Cradley Heathens back on track in 2019
Cradley Heathens will return to speedway’s National League next season because their fans refused to let them die.
Director Nigel Pearson hailed the ‘overwhelming’ response from the club’s supporters after the Heathens were named as part of an eight-strong division for 2019.
It has been a tough few years for Cradley, who only entered into the National Trophy last season, as they have had to juggle track-sharing commitments with Wolverhampton and Birmingham.
With no new circuit on the horizon, fears increased again that Cradley would cease to exist – but they have declared for another year, with Pearson and Chris Van Straaten continuing as directors.
“It’s a brave decision,” Pearson admitted. “It’s not been easy over the last two or three years and we now need the fans and sponsors to step up to the plate to make this happen.
“Fans have been begging us to keep the club going. There is no new track on the horizon, but this is what the fans wanted.”
The Heathens’ home matches will take place at Monmore Green on Monday nights, while Birmingham has been offered as a back-up in case of a fixture backlog.
Team boss Will Pottinger has got to work on putting the team together for next season and will be available for at least the home races.
