1979

First Major Trophy - The KO Cup

Season Review

Dan McCormick had been busy during the winter months, Bruce's pal Bobby Schwartz was signed following his victory in the USA World Championship Round and another young lad from Denmark Erik Gundersen was snatched from under the noses of other teams to add to the growing number of riders on the Heathens books. Dan had a row with the BSPA over the 50 point limit. So his squad of 9 riders went down to 7 with Dave Perks going on loan to Nottingham and Pekka Hautamaki moving to Belle Vue. Carefully shuffling the rest of the riders early on in the season to fit in with the 50 point limit. Phil Collins, Erik Gundersen and Bobby Schwartz all missed meetings and were replaced with youngsters John Hack and Denzil Kent.

L to R. Alan Grahame, Bobby Schwartz, Bruce Penhall, Kristian Praestbro Team Manager - Bob Wasley,
kneeling Erik Gundersen, Phil Collins, On bike - Steve Bastable.
(photo by kind permission of Speedway Star & News)

Erik was an early season casualty with a broken leg at Wolverhampton in June followed by Kristian Praestbro in July then Steve Bastable was put through the fence at Leicester and broke his ankle. The patched up side lost three vital matches in July which put an end to the Heathens hopes of winning the league in 1979. However Cradley finished third in the League their best position ever just two points behind Hull who themselves were just two points behind winners Coventry. Bruce was appointed skipper when Stevie B was out injured, the blonde Californian continued his climb to fame being voted rider of the year by SWAPA, becoming the second winner of the Master of Speedway and the first American to win the Golden Helmet Match Race Title. He won the World Championship Qualifying Round at Dudley Wood with a 15 point maximum and Badge of Courage Best Pairs with Bobby Schwartz who himself won the prestigious Golden Hammer.
Dan McCormick was voted Administrator of the year for the third year running by SWAPA and Bruce was voted 'Overseas Rider of the Year'. He captained the Heathens to victory both home and away against Hull to take the Speedway KO Cup, becoming the first team to win at Hull in an official fixture since the Viking signed Ivan Mauger.
The Heathens lost only one match in the KO Cup by just one point at Wimbledon. Penhall also led the team to victory in the Inter-League Cup both home and away against Kings Lynn, Phil Collins was the star at Saddlebow Road with a 12 point maximum beating Michael Lee and Dave Jessup.The Dudley Wolves Trophy also ended up back in the Heathens Trophy cabinet.
One thing marred the 1979 season however, Dan McCormick and Steve Bastable had a bitter row over the composition of the side which resulted in his transfer to Birmingham. The management paid £7000 to Leicester for Ila Teromaa but because he was cup tied Cradley had to use Dave Perks in the KO Cup matches.

Riders Performance Chart

1979 Cradley 'The Heathens'.

Rider	Matches	Rides	Points	Bonus	Total	Aver
B.Penhall	30	131	312	16	328	10.02
Al.Grahame	34	141	263	32	295	8.37
S.Bastable	13	52	94	3	97	7.46
E.Gundersen	20	77	129	14	143	7.43
Ph.Collins	34	143	230	32	262	7.33
B.Schwartz	31	134	213	32	245	7.31
K.Praestbro	21	78	122	16	138	7.08
I.Teromaa	2	8	11	2	13	6.50
D.Perks	15	47	57	14	71	6.04
J.Williams	1	3	4	0	4	5.33
L.Rumsey	10	30	33	3	36	4.80
M.Sampson	3	9	8	2	10	4.44
J.Hack	6	17	12	5	17	4.00
P.Lamb	1	2	0	0	0	0.00
I.Gledhill	1	3	0	0	0	0.00

statistics taken from the Cradley Speedway database for BL matches only.

Final League Table

1979 British League

Team	PL	W	D	L	BP	For	Ag	Pts
Coventry	34	26	0	8	--	1418	1231	52
Hull	34	24	2	8	--	1546	1099	50
CRADLEY	34	24	0	10	--	1500	1146	48
Kings Lynn	34	22	1	11	--	1396	1256	45
Exeter	34	21	0	13	--	1413	1230	42
Halifax	34	18	0	16	--	1336.5	1311.5	36
Reading	34	17	0	17	--	1345	1305	34
Swindon	34	15	3	16	--	1350	1299	33
Wimbledon	34	16	1	17	--	1327	1320	33
Belle Vue	34	14	4	16	--	1323	1326	32
Wolverhampton	34	15	1	18	--	1306	1342	31
Poole	34	14	3	17	--	1297	1352	31
Sheffield	34	14	2	18	--	1228	1420	30
Birmingham	34	13	2	19	--	1257	1392	28
Ipswich	34	12	2	20	--	1264	1381	26
Eastbourne	34	10	2	22	--	1242	1406	22
Leicester	34	10	0	24	--	1150.5	1497.5	20
Hackney	34	9	1	24	--	1130	1515	19

I.L.K.O.Cup

Round 1 - Peterborough 27 Cradley 51
Steve Bastable 12, Alan Grahame 10, Bruce Penhall 9,
Bobby Schwartz 8, Dave Perks 5, Glen McDonald 4,
Phil Collins 3.

Quarter Final - Cradley 49 Exeter 29
Bruce Penhall 10, Erik Gundersen 9, Alan Grahame 8,
Kristian Praestbro 7, Phil Collins 7, Steve Bastable 7,
Bobby Schwartz 1.

Semi-Final - Cradley 50 Hull 27
Alan Grahame 11, Phil Collins 8, Dave Perks 8,
Bobby Schwartz 7, Bruce Penhall 7, Erik Gundersen 5,
Kristian Praestbro 4.

Final - 1st leg - Cradley 43 Kings Lynn 35
Bruce Penhall 9, Alan Grahame 9, Erik Gundersen 8,
Phil Collins 7, Bobby Schwartz 5, Dave Perks 3,
Kristian Praestbro 2.

Final - 2nd leg - Kings Lynn 36 Cradley 42
Phil Collins 12, Bruce Penhall 9, Alan Grahame 6,
Dave Perks 6, Erik Gundersen 4, Kristian Praestbro 3,
Bobby Schwartz 2.

Cradley win the Cup 85-71 on aggregate

Midland Cup

Round 1 - 1st leg Wolves 39 Cradley 38
Alan Grahame 13, Joe Owen 12, Bobby Schwartz 10,
Kristian Praestbro 3, Phil Collins 0, Erik Gundersen 0,
Denzil Kent 0.

Round 1 - 2nd leg - Cradley 46 Wolves 32
Roger Johns 12, Alan Grahame 12, Kristian Praestbro 8,
Bobby Schwartz 6, Phil Collins 6, Dave Perks 2,

Cradley win 84-71 on aggregate

Semi-Final - Coventry 46 Cradley 32
Phil Collins 9, Alan Grahame 9, Erik Gundersen 5,
(G)Jim McMillan 3, Kristian Praestbro 3, Les Rumsey 2,
Bobby Schwartz 1.

Semi-Final - Cradley 44 Coventry 34
Bruce Penhall 10, Bobby Schwartz 10, Alan Grahame 7,
Kristian Praestbro 6, Phil Collins 6, Les Rumsey 4,
Erik Gundersen 1.

Coventry win 80-76 on aggregate, they went on to
beat Leicester 93-63 in the Final

KO.Cup
(matches over 18 heats - 8 man teams)

Prlm Rnd 1st leg- Leicester 40 Cradley 68
Bobby Schwartz 13, Bruce Penhall 12, Phil Collins 10,
Kristian Praestbro 10, Erik Gundersen 9, Alan Grahame 9,
Dave Perks 5, Steve Bastable 0.
Prlm Rnd 2nd leg-Cradley 66 Leicester 42
Bruce Penhall 14, Bobby Schwartz 12,
Kristian Praestbrp 11, Phil Collins 10, Mike Sampson 8,
Alan Grahame 7, John Hack 2, Dave Perks 2.

Cradley win 134-82 on aggregate

Round 1 - 1st leg- Wimbledon 54 Cradley 53
Bobby Schwartz 15, Bruce Penhall 12, Phil Collins 8,
Alan Grahame 7, Kristian Praestbro 4, Dave Perks 4,
Erik Gundersen 3, Mike Sampson 0.
Round 1 - 2nd leg- Cradley 78 Wimbledon 29
Alan Grahame 15, Phil Collins 12, Erik Gundersen 12,
Kristian Praestbro 11, Bruce Penhall 9, Steve Bastable 8,
Dave Perks 6, Les Rumsey 5.

Cradley win 131-83 on aggregate

Round 2 - 1st leg - Wolves 52 Cradley 56
Alan Grahame 12, Phil Collins 10, Bobby Schwartz 10,
Dave Perks 7, Bruce Penhall 7, Kristian Praestbro 6,
Les Rumsey 3, Erik Gundersen 1.
Round 2 - 2nd leg - Cradley 71 Wolves 37
Alan Grahame 12, Bruce Penhall 11, Bobby Schwartz 11,
Phil Collins 10, Kristian Praestbro 9, Erik Gundersen 9,
Dave Perks 6, Les Rumsey 3.

Cradley win 127-89 on aggregate.

Semi Final - 1st leg - Cradley 43 Halifax 23
(rained off after 11 heats - result stands)
Bruce Penhall 9, Phil Collins 8, Dave Perks 7,
Alan Grahame 7, Kristian Praestbro 6, Erik Gundersen 4,
John Williams 2, Nigel Couzens 0.
Semi-Final - 2nd leg - Halifax 49 Cradley 59
Dave Perks 13, Kristian Praestbro 10, Erik Gundersen 9,
Phil Collins 9, Bruce Penhall 6, Alan Grahame 5,
John Hack 5, Ian Gledhill 2.

Cradley win 102-72 on aggregate

Final - 1st leg -Cradley 62 Hull 45
Bruce Penhall 11, Alan Grahame 11, Erik Gundersen 9,
Dave Perks 9, Phil Collins 9, Bobby Schwartz 6,
Kristian Praestbro 4, John Hack 3.

(the second leg was rained off after 7 heats)
Final 2nd leg re-run - Hull 50 Cradley 58
Bruce Penhall 13, Bobby Schwartz 11, Phil Collins 9,
Kristian Praestbro 9, Alan Grahame 6, Erik Gundersen 5,
John Hack 5, Dave Perks 0.

Cradley win the Cup 120-96 on aggregate

team with K.O.Cup

Dudley Wolves Trophy

1st leg - Cradley 50 Wolves 28
Bruce Penhall 11, Bobby Schwartz 10, Erik Gundersen 8,
Kristion Praestbro 7, Alan Grahame 7, Phil Collins 6,
Les Rumsey 1.
2nd leg - Wolves 39 Cradley 39
Bruce Penhall 10, Bobby Schwartz 8, Erik Gundersen 7,
Phil Collins 7, Alan Grahame 5, Kristian Praestbro 1,
Les Sawyer 1.

Cradley win 89-67 on aggregate

The Golden Hammer in July was won by Bobby Schwartz - Golden Hammer
Cradley hosted a Test Match in August -
England 72 Australasia 36

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