West Ham 'Hammers' v Sheffield 'Tigers'

British League

8th Sept. 1970

Ref: K.J. Hill01020304050607080910111213Tot+Bp
1. Olle Nygren 2 3 3 1 9
2. Greg Kentwell (g) 1' 2' ef 0 3+2
3. Christer Lofqvist 1' 3 2 1' 7+2
4. Mike Keen (g) 2 1 0 - 3
5. Tony Clarke ef - 2 3 2 7
6. Garry Hay 2 2 0 2' 0 6+1
7. Antonin Kasper 1' 1 - 2+1
Sverre Harrfeldt 3 3 2 3 1 5 5 1 2 3 2 4 3
West Ham 'Hammers' 3 6 8 11 12 17 22 23 25 28 30 34 37
Sheffield 'Tigers' 3 6 10 13 18 19 20 25 29 32 36 38 41
Terry Thornhill 3 3 4 3 5 1 1 5 4 3 4 2 3
1. Jim Airey © 3 3 3 3 12
2. Bob Paulson ef - 2' 1 3+1
3. Arnold Haley 3 1 3 2 9
4. Brian Maxted 1 0 2 0 3
5. Bengt Larsson 3 1 1' 0 5+1
6. John Dews 3 2' 0 3 1 9+1
7. Dave Baugh 0 0 - 0
Track record = 70.2
Ray Wilson, 8th April 1969
010203 040506070809 10111213
73.474.875.474.475.4 74.275.476.274.675.0 74.274.674.2

Sheffield, easy meat for the Hammers so often in the past, gained their first-ever win on the London track, no small factor being the splendid maximum from skipper Jim Airey.

The heat in which West Ham probably lost their final chance of salvaging even a draw - after earlier having made good six points' leeways and then falling in arrears again - was the 12th. Here Arnold Haley dramatically split the Nygren-Clarke partnership, and came mighty close to a spectacular first place.

This left he Hammers needing a 5-1 from the last heat to save the match, and with the Tigers fielding the dashing Airey this was never on.                                                                                                                 (by Donald Allen - Speedway Star & News)

Clerk of the Course Gordon Parkins' programme notes the following week explained some of the problems encountered by the 'Hammers' in this match;

"It seems impossible that one team could have so much bad luck in one match as became our lot last Tuesday. Even the Sheffield boys agreed that we should have won. Just look at the spate of incidents. In the first heat Tony was clear away and going like a bomb when his timing slipped. This is something that happens once in the proverbial 'blue moon'.

Next Greg Kentwell, after two promising rides, sheered a clutch race at the starting gate. Greg could feel the clutch going and desperately tried to hang on to the bike, but he stalled just as the tapes went up. Had the gate lifted one second sooner he would have been away. It was his easiest race of the night, and Greg was confident that this one was in the bag before he left the pits. He told us afterwards that this was the first time this season that mechanical trouble had put him out of a race. Whay did it have to happen at West Ham?

We were still there with a chance in heat 12 and Olle and Tony seemed to have a five-one in the bag, but fate stepped in again, Olle's air filter disintegrated and was sucked into the carburettor. No team can win when the cards are stacked so heavily against it."

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