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A look back at 25 years of the Hammers
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British Speedway underwent it's third major shake-up of the decade in the 1996-97 close season with the announcement that the 'one big league' set-up of 1995 and 1996 was to be broken down into Elite and Premier Leagues. This was is direct response to the claim that a one tier set-up was effectively creating a divide of “have's and have-nots” and did not provide the necessary step-up curve that allowed a Conference League set-up to progress.
For the Hammers, it presented a temptation that was to prove too good to miss. Complex owner Chick Woodroffe had already gone on record to say the Hammers would be moving up from their amateur status - if the correct set-up existed. Certainly, the new intermediate league appeared to suit the Essex men down to the ground - and although increased costs were an issue, Woodroffe took the plunge and entered the Hammers into the Premier League.
Once again Peter Thorogood would front the operation - and he began by snapping up riders from the now defunct London Lions. The Terry Russell / Ivan Henry operation in the East End was not a success and had been forced to close when the Hackney Stadium went into receivership - although it was doubtful they would have raced anyway. Thorogood obtained the contracts of Jan Pedersen, Colin White and David Mason - and Thorogood now had an asset base from which to build his new-look side.
Thorogood's top target was a rider that had retired at the end of the previous season - former skipper Martin Goodwin. Goodwin, though, had finished 1996 with a hand injury riding for Oxford and had not fully recovered. When he told Thorogood he was not on the comeback trail, the Hammers boss turned his attention to another former Hammer - new asset Jan Pedersen. Pedersen had ridden for the Hammers in 1991, 1994 and 1995 and was delighted to be returning to his first British club after what was an injury ravaged '96 season - the Dane had suffered a broken thigh riding for London at Hull.
The second signing was David Mason, top rider in the Conference League and a man for whom the new 1997 setup was ideal for. The third name to be announced was no stranger to Purfleet - Troy Pratt. Pratt agreed to join the Hammers on-loan from Cradley Heath and was delighted to be 'returning home' to the track he'd last ridden full-time at in 1994. The six-man side was completed by a trio of signings - Colin White, Tommy Palmer and Paul Lydes-Uings.
White had spent almost all of 1996 on the sidelines and was keen to resurrect his career with his local club. He would start the season on a 7-point average - which made him the top Hammer on paper. Palmer started racing Speedway at Arena in 1991 and joined the Hammers on loan from Peterborough - he'd certainly add some backbone on their travels. Final man Lydes-Uings had been a top performer for the Hammers in the 1996 Conference League and would, like Mason, benefit from the new step-up in standard.
With the team complete, Thorogood opened the doors on the new era by staging the Essex Championship - won by Pedersen in fine style after a run-off with Skegness' Brett Woodifield. With Pratt taking third, Thorogood was pleased with the outcome - both on and off track. The meeting attendence was healthy and augered well for the months ahead.
The proper stuff came the following week when the Hammers opened their official season with the visit of Exeter in the new regional-league Knockout Cup. A 23-point home win was the result - with Colin White, who had struggled the previous week, racing to his first-ever 15-point maximum. The Hammers continued to remain steady at home, holding high-flying Long Eaton to a draw in a thriller of a match. The good form continued in May, with a Pratt maximum seeing off league newcomers Skegness. Team changes were made in this period, with the struggling Lydes-Uings making way for much-travelled John Wainwright. The change had the required effect as the Hammers journeyed up to Stoke and came away with the league points - their first win of the season.
By this time Tommy Palmer was turning out to be a real trump card for the Hammers on their travels - although he struggled to come to terms with his home circuit at times. Palmer though, was in inspired form at the Hammers travelled up to Skegness. He bagged a fifteen point maximum and lead the Hammers to a huge 59-31 win. But this elation was to turn to immediate disappointment as Arena lost at home to Stoke the following night at Purfleet, leaving Thorogood bitterly disappointed.
BBC television cameras appeared at Arena-Essex during the month of June as the cast and crew of 'Eastenders' filmed some specially staged races for their hit programme. Troy Pratt doubled as one of the lead characters who fictitiously rode to glory in the subsequent airings! Back in reality, though, Hammers lost the services of popular Wainwright with rib injuries - and failed to qualify for the Four Team finals. On the road, though, things were still good with wins at Newport and Berwick, although again home form failed the Hammers when they lost to Long Eaton in yet another cracking meeting.
Further defeats at home to Edinburgh and eventual champions Reading soured things a little, although the Hammers would finish the rest of the season unbeaten at their home circuit.
The top flight days seemed like a distant memory as the new Hammers team endeared themselves to the Purfleet faithful. That same faithful were also awe-inspired by a near-win for Andrew Silver in an individual meeting - with the 1980's legend coming out of retirement for one match. There was also a controversial aggregate loss in the Young Shield play-offs to Long Eaton, with talk of tyre-doctoring marring another close encounter between these two rivals.
As the season drew to a close, Thorogood could look back at a job well done as the Hammers began the journey on the long road to establishing themselves as a professional outfit once again.
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