Ommer Mon

Enjoyed last nights match. I thought Rye House were better than the final score suggests and they were right with us for the first half of the meeting. Ben Morley had some great encounters with the Cradley heat leaders. I think Ben Basford has been quite a revelation. He is solid and makes very few mistakes. He'll get better as the season progresses but may find a spot in the main team a bit of a challenge if he gets promoted when the first averages come out. The big test is next Wednesday at Perry Barr. Ash, Cleggy and Luke should score well but I think the others may find it a bit harder due to unfamiliarity with the track, lack of outings so far and the strength of the Brummies lower order. Hope we can nick a point but doubt it.

I suspect it was the (in)famous last heat of the Cradley v Swindon encounter on a Bank Holiday Monday with the Heathens (Greg and Billy) on their customary last heat 5-1 to pinch the win. Unfortunately Billy's celebratory wheelie went horribly wrong and he fell, Greg had to put the brakes on and Peter (much loved at the Wood for his 18 point max at Wolves) picked his way through the debris. Happy days. That meeting was also notable for the power supply in the ref's Box bursting into flames inches from Nigel Pearson's left earhole. That was the first time I heard the now famous Whooooooaaaaa!!!!!!! Thank you for that. If only we had a local Council that did anything but obstruct all we have tried to do over the last 20 years - and still continue to do so. It's not as it Dudley has much else to be proud of!

Glad to see you've got the bug back. Many Cradley fans, like me, were lost to the sport for 15 years but I have to say I've enjoyed almost every minute of the Heathens adventures in the National League. We thought it would be like the old second half novice races but we were very pleasantly surprised at the standard these youngsters (and some old uns) race at. it's good to see some of the kids develop to the point where a few are well worth their placs in the Elite League. Come up to Momnore and take a look at the Heathens. Always well attended and Porky on the Centre Green does a good job (my opinion!) as does Ollie the Ommer our mascot. I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

Dent Oiver eh! That takes me back to my early days of following the Heathens. We only went to Hyde Road for the Fair as we knew we were in for a thumping at the Speedway but I do remember Bernie Persson beating Ivan Mauger one night only to drop half a point to Soren Sjosten in heat 8. Stopped him getting a maximum. Ref needed glasses!! Happy days, when Speedway in the UK was great.

Have to agree that Dan Bewley looks like an excellent prospect. Saw him at Monmore Wood last night and he came within an ace (pardon the pun) on beating Cleggy on his way to topscoring for the Colts. Reminds me of a young Chris Morton, hanging on at times but he certainly has all the speed he needs and isn't afraid to take on more experienced opponents. Good luck to him and I hope he develops into a good prospect over the next few years.

Great to get back on track. Max and Ash did exactly what was expected of them and luke proved just how effective he can be at this level as long as he stays attached to the bike. I was very impressed by him. He can gate and he's quick. Carry on the good work Luke! James did well after such a long lay off and Ben looked far better than i thought he would be. I'm sure both will improve as the season progresses. Bradley and Jack both had troubled nights with the latter having a particularly nasty fall. Forget that one lads and look ahead to the next. Best of luck. Undoubted star of the show was Daniel Bewley. He was brilliant and with more experience should make a lot of progress in the sport. Reminded me very much of a young Chris Morton. A good night out and I echo the earlier comments about the well prepared track (after some lousy weather overnight). Well done to the track staff.

Well I fully intended to go on Easter Monday to support the Heathens against the Colts. I have no idea how much work is still required but some are mentioning 4 weeks until it is ready. I will still go if it is on and wish the Belle Vue management all the best in sorting it out. Such a late cancellation was extremely regrettable but what's done is done. I just feel so sorry that the delay in cancelling it cost so many fans a small fortune in petrol and hotel bookings. We have all been asking for straight talking from the BSPA and their statement certainly delivers that, while they retreat at pace in an attempt to distance themselves from any responsibility whatsoever. I would have liked to have seen some offer of help in there to the Aces to get this sorted out. This is supposed to be the National Stadium afterall and every Promoter in the country will benefit from its success. Another sorry stage in Speedways demise in the UK but let's hope we have now reached the bottom of the barrel.

Sports facilities are compatible with the Green Belt. The difficulty is that the level of development must be limited to that directly required for the sport. This requirement is interpreted differently by each Council. In my area we have evidence of magnificent multi storey brick built grandstands (suitable for wedding receptions) in one area and when we approached a neighbouring Council we were told that temporary stands would have to be dismantled after each meeting. Sadly, it all depends on how much the Council want the sport!!

I remember the Cradley match at Oxford very well. It was actually snowing in the middle of May!!! Dave Perks wrote 'SNOW' in the windscreen of his car, immortalised in the famous photo in Speedway Star. My abiding memory is Bernie Persson riding round in the blizzard. Whilte Helmet, white jumper, white race jacket, white midguards - all you could see was a pair of red legs going round. Not a lot of fun that night unless you like watching a string of 5-0s to the opposition! a 58-14 thumping if I recall rightly.

Not dirty but best piece of fencing I ever saw was at Dudley Wood in the early '70s. Sandor Levai was guesting for Cradley against Swindon and either Clive Hitch or Mike Keen took him wide on the first bend. He gave chase and caught the 'offender' going in to the first bend, dived up the inside and took him all the way out to the fence before turning at the last second and leaving his opponent on his backside. It was almost poetry in slow motion. I'll have to check the programme out to see who Sandor's 'victim' was. RIP Sandor. One of Speedways great characters.

British parents. Does that bring him in on 3? PS Was Bob Andrews Cradley's first World Champion?

Good luck to Armo. Hope he has a good season with the 'Moggies'. Great team man and great with the fans too. A credit to the sport and a big help to Dudley / Cradley in the early days following our return to the track.

Brilliant news. Delighted to be back at Monmore and I never thought I'd ever come our with a phrase like that!! Well done to Chris Nigel and Gary.

Intrigued as to who he may ride against.

I wonder if your promoter would say the same.

Is that Grumpy Cat In the Hat? Can't disagree with much of your assessment though! It was a disaster. The track was unfit from the start and it should have been called off (preferably before everyone set out). If I'd driven up from Eastbourne for that I would have been grumpy too. Still the 90 minute interval was put to good use by many of the fans saying their farewells for the season and hoping that this would not be the last time we met up with some good acquaintancies. At one stage I thought we wouldn't get the 10 races in before 10 o'clock. To try and keep things in context, let's remember that we've had a great 6 years under Nigel, Chris and Gary and we all owe them a great debt of gratitiude for bringing the Club back. At the end of the day it's still the biggest regular social event in the Dudley Borough. If only the Council would recognise that. Potentially another great sporting loss to their eternal credit! Good luck for Saturday lads.

Quite fancy Heathens by 12 tonight but think we could be a bit weak at reserve. Cleggy and Matt have been flying lately and should have some good tussels with BWD. Danny Ayres is great to watch and will give it 100%. i'm sure the crowd will get behind him and he will respond. Think we're in for a thumping at Arlington though. 'Ommer 'em Cradley!

I also agree that there are a few hot heads amongst the ranks but just remenmber what the mainstream Cradley fans achieved since Dudley Wood closed in 1995. They kept the name of the Club going, via Club CH mainly, organised loads of social functions to keep everyione involved and kept the plight of the Club in the public eye. Then in 2009, fourteen years after Dudley Wood closed over 400 of them attended a 'filler' four team tournament at Swindon which persuaded Gary Patchett that there may still be plenty of life in the fan base. The Club made it back on track in 2010 and the home and away support has been amongst the best in the country (in spite of having to drive miles for a home fixture on a school night). There aren't too many who can point to that kind of track record. Hopefully a buyer can be found. Fingers crossed.

If I open my window I'm sure I'll be able to hear the sound of cheering coming from the direction of Dudley Council House. Unhelpful at best .... downright obstructive at worst, they have been presented with at least four perfectly viable options down the years and have managed to strangle the life out of all of them. Still we can always go to the football, cricket, greyhounds or sample the delights of Brierley Hill and Cosely Swimming Baths. Oh hang on a bit..... they've all disappeared too. What a record no wonder Dudley Town Centre is dead on its feet. Thanks to Nigel, Chris and Gary for their excellent work ove rthe last 6 years. It's been an absolute pleasure to support the team. Hopefully someone else will take up the baton. The Club has a great fan base but without a 'home' base it will be difficult for them. Fingers crossed.

The main thing is that Cleggy doesn't appear to have broken anything. That's incredible after his crash. I'm still trying to work out what happened. Did his chain go or did his footrest get caught in the fence?

The Brummies must fancy their chances. With Ellis out injured and Greavesie still missing it does weaken the top end which is the last thing you need against Brum. They look to have beefed up their reserve positions too. Glad to see Tyler hasn't broken it. It looked bad at Brandon. We need a couple of good performances from Max and Matt and they have both improved a lot this year. Looking forward to it, sunny and dry around here at the moment but it will be on the cool side tonight I think. Ommer em Cradley!

I'll turn up at 9 just in case.

Have to say I was impressed with Eastbourne when they rode there against Cradley earlier this season. the Brummies ahve an incredible top three but if one of them has an off night anything is possible.

Er..............hang on a bit we're not quite dead yet! (....as fans of Monty Python and the Holy Grail will recognise)

I wasn't aware of the issues surrounding the Swindon Elite League match and I can see why Bees / Storm fans are getting frustrated. Things happen in Speedway. Matches get cancelled and riders get injured but I think it's the lack of information that is winding people up most and that is totally in the control of the Club. I've always said you can handle good news and you can handle bad news but no news is impossible to deal with. That's what gets people frustrated. Fans will generally support their team through thick and thin but need to feel included in what's going on. It's a simple problem and so easy to fix with some openness and honesty.