This
year was a leap year, it was memorable for the Britpop wars between Blur
and Oasis, Football came home with Euro 96 and also the Heathens arrived
at Stoke for the 1996
season and were known as the Cradley Heath and
Stoke Heathens!
The
Stoke Potters ceased to operate at the end of the 1995 season and also
the World
famous Cradley Heath Heathens found themselves without a home
when their Dudley Wood stadium was sold off to property developers, so
come 1996 they found themselves ‘lodging’
at Loomer Road! It was all
thanks to Cradley owner Mr Les Pottinger and his friend, Swede Sven
Heiding who brought their team to Loomer Road following their eviction.
It
also meant that for the first time ever, Top flight speedway was
available to see in North Staffordshire.
The
club operated its ‘home’ meetings on Saturdays, Bank Holiday Mondays,
Tuesdays and Wednesdays, the match day programme cost £1.20 in 1996.
The
venture although lasting only One season was fairly successful on the
track, winning a European cup and featuring top racing and GP stars, off
track the crowds were somewhat disappointing.
The
season was to be one to relish even though at its conclusion it proved
to be one of frustration for the Heathens management that the side did
not do much better.
Finishing 5th out of 19 teams was hardly a disgrace and
whilst the league AND the runners
up spot filtered away in the last few
weeks of the season, home defeats to Belle Vue (50-46) and Eastbourne
(52-44) a fixture in which a Eagle reserve by the name of Mogridge
notched up 17 paid 19 points from 7 rides! The consolation being a
European cup victory vs. The Swedish team Smederna, a 2 legged affair
with Greg Hancock riding for the Swedish team
in Sweden!
The
1996 side consisted of American superstars, Billy Hamill and Greg
Hancock, Former World No.2 Les Collins, Stuart Swales, Dalle Andersson,
Troy Pratt, Niklas Karlsson primarily.
The
racing at Loomer Road in 96’ was some of the best ever witnessed in
Staffordshire, with all the Worlds top riders plying their trade on the
Chesterton bowl once a week and ‘home’ rider Billy Hamill went on to win
that years GP series as well to become World Champion,
he also won the
Individual Golden Hammer, the clubs prestigious open meeting.
Billy also broke the track record vs. Eastbourne and lowered the time to
61.0 seconds after it had been equalled 4 races earlier at 61.2 secs by
Stefan Danno!
Fellow American superstar Greg Hancock was also to become World Champion
just 12 months later!
The
early weeks at Loomer seemed to show the side struggle thus playing
catch up but AWAY from ‘home’ they managed 8 wins, a feat only bettered
by Wolves the champions.
Former World Champion Jan O Pedersen the ex Danish rider was brought in
as co-promoter/manager, but the cost of promoting a top team with top
stars with low support proved too much and the Heathens were no more at
the end of 1996 when promoter
Pottinger sold his interests to
businessman Tony Mole.
