Heat by Heat Results - June 1967

June saw a change in the riding order, with Les Bentzen dropping to reserve, with Maury Robinson moving up into the main body of the team. Robinson responded well, against the Diamonds, with a paid 9 point haul, as the Dukes ran riot against a poor Newcastle side, who not even Ivan Mauger could inspire. Boocock was unbeatable, and combined with Dennis Gavros on 3 occasions as the latter also took a paid maximum.  Both Younghusband and Boothroyd dropped a single point each - both to Mauger, and Kentwell was also unbeaten apart from a second race fall.

Despite a blistering 15 point maximum for Eric Boocock, the Dukes slipped to an 8 point defeat at Exeter.  The result could have been different but for a heat 3 smash involving Younghusband and Kentwell.  Younghusband was leading when he fell, and Kentwell and the following Squibb had nowhere to go, hitting the fallen Duke and then the fence.  Miraculously, nobody was seriously injured, although both Dukes were shaken, and their scoring was affected.  Gavros also had a tumble whilst well placed in heat 11, and Boothroyd was unable to take his final ride after snapping his frame during his heat 9 win.

A 30 point thrashing of a lacklustre King's Lynn side, with several rider nursing injuries, almost certainly gave the Dukes the spoils in the Triangular Trophy.  Younghusband, showing no ill-effects from his Exeter crash, was unbeaten on 12 points, with Boocock also unbeaten by a Star - but in a rare dead-heat, the referee was unable to separate Boocock from Gavros in heat 6, so Eric ended the night on a rare 11.5 points!  Boothroyd and Gavros were also solid scorers as the visitors failed to provide a single race winner.

The 1966 Cup winners may have benefitted from some friendly home draws en route to the final, but the 1967 version experienced no such luck.  an away trip to a strong Poole outfit saw the Dukes limp out of the defence of their trophy at the first attempt.  A badly-prepared and over-watered track angered the Dukes, who initially refused to race, and their protests appeared to have paid off when the referee called the meeting off, only to change his mind following pressure from the home management.  Although Boocock and Younghusband carried the fight to the Pirates, they received little support, and the Dukes were left to concentrate on the League.  Boothroyd pulled out of the meeting after his third race having strained an ankle.

With Eric Boocock absent, riding for Great Britain v Sweden at Wimbledon, the fixture at Sheffield was switched to a challenge match, and the Dukes must have been glad, as they slipped to an 18 point defeat.  Bob Jameson made a welcome return to the team after 2 months out, but with Robinson, Bentzen and Kentwell all struggling, the result was inevitable.  To make matters worse, Kentwell suffered a hand injury after falling in the second half, an injury which subsequently needed eight stitches.

A comfortable win over local rivals Sheffield was over-shadowed by the heat 4 crash which ruled out Maury Robinson.  Robinson hit the safety fenceon the 4th bend head on, and was catapulted over, sustaining a badly broken thumb.  The Dukes had recalled Bob Jameson in place of Les Bentzen, but the latter would now regain his place with Robinson facing a lengthy lay-off.  On the track, the top 4 Dukes made light work of the Tigers, with both Boocock and Younghusband scoring maximums, with only Arnie Haley keeping the visitors score respectable.

Forced into a re-shuffle following the injury to Maury Robinson, the Dukes were also forced to operate rider replacement for Eric Boocock who was called up to ride for Great Britain against Sweden at Belle Vue. As it transpired, the weather was the only winner - steady rain became worse as the meeting wore on, and conditions became impossible after heat 8, with several falls and stoppages.  The meeting would be re-arranged for later in the season.

Halifax saw out June with a disappointing defeat at Edinburgh, where only Younghusband and Boocock put up any resistance, although several close finishes could have seen the Dukes score a few more points.  Younghusband was well placed in heat 1 but fell, gifting the hosts a 5-1 as the bottom end of the team struggled, and Boothroyd, affected by his ankle ligament problems, failing to get among the points. The defeat left the Dukes 15th in the table, a long way from where they finished 8 months earlier.