IT was a weekend of contrasting fortunes for the Middlesbrough Bears speedway team who were paying their first visit to Scotland since 1996.

A victory at Edinburgh's Armadale on the Friday was marred by serious facial injuries to Hull junior Phil Downes in a crash at Glasgow's Saracen Park on the Sunday afternoon.

The Bears were looking comfortable winners at Armadale when the West Lothian Wildcats rider Gary Beaton made a reckless challenge on the inside of Gary Flint in Heat 5. Beaton lost control and took Flint with him at great speed into the safety fence midway between the first and second bend. Thankfully neither rider was hurt but then the actions of Beaton afterwards left a sour taste in the mouths of the Bears' management. Steve Harland, the Bears co-team manager, said: "Flinty went over to calm Beaton down and advised him to turn the bike next time but all he (Beaton) did was antagonise the situation by pushing him aggressively. Flinty was as calm as a cucumber. Apparently its not the first time it has happened."

The meeting referee Jim McGregor then gave both riders a warning in the pits about their future conduct. No sooner had he gone back to his box the meeting was hastily called off with the Bears leading by 14-10pts. The Edinburgh track staff were keen to call a halt to proceedings as they had a home meeting to prepare for the next day. Jason Pipe, assistant team manager for the Bears, said: "It was farcical to think we went all the way to Edinburgh for four heats of speedway. We weren't made welcome on the evening and our lads wanted to complete the meeting. Their promoter John Campbell even threatened to abandon the meeting if our riders didn't stop going on the back straight to do practice starts. The fact was that his own riders were doing exactly the same thing!"

The Bears Australian Under-21 runner up Cameron Woodward and Gary Fint were both unbeaten in two rides.

Bears' scorers: Cameron Woodward 6, Gary Flint 5+1, Jonathan Bethell 2, Scott Nettleship 1.

Glasgow's Saracen Park in Possilpark on the Sunday saw persistent rain falling an hour before the start. It did stop but then began to drizzle just before the start and during the main match between the Tigers and Rye House.

There were many who were convinced the match should never have even started in the first place as the rain continued to pour but the meeting referee was notable in his absence, leaving the decision, incredibly, to the riders of both teams. The Bears' Alan Ferrow declining the opportunity to ride only for the meeting to be given the go-ahead under the instruction of one ride for each competing rider. In Heat 1 Cameron Woodward was leading Phil Downes as they entered the first and second bends of lap two, Downes picked up some extra grip and drifted towards the safety fence exiting the second bend. Unfortunately his bike caught the fence and he came to sickening halt as he was flung headfirst over the handlebars. Ashfield Giants' Kris Irving having to take avoiding action with Downes bike strewn across the track. Downes was taken to hospital suffering with a fracture to the right eye, a broken nose and a broken right finger.

Bears co-team manager, Steve Harland, said: "Phil was in a state of shock immediately following the crash and suffered serious facial injuries to the right hand side of his face. We would like to thank the track doctor and the St.John's Ambulance staff who tended to Phil's injuries and took him to hospital. We stayed with him for four hours on Sunday evening and were told that he would be staying in to be operated on the next day. He was in Ward 52 but moved to Ward 49 of Glasgow Royal Infirmary on the Monday evening."

Phil's mechanic Bryan Tawkes took all of his equipment and the van back to Humberside in the early hours of Monday morning and both his mother, girlfriend and promoter Nigel Wordsworth were informed of his progress.

FORMER Middlesbrough riders Shane Parker (King's Lynn) and Mark Lemon (Somerset) feature in the line-up for the Premier League Riders' Championship as all roads lead to Sheffield's Owlerton Stadium this coming Sunday evening, September 28 at 6pm. Newcastle's 17-year-old Danish sensation Kenneth Bjerre is among the favourites but York-born Sheffield No.1 Sean Wilson will take some stopping on his home circuit as the Premeir League's top riders do battle.

THE action then moves on to Hull's Craven Park Stadium on Wednesday evening (September 24) when the top two riders from each member club, Hull Magic - Preston Road Flyers - Middlesbrough & Scunthorpe, race against each other for prize money totalling £700. Gary Flint and Jonathan Bethell are the Bears' representatives. The action starts at 9pm immediately following the Hull/Stoke Premier League encounter.