Billy Hamill Farewell - Wolverhampton 22 March

[superguest 194]

wouldnt it be good if there was enough cradley fans to drown out the wolves fans

 

Ouch! I'm looking forward to the Wolves V Cradley 'Senior' style meeting

[SteveEvans 248]

Senior Speedway? These riders are quite young for American Speedway!!!

 

We need all Wolves fans there as we can't have the enemy take over our place can we?

 

SG did you ever go to a Wolves Cradley match as a kid? The word to describe them was brutal. If you won, you would literally be walking on air, floating back to your car! If you lost your next few days were miserable. It reallly did mean that much and at this point in time doing this mini match with the riders who lived through those classic wars is as good as it gets.

 

I have spent many an hour reminising with Billy about these days. It's only when those days are gone you truly appreciate how good and intense they were.

 

Prediction - Wolves 17 - Cradley 13.

Edited March 4, 2009 by SteveEvans

[stephenagraham 5]

Oh dear.

 

It was meant as a joke as my friend happens to be a homosexual. It was meant in the style of Frankie Boyle ("My Dad'll **** your dad") which would be lost accross the atlantic one would assume.

 

It's cool. And yes, it was definitely lost in translation :-)

 

See ya at Brandon? We'll probably be over around Sandie the majority of the time...if she'll have us.

 

[SteveEvans 248]

If you ask Steve Graham nicely he will teach you all the art of yellow and red flag waving, all the way from Victorville Speedway. California.

[TMGracing 4]

Could be worse, could support the dream team, then I would be embarrassed

So Silver Bee. Are you dissing my Dream Team. I thought you were alright.

[Silver Bee 57]

So Silver Bee. Are you dissing my Dream Team. I thought you were alright.

 

As discussed, when you spend that much time with SCB.......

[21st century heathen 220]

Really looking forward to this now it's just a couple of weeks away.

 

The line-up for the individual is very good, and with a handful coming over that aren't going to be racing here this season I think it shows the high regard the riders have for Billy. If you look at the big names, and know you're speedway at Monmore, you'll realise there are several genuine challengers and a few that will get in the way and could take vital points off the top few. It should be a cracking meeting, as long as the famous British weather plays ball.

 

The main event looks to have been set-up to favour the home side but my best Cradley/Wolves memory is from when we were very much the underdog. August 1993 - Dudley/Wolves Trophy. Wolves are running away with the league while Cradley are bottom, and have been unable to track a first choice team all season. For the first time, and for what was to prove the only day in '93, we tracked our first choice team. We won the home leg by just 6 points and fully expected to be dispatched with ease, as Wolves had done to all-comers, at Monmore so were happy just to win at home. Defending our precious lead we took to the track, and with no fear tore into the opposition. Long story short - We won the away leg by 17 points and had the trophy tied up with 3 heats to spare!! The following morning was spent sipping drinks and trying to get my voice back. As the commentator on the video said, it just shows what might have been for the Heathens in '93.

[Sandie 53]

It's cool. And yes, it was definitely lost in translation :-)

 

See ya at Brandon? We'll probably be over around Sandie the majority of the time...if she'll have us.

Abso...bloomin....lutely!!! The more the merrier in our section please xx

 

 

So Silver Bee. Are you dissing my Dream Team. I thought you were alright.

Oh dear - its not even the beginning of the season and you are already in trouble SB!!!!!

[SteveEvans 248]

The main event looks to have been set-up to favour the home side...

 

We couldn't track down the track specialists of Gert Handberg & Scott Smith...

Edited March 4, 2009 by SteveEvans

[machinn 0]

Really looking forward to this now it's just a couple of weeks away.

 

The line-up for the individual is very good, and with a handful coming over that aren't going to be racing here this season I think it shows the high regard the riders have for Billy. If you look at the big names, and know you're speedway at Monmore, you'll realise there are several genuine challengers and a few that will get in the way and could take vital points off the top few. It should be a cracking meeting, as long as the famous British weather plays ball.

 

The main event looks to have been set-up to favour the home side but my best Cradley/Wolves memory is from when we were very much the underdog. August 1993 - Dudley/Wolves Trophy. Wolves are running away with the league while Cradley are bottom, and have been unable to track a first choice team all season. For the first time, and for what was to prove the only day in '93, we tracked our first choice team. We won the home leg by just 6 points and fully expected to be dispatched with ease, as Wolves had done to all-comers, at Monmore so were happy just to win at home. Defending our precious lead we took to the track, and with no fear tore into the opposition. Long story short - We won the away leg by 17 points and had the trophy tied up with 3 heats to spare!! The following morning was spent sipping drinks and trying to get my voice back. As the commentator on the video said, it just shows what might have been for the Heathens in '93.

In all honesty, I'd love Cradley Speedway to be able to make a comeback, because there's nothing like a good local rivalry. From what I've heard and seen the meetings between wolves and cradley were always the highlights of the season. Wolves Cradley matches had a completely different atmosphere to any other teams and it's a shame it was just a short time before I started going. I hope one day I can see a match firsthand, it would definelty be the biggest comeback in a good few years

[21st century heathen 220]

Nice post, cheers. You certainly missed out on something a bit special. It was always a case of beat Wolves first and foremost and then see how we get on against the rest. Colin Pratt has never forgotten the rivalry either. A few years ago in a Sky interview he said words to the effect that as long as they (Coventry) beat Wolves he was happy. I think it's great that we will see riders that lived and breathed the rivalry.

 

I saw Alan take on Andy in match races at B'ham a couple of years ago, and I have to say that Alan in particular still looked good on the bike. I often wonder where people like Alan, Andy, Graham and Wayne could be tempted into riding with the youngsters in the CL/NL. They would have soooooo much to offer the British kids, and could teach them a thing or two about team riding (Big Al was a master). That's something which is largely missing these days.

[Fourentee 988]

Doesn't Wayne do something of the sort at Scunthorpe?

[21st century heathen 220]

Yes, that slipped my mind at the time of posting. I was just using these particular riders to make a point to be honest. Giving riders such as these a chance to pass on their knowledge by actually getting out on track would be a good move all-round I'd have thought. Surely they still have a passion for the sport and would enjoy the chance to do some laps on a semi-regular basis, and what better way for the youngsters to learn than to actually be out on track with riders that have been there and done it?

 

Anyway, I'm driftting off topic as usual so should probably stop.

[Scrawnyravn 4]

Remember getting excited on a saturday preparing for the big match.

Walking in through the turnstiles with the Wolves fans standing the length of the back straight but mainly near the burger van on the exit of turn 2.

Mothers sitting knitting and showing each other the family photos but as soon as Sam was in front the abuse started with that Erma- len-ko chap getting it shouted every which way and he was this, that and the other!!

My dad worked throughout the midlands on a daily basis but the best was visiting a bacon factory in Lye with a ginger fella who was a right nutter for the Heathens, cant remember his name but he was a proper fruitcake.

 

 

[Fourentee 988]

So he was a ginger nut fruit cake?