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A look back at 25 years of the Hammers
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The Hammers entered their second season of top flight racing with Terry Russell and Ivan Henry aiming to make an impression this time around. Although there was sadness at the loss of Bo Petersen - who had quit British Speedway - and the immensely popular Alan Mogridge - who had joined Division Two Peterborough - the duo set about rebuilding their side to face the rigours of Division One racing.
Denmark's Claus Jacobsen was the major new signing. Obtained via Ivan Henry's considerable Danish connections, the promotion were very impressed with how the youngster adapted to the Arena-Essex Raceway at press day. Although he was unproven, he had the pedigree to be a success. The changes in league format adopted for 1993 - British promoters had voted to introduce eight-main-teams, 18-heats of racing - meant that Colin White, now with considerable lower-league racing under his belt - and Robert Ledwith, recalled from Rye House, filled the seven and eight berths. Retained from the previous season were Brian Karger, Peter Ravn, Josh Larsen, Troy Pratt and Andy Galvin.
The side looked average on paper, but with plenty of potential to improve. Any shortcomings would undoubtedly be exposed at the top-end, where the Hammers looked a little short of strength. And looked it would remain, for both the promotion and supporters never got a chance to see Jacobsen in Hammers colours. He crashed during an early season individual meeting at Ipswich and sustained long term knee injuries.
Hammers managed to open the season with home and away victories over King's Lynn without Jacobsen , but suffered a very heavy 67-41 defeat at Coventry in their league opener. It was this defeat that prompted Russell and Henry to make an addition to the side. Australian Champion Leigh Adams had been refusing to ride for Poole - whose promotion had just taken over the rights to his previous club Swindon - and was prepared to sit out the season rather than ride for the Pirates. The Hammers moved in to snap him up for a club record £20,000+ fee. Russell went on record to clarify the situation by saying: "We now feel we have the potential to win the league - no disrespect to Jacobsen, we just didn't get a chance to see what he could do".
Adams opened his Hammers account with 11-points as they raced to narrow 2-point win over Wolverhampton. They also won at Reading and Poole to back up Russell's title claim. Hammers maintained their home form and then added to their away points tally with a win at Foxhall - could the Division One title be on its way to Purfleet?
The challenge stuttered somewhat in May and June as the Hammers lost at Eastbourne, Bradford, Wolverhampton and Coventry - although they did qualify for the four team championships and see off King's Lynn in the first round of the cup. Adams, though, brought individual success to the club when he won the Commonwealth Final, Russell declaring "He's worth every penny we made for him!”
However, just when things were looking good for the Hammers, injuries started to creep in. Pratt broke a hand and Karger a collarbone - but the Hammers made it through to the semi-finals of the cup with a win over Reading thanks to a major away contribution from White. But the first major blow of the season came when arch-rivals Eastbourne visited Purfleet - and took a one-point win in a stormy encounter. They followed that with a defeat in the return at Arlington, despite 19 from Larsen.
A horrendous accident in the fixture-filling 12-lapper saw the premature end of Andy Galvin's season. Once one of the country's brightest stars, Galvin had struggled to rediscover his form since smashing his leg in a 1990 crash at Rye House. There were hopes that form would return in '93, but sadly expectations were slightly too high and multiple injuries in that marathon meeting meant the speedway world would not see Galvin again for several years.
The slump in home form continued when - amazingly - Eastbourne again triumphed at Purfleet in a last heat decider. This saw the end of Peter Ravn's season, as the Dane scored three points before withdrawing, following concussion sustained in Denmark. Ravn had sustained a combination of vertigo and delayed concussion - and never rode again. Karger's form had also dipped alarmingly since he was eliminated from the world championship chase.
Russell and Henry turned to Bo Petersen to plug the gap left by the departure of Ravn. He came out of retirement to join the Hammers and was to prove a popular returnee, even though his scoring power had since dipped. Likewise, Neville Tatum pulled on the crossed Hammers as a replacement for Galvin.
The new-look Hammers managed to tighten up their form, although they would continue to suffer on their travels. The league championship - eventually won by Belle Vue - was slipping from their grasp. The Cup, though, was another story as the Hammers took a healthy 67-41 lead over the Aces in the first leg at Purfleet. Arena had struggled on their last two visits to Kirkmanshulme Lane - Belle Vue totalling 71 and 76 in the two league encounters - and would travel to the second leg without Troy Pratt, who was ruled out for the season with a knee injury following a defeat at King's Lynn.
But the Hammers pulled together - and managed to claim enough points to see them through the their first senior final. It was achieved at a cost, though, as White and Karger were lost to injury. Russell and Henry plugged the holes in the side with the loan signings of Shaun Tacey and Leigh Lanham.
Hammers would face Bradford in the Cup Final - and the trophy looked to be heading their way when - thanks in main to brilliant displays from Adams and Larsen - they lost by eight points in the first leg at Odsal. But politics reared it's ugly head when Bradford promoter Allan Ham arrived with his side at Purfleet - complete with new signing Paul Pickering and a recalled Paul Thorp.
Ham protested at Hammers’ use of Lanham - citing transfer deadlines - while the home side counter protested over the Dukes' recent signings. Fans were made to wait in the bitter cold for an hour as the referee seeked clarification from the BSPA management commitee. Eventually, both Thorp and Lanham were withdrawn from proceedings - but Pickering lined up and produced a magnificent contribution to restrict the Hammers to a two point win on the night. The Cup was on its way to Bradford.
The arguments were to ensue for weeks to come, with Russell and Henry both considering their future at the Arena Raceway - which both would eventually confirm. There was no doubting that the duo had turned the side from Cinderella outfit into a force to be reckoned with - all in the short space of three years.
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