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Press release this morning. They are still trying to put things together for next season. Fingers crossed. The Heathens’ future has been put into doubt due to stadium availability and fixture congestion arising from their track-share arrangement primarily at Wolverhampton’s Monmore Green Stadium. Co-promoter Gary Patchett said: “We enjoyed a very positive meeting on Wednesday afternoon and we are unanimously agreed we will do everything we can to keep the team on the track. “We have some proposals we would like to present to the other clubs when we eventually get a date for the National League AGM and then we can make some firm plans. Until then we are in a state of flux. “We need the supporters to remain patient and we thank them for that. Without going into detail, the various issues we have had to face, both individually and collectively, would have made it easier to bring the current era to a close but we are committed to keeping the Heathens going despite the challenging circumstances we have faced this year. Our hearts are definitely ruling our heads! “We need positivity throughout the club and, most importantly, we need to be certain the support will still be there for us moving forward. Whilst there are still hurdles for us to overcome and issues to address over which we have little or no control we are optimistic of a positive result.”

It's all gone rather quiet apart from a message from Nigel Pearson to say that the Promoters will make every effort to get us back on track for next season. I took it a good news (for us) that there will be no more teams in the Premier League this season so there should be the same number of Mondays available. With Lakeside moving up and Coventry moving in there may be the same number at NL level too. Riding fixtures at Birmingham has been an issue for us, though I have to say the co-operation of the Brummies has been greatly appreciated and actually saved us for last season. Problem is it's not the easiest place to get to mid week, even though it's close and that has had a noticable affect on the crowd levels there. I don't know how accommodating the new Promoters at Perry Barr may be in any case. The uncertainty may mean that if we do run we will be back of the queue for signing riders. I'd like to be more optimistic and I'm sure the Promoters will do their best but the level of uncertainty is a bit uncomfortable. Perhaps the answer could be to run double headers on our nights at Monmore. We've done it on Bank Holidays with the Landlords so it could work. Why are Tuesdays unavailable at Monmore? Any thoughts (hopefully optimistic) out there?

If there is only going to be one T/S ride in a match then this is very disappoining. Part of the attraction in the past was that you could try to outguess the Team Managers and work out who would be used or where the T/Ss were going to take place. It's what you call making the sport more interesting for the supporter! I thought it was great news when they made the announcement and having Heat 8 protected avoided the standard trick of Ole Olsen being introduced for the No7 of the time. Think again and bring it back so that it can be used whenever teams are more than 6 points down. You may actually get a few more people back through the turnstiles.

I'd agree that Hall seems to be one to avoid based on our experience. Potential for scoring massive points at this level but for how long?

Maybe I should have said well prepared when we got the chance. I do recall Jan O and many others putting hours of hard work in up there as you have described.

Sadly you are right overall. Saturday and Bank Holiday fixture attendances were ok but mid week fixtures were extremenly difficult. Leaving work at 5 and getting to Stoke by 7.30 was a real challenge up the M6. There was also the cost of the riders to consider. Don't forget we had both Greg and Billy at the time. Don't get me wrong, they were both brilliant but they came with a price tag. Sadly, the lack of support from the locals, in spite of having the two best riders in the world riding each week and great racing on a well prepared track, was also a factor. Hopefully Sunday travel and NL costs may make things easier for the Bees. I cetainly hope so.

Very sad to learn of Dave's passing. He was responsible for my most embarassing moment in Speedway. I took my lad and his mate to a Wolves v Oxford match when Greg Hancock was riding. Now I've known Greg pretty well since he first came to Cradley in '89 and I knew I could get them an autograph. So off I went to the 'Rat' for a couple of action photos. This was in the Silver Machine era, I think, when the team all wore black race suits. So he sold me a couple of photos and I looked long and hard at them and said that doesn't look much like Greg but he assured me it was. Off to the pits we went and Greg was his usual accommodating self and I thrust the pics into his hand and said "Can you sign these please?". With the customary Grin, he replied "Sure ......but that's Nicki". We had a chuckle when I took them back to the Rat's stand. I still don't know if it was a mistake or a deliberate set up! He will be missed by many genuine fans.

I think it is positive in terms of getting a team of some description back on track but the Bees fans never took to the National League in great numbers at Brandon so I hope they will do so at the new venue. It's a gamble for the promotion and credit to them for taking it. Sadly, some of the comments do seem to rule out a return to Brandon now but I think that was inevitable anyway. The best that they can hope for is that when granting permission for housing there is a requirement to provide a new speedway / stock car facility in the area. That is one for the Council to consider. As we have learnt at Cradley, if you don't save what you have got the chance to open somewhere else is extremely slim. Best of luck to the Bees. I really hope it works out for them but a 50 mile round trip to meetings is a drawback. Still we did a season at Stoke with a 100 mile round trip so it is possible. Fingers crossed.

Well I've been going to Speedway for over 50 years now and I can't recall an official match where a team has ridden with only one of their own riders. Thanks to all the guests who turned out for us this afternoon. I hope the experience helps some of the youngsters in their development.

I don't think it matters too much as I can't see either of them making the Play Offs.

No idea what our Team is going to look like tomorrow after today's problems. Tom Bacon will be guesting for us. It would have been tough against the Eagles with a full strength team so I'll be honest and say I expect to lose narrowly (mind you that's what I said against the Colts!).

The Management must be tearing their hair out over this one! At one stage it looked like we would not have a single Cradley rider in the team! Looks like Danny Ayres could be back in but Lawlor and Dwyer are doubtful. Doubtless it will all have changed again by the time you read this.

Well. What a turn up for the books that was! Fortunate that Belle Vue had their own problems (glad to hear the injuries aren't serious) but Cradley's patched up team worked wonders last night. Tom was superb and both Joe and Conor piled the points up. Thanks too to Connor Coles. 100% effort from him. So we're clinging on in the play off race and could catch to Brummies but Kent and the Bog Moggies are looming large in the rear view mirror. Quite an exciting end to the league campaign.

Just remembered that Mr Hartley was the Ref so you could say he was 'jammy' to get away with it!

Following Monday night's Heathens v Brummies encounter just thought I'd comment on Tom Bacon's starts. I reckon he got away with at least four obvious rollers. How the ref missed them I have no idea. So check your fixture list and see if you will be treated to a few Bacon Rolls before the season is out! NB Sauce appreciated but comments about 'sour grapes' are not permitted as we've had enough food gags!

Oh well if we hadn't handed 8 points over unchallenged I would have got my prediction right. A really entertaining meeting for many reasons and a fair bit of comedy mixed in too - mainly courtesy of the ref. I'm not one for having a go at refs but how he missed Tom Bacon's rollers in every race is beyond me. Conor Dwyer was superb and in the end Taylor Hampshire was the hero for the Brummies passing him for third place on the line in heat 14 after an otherwise mainly unproductive night. Richard Hall deserves a mention. I had no idea he was riding with a major shoulder problem until he was interviewed at the end. A great effort from him in the circumstances. To be fair Liam Carr was in a class of his own and was mainly untroubled. As I say an entertaining night but I can't see Cradley making the Play Offs from here.

I guess this could be labelled the play off play off but Kent and Mildenhall may have plenty to say about that. Should be a good evening's entertainment though and with Richard Hall going so well I fancy a Cradley win by 8.

Back to Monmore Wood for the Heathens as they take on the Potters. I'm expecting a 12 point win. Hope Tyler Govier has a good night at reserve. He hasn't had much good fortune in his career so far. Good luck to all.

I really felt for Leicester last night. What terrible luck! Hope all those injured make a swift and full recovery. Isn't this where you need a Number 8 who can at least take up the rides the reserves can't cover? You never know when a 'gift' point could come up and that is all they were short by.

Holder walking out / banned at Kings Lynn, KK riding like a duffer at Poole...............................................What could possibly happen next????????? PS Poole would also have an extra couple of points to play with on the averages!

There was a great International Tournament in the early 70s sponsored by the Daily Mirror if I recall correctly. The teams had seven riders and the qualifiers were raced on British League tracks. I think we ahd a couple at Cradley featuring the Swedes and a combined Norway / Denmark Team. All the stars rode in it and the Final was at Wembley ending in the famous Michanek / Collins run off with the Brit hitting the deck and the Swede getting excluded. It was brilliant but has never been repeated since.

Oh great, the Halesowen News are involved. The Trust need to keep an eye on this lot as they were almost as responsible as Dudley Council for torpedoing the application that was made for another site several years ago. The one week they say what a great idea it is, the next they are out drumming up the local opposition and pedalling ridiculous scaremongering stories. They were an absolute disgrace. It's not in their backyard so I hope they keep their noses well and truely out.

Can't see Wolves objecting as we are operating under their noses at the moment and we have proved beyond any doubt that Wolves fans and Cradley fans are pretty much mutually exclusive groups so no danger of poaching fans. As I've said before, this is really good news and let's just celebrate it as such for the moment. There will be hurdles to overcome, no doubt, but everybody should be pushing in the same direction on this one. Sandwell have made positive noises in the past and I'm sure they would be delighted to pinch Dudley's most successful sports team. Not that there will be too many tears coming from that particular Town Hall. Football, Cricket, Greyhounds, Speedway and two Swimming Baths are Dudley's list of sporting casualties over the years. It would be great to see at least one of them bite them back!

Very good news indeed and congratulations to everyone involved in getting it to this stage. Hopefully Sandwell will prove more welcoming than Dudley have ever been. They have made enough very encouraging noises in the past. Now is the time to deliver. Time for everyone in Sandwell to lobby their local Councillor.

Back to the scene of our recent thumping, only this time it's a 'home' match against the Devils of Plymouth. The ever reliable Ben Morley stands in for Danny Ayres and we have to hope for a much improved showing from some of the team. It's going to be tough with Steve Boxall and the ever popular Adam Roynon in opposition and I'll be watching with my fingers crossed. Richard Andrews will be out to score a few against his old club too. The Devils do have form at Perry Barr. Our old mate Laurence Rogers will be dancing in the streets of Aston if they can pull off a win! I'm going for a draw. What do you think?