BANDITS CO-OWNER STEPS DOWN

BERWICK co-owner Scott Courtney has announced he is stepping down after seven years at the helm.

Courtney, 41, joined forces with brother Jamie when they bought the Bandits from John Anderson during the winter of 2016 and also acted as team manager and mechanic for several riders.

The Shielfield Park club will still have continuity as Jamie Courtney will now become sole owner with Steven Dews remaining as co-promoter, whilst Scott confirmed he had actually taken the decision last winter.

He said: “Towards the end of 2023 I decided I would like to commit to one more season to try, alongside Jamie and our fantastic group of friends who are also colleagues, to build something fresh and exciting for 2024.

“It was never going to be forever but stepping down from this unique club, which continues to punch above its weight while so many others with so much more in their favour in terms of catchment area and access to big business have fallen by the wayside, is a wrench.

“In other ways it’s pretty straight-forward and one thing I am certain of is that the club’s present and future is so much more secure going forward than when we took over.

“Making my decision last winter allowed us to ensure the club has the right people in the right places moving forward and on the face of things, I expect things to appear largely unchanged with a few new faces where required.”