FORMER and current riders of the Stoke Potters Speedway team travelled from far and wide to attend the clubs end of season awards evening and end of era party at a packed Holditch Workingmen’s Club in Chesterton on Saturday evening.

All of the current Potters riders attended along with ex-Potters riders from all the decades that the Potters have rode in such as Garry Stead, Derek Richardson, Paul Clews, Mark ‘Buzz’ Burrows Eric Monaghan, Nigel Crabtree, Stuart Colin, Max Clegg, Mitchell Davey and new Newcastle Diamonds promoter Rob Grant to name a few with messages from Jim Brett and Paul Pickering.

Trophies on the night were awarded to all the current crop of riders along with fastest Potter at Loomer road going to Joe Lawlor, most maximums to Tom Perry, managements rider of the year award going to Joe Lawlor with the final trophy of the evening the 2019 supporters riders of the year award going to local rider Joe Alcock.

A shocked Alcock said “I really didn’t expect that and was paying for some drinks at the bar when I heard my name called and I’m absolutely delighted. I’d like to thank the fans that voted for me and for them standing by me over the past two seasons here at Stoke and it really does mean a lot to me with it being my home town club.

I’d like to thank the likes of Max (Clegg) and Mitchell Davey who have helped me in the pits and given me some really good advice and Lawrence Fielding who has also been working hard also in the pits on the spanners and one last person but not least my Mum Alison Alcock who has helped me financially and got me to where I am today, she has driven me all over the country and has even been my mechanic at times and in one meeting this season I got the highest points haul of my career up to that point and then went onto beat it later on in the season.”