Cradley Heathens | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Club information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Track address | Monmore Green Stadium Wolverhampton | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Country | England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Founded | 1947, 2010 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Closed | 1995, 2019 [1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Team manager | Will Pottinger | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Team captain | Max Clegg | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
League | National League | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Website | www | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Club facts | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Colours | Green, white and red | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Major team honours | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Cradley Heathens was a motorcycle speedway team from Dudley, England. The team was founded in 1947 and competed at the top level of British speedway until its closure in 1995. It was revived as Dudley Heathens in 2010, competing in the National League, reverting to the Cradley Heathens name in 2013. It ceased operating after the 2019 season, although a team bearing the Heathens name has operated under the NORA umbrella on the Isle of Wight in 2021 and 2022 and in 2022 won The Michael Richardson Trophy. [1]
Cradley Heath speedway team was formed in 1947 and first raced at Dudley Wood Stadium on 21 June 1947 after a number of away appearances prior to the opening of the newly built stadium. They raced in the 1947 Speedway National League Division Three and took the name Cradley Heath Cubs for the first two seasons. [2]
After closure at the end of the 1952 season, the track reopened in 1959 for one unlicensed meeting and in 1960 the Heathens entered the newly formed Provincial League. The club won their first silverware after winning the 1961 and 1963 Provincial League Knockout Cup (the second division cup). [3] From 1973 to 1976 they rode under the name Cradley United. [4]
The golden years of Cradley speedway arrived during the 1980s, the club won two league titles (1981 and 1983) and eight Knockout Cups from 1979 to 1989. During the period some of the world's leading riders rode for Cradley, including Bruce Penhall, Erik Gundersen and Jan O. Pedersen.
The club operated continuously at top flight level from 1965 to 1995, when they were evicted by the new landlords, who had bought the stadium to redevelop into housing. The team survived for one additional year, competing at the Loomer Road Stadium in Stoke in 1996 under the name 'Cradley and Stoke' Heathens. The club was one of the most successful in the sport throughout the 1980s, winning the British League in 1981 and 1983 and eight Knockout Cup competitions. Seven Speedway World Championships were won by Cradley riders between 1981 and 1996.
Supporters of the club campaigned to resurrect speedway in the local area. Plans were submitted to Dudley Council for a new site. The Birmingham Brummies promoter, Tony Mole and Bob Edwards (on behalf of supporters group, CRASH – Cradley Raising Aid Saving Heathens) led the planning application and it was hoped that the team would return to racing in 2009. [5] There was an online petition to show support for the application which was linked from the Cradley Heath Speedway website. [6]
The Heathens returned in 2010 but with a changed name. The Cradley name was changed to Dudley Heathens temporarily until a new stadium could be found to call their own. They joined the National League and their home meetings were initially shared between two stadiums – Monmore Green (home track of the Wolverhampton Wolves) and the Perry Bar Stadium (home track of the Birmingham Brummies). [7] The team manager was Will Pottinger, and the club was promoted by Sky Sports Speedway presenter Nigel Pearson, and now by Chris Van Straaten & Gary Patchett. Between 2011 and 2014 home matches were solely at Monmore Green, [8] however at the end of the 2014 season it was announced they would be unable to continue racing at Monmore Green and a deal was quickly agreed to go back to the Perry Barr Stadium in Birmingham for the 2015 season. [9] This proved short lived and at the end of the 2015 season, an agreement was reached for Wolverhampton Wolves and Cradley Heathens to ride on alternate Monday's at Monmore Green. On July 4, 2017 "Heathens Speedway Supporters Trust" lodged an Outline Planning Application with Sandwell MBC for a Sports & Recreation Village to include Speedway as a small part of the whole project on land at Lion Farm Playing Fields which already has a covenant on it for Recreation & Sport.
The team name is taken from the Dudley Wood stadium's proximity to Cradley Heath town centre, though it lies in the borough of Dudley, centred about 3 miles (4.8 km) away. At the time of formation the two towns were in different counties - Staffordshire and Worcestershire, but both towns are now part of the county of West Midlands. The Cradley team initially took the nickname "Cubs" but during the 1949 season, having gained promotion from the National League Division Three to the National League Division Two, they adopted the name of Cradley Heathens, which was retained through to their final days in 1996 but for the period of 1973-76 when they raced as Cradley United and 1996 when they became 'Cradley at Stoke' and raced in Stoke. The club was revived as Dudley Heathens in 2010, reverting to Cradley Heathens after the 2013 season. [10]
The club also operated a junior team in the British Junior League in the years 1986 to 1992 inclusive,
being Runners-Up in 1986 and Winners in 1991.
British League
Champions: 1981, 1983
Knockout Cup (Div 1)
Winners: 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1986+, 1987, 1988, 1989 (+shared with Oxford)
Knockout Cup (Div 2)
Winners: 1961, 1963
League Cup
Winners: 1982, 1984, 1986+ (+shared with Oxford)
Inter-League Cup
Winners: 1979
Premiership
A season-opening challenge match, held over two legs, between the previous year's League and KO Cup winners (similar to English football's Charity Shield). [11]
Winners: 1982, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990
Inter-League Four Team Tournament
Winners: 1980
Premier League Four Team Tournament
Winners: 1995
Midland Cup/Lge/Shield
Winners: 1950, 1951, 1963, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1987
National League
World Champion
Under-21 World Champion
Long Track World Champion
British Under-21 Champion
Intercontinental Champion
Overseas Champion
British League Riders Champion
National League Riders Champion
American Champion
Danish Champion
Swedish Champion
Scottish Open Champion
Australasian Champion
South Australian Champion
Western Australian Champion
Victorian Champion (Aust)
Bruce Lee Penhall is an American former professional motorcycle speedway racer who later starred in television and in film. He was the World Speedway Champion in 1981 and 1982 and rode for the successful Cradley Heath Heathens speedway team in the United Kingdom. He retired from speedway racing the night he won his second World Championship in 1982 in front of his home crowd at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Erik Gundersen is a former motorcycle speedway rider. Gundersen is one of the most successful speedway riders of all time, having won the Speedway World Champion on three occasions, the Long Track World Championship twice and the World Pairs Championship five times. In addition he is a seven time World Team Cup winner with Denmark.
The Stoke Potters previously the Hanley Potters were a British speedway team competing in the National League. As Stoke, the team raced at Loomer Road Stadium in Newcastle-under-Lyme. As Hanley Potters they raced from 1929 to 1963.
Jan Osvald Pedersen is a former Speedway rider who became Speedway World Champion in 1991 after finishing runner-up in 1986 and in third place in 1988 behind fellow Danes Erik Gundersen and Hans Nielsen. He also won the Speedway World Pairs Championship in 1990 and 1991, both times partnered by Hans Nielsen.
Philip David Collins is a former motorcycle speedway rider. He finished runner-up with England in the World Team Cup final in 1984 and third in 1985. He was British Under-21 Champion in 1978. His transfer from Ellesmere Port to Cradley Heath in 1978 for £15,000 was a record transfer fee at the time.
Gert Handberg is a Danish former international motorcycle speedway rider.
Dudley Wood Stadium also known as Cradley Heath Greyhound Stadium was a greyhound racing and speedway stadium.
The 1979 Gulf British League season was the 45th season of the top tier of motorcycle speedway in the United Kingdom and the 15th season known as the British League.
The 1980 British League season was the 46th season of the top tier of motorcycle speedway in the United Kingdom and the 16th season known as the British League.
The 1981 British League season was the 47th season of the top tier of motorcycle speedway in the United Kingdom and the 17th known as the British League.
The 1982 British League season was the 48th season of the top tier of motorcycle speedway in the United Kingdom and the 18th known as the British League.
The 1983 British League season was the 49th season of the top tier of motorcycle speedway in the United Kingdom and the 19th known as the British League.
The 1984 British League season was the 50th season of the top tier of motorcycle speedway in the United Kingdom and the 20th known as the British League.
The 1985 British League season was the 51st season of the top tier of motorcycle speedway in the United Kingdom and the 21st known as the British League.
The 1986 British League season was the 52nd season of the top tier of speedway in the United Kingdom and the 22nd known as the British League.
The 1987 British League season was the 53rd season of the top tier of speedway in the United Kingdom and the 23rd known as the British League.
The 1988 British League season was the 54th season of the top tier of speedway in the United Kingdom and the 24th known as the British League.
The 1989 British League season was the 55th season of the top tier of motorcycle speedway in the United Kingdom and the 25th known as the British League.
The 1990 British League season was the 56th season of the top tier of speedway in the United Kingdom and the 26th known as the British League.
The 2013 season of the National League, the third tier of British speedway was contested by eight teams.