It was a slow start for the team, hampered by bad weather which caused cancellations and postponed meetings. Pratt was one of the slowest of all, but he did gradually get going. Within a few matches he had begun to sort out new machinery, became accustomed to the Dudley Wood track and started to score the points expected of him. Despite his improved form and the regular scoring of Bernie Persson and Roy Trigg, the team looked as if it had a rather long tail. Mike Gardner, Chris Bass and Ken Wakefield all struggled through the first few weeks and Squibb didn’t manage to weigh in with as many points as expected.

The only real effort to change things around was the signing of Jan Simensen, a Swede who came on the recommendation of Persson, and replaced Wakefield at reserve. The move had some effect with a much more fruitful Summer period, but by then Cradley has already slumped to the bottom of the league.

Just as the team form had appeared to improve, a devastating blow was delivered. Pratt had taken over as captain from Trigg and he had truly found his form, beating the likes of Ivan Mauger and Ole Olsen at Dudley Wood – both of whom were incredibly formidable opponents in the league at that time. On 14^th July, he was involved in the Lokeren disaster, one of speedway’s greatest tragedies. He was part of a West Ham Select team who were travelling back through Belgium from a European challenge match, when their minibus crashed. Five men were killed and Pratt suffered a broken neck and cracked kneecap which immediately finished his racing career.

Cradley’s season was ripped apart by the news and they simply stumbled through to the end of the season, riding mostly away from home and losing the vast majority of those. There were more incidents of note such as when Garry Middleton was booked as a guest against Wolves with inevitably ugly scenes unfolding in the Dudley Wood pits. Riders allegedly argued and fought with both team-mates and opponents. A few weeks earlier there had been another bad-tempered affair this time at Wolverhampton. Mike Gardner was brought down by Mick Handley in the final race which cost Cradley a draw and prompted the Heathens fans to storm the track and pits area. Handley stood up to them and police had to be called to restore calm. In the end the Monmore men took the honours in the Dudley-Wolves Trophy and won at Dudley Wood by a point in the final home league match of the season to rub salt in the wounds.

Cradley finished 15^th out of 19 in the league. Bernie Persson established himself as the true number one around the Wood and was well supported by Trigg. The loss of the third heatleader Pratt was too much to overcome however, and although Simensen had helped to turn the tide, the rest of the team had not really pulled their weight. It was back to the drawing board for the winter months.

Riders Performance Chart

'The Heathens' 1970

Final League Table