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Hammers career : 1994-1995
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ROBERT LEDWITH is a name that immediately springs to mind among Hammers fans who followed the fortunes of the Club back in the mid-Nineties - primarily for one meeting alone !
East London lad Rob made his Hammers debut in 1989 - and rode sporadically for the Essex men over the course of the next few seasons. Work commitments restricted his appearances in Hammers colours in the Championship-winning 1991 side and he appeared in a few second halves for the junior side instead.
Rob went out on loan to Rye House part way through 1992 and he was a popular addition to the Rockets side. This successful loan spell meant that he was recalled to Hammers ranks in 1993, where he averaged over five points a match in an eighteen heat format that wasn't dissimilar to the one that we saw used last week in the challenge match against Rye.
Rob was out on loan again in 1994 - this time at King's Lynn - before returning for a full season spell at the Arena-Essex Raceway in 1995.
There's one particular meeting in 1995 that Rob will always be remembered for - an away Knockout Cup clash against fierce rivals Eastbourne that long-time fans will instantly recall.
It was April of that year and the Hammers were drawn against the Eagles. Feeling always ran high among both sets of fans - the Eagles had controversially triumphed at Purfleet on two occasions in 1993 amidst high drama and the previous season had see them steal the points once again. Conversely, the Hammers had always struggled at Arlington and had never been able to turn the Eagles over on their own patch.
The Knockout Cup adopted a strange format that 'rewarded' team riding - you earned double points for finishing behind your opponent. This bizarre format that discouraged race wins and saw riders settling for second and third place was thankfully not further exploited - but the rule was a focal point of this tie. Hundreds of Eagles fans made the trip to Arena-Essex to see the Hammers claim just a three point advantage with a narrow 56-53 victory, despite claiming the majority of race victories. The tie, it seemed for Hammers fans, was over.
What they hadn't reckoned on, though, was Ledwith. Proof that decent equipment counts for everything, Ledwith found himself mounted on a spare Josh Larsen bike for the return leg the following evening - and promptly raced to an outstanding paid twelve points maximum. The undoubted highlight was a tapes-to-flag victory over Arlington legend Martin Dugard in a high-octane, passion-fuelled encounter that saw all sorts of allegations banded about, thrills, spills and controversy a-plenty. The Hammers won on the evening - a rare top-flight victory at Arlington - by 54 points to 52 and earn a place in the next round at the expense of their rivals.
Ledwith went down in Hammers folklore, but didn't ride after that season. He resisted efforts from Peter Thorogood to ride for the 1996 Conference League side, opting for retirement instead. But mention 1995, Eastbourne and Ledwith in the same sentence around the track tonight and just see how many remember…!
Year |
Matches |
Rides |
Points |
Bonus |
Total |
Average |
Full Max |
Paid Max |
1994 |
41 |
168 |
164 |
34 |
198 |
4.71 |
0 |
0 |
1995 |
42 |
183 |
199 |
35 |
234 |
5.11 |
0 |
0 |
TOTAL |
83 |
351 |
363 |
69 |
432 |
4.92 |
0 |
0 |
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