Berwick Speedway
Berwick Rangers have come to an agreement with Berwick Bandits to help secure their future residence at Shielfield Park and improve the quality of speedway for racing fans.
The Bandits made a formal request to widen the straights by 1 metre, which of course means narrowing the width of the Shielfield pitch. Currently 64 metres wide, the pitch would reduce to 62 metres, two metres wider than that required for Bronze Club Licence and six metres wider than Entry Licence.
Having had that request considered by the Lowland League and SFA, the Football Club have decided to support the proposal. Club Chairman John Bell explains; “Shielfield is home to the two largest sporting organisations in the town, and it’s in everyone’s interests to ensure that both Berwick Rangers and Berwick Bandits can thrive in the future. Whilst we fully appreciate that moving the football action further away from the terraces is not ideal, we’re limited by the positioning of floodlights and stanchions, so sacrificing a small area of the pitch is necessary to ensure that the Bandits can continue to contribute to the significant costs involved in operating the stadium.”
It’s anticipated that the work required will be carried out by the Bandits in time for the new speedway season in 2020.