Gemini Posted December 6, 2008 Report Share Posted December 6, 2008 (edited) Didnt they both do that before the chequered flag came down during a race at Dudley Wood one year and one of them came off (think it was Billy) costing them a 5-1 and the Heathens the match, prompting Colin Pratt to ban them doing it before the end of a heat Over to a Cradley fan for this one. QUOTE (SteveEvans @ Dec 5 2008, 10:11 PM) Nope, he is retired from Europe. QUOTE (Gemini @ Dec 5 2008, 11:36 PM) Great to hear this news. Naughty SilverBee. Edited December 7, 2008 by Gemini Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heathen76 Posted December 7, 2008 Report Share Posted December 7, 2008 yep- Billy suffered a severe case of premature celebratis,& cost us the match!-we quickly forgave him however given the almost routine nature of 5-1 returns when most needed. Really looking forward to this meeting,& HSSC (Heathens Speedway Supporters Club) will certainly be looking to help Billy promote the event to all Heathens fans throughout the black country, where he feels most at home. From a rookie (in british speedway terms at least) to world champion,( in our final year at Loomer Rd)-a Cradley legend,-but for once we will ignore local rivalries to join with Coventry fans ,& even supporters from "that lot north of Bilston" to salute a rider that has always entertained & demonstrated an all too rare(particularly looking at this years probable team line-ups) loyalty to British speedway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col Posted December 7, 2008 Report Share Posted December 7, 2008 (edited) Billy was awesome for Cradley... Came in on 6:00 to start the year in 1990, was our #1 by the end of it thanks to Janno, Cross & Hancock getting injured, and generally crap guests. he spent much of the year gating like Gjedde with his wheel in the air and 20 yards back from the gate, but it rarely mattered the 3 & 4 swoop he mastrerd quickly along with heavy dive up the inside of turn 1.. 1991 he was second heat leader behind Janno, who won the World title that year, about the only season the Dane ever completed fully fit. We lost Janno early in '92 and he never rode again. Hamill & Hancock kept Cradley alive after that. Edited December 7, 2008 by Col Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little-End Posted December 7, 2008 Report Share Posted December 7, 2008 Congratulations Billy Well deserved celebration of your time in Europe , As well as being a class act on a Bike , A class act when off the Rcae Circuit. Best Wishes to you and the family. See you at Uncle Dougs Office .... sometime I hope Lucky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveEvans Posted December 7, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 7, 2008 I think Billy asked for it to be at Wolves, I can't be sure though. This is correct. Billy loved his two years at Wolves and in fact almost signed in 1997 after Cradley closed. It is also very easy for the green, red and white army to come out of hibernation . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colincooke Posted December 7, 2008 Report Share Posted December 7, 2008 This is correct. Billy loved his two years at Wolves and in fact almost signed in 1997 after Cradley closed. It is also very easy for the green, red and white army to come out of hibernation . I'm liking the sound of this. Is there any chance of Billy getting a match race together with our mate Sam? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveEvans Posted December 7, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 7, 2008 There are definate plans to have a part of the programme featuring old riders but it if all goes to plan it will be much better than staged match races. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colincooke Posted December 7, 2008 Report Share Posted December 7, 2008 Thanks Steve. It get's better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCB Posted December 7, 2008 Report Share Posted December 7, 2008 I'm hoping this meeting lives up to expectation and certianly mine are high. Billy was a true showman on track and always looked for ways to drag the sport forwards, hopefully this meeting will be the same. I can't wait. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salty Posted December 7, 2008 Report Share Posted December 7, 2008 Excellent Wolves v Cradley.. Not many ex-Cradley riders still going. Hancock, Hamill, Fry & Scott 'Scud' Smith the only ones I can think of. Barker retired and although he never rode for us Krister Marsh was a Cradley junior for a time, he's also now retired. Don't forget Flying Phil is back on a bike..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
21st century heathen Posted December 8, 2008 Report Share Posted December 8, 2008 Great to hear this news. Shame it couldn't have been held at Coventry though. I'm sure you meant to say Dudley Wood. Wolves v Cradley seems a good shout for this meeting. Fingers crossed anyway. Hell yeah!! Wolves v Cradley.. Not many ex-Cradley riders still going. Hancock, Hamill, Fry & Scott 'Scud' Smith the only ones I can think of. Barker retired and although he never rode for us Krister Marsh was a Cradley junior for a time, he's also now retired. And Bobby in the US. Wolves vs Cradley select would work. Build a Cradley team upto the points limit with Greg and Billy leading it. . I know a lot of people have fond memories of Billy when he rode for Cradley but for me the best ever was when he rode with Greg at Coventry under the Exide sponsorship. Great to see them doing a double wheelie after yet another 5-1 for the Bees. You're getting your memories all mixed up again. That should read 'the Heathens'. Having seen all bar two of Wolves' 2006 matches, the year in which he joined, I have to say what an impression he left. Among a number of standout rides I can recall one at Oxford in the cup where he actually went between David Howe and (guesting) Leigh Adams. An extraordinary move, and one greatly appreciated by the gentleman standing just in front of me, wearing a Hamill jacket, who had come up from Bristol just to see his hero. I just wish I had been following the sport during the Bullet's prime. One of any number of times he's pulled off such a move (although I didn't see that one). I do recall a move he put on Doncaster and Clouting (I think) at Dudley Wood in '95(?). He made a terrible start to trail the Witches down the back straight. Donkey was on the outside team riding his young partner into the bottom turn for the first time. There was no room between them. Billy went into the corner about 10mph faster than them, and it was one of those moments when a hush fall over the stadium as everyone waits fir the inevitable huge pile-up. God alone knows how, but Billy found room to make a clean pass inbetween the two as they went around the pits turn to come off turn 4 with a clear lead. There was no hesitation about the move at all. The roar as everyone opened their eyes again was probably one of the biggest of the season. Stunning move. That's the kind of rider Billy was. One of the greatest out-and-out racers of the modern era, and it was a pleasure to see him ride every week. Sadly, the injuries held him back as he went through the second half of his career. In my opinion (although biased as he's my favourite rider of the modern era), he had at least one more title in him if he had remained injury free. Didnt they both do that before the chequered flag came down during a race at Dudley Wood one year and one of them came off (think it was Billy) costing them a 5-1 and the Heathens the match, prompting Colin Pratt to ban them doing it before the end of a heat *nods then shakes head as the memory comes screaming back* We lost Janno early in '92 and he never rode again. Hamill & Hancock kept Cradley alive after that. Especially as it was just after we'd lost Erik and Simon too. Although Simon came back superbly, and had a cracking season in '95. There are definate plans to have a part of the programme featuring old riders but it if all goes to plan it will be much better than staged match races. Greg/Billy vs Sam/PK. Now that would be fun. Don't forget Flying Phil is back on a bike..... Beat me to it. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cradley career stats for Billy taken from the Cradley website. 1990 - 6.82 1991 - 9.13 1992 - 8.57 1993 - 8.62 1994 - 8.73 1995 - 10.94 1996 - 10.30 He went on to average over 10 the following year for Belle Vue. He was top of the averages from '95 - '97 when riding three different tracks as his home track. '95 at Dudley Wood, '96 at Loomer Road (for Cradley) and '97 at Kirky Lane. I don't know of another rider that's done that. Any ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCB Posted December 8, 2008 Report Share Posted December 8, 2008 He went on to average over 10 the following year for Belle Vue. He was top of the averages from '95 - '97 when riding three different tracks as his home track. '95 at Dudley Wood, '96 at Loomer Road (for Cradley) and '97 at Kirky Lane. I don't know of another rider that's done that. Any ideas?Adams and must have been close and been in the top 3 when at Oxford, Poole and then Swindon but I think he was only number 1 at Swindon. I'd love it to be a Cradley vs Wolves meeting. Heard all about them, never experienced it myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
21st century heathen Posted December 8, 2008 Report Share Posted December 8, 2008 A properly advertised/promoted meeting between Cradley, led by Greg and Billy, and Wolves would attract a huge crowd. Especially if the Cradley side included a Cov rider or two to help tie in with that side of his career. Perhaps we could track Roynon and Barker at reserve for example? A lot of Cradley fans have drifted away from the sport though, so it would need to be well advertised in the Black Country. Posters/flyers in pubs and clubs would help. Local newspapers/radio covering the story along with word-of-mouth and I would hope the message would get around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superguest Posted December 8, 2008 Report Share Posted December 8, 2008 A properly advertised/promoted meeting between Cradley, led by Greg and Billy, and Wolves would attract a huge crowd. Especially if the Cradley side included a Cov rider or two to help tie in with that side of his career. Perhaps we could track Roynon and Barker at reserve for example? A lot of Cradley fans have drifted away from the sport though, so it would need to be well advertised in the Black Country. Posters/flyers in pubs and clubs would help. Local newspapers/radio covering the story along with word-of-mouth and I would hope the message would get around. Maybe a 3 team tournament? Billy isnt fit enough to ride in the proper meeting, so I think it will just be a individual with a few Wolves V Cradley thrown in with the ex stars Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruno Posted December 8, 2008 Report Share Posted December 8, 2008 IM A CRADLEY FAN WHO AS BEEN GOING TO THE WOLVES FOR A GOOD FEW YEARS SINCE THE DEMISE OF THE HEATHENS. I STILL DONT KNOW WHETHER TO BOO OR CHEER THE WOLVES BUT A WOLVES V CRADLEY MATCH WOULD BE GREAT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superguest Posted December 8, 2008 Report Share Posted December 8, 2008 IM A CRADLEY FAN WHO AS BEEN GOING TO THE WOLVES FOR A GOOD FEW YEARS SINCE THE DEMISE OF THE HEATHENS. I STILL DONT KNOW WHETHER TO BOO OR CHEER THE WOLVES BUT A WOLVES V CRADLEY MATCH WOULD BE GREAT. This meeting is for you guys! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevebrum Posted December 9, 2008 Report Share Posted December 9, 2008 any chance billy being in the 2009 wolves team!!? Nope, he is retired from Europe. thats cleared that up thank god Naughty SilverBee. funny tho! This meeting is for you guys! more for the cradley fans and fans in general of billy hamill i reckon than celebrating his wolves career. Im sure many will want to turn out for the ocassion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveEvans Posted December 9, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 9, 2008 (edited) He is celebrating his career for all teams he has ridden for. The fact he has ridden for three clubs who are arch rivals with each other is irrelevant. The majority of fans at Cradley, Coventry and Wolves hold him very dear as he always was the kind of rider who part his heart and soul into his racing. He rode for me in three races in the US for very little money compared to what he makes in Europe. In these races he put his all into his racing, quiet amazing with the pittance I was paying him! Like any rider there are people who are not fans of Billy Hamill, but that is the minority I am sure. Cradley fans hold him dear for 7 years of service, culminating in a World title. Coventry fans had him in his prime. Wolves fans were won over despite him being past his prime and a former enemy twice over. Belle Vue and Oxford had a year each too. The response to his meeting on the Wolfcry website shows the majority of Wolves fans are thrilled with efforts for the club and the privilidge of being chosen to hold this event. We will present a day that fans of all 5 British teams he has ridden for will love. Billy is somewhat unique in that he has ridden for three clubs whose fans will always be at odds. Somehow despite this he has put his all into each team. Fans of all three see him as a speedway legend, as they should. Roll on March. Once he is officially retired I believe there are only 4 riders left in the sport who can say they won the ultimate prize, so the fact it is for a retiring world champion makes it more special. Edited December 9, 2008 by SteveEvans Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BWitcher Posted December 9, 2008 Report Share Posted December 9, 2008 Don't worry Mr Evans, all real Wolves fans appreciate Billys efforts for us and will be there to support his big day! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveEvans Posted December 9, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 9, 2008 (edited) The place will be packed given the three local teams he rode for, so I'm not worried. MrBrum is in the minority of Wolves fans when it comes to Billy. Even when we signed him and before a wheel was turned I think 90% of the fans were happy in a Wolfcry survey. Stevebrum was the 1st to carp in 2007 when Billy had a bad night as the career inguries took their toll. That said you can't suggest he's not a real Wolves fan just because his preference does not include this rider, he's there most weeks and often providing text for Wolfcry or the main updates site. I'm sure in a meeting like this his attendence is dependent on the line up, as his loyalties are not with the rider, but the huge influx of Cradley. Coventry and speedway fans in general means that the place will be packed regardless. Edited December 9, 2008 by SteveEvans Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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