English back at the Diamonds’ helm

May 2 2009 The Journal

NEWCASTLE Diamonds go into tonight’s match at Berwick Bandits without Richard Juul at the team manager’s control panel for the first time in 2009 following this week’s switch which sees George English back at the helm, writes LAWRENCE HEPPELL.

The Premier Trophy points up for grabs at Shielfield Park mean much to both sides in this local derby, as Berwick need all three to keep in touch with the second qualification slot following Glasgow’s shock one-point win at the normally invincible Sheffield Tigers on Thursday night, putting them ahead of the Border squad.

Newcastle, however, sitting at the bottom of the Northern Group, are keen to gain a few more points to regain some lost pride, although they are looking at tonight as a tough test.

The Diamonds’ task has not been made any easier by enforced changes to both teams, Newcastle losing the services for the weekend of both Kenni Larsen and Casper Wortmann, who are competing in the early stages of the Danish Championships, while Berwick are without Gino Franchetti, as he is on international business in his native Italy.

Newcastle will utilise the rider replacement facility to cover Larsen and will draft in guest reserve Jamie Courtney to cover Wortmann’s four rides, while Berwick have brought in Edinburgh’s top-scoring reserve, Michal Rajkowski, to take Franchetti’s races and, as the Bandits’ choice has recently been scoring double-figures everywhere, this could give Berwick an even sharper edge than usual. “We need the middle-order returns we saw last week from little Tero Aarnio and Danny Warwick,” said F1 Finance Bandits’ team boss David Peet.

“Our team was so solid against Glasgow, and if we can maintain that kind of form, I believe we need fear no challengers here – not even a revitalised Newcastle!”

A Berwick spokesperson said: “When you get local derbies in any sport, you can throw your form book right out of the window. No matter if one of the sides seems a solid favourite on paper, local pride always kicks in and you can get an upset.

“Which is why we need all our riders on top form and indeed all our supporters in good voice – we want to maintain our high table qualification-spot – but Newcastle would just love it, really love it, to see us humbled”. The Diamonds then welcome the Workington Comets to the Newcastle Stadium tomorrow (6.30pm) for another all Trophy match, keen to repeat the form that gave them victory over Edinburgh last Sunday.

BERWICK F1 FINANCE BANDITS: 1 Willie Lawson, 2 Tero Aarnio, 3 Paul Clews (captain), 4 Josef Franc, 5 Michal Makovsky, 6 Danny Warwick, 7 Michal Rajkowski (guest).

NEWCASTLE SAPPHIRE ENGINEERING DIAMONDS: 1 Steve Boxall, 2 Trent Leverington, 3 Jason King (captain), 4 Derek Sneddon, 5 Kenni Larsen – rider replacement, 6 Jamie Courtney (guest), 7 Craig Branney.

WORKINGTON COMETS: 1 Kevin Doolan (captain), 2 John Branney, 3 Adrian Rymel, 4 Charles Wright – rider replacement, 5 Andre Compton, 6 Luke Priest, 7 Richard Lawson.