“Berwick speedway is a crazy success story.” Sarah Bulman, Berwick Co-Promoter

Speedway and Champions League football is proving to be an irresistible mix for Sarah Bulman, the super-fan turned administrator.

The 43-year-old was named as co-promoter of the Berwick Bandits speedway team earlier this year, becoming one of only a handful of female administrators in the macho world of high-speed closed circuit motorcycle racing.

And earlier this month she became Newcastle United’s Safeguarding and Wellbeing Manager for Clubs and Partnerships; a new role created as the Saudi-owned Premier League club prepares to return to the Champions League having finally broken its 70-year domestic trophy drought by winning the Carabao Cup.

The St James’s Park role comes after Sarah called time on a career in the children services social care sector where she had held a number of senior roles and less than three months after she joined Steve Dews as Berwick Speedway co-promoter.

“The job is pretty much to ensure that everything Newcastle United’s name is attached to maintains the club’s highest ethical standards and that everyone leading or taking part does so in a safe environment,” Sarah explained.

Having been introduced to speedway, aged one, at Newcastle’s Brough Park by dad Roy Dexter, Sarah’s teenage years saw her accompanying then Berwick media man Lawrence Heppell and his family up the A1 to Shielfield Park.

Over the years she served Bandits as a cheerleader, steward, safeguarding officer, medical and staff co-ordinator before becoming Berwick’s third female promoter, following in the footsteps of the legendary Elizabeth Taylor and Yvette Hope.

While speedway has filled almost all her summers Sarah also became a fully paid-up member of the Toon Army around two decades ago after a friend bought tickets to a match against Manchester City.

One taste of the special atmosphere and she was hooked, becoming a Milburn Stand season ticket holder, culminating in the trip to Wembley when Newcastle United finally won silverware again, beating Liverpool in a memorable league cup final.

“At Christmas I was still just a Bandits supporter and a Newcastle United fan but suddenly I’m involved in the day-to-day running of two of the North-east’s greatest sports clubs,” Sarah laughed.

“It’s already been quite a year!

“Both jobs fall under the ‘dream come true’ category and while the Bandits is a voluntary post I still needed to make sure that I could give it the time necessary.

“Berwick speedway is a crazy success story – a town of just over 13,000 able to hold its own again big city clubs with crazy budgets and run continuously for approaching 70 years.

“In contrast Newcastle United and the Premiership in general is the highest financed football league in the world.

“When I was going through the interview process one of the things I stressed was that I would only take the Newcastle United job if there was time for my speedway promoter’s work.

“They understand how important that is and assured me that the flexibility will always be there.

“Both clubs mean an awful lot to me and to be involved in the day to day running of them is just amazing.”

Words by George Dodds – Berwick Speedway – Images by Keith Hamblin