The 1981 Season

1981 - the year of Ricky Villa, the Royal Wedding and a summer affected by rioting in towns and cities up and down the country. During the winter, the British League reduced to 16 teams, with the decision by Wolverhampton to drop down to the National League. With the news at the end of 1980 that Mick McKeon was not planning to return to the UK, and with doubts over the availability of Piotr Pyszny, the Dukes plans were thrown into further chaos when Janke announced that he too would not be returning from Australia. Whilst Carter, Cartwright and Pendlebury were all available again, the Dukes headed towards the new season with only 3 confirmed senior riders. Promoter Boothroyd dipped into the transfer market, and on paper, it seemed had produced some good business. John Louis, an Ipswich rider his whole career, was made available as Ipswich reconstructed, and signed for Halifax, to give the Dukes a strong-looking top 3. And when former World-finalist Doug Wyer was deemed to be surplus to requirements at Sheffield, the Dukes stepped in. Team manager Gavros brought a young Australian Steve Baker over for his first taste of UK action, and in the absence of Pyszny, the Dukes sought to bring in Norwegian Trond Skretting to fill the other reserve berth.

The 81 season got underway with the newly-introduced League Cup - split into North and South groups, with the winners to meet in the final. The Dukes started at Sheffield, and lost narrowly, with the top 5 all looking good. Hull were dispatched easily in the first home meeting, and everything looked promising. The following week against Birmingham saw the Dukes plans in tatters however. Carter clashed with Hans Nielsen coming out of the last bend, and hit the fence at full speed. He was taken to hospital with a shattered jaw, and would miss the Dukes next 9 fixtures, although it was surprisingly not more! Added to that, Pendlebury piled up in the same match, chipping an ankle, which ended his League Cup campaign. The Dukes used rider replacement - a reminder of 1980 - to cover Carter's absence, but although Louis and Cartwright scored a phenomenal amount of points, Halifax only won 4 of their LC fixtures, and came bottom of the North group. Wyer was inconsistent, and the reserves Baker and Skretting were struggling, the latter particularly finding any points difficult to come by.

The Dukes were drawn away to National League Peterborough in the first round of the Knock-out Cup - a new initiative to involve the top NL sides - and Halifax must have wished this wasn't the case. Despite the heroics of Louis and Cartwright, the Dukes were dumped out of the cup in a last heat decider. Something had to change, and with moves to bring Pyszny back to the UK in full swing, Skretting was released.

The League campaign started badly - the Dukes lost at home to champions Reading and away at King's Lynn. Carter and Pendlebury were back, KC scoring like he had never been away. Some of the Dukes had agreed to take part in an open-meeting in Holland, and whilst there, Pendlebury fell again, this time fracturing his cocycx, an injury that ruled him out until mid-July. Ian Westwell and young Aussie Rob Ashton filled in at reserve until Pyszny returned at the end of June, and his inclusion gave the Dukes a more solid look - yet their form was somewhat predictable - often comfortable winners at home, often hopeless away. After the Reading defeat in match 1, the Dukes went 100% at home, until a final day 4 point reverse against Belle Vue. But away, they mustered just a single point (at Hull) and were one of only 2 teams (Hull being the other) to fail to win away all season.

Carter was a class above everyone else - at Halifax, and the rest of the league too - only arch-rival Bruce Penhall could boast a higher average. John Louis was deemed to be an astute signing - although his average reduced, he was a solid scorer and carried the team during Carter's absence. Cartwright was better than ever at The Shay, but had frustrating times away from home, often 9 points plus at home, often 4 or 5 away, and his average also reduced. The enigma was Doug Wyer - a world finalist in 1976, his average slumped by 2 points a match from 1980, although it was revealed at the end of the season he had been hampered by a persistent shoulder problem.

The inclusion of Pyszny from the start of the season would no doubt have helped the Dukes significantly, but although looking like a potential heat-leader by the end of the season, the 2-year contract with the Polish authorities was up, and a return would now look unlikely. At the bottom end of the team, Baker impressed greatly on his first season in Britain, although not hitting major points, he was an ever-present, and managed his first double-figure score in the final match of the season, and promised much for 1982.

The heat details, scorers and reports for each meeting through the season can be found by clicking on the pages for each month.