matches and Other Speedway Issues: Speedway Forum
Glasgow Tigers v Berwick Bandits
Premier Trophy (Group), 21 May 2006
Ashfield Stadium, Glasgow
| 1 | Danny Bird | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2* | 2* | . | 14 | 2 |
| 2 | David McAllan | 1 | 2* | 3 | 0 | 1* | . | . | 7 | 2 |
| 3 | Lee Dicken | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1* | . | . | . | 4 | 1 |
| 5 | Shane Parker | 3 | 2* | 2* | 3 | 3 | . | . | 13 | 2 |
| 6 | Robert Ksiezak | 2* | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | . | . | 11 | 1 |
| 7 | James Cockle | 3 | 1 | 1* | 1 | 2 | . | . | 8 | 1 |
| 1(g) | John Branney | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | . | . | . | 1 | 0 |
| 2 | David Meldrum | 2 | 3 | 4^ | 0 | 0 | . | . | 9 | 0 |
| 3 | Lee Smethills | 3 | 0 | 2* | 3 | . | . | . | 8 | 1 |
| 4 | Michal Makovsky | 2* | 1 | 3 | 6^ | 1 | . | . | 13 | 1 |
| 5 | Andreas Bergstrom | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | . | . | . | 4 | 0 |
| 6 | Danny Warwick | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | . | . | . | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | Craig Branney | 1 | 2 | 0 | F | . | . | . | 3 | 0 |
* = BP. ^ = TR . ! = TS (15m Handicap). # = TR (Points Not Doubled). & = TS (Points Not Doubled, 15m Handicap).
|
Glasgow were still without Kauko Nieminen and again used Rider Replacement at number 4 while Berwick arrived without Stanislaw Burza who was apparently riding in Poland. Their only option to cover his absence was the use of a Conference League guest and they tracked John Branney at number 1. So for the second week running Glasgow were faced with a match against a side missing a key member of the team. Glasgow’s chances of qualifying for the semi-final of the Premier Trophy rested on winning this match, the match at Stoke and a Stoke victory at Sheffield, the last of which looks a long shot. Consequently there was not a great deal at stake. The weakened Berwick team were no match for the home side. The Bandits ran no fewer than twelve last places and were outscored at reserve by 19+2 – 3. Danny Bird kicked off proceedings with his usual fast start and heat 1 win but David Meldrum took second ahead of David McAllan as the Tigers started with a 4-2. They added a reserves race 5-1 in heat 2 after Daniel Warwick had led from the start but Berwick hit back with a 1-5 from Lee Smethills and Michal Makovsky, once again the mainstay of the team. Shane Parker embarked on another maximum by winning heat 4 from Craig Branney with James Cockle taking third for a 4-2 to the Tigers which took the score after four races to 14-10. In heat 5 David Meldrum led from tapes to flag seeing off the challenge from Lee Dicken. James Cockle took third place to share the points but Glasgow thumped home two consecutive 5-1 heat wins to take complete command. First up were Bird and McAllan in heat 6 who headed home Andreas Bergstrom yet again handicapped by poor gating followed by an excellent piece of team riding by Shane Parker to see the fast starting Robert Ksiezak home in first place ahead of the dangerous Makovsky/Smethills pairing in heat 7. This gave Glasgow a 12 point lead so Berwick responded by giving David Meldrum a TR in heat 8. It looked like being a disaster for the Bandits when McAllan and Cockle worked themselves to the front off the first corner but Meldrum passed Cockle to share the points 4-4 and take the score to 31-19. Danny Bird took the R/R ride in heat 9 and again made a fast start to win from Andreas Bergstrom with Lee Dicken third to add two more points to the Glasgow lead with the 4-2. Bird was out again in heat 10 but this time he did not get to the front off the second bend and looked less than impressive trailing home behind Makovsky and Smethills who scored their second 1-5 of the match cutting the Tigers’ lead to 10 points. That’s as close as the Bandits got however as they lost a 5-1 in heat 11. David Meldrum was excluded for moving at the start and had to go from 15 metres back. Left with only Conference League rider, John Branney, at the tapes Robert Ksiezak and Shane Parker had no problem repeating their 5-1 success of heat 7 to restore the home side’s 14 point lead. Lee Smethills and Daniel Warwick made the gate for the Bandits in heat 12 but Cockle and Dicken passed Warwick on the third and fourth laps respectively to share the race points and bring the score to 44-30. The customary Parker/Bird 5-1 materialised in heat 13 to stretch the lead to 18 points then Michal Makovsky took the ‘saved-up’ TR in heat 14. He duly won the race but with Craig Branney falling Berwick had to be content with a 3-6 victory. In the last race Parker and Bird scored another 5-1 to give Glasgow a 19 point win and all three points at stake. Match Report by Merlin |