WHERE'S VESPRINI?: A NIGHT TO REMEMBER
Wednesday March 19, 2014
21 years is a long time but this week I finally laid the ghost of 1993 to rest!

2nd of July 1993 to be precise I can remember it as if it was yesterday, I was driving back down the A1 stunned and muttering something along the lines of “71, 71 how could we do it again!” Four months earlier I’d made the identical trip only to return fixated by the number 73. Yes, it was the Rockets last season before speedway disappeared from Hoddesdon for seven years and I’d witnessed not one but two defeats against Peterborough at the East of England Showground. When I say defeats I don’t use the term lightly either, 73-35 and 71-37 were perhaps more of a total surrender than a defeat. So with those memories still occupying a part of my speedway memory bank the trip back up the motorway even after 21 years was still full of trepidation. What would happen this time, would our season in true ‘Casualty’ tradition be wrecked by injury before it had started and would we be able to find our way as the road had changed drastically since we were last there?

So those sitting behind me in the second row by the starting gate will hopefully understand that the long “Yesssssssssss!” I exclaimed when Eddie and Steve crossed the line in Heat 15 was born out of many years of frustration. Talking of frustration I hope the £1 we contributed to the car park attendant will be put to good use, like purchasing a few signs to tell you how to find the place! The evening begun in a classic comedy convoy going to the wrong gate being directed down the wrong road before a sychronised U turn and a right turn finally got us where we needed to be. I know it was the first meeting of the season but isn’t that the time you should make sure everything is in place?

Anyway I digress a win at Peterborough was one of those occasions I’d wondered if I would live long enough to see the fact the lads achieved it with only one point added from rider replacement just put the icing on a considerable cake. On the way there were of course a few rocky moments notably Steve’s combined demolition of four panels of air fence along with Lewis Blackbird thankfully both were only shaken which is more than can be said for the fence. I must admit at one stage we wondered if they were using a foot pump to get it back in shape but the track staff finally got things up and running. We had a bit of luck too Ulrich Ostergaard’s bucking bronco off the final lap of Heat 9 letting Steve through for the win. With Young Norman off the pace everyone else played their part Eddie looked the out and out number one we’d been waiting for, Steve provided the perfect back up, Matt had a particularly fine debut while the 747 made light of his 18 month absence and Simon was well on the pace.

OK before I get carried away it was only one meeting and there’s a long way to go but that certainly didn’t wipe the grin off my face as we travelled home, 21 years of hurt over!