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A look back at 25 years of the Hammers
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As the 1999 season drew to a close, Hammers fans faced the prospect of more winter uncertainty as complex owner and promoter Chick Woodroffe announced he was putting the club up for sale owing to ill health.
It had been a similar story back in 1990, when Woodroffe announced he was selling up. On that occasion, Terry Russell and Ivan Henry put in a bid to save the club at the eleventh hour, leading the Hammers to instant success by capturing the league, cup and fours treble.
In this instance, though, Woodroffe announced early that he was in discussions with a number of parties and, although he would not be drawn on any names, he did let on that no member of the previous promoting team - Russell or Henry - were among those interested. This helped to quench popular terrace rumour, although fans were intrigued as to who would be taking to the helm.
On Thursday, 2nd December, all was revealed to the loyal Hammers faithful. A new promoting consortium had been formed and would lead Arena-Essex Speedway into the new millennium. This three man consortium was headed by Colin Brine, a long time sponsor of Troy Pratt through his company, Welling Power Tools Ltd.
Joining Brine at the helm were Adrian Kearney, a former second-halfer at various circuits who ran a successful sports clothing company, and Alan Sargent, a retired bank manager and regular spectator at Arena-Essex. The trio were all hockey umpires who would have to learn a new set of rules for this Speedway promoting experience.
Brine took the ringleader's role with his appointment as co-promoter, joining the long serving Peter Thorogood at the helm. His experience would be vital as Brine, Kearney and Sargent set about building on the foundations laid by Woodroffe and Thorogood. Their aim was to bring success to the Hammers in terms of trophies and to provide the paying public with entertainment from start to finish on racenights.
The new consortium wasted no time in naming their first new signing - although it was in an off track role! Former Hammers skipper Martin Goodwin - holder of the Club's all-time points scoring record -was named as team manager. Goodwin himself was delighted to be returning to a role he held at Oxford in 1998 and relished the opportunity of going back to Purfleet.
The team itself began to take shape after the New Year celebrations had died down - and the club were delighted with their first capture, Leigh Lanham. It was deemed vital to have an out and out no. 1 and all were delighted to secure the services of Leigh for another year on loan from his parent track, Ipswich.
The signings came thick and fast – Troy Pratt was signed as he was popular with the supporters and was likely to get double figure scores in all of the home meetings – the basis of a successful season.
Gary Corbett, who’d had a good 1999 season and cleaned up all the end of season awards, was next. As a Hammers asset and a local lad he was a natural to sign for another season.
Colin White also returned to the fold after an excellent 1999 – he’d put pressure on Lanham in 1999 at the top of the averages and the Club believed that he was capable of being a top heat leader as he had set himself up with excellent equipment.
After a slightly disappointing 1999 season, youngster Matt Read seemed well motivated to improve in 2000. He had heavily invested in new equipment and was determined to improve his home average.
With Lanham, White, Pratt, Corbett and Read in the side, the Hammers had the foundations of a team which would hold it's own in Premier League circles. The two most vital cogs in the side, though, would be the reserve pairing, which would compliment the heat leader and second-string men. Former Hammer David Mason and 1999 Isle of Wight man Nick Simmons would fill that particular role.
With the team complete, the club eagerly awaited the opening fixture, which was preceded by the annual press and practice day. The season opened with a challenge match against the Isle of Wight - and after nine heats, the Hammers looked to be in fine fettle. Pratt was unbeaten with nine points, Lanham and White had dropped just one point, while the young guns all looked competitive. But a heat ten pile-up was to change the course of the 2000 season forever.
Lanham collided with Isle of Wight star Phillipe Berge during a thrilling encounter in which the Hammers man had been trying every inch of the track in an effort to manoeuvre past.
The two men locked together on the home straight and picked up, Lanham's body bearing the brunt of the impact with the first bend safety fence. Both riders were taken away in ambulances - the medics taking a considerable amount of care with Lanham, who was on the stock car track for twenty minutes. The result - a broken thigh for Leigh. The Club were unable to see the meeting through as both ambulances were on their way to Basildon Hospita, and had to abandon proceedings on the spot.
It was a devastating blow for everyone at the club and a nightmare start for the new consortium, who had little time to regroup since they faced away trips to Newport and Exeter over the course of the following weekend.
Lanham was unable to race again that season and his injury left the Club in a position where we they lost their No. 1 before the league had even started. It was going to be very difficult to replace him and in the short term guests were required.
But things went from bad to worse at Newport just two days later when Simmons - who had showed up well both in practice and against the IOW - broke his leg in a freak crash.
But it was clear that guests were not the long-term solution to the ever lengthening crisis, so Brine and Co set about finding a replacement. They didn't have to look very far to find someone who would slot into the side – popular Dane Jan Pedersen, who last rode for the Club in 1998.
The reserve berth would take a little longer to fill. Barrie Evans, a tall scorer for Mildenhall at amateur level, was targeted, although he initially rejected signing on the dotted line for the club as he weighed up his options. He did make a few appearances for the Hammers as a stopgap - and was an instant hit with the fans.
The Hammers continued to hold their own in May, defeating the Isle of Wight and holding a powerful Swindon outfit to a draw on Good Friday. The following day the promoting trio quickly did a deal to bring Jon Underwood to Purfleet, whom Elite League Oxford had dropped.
The Hammers won the a thrilling home match against the Stoke Potters in last heat decider - thanks in main to paid eleven points from home debut boy Underwood.
But while that was a high, the following week saw the Hammers experience an all time low with a club - and league - record 75-15 defeat at Exeter. No single Hammer managed to beat a Falcon as the result made the national press - and the record books. But while Hammers fans were furious with their side, there was a little consolation when Newport visited the following week - and suffered a near similar fate.
May didn't finish well for the Hammers either as defeat at Swindon condemned them to a last place finish in the southern group of the National Trophy - the first time a Hammers team had finished bottom of a league-based competition. Things got worse two days later when Edinburgh arrived at Purfleet to open the Hammers' 2000 Premier League campaign. The Monarchs' excellent Arena-Essex record was maintained when they triumphed 47-43 in a last heat decider. It was a result that prompted the management team to make changes.
Pratt was rested and Mason was allowed to concentrate on his Conference league racing with Rye House. They were replaced by Ipswich asset Savalas Clouting - a former team-mate of Lanham's at Foxhall Heath - and Barrie Evans.
Clouting had been dropped by his parent Club Ipswich, and was happy to drop down a league. Evans had been signed by the Club on a full contract and was deemed to be a signing for the future. The pressure was not on him to immediately get amongst the points but to gain the experience of riding on different tracks.
Clouting made an immediate impact on his home debut, scorching to a maximum against Berwick in a meeting won by 49 points to 41. At reserve, Evans continued to thrill with some classic charges from behind. It buoyed the confidence in the home camp at an opportune moment, since the following fixture saw them lock horns with Edinburgh once again - this time in Knockout Cup competition.
The Monarchs had defeated the Hammers in the 1999 Cup final - and all at the club were determined to make amends. But the injury jinx was to rear its ugly head once again as Clouting - who had won his first ride - took a forceful thud into the safety fence. It would rule him out of action for two weeks as the Hammers again resorted to guests.
The subsequent 85-77 aggregate defeat at the hands of the Monarchs ended Hammers’ interest in the Cup while, back in league competition, the Club suffered defeats at Glasgow and the Isle of Wight. The Club took the decision to release Underwood and replace him with Justin Elkins, who made his debut in the home league match against the Isle of Wight.
He impressed with a paid nine-point tally from four rides before an exclusion in his last ride when he fell.
Just days after releasing Underwood, the terrible news filtered through from the continent that the Oxford asset had lost his life in a road accident on his way back to this Country from a Grasstrack meeting in Holland. All at the Club were in shock and the following home meeting against Swindon was run with the thoughts of everyone present with the family and friends of the young rider.
That Swindon meeting saw the parade of another Hammers line-up, who had since suffered further away drubbings at Edinburgh and Berwick. The July 'Green Sheets' came into force, allowing the management to bring Troy Pratt back in – but at the expense of Read, who moved on to Reading. Pratt became virtually unbeatable at home and helped to ensure that the team picked up the wins in all but one of their remaining home fixtures – although away fixtures were still a struggle.
Victory against Swindon was followed by a run of home fixtures in July, which saw the Hammers pick up wins against Workington, Reading and Exeter. But the injury jinx didn't stop there - the Hammers lost Gary Corbett for the season with a broken wrist in the 61-29 home thumping over Sheffield after a crash involving Sean Wilson at the finish of a heat.
With Corbett ruled out, Australian Brent Collyer was brought in on loan from Eastbourne, making his debut for the Hammers on a tour of Workington and Newcastle.
The Northern Tour was sandwiched by a couple of thrilling home meetings against Stoke and Glasgow, which were won by the Hammers. But upon the conclusion of this series of matches, Evans was rested and replaced by Luke Clifton, who made his home debut against Newcastle. Clifton, who was under contract to King's Lynn, had been seen in several second halves and had impressed everyone with his victory in the Essex Junior Championship.
The Hammers fell to their second home defeat of the season against Newcastle at the beginning of September - and lost another rider to injury when Brent Collyer was involved in a first race crash with Andre Compton.
Collyer suffered a broken shoulder and ribs - which were to keep him out for the remainder of the season.
The 2000 season finished with the Hammers holding down thirteenth spot in the table - just one place above wooden spoonists Reading. It wasn't a season that fans will remember with any affection, although the management trio insisted they had learned from their first season experience.
The consortium had the winter months to look back on what happened during the summer and plan the way forward for 2001....which would be the tenth anniversary of the championship win of 1991….
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