Berwick speedway star Thomas Jorgensen breaks vertebrae in neck and back

Jorgensen, who rejoined the borders club for a second time during the winter, highsided and fell heavily during his side’s 49-41 defeat at Edinburgh.

He received lengthy treatment on-track from the Armadale medical team and was transported to hospital on a spinal board which, fortunately, turned out to be purely precautionary.

Scans on Saturday revealed the extent of the damage and the 31-year- old, who also rides for King’s Lynn in the Premiership, may require surgery at a later date.

Berwick Speedway co-owner and team manager, Scott Courtney said: “There is no worse feeling in sport than when one of your team is severely injured.

“We are absolutely gutted for Thomas but also grateful for the professional and efficient way the Edinburgh medical team dealt with the incident last night.

“It is a reminder, if any was needed, of what the boys put on the line every time they get on a speedway bike.”

Jorgensen is the latest injury blow for Berwick who have just one league win under their belt so far this season.

Number one Rory Schlein is recuperating from back and leg injuries sustained when he crashed through the safety fence at Oxford while young reserve Jacob Hook underwent surgery this week after breaking his collarbone while racing in Poland.

It was a bad night for Berwick’s Danes with Jonas Knudsen caught out by a long delay to his flight from Europe into Edinburgh airport which landed around the same time the first two-minute warning sounded for heat one of Friday night’s double header.

In his absence Steve Boxall, who was preparing to make his debut for the club’s NDL side, the Bullets in the second match of the evening, was called up for his first second tier appearance since 2016 and responded with a highly competitive paid eight points.

It was a tough night for the visitors with skipper Leon Flint aggravating an old shoulder injury which needed ice treatment to allow him to continue racing.

Guests for the night Armadale track specialist Richie Worrall and Plymouth’s hugely impressive teenage Aussie James Pearson took the fight to the home side and were responsible for the Bandits only two heat wins on the night.

Even they couldn’t lay a glove on the Monarchs’ heat leaders with Kye Thompson, five-ride, and Cook, four, roaring to maximums while Josh Pickering dropped just three points as Edinburgh avenged an early-season loss to Berwick in the BSN Series by completing a quick-fire Championship double.

However, Thompson was left thanking probationary referee Simon Smith for the most outrageous stroke of good fortune in the first of his five winning rides.

With the green light on and the other three riders sat stock still Thomson charged the tapes, and it seemed only a formality for the red exclusion light to come on. Instead, Mr Smith invited all four riders back saying that he had pressed the button to release the tapes and they failed to rise.

Boxall had shown that he wasn’t there to make up the numbers with a muscular run to the first bend of heat one which left him the only man standing as Pickering, Worrall and Bastian Borke hit the deck.

Pearson and Connor Coles briefly raised the hopes of visiting fans with a heat two 5-1 and they both looked good from the gate all night.

With IIR operating for the unfortunate Jorgensen Berwick were picking up the second places but with Jye Etheridge again struggling for points on the road, Edinburgh got their noses in front and extended the lead to four points when Roynon suddenly found speed from the gate to surprisingly win heat eight, the erratic Borke just managing to keep Coles at bay.

Worrall was used as a tactical substitute in heat ten and did his job to perfection producing a trademark cutback to roar under Pickering off the second bend and set sail into the distance, but Flint was left trailing at the back.

Boxall and the excellent Worrall briefly raised Berwick hopes in 11, gating on Cook but the Cumbrian showed all his Armadale track craft by keeping a tight line on the bottom bend to pick both Bandits off in vintage style.

With Cook off in the distance Boxall and Worrall attempted to team-ride Pickering out of the equation in 13 but the Aussie found a way past Berwick’s debutant, the 4-2 rubber-stamping the inevitable defeat for the visitors.

Flint rode through the pain in 14 and made his best gate of the night only for Thomson to roar around him and win comfortably, both he and Cook protecting their maximum allowing Edinburgh the luxury of giving Borke track time in 15.

Team manager Scott Courtney said: “Losing Thomas and the concern over the extent of his injuries was a tough blow to roll with.

“Thankfully the news from the hospital later in the evening was positive about his mobility but he is still hurting in a lot of places.

“Jonas was left stranded by the airline and even if it had landed half an hour earlier, he would have made it to Armadale.

“But Steve took his opportunity with both hands and underlined just what a talent he is.

“Our guests Richie and James were superb, but it is a case of rallying the troops for the visit of Redcar.”

EDINBURGH MONARCHS 49

BERWICK BANDITS 41

Monarchs: Josh Pickering 12, Bastian Borke 4+1, Kye Thomson 15, Craig Cook 12, Dayle Wood 0, Adam Roynon 6

Bandits: Richie Worrall 13, Steve Boxall 5+3, Jye Etheridge 3+1, Leon Flint 6+2, Thomas Jorgensen 0, James Pearson 10+1, Connor Coles 4+1