Heat by Heat Results - September 1976

Chaos reigned in the first leg of the Dukes cup quarter final at Hackney as Halifax attempted to use rider replacement twice!  The Hawks management objected to Kroeze's use in heat 8, but the referee allowed the race to go ahead - but after the meeting, the 4-2 to the Dukes was reversed to a 4-2 to the Hawks, the original 41-37 defeat being amended.  Halifax thought they had forced a last heat decider, which Kroeze and Cartwright subsequently lost.  Kroeze, Cartwright and Pusey carried the team as Lohmann and Cusworth failed to score.

With the top stars in Poland for the World Final, Halifax staged a Four-Team Tournament, involving two Dukes side, Belle Vue and Sheffield.  Halifax "A" won the match with Kroeze scoring a maximum and Cusworth providing good support, whilst Halifax "B" relied on Chris Pusey to score their points.  Adam Olkiewicz was included, but he again failed to impress, whilst Coatbridge's Australian Mick McKeon was given an outing, with an eye on next season.  Reg Wilson for the Tigers, and Alan Wilkinson for the Aces showed their class and top-scored for their respective sides.  There was a welcome return too for Mick Newton, who had been absent for the summer with a back injury.

The patched-up Dukes went down to another defeat on the road, losing by 12 points at the Boulevard.  Henny Kroeze and Chris Pusey both scored a stunning 15 points, but the remaining Dukes failed to beat an opponent and contributed only 3 points between them, as the Dukes' weaknesses were exposed.  By contrast, all the Vikings were in the points, their riders failing to score on only one occasion.  The Dukes fortunes were summed up in heat 10 - Lohmann replaced Cartwright, but then broke down on the way to the start, with Cartwright having to replace him as a tactical substitute.

No Plant, Monk or Cartwright meant no chance as the Dukes were thrashed by defending champions Ipswich, on their way to defending their title.  Henny Kroeze top scored, his 8 points including the Dukes lone win in heat 9.  Halifax drafted in Eastbourne's Neil Middleditch for Cartwright, but were short of quality to match the wealth of talent Ipswich possessed.  Louis, Davey and Howgego were all unbeaten, whilst Sanders was denied his own maximum by Kroeze in heat 9.

Given the state of their failing squad, a trip to Coatbridge to fulfil a booking in a Four-Team Tournament was hardly ideal for the Dukes.  New World Champion Peter Collins scored a maximum, but could not inspire his Aces to a win, with Hull's all-round strength proving crucial.  Kroeze and Finch scored 6 points each, but this was hardly a fixture that Halifax needed to prioritise.

Halifax made light of Hackney's appeal over the result of the first leg, by romping to a 16 point win and progress to the Cup semi-finals.  Henny Kroeze continued his amazing run with another 17 point haul, with Chris Pusey unbeaten save for an engine failure in heat 9.  Mike Lohmann had one of his best performances with 9 points, with guest Pendlebury chipping in with a useful 5.  Dave Morton was less-effective than usual, losing to Pusey and Kroeze in three of his outings.  Hackney subsequently won their appeal over the first leg result, but this made no difference to the outcome.

The long hot summer was now definitely gone, as consistent rain and increasingly bad visibility stopped proceedings after just three races, with the Aces in front by 2 points.  The Dukes included Mick McKeon after his promising display earlier in the month, but he fell in the slippery conditions. Henny Kroeze scored yet another win, but it was all for nothing.  

With the season end approaching, the Cup Semi-Final against King's Lynn was hastily arranged, and the Dukes slipped to a 14 point defeat in the first leg, unable to match the Stars trio of Betts, Lee and Turner.  The Dukes managed to draw 9 races, but their lack of heat winners cost them dearly, as three 5-1s in the last 5 races left Halifax with an uphill battle in the second leg.  Chris Pusey and guest Geoff Bouchard looked most likely to keep the Dukes in contention, but ultimately the Stars were too strong.