The Riders - W

Ian Westwell:  Cheshire-born Westwell rode in a number of meetings for the Dukes in 1980 and 1981, filling in at the bottom end of the team.  He doubled up with Scunthorpe in 1980 and at Edinburgh in 1981.  He was overlooked for a permanent berth in 1981, the Dukes opting to go for the Norwegian Skretting instead, but was briefly recalled after Skretting was released. Made his last appearance for the Dukes in the home victory over Leicester in June 1981.  He rode for Edinburgh, being a part of their Cup-winning side in 1981, before retiring at the end of 1982.

Steve Wilcock:  Born in Dewsbury in 1954, Wilcock rode for numerous clubs including Bradford and Middlesbrough before joining the Dukes on loan during the 1979 season, which proved to be his only season with Halifax.  The highlight of his Dukes career was a match-winning 7 points away at King's Lynn, but overall he struggled, finishing with a near 4 point average. Spent the rest of his speedway career as the stalwart number one for Middlesbrough during the 1980s, occasionally doubling up with British League teams.  Was still averaging nearly 7 points a match when he retired after a 1991 season punctuated by injuries. After speedway, ran his own bouncy-castle business in Dewsbury. 

Sean Willmott:  Bristolian grass-tracker Willmott had a couple of guest outings for the Dukes as a 16 year old in 1977 whilst at Weymouth.  He eventually found a home at Hackney, spending 5 seasons with the Hawks, including their near title miss in 1980.  A move to the banked Exeter track in 1984 looked like a good move, but the Falcons pulled out of the league after only one season, leaving Willmott in limbo.  The Dukes stepped in on the eve of the 1985 season to make Willmott the 5th member of their powerful top 5.  Like Ross and Hunter however, Willmott struggled in the early part of the season, spending June in one of the reserve spots.  Although his scoring picked up, he was hampered by crashes at Sheffield and King's Lynn, resulting in a wrist injury.  A sub 6 point average was less than the Dukes were hoping for, but fit the bill nicely for the move to Odsal in 1986. He revelled on the big open spaces at Odsal, and often scored heavily at home, his best season ever coming in 1987.  He retired at the end of 1988.

Doug Wyer:  Flyer Wyer was a veteran of 13 seasons, mostly with Sheffield before his surprise move to Halifax in 1981.  Wyer was one of the leading British riders of the 1970s - 5 consecutive British Finals, and 7th place in his only World Final appearance in 1976 suggested the Dukes had signed a rider who would take them to higher levels.  But it never quite worked out that way.  His scores declined from 1980 to 81 to 82, and he was clearly no longer the heat leader the Dukes were hoping for, although niggling injuries and mechanical issues did affect his scoring. Nevertheless, he remained a fan favourite throughout his Shay years.  His best season for Halifax was 1983, providing useful backup to Carter.  A second half injury at Exeter in June 1984 ended a record-breaking run of consecutive appearances, and although he was back by August, his scoring never really recovered.  He was retained by the Dukes for 1985 as number 8, deputising on several occasions.  After a season with Birmingham, he saw out his riding days with Edinburgh, ending his career after a badly broken leg in June 1988.  Still a regular supporter of the sport, he can be seen most Thursday nights at Owlerton watching Sheffield Tigers.