Captain Cartwirght.

Berwick Speedway finally broke the news many considered the worst kept speedway secret of the year, although an additional fact did catch a few unawares.

Seventh and final Bandits signing for the 2005 season that gets under way in 14 days time is another of last year's highlights, and he is 26-year-old, Northallerton -born, Simon Cartwright to join his fellow Brit Chris Schramm, Czechs Michal Makovsky & Adrian Rymel, Poles Adam Pietraszko & Piotr Dym and German Joachim Kugelmann.

"The way Simon's ridden for the Bandits over recent years, he was an easy choice to make for our exciting 2005 side," Said Waite last night at the latest Berwick Speedway fundraising night, "So impressed are we, and after all the lad is highly experienced, we are giving him the captaincy as well."

"Simon will make a good skipper, he is easy going, well experienced and has a good sense of humour coupled with a keen sense of when to cut the fun and knuckle down to the serious stuff and get the best from his fellow Bandits. His signing is the final part of what will be the most productive and successful Bandits side in years, and he will go a long way to getting that success to Shielfield Park."

Cartwright is the son of the 70's England International Ian Cartwright, and has inherited his obvious talent, having first ridden speedway in the mid 90's before taking it seriously in 1997 when he finally bought his own bike. His UK debut came in at division 3 level for Sheffield's amateur side at, of all places, Berwick in August 1996, the year before he kitted himself out.