steve roberts Posted February 23, 2017 Report Share Posted February 23, 2017 Bit of a segway, but I'd have the Aces team of 84 as the best team ever to win....nothing! Mort, Ross, PC, Peter Carr, Smith, Courtney, McKinna. They hammered teams left right and centre all year at home, but got pipped by Ipswich for the league. I think they also finished 2nd in the KO Cup, League Cup and Premiership. Yes it pleased me that Ipswich came along and stole Belle Vue's thunder that year! Belle Vue had put together a super strong septet and along came John Berry with his 'Witches' to win the double. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waiheke1 Posted February 23, 2017 Report Share Posted February 23, 2017 Went to Belle Vue in 84 when Reading were there Reading had a good side but were murdered that night 57-23?? that Vue side was a very good one.Beating a heathens side containing king gundersen Collins and grahame 51-27 was pretty satisfying. And of course the famous 64-14 win over eastborne. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sidney the robin Posted February 23, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2017 (edited) Beating a heathens side containing king gundersen Collins and grahame 51-27 was pretty satisfying. And of course the famous 64-14 win over eastborne.The reserve race in the Belle Vue v Reading meeting always stuck in my mind MCKINNA,COURTNEY,GLANZ,HOLLOWAY a really strong league.I am sure Reading beat Belle Vue at home 40-37 ?? a funny score i think?? i went another great meeting. Edited February 23, 2017 by Sidney the robin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatface Posted February 23, 2017 Report Share Posted February 23, 2017 Yep agree with all that. At one point every rider was averaging over 7. Is that the only season the world pairs champs have spearheaded the same bl side? Again, the old grey matter could be fading...but I think there were 1 or 2 occasions when Mort and PC were missing on long track or some other international commitment and they simply promoted a no8 and had rider replacement. Even without their spearhead, they had more than enough Aces in hand. See what I did there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grachan Posted February 23, 2017 Report Share Posted February 23, 2017 Aces were defending bl champs in 83, had largely the same team (mcmillan and Ravn out for smith and mckinna) and were good enough to finish 5th. But Cradley absolutely spanked them at Hyde rd 29-49, by far the biggest home defeat I witnessed. I remember that Cradley side winning by the same score at Swindon - 29-49 - despite Phil Crump getting a glorious maximum! The Cradley team looked slighlty bemused on their victory parade as half the crowd went onto the greyhound track and chanted "Crumpie, Crumpie" as they came round. Never has a heavy home defeat felt so much like a victory! The Belle Vue team was before my time and I never got to see it, but poor old Ken Eyre sticks out like a sore thumb so I'd give it to Cradley. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waiheke1 Posted February 24, 2017 Report Share Posted February 24, 2017 Again, the old grey matter could be fading...but I think there were 1 or 2 occasions when Mort and PC were missing on long track or some other international commitment and they simply promoted a no8 and had rider replacement. Even without their spearhead, they had more than enough Aces in hand. See what I did there? Yep - two occasions where they went with r/r and Barry Ayres as replacements, and won both comfortably.And of course they scored 61 against Wimbledon with the duo missing as well (covered that time by rr and Sanders I believe) What was a real shock after their phenomenal home form all season was getting thumped at Hyde rd by ipswich in the ko cup final. Mort didn't win a race, Courtney blew his engine in his first ride and didn't take any further part , as 12 point thumping from a side they had scored 53 (?)against in the league. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatface Posted February 24, 2017 Report Share Posted February 24, 2017 Yep - two occasions where they went with r/r and Barry Ayres as replacements, and won both comfortably. And of course they scored 61 against Wimbledon with the duo missing as well (covered that time by rr and Sanders I believe) What was a real shock after their phenomenal home form all season was getting thumped at Hyde rd by ipswich in the ko cup final. Mort didn't win a race, Courtney blew his engine in his first ride and didn't take any further part , as 12 point thumping from a side they had scored 53 (?)against in the league. Yep, the KO Cup was a big disappointment. It's nicely described in John Berry's book though. The track was a mess and akin to riding on plasticine. It was speedway Jim, but not as we know. I can recall Mort not even sliding into the turns and if he was doing that at Hyde Road, then there was clearly problems. Funny, despite the disappointments, I do recall that season fondly though. Mort and PC winning the World Pairs was a big deal, so too Mort winning the BLRC. But there just seemed to be plenty of sunny Saturdays, when the Aces hammered teams but the racing was still great. Or maybe that's rose-tinted nostalgia for you 😀 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waiheke1 Posted February 24, 2017 Report Share Posted February 24, 2017 It was my 2nd favourite season, behind the 82 title winning season. As you say great racing, stonking home wins, the emergence of Andy smith and the world pairs/blrc triumphs. I recall the 84 overseas final being a cracking meeting too, though sadly lacking mort and PC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salty Posted February 24, 2017 Report Share Posted February 24, 2017 (edited) I liked the 1984 season as well. Top flight of 16 teams, which was lopped down to 11 for the following season. Obviously the riders were spread a bit thin with Exeter having to use guests for their away fixtures and Newcastle being pretty weak, but I enjoyed the sport that season. Living in London by 1985 there was no British League teams to follow. As for the all conquering 1983 season, the Heathens team was that good the entertainment definitely suffered. Edited February 24, 2017 by salty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve roberts Posted February 25, 2017 Report Share Posted February 25, 2017 It was my 2nd favourite season, behind the 82 title winning season. As you say great racing, stonking home wins, the emergence of Andy smith and the world pairs/blrc triumphs. I recall the 84 overseas final being a cracking meeting too, though sadly lacking mort and PC Personally I prefer meetings to be close...nothing like a last heat decider to get the adrenalin going! Recall many times when Oxford pulled it 'out of the bag' achieving match winning 5-1's in heat thirteen. Two especially pleasing away wins were at King's Lynn (much to Martin Rogers' annoyance) and Wimbledon in 1984! Great days! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruno Posted February 25, 2017 Report Share Posted February 25, 2017 Funny but it was about this time I started to lose a bit of interest in speedway, it's a long time ago but I'm sure the racing wasn't as good as the mid to late 70s. I went now again in the late 80s and early 90s but only really got back into it in 1999 when I started going up monmore Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sidney the robin Posted February 25, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2017 Funny but it was about this time I started to lose a bit of interest in speedway, it's a long time ago but I'm sure the racing wasn't as good as the mid to late 70s. I went now again in the late 80s and early 90s but only really got back into it in 1999 when I started going up monmoreBruno have been going to speedway since 69 and from 1990 really lost interest in speedway.I still went to Swindon everyweek but didn't enjoy it as much when Jason Crump come on the scene that sparked things again for me.Have been as keen as mustard ever since lucky i suppose both my boys loved speeedway at a young age therefore i kept going. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruno Posted February 25, 2017 Report Share Posted February 25, 2017 Funny enough Sid I'm enjoying my speedway more than ever, I've obviously followed the Heathens for the past 7 years at first home and away but a couple of years ago I was getting a bit disillusioned so we started cutting back on away meetings but going to other random meetings, such as Ipswich v's Somerset , Workington, Glasgow etc and my enthusiasm came back. I've still my team to support but I've varied it up a bit. Can't wait for the new season and my visit to Swindon as well !!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frigbo Posted February 25, 2017 Report Share Posted February 25, 2017 I liked the 1984 season as well. Top flight of 16 teams, which was lopped down to 11 for the following season. Obviously the riders were spread a bit thin with Exeter having to use guests for their away fixtures and Newcastle being pretty weak, but I enjoyed the sport that season. Living in London by 1985 there was no British League teams to follow. As for the all conquering 1983 season, the Heathens team was that good the entertainment definitely suffered. Agreed, the only top-flight seasons I've really enjoyed since 1984 were those with one big league. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sidney the robin Posted February 25, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2017 Funny enough Sid I'm enjoying my speedway more than ever, I've obviously followed the Heathens for the past 7 years at first home and away but a couple of years ago I was getting a bit disillusioned so we started cutting back on away meetings but going to other random meetings, such as Ipswich v's Somerset , Workington, Glasgow etc and my enthusiasm came back. I've still my team to support but I've varied it up a bit. Can't wait for the new season and my visit to Swindon as well !!!!Did you start going to Cradley after the Brown,Andrews.Trigg era? maybe you started in the Bernie P,Cribby, Johnny B era?.I always felt riding Cradley as an away rider must of been tough a unique track i loved my visits there i remember a 11 oclock morning start v Swindon one year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruno Posted February 25, 2017 Report Share Posted February 25, 2017 It was the Bernie/JB/Cribby era Sid .I always find it strange with Johnny Boulger, I've always thought of him as a bit of a Cradley legend when in reality I think he only rode for us for 3 years. Similiar with Bobby Schwartz though and I think he only did the one season Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sidney the robin Posted February 25, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2017 (edited) It was the Bernie/JB/Cribby era Sid .I always find it strange with Johnny Boulger, I've always thought of him as a bit of a Cradley legend when in reality I think he only rode for us for 3 years. Similiar with Bobby Schwartz though and I think he only did the one seasonBoulger is another unsung hero top class for me,Schwartz great value terrific team man and he was good his individual record says not.Going back to Cradley signed Michanek that was a funny period but after that ie) penhall,Gundersen, King , Collins Grahame,Cross,Wigg,Pedersen ,Handberg ,Hancock, they chose well. Edited February 25, 2017 by Sidney the robin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruno Posted February 25, 2017 Report Share Posted February 25, 2017 Totally agree Sid I remember a friend of mine saying to me when we signed Michanek he's not really a Olsen, Mauger or Collins. I remember saying yes he is but in reality he's best days had gone. Then again I remember going to Reading and I'm sure he got a 21 point max and we lost 40-38 . Could be wrong on that though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waiheke1 Posted February 26, 2017 Report Share Posted February 26, 2017 It was the Bernie/JB/Cribby era Sid .I always find it strange with Johnny Boulger, I've always thought of him as a bit of a Cradley legend when in reality I think he only rode for us for 3 years. Similiar with Bobby Schwartz though and I think he only did the one seasonIirc wigg and Ravn both had their only full season on heathens colours as part of that 83 side. How are they remembered by heathens fans? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve roberts Posted February 26, 2017 Report Share Posted February 26, 2017 Iirc wigg and Ravn both had their only full season on heathens colours as part of that 83 side. How are they remembered by heathens fans? Peter Ravn was a bit of a controversial rider, if my memory serves, as he was involved in some rather bizarre (although I'm sure Neil Evitts wouldn't agree!) incidents (call it reckless) on track. Did he not once remain seated on his stationary bike on the bend which resulted in a following rider (may have been Evitts on this occasion) ploughing into him? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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