HEATHENS chiefs have moved to clear up confusion over the absence of key signing Richard Hall towards the end of the season.
Hall missed the final league meeting against Eastbourne after notifying the club his season was over through injury – and then missed the Golden Hammer individual after failing to respond to communication from the management.
Despite his Heathens’ absence, he still made guest appearances at Belle Vue and Glasgow.
Hall had already announced via social media: “So my season has come to an end after the knee injury. It's been a tough year on track and off the track but for sure I will come back stronger and more determined in 2018.”
Cradley co-promoter Gary Patchett said: “Most recently we were told on the 15th October he’d had a reaction to practice at Belle Vue the previous evening and wouldn’t be able to take his place in the team the following evening against Eastbourne.
“His message to me said ‘I’m finished for the season!’ You can imagine my surprise when Mark Lemon contacted us four days later to ask if Richard could guest for Belle Vue on Friday 20th October.
“I advised Mark that we’d been told Hall had finished for the season to which Mark replied ‘he’s ready to ride!’
“We were frustrated again at what we saw as Hall picking and choosing when, where and who he rode for but we took some comfort from the fact that this would surely mean he could ride in the Golden Hammer the following Monday.
“Late arranged fixture clashes and injuries had decimated the original line up and it would be good to see another Heathen in the line up. Hall told us that, providing he had no reaction to riding on Friday he would take his place in the Hammer the following Monday.
“Hall scored 15 + 1 in that meeting. However, despite his assurance and extensive efforts by Nigel and myself to contact him over the weekend Richard Hall did not appear in the Golden Hammer last Monday.
“He didn’t even tell us he wasn’t coming and by Sunday evening after he’d ignored our numerous attempts to make contact with him we took steps to cover his absence, although we didn’t know one way or the other whether he was going to turn up or not.
“We of course know now that he had no intention of taking part and given that he has now ridden again, this time as a guest for Glasgow where he scored 8 + 1, we have decided to break our silence.
“It will be for the other clubs who may employ him to decide what they make of this behaviour and whether they will take any action to prevent a repeat in the future but, in our opinion, Richard Hall has made a mockery of the National League and shown nothing but utter contempt for this club and its supporters.
“I hope this underlines the kind of thing Will, Nigel, Chris and myself have had to contend with this year.”