Bandits Seven to Face Tigers
(Posted 08/09/07)

The names of the seven riders Berwick expect to line up against Glasgow at Ashfield tomorrow are now known although the actual riding order is still to be clarified.

Berwick as expected have made team changes with Theo Pijper and Andreas Bergstrom dropped to be replaced by Matej Kus and John Morrison.

In a further twist, Morrison is actually injured at the moment and his place in the Bandits line up at Ashfield will be taken by John MacPhail as a Conference League guest. Katajisto comes in as a guest for the injured David Meldrum who would have been in the main body of the team after the changes.

Therefore, Berwick will have a line up from the following:-

No 1 & 3 will be made up of Rempala and Kus. With Rempala only averaging 4.8 on his previous Ashfield visit and Kus coming in on an assessed average then in direct comparison neither should provide too much of a problem for Watson and Parker.

At reserve, Sam Martin and John MacPhail. It will be Martin's first visit to Ashfield and although he shows promise for the future he is in his first season and has a 'real time' average of just above 2. John MacPhail obviously knows Ashfield quite well but it is probably too early for him to be stepping up to the Premier League. He rode for the Tigers Academy League side in their meetings last bank holiday against Newcastle, scoring 5+1(3) in the Ashfield leg.

Assuming our calculation of the figures are correct, it would mean that two of the jackets 2, 4 and 5 will be occupied by Katajisto and Burza with the final place being r/r for the injured Makovsky. Katajisto failed to score from three rides in his recent visit to Ashfield with Edinburgh whilst riding at reserve. Burza started well in the Premier Trophy meeting at Ashfield earlier this season then faded.

Comparing the line up's. Tigers are really on a bit of a hiding to nothing tomorrow as they will be expected to record a comprehensive victory. If they do, it will be as expected, if they don't they will get criticised.

Not for the first time when Berwick have come visiting it looks as if the Tigers fans will be short changed when it comes to close racing.