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WHERE'S VESPRINI?: THAT WAS THE YEAR THAT WAS PART1
Thursday October 23, 2014
Ok first things first lets get one thing out of the way well two words actually, wooden spoon. Painful as it is all 2014's hopes and dreams ended up in a heap behind the pits for the first time since 1987.
So now I've seen us win two league titles and two wooden spoons. Only difference is in 1987 I was standing on the terrace reading someone else's copy in Speedway Star or occasionally Speedway Mail sold by white coated Arthur in the car park. That year things started brightly with a 43-34 win over Milton Keynes with Barry Thomas and Kevin Teager top scoring. 27 years later I drove up the A1 for a first trip to the East of England Showground since a particularly painful 72-36 KO Cup thumping in 1993 in hopeful mood. The return of former heroes Eddie K and Stevie B to the fold along with the prospect of further fireworks from young Norman signalled we might have a decent season.
If I was optimistic travelling up I was ecstatic on the way back down. Yes we had finally won at Alwalton a place that was as welcoming as the gents toilets at Waterden Road during the 80's. It was heart in mouth stuff at times especially when Steve managed to demolish half the bouncy castle on the second bend but in the end we had returned with the points. That night I was a happy bunny dreaming of play offs silverware and a chance to finally stand up to those pesky Witches and Rebels. Well it was nice while it lasted a 10point defeat at Ipswich wasn't too bad and a another win against the Panthers in the East Anglian Cup continued the feel good factor. Funny how geography stretches in sports terms as I had no idea I should consider myself an East Anglian on a night that sent camera Ken into a panic when I arrived with 2 minutes to spare after a nightmare journey through the gridlocked centre of Cambridge coming back from watching Barnet at the Abbey Stadium. It's amazing how much breath you can find for a DVD intro even after you've run from the last parking space on the industrial estate. So another win and with a winnable double against The Devils to come all was right with the world until in time honoured fashion everything turned horribly pear shaped.
Saturday April 5th will go down as the first time I began to have doubts about our new look team. Having lost in Devon the previous night Craig already had his big book of Devil puns at the ready for Plymouths visit to Fortress Hoddesdon. Unfortunately someone forget to tell Webby to bring up the drawbridge as the Devils heaped on the misery. With the skipper away down under seeking GP glory Simon struggling badly and Gino Manzares proving an unwelcome guest for the absent young Norman we were never really at the races. It was just what we didn't need with the Rebels fast approaching up the M3. To lighten the mood Webby informed me like the Rockets it was his 40th year in speedway and he'd noticed Sam Simota who'd starred for the Devils at the week before's training school. Now there's cheek for you fair play to the lad though it certainly did the trick.
So to the Rebels and with the skipper and Young Norman back surely it was time to kick start our season back into life. Well that was the plan anyway what wasn't the plan was to wait until three races from the end for our first heat advantage. To make matters worse on the night the lens dropped out of Camera Ken's glasses I came within a whisker of dropping my clipboard over the edge of the commentary box onto some poor unsuspecting persons head (which will teach me not to get excited in a Pearson/ Tattum sort of way) and of course there was no sign of Webby's Union Jack trousers. Looking back perhaps that was the evening we began to realise it wasn't going to be a good season!
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