Winning all your home league meetings in a season is a great achievement although two or three teams in both divisions usually managed this feat each year in the early 70s. 

Berwick set what I believe to be a unique record in 1971 - winning all their home league meetings while losing every away fixture in that glorious sunny summer. The Bandits, one of the founder members of the BL2 in 1968, had defied the critics by not only surviving but thriving despite some fairly indifferent scores in their first three years, during which time their home record was barely above 50%, while their only road success was at Plymouth in 1969. Things were looking up as 1971 dawned. Skipper Maury Robinson, Peter Kelly and Alan Paynter were all back, while Andy Meldrum and Al Brady looked to have put their 1970 woes behind them. Significantly1970  late season signing Doug Wyer was returning to Shielfield, while Australian Bob Campbell  came over to join them. The Bandits looked to have pulled off a coup in persuading Glasgow to loan them the ultra promising sixteen year old Jim Beaton, who ultimately displaced Paynter.

After the warm up North Eastern Trophy meetings the Bandits opened their home campaign with a massive 60-18 win over a weak Rochdale side who arrived at Shielfield minus Peter Collins and Alan Wilkinson. Boston were the only visitors to get close to the Bandits and gave the homesters a fright by taking a 33-32 lead after eleven heats, but the Bandits countered with  a 5-1 and a 4-2 to preserve their unbeaten at home record. 

Away from home it was a different story with only meetings at Hull and Birmingham giving their followers any hopes of a rare road win. 

Crowds had been good and the season ran through October with a number of challenge meetings, though with Maury Robinson and Bobby Campbell missing, their home invincibility took a hit with narrow losses to Teesside and Birmingham. The latter meeting saw Geoff Davies and George Beaton pressed unto service though my recall of the racing is somewhat blurred thanks to my 21st birthday being celebrated at one of Jean and Ian Wightman's legendary parties, a really lovely and hospitable couple who celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary this month - an achievement that surely puts Berwick's record in the shade

 Berwick's 1971 League Scores

                      Home         Away 

Rochdale      60-18      33- 45
Rayleigh        49-29      34-44
Ipswich         46-32      22-55
Long Eaton  45-33       33-45
Birmingham 58-20      36-42
Teesside    46.5-32.5   24-54
Sunderland  51-27        32-46
Boston           41-36       26-52
Peterborough 49-29     34-44
Workington   46-32       30-48
Canterbury    46-32      33-45
Bradford        42-36      33-45
Crewe             56-21      30-48
Romford        56-22       35-43
Eastbourne   49-29       29-49
Hull                  45-33     36-42