Cradley Heath Heathens

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Cradley Heath Heathens are a defunct motorcycle speedway team. The club was formed in 1947 and raced at the Dudley Wood Stadium in Dudley, West Midlands until 1995, becoming homeless when the stadium was sold for housing. The team survived for one additional year, competing at Loomer Road, Stoke under the name 'Cradley and Stoke' Heathens.^[1]

The club were one of the most successful in the sport throughout the 1980s, winning the British League in 1981 and 1983 and eight Knockout Cup competitions. A record five World Champions were achieved by Cradley riders in the space of seven years between 1981 and 1988.^[2]

Contents 1 Club Honours List 1.1 British League 1.2 Speedway Star Knockout Cup 1.3 League Cup 1.4 Inter-League Cup 1.5 Premiership 1.6 British League Four Team Tournament 2 Individual Champions 2.1 World Champion 2.2 World Under-21 Champion 2.3 British Under-21 Champion 2.4 Inter-Continental Champion 2.5 Overseas Champion 2.6 British League Riders Champion 3 Notable Cradley Heath Riders 4 Future Plans 5 External links 6 References

[edit] Club Honours List

[edit] British League

Champions: 1981, 1983

[edit] Speedway Star Knockout Cup

Winners: 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989

[edit] League Cup

Winners: 1982, 1984, 1986 (shared with Oxford)

[edit] Inter-League Cup

Winners: 1979

[edit] Premiership

Winners: 1982, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990

[edit] British League Four Team Tournament

Winners: 1980, 1995

[edit] Individual Champions

[edit] World Champion

• Bruce Penhall 1981, 1982
• Erik Gundersen 1984, 1985, 1988
• Jan O. Pedersen 1991
• Billy Hamill 1996

[edit] World Under-21 Champion

• Gert Handberg 1989

[edit] British Under-21 Champion

• Scott Smith 1992

[edit] Inter-Continental Champion

• Bruce Penhall 1981
• Erik Gundersen 1986, 1987
• Jan O. Pedersen 1988

[edit] Overseas Champion

• Phil Collins 1983
• Lance King 1984
• Simon Cross 1988

[edit] British League Riders Champion

• Erik Gundersen 1983, 1985
• Jan O. Pedersen 1988

[edit] Notable Cradley Heath Riders

Anders Michanek Bruce Penhall Erik Gundersen Jan O. Pedersen Billy Hamill Greg Hancock Lance King

Phil Collins Bobby Schwartz Les Collins Simon Cross Steve Bastable Ivor Brown

Bruce Cribb Alan Grahame Andy Grahame Gert Handberg Roy Trigg Colin Pratt

[edit] Future Plans

Supporters of the club have continued a campaign to resurrect speedway in the local area. Plans have been submitted to Dudley Council for a new site. The Birmingham promoter, Tony Mole, is the main main behind the plans.^[3] He and Bob Edwards (on behalf of supporters group, CRASH - Cradley Raising Aid Saving Heathens) are leading the planning application and it is hoped, if successful, that the team will return to racing in 2009. There is an online petition to show support for the application. Anyone regardless of location has been encouraged to sign the petition, which is linked from the Cradley Heath Speedway website.^[4]

[edit] External links

• Cradley Heath Speedway website

[edit] References