BERWICK are to develop a new “football-style” academy to bring on their next local champions.
The FTS Bandits have helped bring through many hot prospects over the past few years including British Under-21 and Under-19 champion Leon Flint.
But the club are changing their approach for 2024 by educating the next generation of stars rather than running a team in the National Development League.
Club co-owner Scott Courtney said: “Just running a team in a league every week seems the least productive way of actually helping young and inexperienced riders progress.
“At Berwick we aren’t in the habit of doing something just for the sake of it and have never been afraid to think creatively. Which is why we are looking at something probably closer to the football club style academy.
“What I envisage is inviting six or so riders into the Berwick Academy.
“As well as technical riding skills – including sessions on our purpose-built training track at Duns – we would involve our network of former riders to school them in the finer points of bike and mental preparation along with the sponsorship and self-promotion side of the sport.
“They will also have the opportunity to be involved around the Bandits to see what goes into preparation at the professional level and also encourage them to get as much quality track time as possible.
“At Berwick Speedway we are fortunate enough to have the likes of Rory Schlein, Kevin Little and our training track to help these young riders and the idea is to make the best use of those assets to help them progress in their chosen career.
“In an ideal world we are developing the Bandits of the future but in the wider scheme of things it is far more important that as many young riders are given the chance to maximise their talent as possible.”
Berwick will continue to offer track time to riders after Championship meetings and will also be staging junior invitation events as part of the new youth development protocols agreed by promoters at their annual general meeting.
The club are also in the process of overhauling their Shielfield Park circuit.
The polyfoam safety barrier surrounding both bends – installed in 2012 – has been removed and renovated over the winter with new posts and a mesh fence installed last weekend.
The starting line at Shielfield Park is also being moved around five metres back from its current position, a switch designed to make the frantic race from the tapes to the first bend more even – and safer.
Having significantly widened the track during the pre-covid winter of 2019/20 it is the latest in a series of circuit improvements by the Berwick promotion.
Promoter Steve Dews, who was one a crew of volunteers undertaking the work at Shielfield Park last weekend, said: “It’s a relatively small alteration which probably won’t register with many fans in the stadium, but will subtly change things for the riders, make for more even starts and increasing the quality of racing.”
The new configuration will be on display for the first time when the 2024 Bandits assemble for Press and Practice on 23 March with the opening meeting against Workington seven days later.
Words by Holeshot Media.
Images by Taylor Lanning.