The big risk that promoter Wally Mawdsley took when he signed up four Czech riders paid off handsomely. The Falcon's were never far off from challenging for the top placings and eventually ended the season fifth out of the eighteen clubs contesting the B.L of 1979.

Not that taking such a risk always worked out for Exeter. Transport problems on the continent were always a huge gamble as was highlighted when Kings Lynn turned up at the County Ground - but the Czech riders didn't and Exeter's home record was toppled as the visitors notched up a 38-40 win.

But Wally's gamble paid off big. He provided Exeter with a team almost as good as any they've had at any time, and this despite the fact that they allowed their No.2, Reidar Eide (average 8.44), their No. 5 Mike Farrell (ave 6.75) and their No. 7, Les Rumsey (ave 6.06) to move to new homes.

The incoming replacements were Ales Dryml, who had made such a fantastic impact in a couple of meetings at the 1978 close, and Zdenek Kudrna. As cover in the No. 8 slot they also signed Nigel Boocock (yes there was an Englishman in the camp!) and loaned him out to Canterbury. And off they went.

Any fears that Scott Autrey might not return were gone. Any suggestions that his self-determined exclusion from the World Championship would affect him adversely were so much nonsense. If Scott is not the best American ever it's simply because he had not yet won the world title but since he was already through to the 1980 Inter-Continental Final, hopes were that a title shot was not too far away.

From start to finish, he covered himself with glory and Exeter basked in the reflection of it all. To find him at the very top of the British League averages, then, came as no surprise. To find his team near the top was also no surprise for he was the inspiration on which they depended. Like Mauger before him, Scott's brilliance rubbed off on his team colleagues.

With Eide gone, Vaclav Verner was confidently expected to take over the No. 2 scoring slot, and duly obliged. A real iron man, he was back in action within a fortnight of breaking a bone in his arm. He was good in 1978 and if anything, he was better in 1979. But there the real high scorers stopped and the Falcons owed their high placing to a great strength in depth from their cosmopolitan sqaud. Any one of the rest of them could have been third heat leader, or second reserve. One bad match could move them from one end to the next.

From- Peter Prinsloo, whose scoring showed as many ups and downs as ever but who was still good enough to finish heat leader with a 6.94 average, to second reserve Zdenek Kudrna, there was less than a one-point match average. And to show just how little there was between them all Zdenek, the World Final qualifier, actually finished No. 8 in the score chart since 'loanee' veteran Nigel Boocock actually out-averaged him. Booey, to be honest, should have been in the team power proper, not loaned out to Canterbury. He showed that with a few right old tear-ups. But he enjoyed the move to Canterbury immensely and was around to give Exeter the extra cover they needed most times they needed it - which was roughly every other match.

Valuable and conscientious though they were, the Czechs, with the exception of Vaclav, were a trifle disappointing in their final points returns. Only in their points, not in their efforts a point worth keeping in mind.

Dryml did not live up to the sensational debut of 1978, but still turned outnearly a 6.5 average, no mean feat for his first full season in the B.League. Kudrna, the complete newcomer to this country, made the World Final without revealing quite the same stuff all the time for the Falcons. Jan Verner did improve in this his second year, but did not become the mainstay of the Verner family as some had predicted. But certainly, they gave enough to make Exeter a real fighting force almost anywhere. Had they all ridden up to expectations and reputations, the league title would have been well within their grasp.

Steve Koppe performed very well, even though he finished as their No.6. Nothing wrong, though, with a No. 6 who in his first full season averages over six points and scores over 250 points. The first British League full year was always the worst, regardless of how much success a man has had at National level, or even when doubling up between the two leagues. Steve had come through his baptism of fire in such style that much was expected of him for the 1980 season.

Vaclav Verner established a new track record of 67.2 seconds on April 6th of this year, but it was to be short lived. Scott Autrey celebrated his 26th Birthday by becoming the fastest man in British Speedway when he knocked .6 of a second off Vaclav Verners old County Ground track record recording a time of 66.6 seconds, an average speed of 54.42 mph.

Exeter had also reached the Final of the B.L Fours where they finished in runners up spot behind eventual winners Hull.

But behind all the success, Exeter were about to be rocked. Gates had declined at the County Ground, despite an upsurge towards the latter part of the season. The Falcon's could no longer sustain racing at the highest level, and apart from one brief season in 1984, the County Ground had seen it's last of Division 1 Speedway.

Elsewhere in 1979

Hull (36pts) win the B.L Fours, beating Exeter (30pts), Cradley (21pts) and Hackney (8pts) in the Final. However, the Fours competion produced a tragedy when Eastbourne's Vic Harding was killed during on of the early rounds of the competition. Ellesmere won the N.L Fours on the rain soaked Peterborough circuit beating Mildenhall with twice previous winners Peterborough taking third place.

Kenny Carter (Center) wins the Junior Championship of G.Britain beating both Nigel Flatman (Right) and Melvyn Taylor (Left) in a run off after all three had scored 12 points.

M.Lee (14) wins the commonwealth final from B.Sanders (14) D.Jessup (12) L.Ross (11) and also won the Inter Continental final scoring 14 to eventually win from runner up Peter Collins (14) and FinnThomsen (10)

New Zealand won the World Cup title staged at White City. They scored 35pts to beat Denmark 31, Czechoslovakia 19 and Poland 11. Denmark however went on to win the World Pairs title scoring 25 points to pip England (24), Poland (20) and Australia 19 in the final.

Peter Collins had taken the British Final of the World Championship with a faultless 15pts to beat M.Lee (14), Dave Jessup (12) and John Davis (11), but it was that man Ivan Mauger who clinched his 6th World Final in Katowice scoring 14pts. Second was Zenon Plech (13pts) third Michael Lee (11pts) and fourth Kelly Moran (11pts).

John Louis (14) won the B.L Riders Championship ahead of Bruce Penhall 913) and Michael Lee (12) whilst Stoke's Ian Gledhill won the N.L Riders Championship picking up 14pts to beat Steve Wilcox of Middlesbrough (12pts) and Andy Grahame of Milton Keynes third with 11 points.

Joe owen won the Daily Mirror/Weslake Classic at Ipswich beating Peter Collins and Gary Guglielmi in the 16 lap Final. Exeter's Scott Autrey picked up the £1,250 prize money for winning the Berger Grand Prix series, he totalled 77.5 points to beat runner up Bruce Penhall who scored 71pts and third placed John Davis on 66.5.

Pictured Left, the triumphant Cradley Heath team who won both the Speedway Star KO Cup beating Hull 120-96 on aggregate and also captured the Inter League Cup.

Coventry totalled 52points to win the B.L Title from runners up Hull (50pts), Cradley Heath (48pts) and Kings Lynn (45pts) (Exeter fifth on 42pts). In the National League, Mildenhall pick up the N.L Title from Rye House, Oxford and Berwick.