Season Review

With the crowds for Dudley exceeding everyone's expectation, it was decided that Monmore Green seemed to be the most popular with fans so it was decided that the track sharing would carry on, dropping the other half of matches at Perry Barr, Birmingham.
This season's team had loads of potential keeping Armstrong, Morris, Perry, Franklin and Ritchings from last year and adding superstar Adam Roynon and budding youngster Luke Chessell into the side.
But injury after injury decimated the side. Victims were Adam Roynon, Jon Armstrong, Kyle Newman, Tom Perry, Ashley Morris and Richard Franklin. at some stage during the season. They were doing really well, in fact, top of the National League by July but then it went pear shaped with one injury after another.

The mighty Roynon was first to go at the end of April riding for his Premier League club Redcar at Ipswich, broken femur, the very brave Cumbrian star tried a return for the Golden Hammer at the end of July but he was too optimistic and after a couple of weeks had to admit he came back too soon.
At least he managed to help the Heathens grab some silverware with the early season defeat of Buxton home and away in the National Shield, and on July 30th he helped the Heathens to lift the National League Fours at Loomer Road Stoke.
Adam's absence from the side was a bitter blow for manager Will Pottinger who admitted he was more than worth his 7.70 average from 2010 and his confidence among the other riders in the pits was worth even more points.  Will Pottinger knew that with an injury free spell Adam would be the best rider in the National League.

L to R  Ashley Morris, Richard Franklin, Luke Chessell, Tom Perry, Adam Roynon, Darryl Ritchings,
Team manager Will Pottinger - on bike Jon Armstrong

On a more positive note some of the Heathens prospered, it was good to see the progress made by Ashley Morris, he had his fair share of spills being battered and bruised at Belle Vue in July and concussion in a crash against Mildenhall in August. He took it all in his stride and as a 17 year old youngster he showed he has a good future in the sport.
Tom Perry was very impressive in 2010 easing his way into speedway from grasstrack racing and everyone was expecting great things from him in 2011, he was good but everyone expected him to carry on progressing at the same pace. After spending the winter in Australia with Ashley Somerset were quick to give him a place in the Premier League side.

The support for the Heathens was second to none, during one disastrous night on the 23rd August the Heathens took a battering from Stoke at home 27-64! The fans at some tracks would have been walking out at the interval but the Dudley fans stuck by the team which was so amazing that the riders came out after the match to applaud the supporters for sticking by them! It was a night to forget when we lost both reserves Danny Stoneman and Richard Franklin in heat two so had to ride the match with just five riders.
The club went from strength to strength and many Premier League tracks would be glad of the support of such a special fan base.

Riders Performance Chart

'The Heathens' 2011

National Shield
Dudley won the National Shield early in the season beating Buxton 53-37 at Monmore Green {Morris 15(5),Roynon 13+1(5),Barry Evans 9+1(4), Ritchings 6+1(4), Franklin 5+1(4), Perry 4(4), Chessell 1(4)}
Then going to Axe Edge to win 46-44 {Roynon 11+1(4), Bekker 8(5), Morris 7(4), Franklin 6+1(4), Perry ^+1(5),Chessell 5+1(4), Ritchings 3+2(4)}
Aggregate score Dudley 99  Buxton 81

National League Fours

Group A
Mildenhall 18, Dudley 16 {Franklin 5 - Armstrong 4 - Morris 4 - Roynon 3}, Isle of Wight 8, Hackney 6.
Final
Dudley 15 {Roynon 6, Morris 4, Armstrong 3, Franklin 2} Belle Vue 12, Stoke 12, Mildenhall 9.
Dudley win the Fours

KO Cup

Quarter Final -  Dudley 45 - Belle Vue 39
Morris 12(4),Armstrong 11(4), Perry 8+3(4), Newman 5(4), Ritchings 4+1(5), Franklin 3+1(4), Stoneman 2+1(3)
Quarter Final - Belle Vue 39 - Dudley 52
Perry 11(5), Franklin 10+2(5), Newman 9(4), Armstrong 8+1(4), Morris 7+2(4), Stoneman 4+1(4), Ritchings 3+1(4)

Semi-Final - 1st leg - Stoke 62  Dudley 32
Morris 11(5), Newman 9(5), Armstrong 6+1(4), Franklin 3+(4), Perr 1(4), Ritchings 1(4), Stoneman 1(4)

Semi-Final - 2nd leg - Dudley 47  Stoke 43
Newman 14(5), Morris 7(5), Armstrong 6+2(4), Perry 6+1(4), Franklin 6(4), Ritchings 4+1(5), 
Stoneman 4(3)
Stoke win 105 - 79 105 on aggregate
but went on to lose to Mildenhall 83-103 in the Final

NL Pairs
Dudley were represented by Kyle Newman and Jon Armstrong in the NL pairs - they scored 20 points 11 plus 9 respectively in Group B to finish third
Group A was won by Newport 26, Scunthorpe/Sheffield 22, Belle Vue 17, Hackney 15, Kings Lynn 10

Group B was won by Stoke 23, Mildenhall 21, Dudley 20, Buxton 13, Isle of Wight 13

Stoke's Tim Webster and Simon Lambert beat Todd Kurtz and Jay Herne in then Final to win the Pairs.

National League Riders Championship
Ashley Morris represented Dudley in the NL Riders Championship - he scored 9 points to finish 6th.
 

The 2011 Golden Hammer was won by Kyle Hughes with Adam Allott 2nd and Todd Kurtz in third place. Tom Perry was the highest placed Heathen with 10 points.

Dudley hosted an under 21 v USA Tourists International Challenge match in October with GB beating the tourists 46-44